style="font-size:15px;"> “With all due respect, when on their lunch hour, my men can do whatever they want as long as it’s legal.”
When it came to the vineyard, it was a rare moment that someone challenged Diamond unless their last name was Drake. And when it came to nerve, Diamond realized that the man standing in front of her had plenty of it. And so did she, which was why he was going to get a serious piece of her mind. But realizing there was an avidly interested audience listening on, she decided now was not the time. Taking a deep, calming breath, she responded, “You may be over these men, but I am over this project. My name is—”
“I know who you are, Ms. Drake. And I also know California labor laws. That’s part of my job.” He extended his hand. “I’m Jackson Wright. The—”
“I know who you are,” Diamond interrupted, paying him back for not letting her finish. She knew it was childish, unprofessional and something she’d probably not even do with her irksome brothers, but she seemed unable to stop this man from pushing her buttons. “You’re the supervisor. Listen, I need to walk the site, but I’d like for you to call my assistant and set up a time to meet as soon as possible. There are some things we need to discuss.”
Diamond started to walk around Jackson, but he fell into step beside her. “We’ll make the appointment, but I’d actually like to handle the first part of the walk-through.”
Diamond stopped. “Why?”
“To explain some of the technical aspects of the electrical installations, as well as share some thoughts I have for the restaurant and lounge atriums.”
The last thing Diamond wanted was to spend additional time with Jackson Wright. His authoritative audacity intrigued her even as it irritated her. He had her thinking and feeling things she’d locked down deep.
And then fate intervened.
Chapter 4
Taylor walked up to where Jackson and Diamond stood, her face a mask of worry as she talked into her cell. “Hold on,” she said into the phone before looking at Diamond. “This is my assistant designer with a crazy emergency. Can you give me ten minutes to deal with this before we begin?”
“No problem,” Jackson said, even though he hadn’t been the one addressed. “I’ll show Ms. Drake around.”
Diamond was two seconds from going off on this presumptuous jerk, but her professional persona appeared unruffled. She turned to Taylor. “No worries, Taylor. Join us when you’re done.”
She really doesn’t know who I am. This was Jackson’s thought as they walked toward the second largest building in the new architectural scheme. For now, Jackson felt it unimportant to enlighten her. Strange things often happened when women found out he was the owner of Boss Construction: visions of wedding bells and baby booties often began to dance in their heads. Too bad he wasn’t the marrying kind, because worse things could happen than having this feisty beauty in bed every night. But having her there for a night, a week, a few months even? It was a possibility, even with her headstrong personality. She was almost worth potentially losing a client over, but his uncle John had taught him nothing if not this one thing about business: don’t play where you eat.
And then he went on flirting as if he’d never known Uncle John. “I’ve been involved in this project from the beginning, pretty lady, and would love to show you around. Let’s start at the heart of the construction.” Without waiting for an answer, he gently captured Diamond’s elbow and steered her toward the large structure that when completed would be Temecula wine country’s newest hotel. The restaurant, bar, lounge, gift store and retail offices would make up the ground floor.
Diamond ignored both the flirtatious comment and the shiver that ran down her spine at Jackson’s touch. Instead, she lifted her chin and called on the age-old strength that was the Drake resolve: the power that had allowed her great-great-grandfather to not only participate in the Gold Rush but to become wealthy because of it; that had helped her great-grandfather stand his ground and keep hundreds of acres of land when those on both sides of the law tried to steal it from him; that had given her grandfather the foresight to turn many of those acres into top-quality, grape-producing vineyards; and that had guided her father’s vision into what was now the Drake dynasty—an immensely profitable, award-winning vineyard that was the envy of winemakers from Italy to France and Spain to Northern California. He’s just a man, flesh and blood. His presence is affecting me this way only because I’m sex-deprived, Diamond thought, rationalizing the crazy attraction she was feeling for the man walking beside her. That reality—not his good looks, bulging muscles or the way his butt fills out a pair of jeans—is why Jackson Wright is affecting me so. She shifted the purse that was over her left shoulder, deftly removing her skin from his touch.
Beside her, Jackson’s thoughts followed a similar path…the one involving butts and bodies, that is. He marveled at the magnetism between them, thinking of how quickly he could palm the booty that had grabbed his attention as soon as Diamond had turned to speak with the designer. It was her perfectly curved derriere that had caused him to cut off his foreman in midsentence and make a beeline for the attractive woman across the way. Unfortunately, what he’d heard coming out of her mouth as she addressed the workers wasn’t nearly as attractive as her round backside. But Jackson wasn’t deterred. He could handle a strong woman because he was a strong man. And once he got her in bed, he determined, he’d show her a different kind of power altogether.
“Hold on, let me get you a hard-on, I mean, a hard hat. Hat,” he emphasized before quickly walking away. He walked toward a group of men huddled over a floor plan laid out on a truck hood. Diamond pondered how to deal with her uncanny attraction to someone she’d obviously be working with from here on out, even as she noticed how the men seemed to stand at attention as Jackson approached. They listened intently as he spoke with them. Then one of them reached into a crate and pulled out a hard hat. Jackson nodded his thanks and returned to Diamond’s side.
“You seem to command a lot of respect,” Diamond said as they continued walking toward the tall building. “Are you the supervisor or the foreman?”
“I’m in charge” was Jackson’s noncommittal answer. “Put this on,” he continued as they stepped inside the massive doorway and into a large, airy foyer.
“Is this really necessary? Most of the foundation and walks look almost complete.”
“But they’re not. Besides, everybody on-site wears a hard hat. That’s the rule.”
“You’re not wearing one,” Diamond responded sarcastically.
Jackson winked, blessing her with a smile. “I’m a rule breaker.”
Diamond ignored the squiggle that went directly through her core in no time flat and refused to acknowledge the long, curly lashes that framed the dark brown eye that had winked at her, or the straight white teeth behind thick, cushy lips. She thought of those lips touching hers and used unresolved anger to push desire away. “We need to get something straight,” she said, stopping as soon as they were out of sight of the men. “Don’t ever question my word in front of your workers. And don’t ever speak to me again in a tone of disrespect.”
“Respect is earned,” Jackson instantly retorted, rising up to his full six feet five inches. “And it’s reciprocal. You respect me and my men, and we’ll respect you.”
“I beg your pardon?” Diamond was incredulous.
