Abuelita was right when she said they were well matched for stubbornness, but where the birth of a child and the life of a mother were concerned he would take no chances, so, whatever Leila thought, in this instance history proved he did know best.
* * *
He cemented the growing closeness between them with a visit to his inner sanctum. Leila had already toured the cutting and sorting rooms in his laboratories on the island, as well as the design studio, but now he wanted to show her some of the world’s greatest treasures. As well as being a businessman, he was an avid collector of gems with an interesting history. These remarkable items had only been seen by his grandmother, along with a handful of sheikhs, sultans and assorted potentates, who appreciated the chance to view collections similar to their own.
Lights flashed on automatically as they entered the vault. The walls and floor were black marble, while the display cases were formed from blast-proof glass. He wasn’t surprised to hear Leila gasp. The lighting had been specifically designed to startle the visitor with a blaze of refracted light from the jewels from the moment they entered the chamber.
‘I thought that first vault you showed me was incredible, but this is something else,’ she murmured as he led her forward.
He started the tour by explaining the difference between a diadem and a tiara. ‘The tiara is more of a semicircular headband, while the diadem is like a crown.’ And when Leila expressed her preference for an elaborate diadem set with removable emerald pendants, he suggested she try it on.
‘Will you help me?’
‘It would be my pleasure.’
‘Mine too, I’m sure.’ She laughed as he pushed back her hair and settled the priceless masterpiece on her head.
And somehow her clothes found their way to the floor and the sight of Leila, naked, seated on one of the display tables, wearing only a diamond crown, was a sight he knew would be branded on his mind for ever. It certainly added a frisson to their lovemaking, as she had to sit very straight and still, so the crown didn’t fall off her head.
‘What happens when I—?’
‘No extravagant movements,’ he warned.
‘I’m not sure about that,’ she wailed.
‘You have to keep still, Leila, or I’ll have to stop—’
‘Don’t you dare stop!’ she warned him as he moved steadily back and forth.
Basking in sensation, he watched her closely, listening to her breathing quicken so he knew exactly when to hold her still.
‘Thank goodness you caught the crown,’ she panted out a good time later.
‘No problem,’ he said, settling the priceless diadem back on its stand.
‘This is your playroom, isn’t it?’ she challenged him as she slipped down from the table and moved to inspect the next display case in line.
‘But you’re the first playmate I’ve brought in here. And the last,’ he assured her when she shot him a mock-warning look.
‘I’m pleased to hear it,’ she murmured as she leaned over the glass. ‘What do we have in here?’
‘Some of the world’s most valuable coloured diamonds,’ he said, more interested in stroking the lush curve of her buttocks as he moved behind her.