Susan Stephens - The Flaw in His Diamond

‘What do you want most, Eva?’

She exhaled shakily at the sound of Roman’s voice and had to bring herself back to a reality that had expanded beyond her wildest imaginings.

‘I hardly know what I want,’ she admitted honestly. ‘I don’t even know what I can have.’

‘Try to tell me,’ Roman coaxed. ‘Search your deepest fantasies and tell me what you’d like me to do.’

They were standing by the bed. Roman was holding her with his chin resting lightly on her head.

‘You have to spell it out, Eva.’

‘You like to hear it?’ she guessed.

‘Maybe,’ he admitted.

‘Touch me,’ she whispered.

‘I am touching you, Eva.’

Yes, and her bones were melting. But it wasn’t enough. Roman knew that—just as she knew there was more … if she could only bring herself to ask. But for once in her headstrong, outspoken life she couldn’t find the words.

SUSAN STEPHENSwas a professional singer before meeting her husband on the tiny Mediterranean island of Malta. In true Mills & Boon ®Modern™ Romance style they met on Monday, became engaged on Friday, and were married three months after that. Almost thirty years and three children later, they are still in love. (Susan does not advise her children to return home one day with a similar story, as she may not take the news with the same fortitude as her own mother!)

Susan had written several non-fiction books when fate took a hand. At a charity costume ball there was an after-dinner auction. One of the lots, ‘Spend a Day with an Author’, had been donated by Mills & Boon ®author Penny Jordan. Susan’s husband bought this lot, and Penny was to become not just a great friend but a wonderful mentor, who encouraged Susan to write romance.

Susan loves her family, her pets, her friends and her writing. She enjoys entertaining, travel, and going to the theatre. She reads, cooks, and plays the piano to relax, and can occasionally be found throwing herself off mountains on a pair of skis or galloping through the countryside.

Visit Susan’s website at www.susanstephens.net—she loves to hear from her readers all around the world!

Recent titles by the same author:

DIAMOND IN THE DESERT * * linked to the Skavanga family. Visit their website at: http://www.susanstephens.com/skavanga/index.html ** all linked to the Acosta family. Did you know these are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk TAMING THE LAST ACOSTA ** * linked to the Skavanga family. Visit their website at: http://www.susanstephens.com/skavanga/index.html ** all linked to the Acosta family. Did you know these are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk THE MAN FROM HER WAYWARD PAST ** * linked to the Skavanga family. Visit their website at: http://www.susanstephens.com/skavanga/index.html ** all linked to the Acosta family. Did you know these are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk A TASTE OF THE UNTAMED ** * linked to the Skavanga family. Visit their website at: http://www.susanstephens.com/skavanga/index.html ** all linked to the Acosta family. Did you know these are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk

* DIAMOND IN THE DESERT * * linked to the Skavanga family. Visit their website at: http://www.susanstephens.com/skavanga/index.html ** all linked to the Acosta family. Did you know these are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk TAMING THE LAST ACOSTA ** * linked to the Skavanga family. Visit their website at: http://www.susanstephens.com/skavanga/index.html ** all linked to the Acosta family. Did you know these are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk THE MAN FROM HER WAYWARD PAST ** * linked to the Skavanga family. Visit their website at: http://www.susanstephens.com/skavanga/index.html ** all linked to the Acosta family. Did you know these are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk A TASTE OF THE UNTAMED ** * linked to the Skavanga family. Visit their website at: http://www.susanstephens.com/skavanga/index.html ** all linked to the Acosta family. Did you know these are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk * linked to the Skavanga family. Visit their website at: http://www.susanstephens.com/skavanga/index.html ** all linked to the Acosta family. Did you know these are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk linked to the Skavanga family. Visit their website at: http://www.susanstephens.com/skavanga/index.html **all linked to the Acosta family.

Did you know these are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk

The Flaw in His Diamond

Susan Stephens

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

EPILOGUE

EXCERPT

CHAPTER ONE

‘SO. WHAT DO we know about him?’ Leaning her hands, palms flat, on her no-nonsense scrubbed pine table, Eva glared, first at her older, married sister, Britt, and then at her younger sister, Leila.

Leila’s cheeks flushed pink, though she was used to Eva ranting. Leila’s middle sister was strong. And that was a polite way of putting it. Eva was also one hell of a pain in the neck when she was in one of her campaigning moods as she was now. Leila adored both her sisters, though she sometimes wished Eva could find a man and move out of the family home, taking her emotional pyrotechnics with her. How tranquil would life be then? Leila could only dream. But would anyone take Eva on? Both Leila and Britt had tried to interest the available men in Skavanga in Eva by extolling the many virtues of their firebrand sister, but none of the men had been interested in taking Eva anywhere, unless it was for a game of pool or darts. They had countered Leila and Britt’s glowing recommendations by reminding them about Eva’s famous temper and how loud she could shout, before turning their attention to quieter, more amenable companions.

‘Come on!’ Eva rapped, standing straight and planting her hands on her hips. ‘I need answers here. It’s all right for you, Britt—married to the Black Sheikh, one of the leading lights in the consortium. I don’t expect you to compromise your loyalties by having an opinion. But you, Leila? Shame. On. You. I’m surprised you can’t see that, if we allow them to, the consortium will happily rampage over our polar landscape and then move on. And don’t tell me I’m overreacting. That’s what will happen if one of us doesn’t make a stand.’

That was the thing about Eva, Leila mused as she removed herself to a quiet place in her head. Eva could have an argument all by herself without anyone else even taking part.

‘I won’t let the consortium have everything its own way, even if you will,’ Eva continued heatedly, ‘and before you say a word, Britt, let me make this quite clear. I might have seen our family business stolen from under our noses by three unscrupulous men but, unlike you, I have no intention of sleeping with one of them to make me feel better—’