Read Online Christmas Diamonds by Devon Vaughn Archer - Free Book Online Page A

reached their limit even if they didn’t.”
    “Good answer.” She liked him better all the time.
    Chase smiled. “I’ve been a jeweler ever since the good old days,” he told her.
    “It obviously agrees with you.”
    “I’m happy with my job most of the time,” Chase said.
    “Your dad must be proud of you,” Paula speculated.
    Chase nodded. “Yeah, I guess he is. He doesn’t exactly pat me on the back every other day for a job well done, but we both seem to be on the same wavelength when it comes to running the company.”
    “That’s great.”
    “Not to say that we don’t have our disagreements from time to time,” Chase said evenly. “It usually comes down to who can be the most stubborn.”
    “Sounds a lot like me and my grandmother,” Paula confessed.
    Chase grinned. “I know we’re both smart enough to let them win most of the time.”
    “Exactly,” she agreed.
    As Chase refilled their wineglasses, Paula sensed he was a man who knew how to take charge on a date. Not that she considered this a date. Or maybe it was, now that they had concluded their business and she had given him the estimate of costs. Paula realized that she enjoyed spending time with Chase whatever the purpose. He seemed to feel the same way.
    Chase gazed at Paula over the rim of his glass. “So, how did you turn a girl’s dream into professional success as an interior decorator?”

    “Through sheer determination and a good talking to by my grandmother,” she had to admit.
    “That may be, but I think you left out one thing,” Chase suggested.
    Paula’s eyes widened. “What?”
    He gave her a straight look. “Talent. You really know how to arrange and decorate a room so everything flows naturally. That’s something you can’t teach. It has to come from within.”
    “Keep that up and I’m going to really get bigheaded,” she said, only half joking.
    Chase laughed. “I doubt that. Something tells me you have both feet on the ground as much as I do.”
    That was a compliment Paula was happy to accept. It also told her more about the man and how he took his success in stride, which was a quality she appreciated. She was excited at the prospect of getting to know Chase better.
    “I think you’re right about that,” she said, her voice betraying the common philosophy.
    “Tell me something I don’t know.” He spoke with assurance.
    Paula chuckled. “Well, I happen to be a big Motown fan. I love all those great artists like the Four Tops, Temptations, Supremes, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson…”
    “I like them, too.” Chase flashed his teeth. “But I would’ve thought you would be more into Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Seal or other similar artists.”
    “Oh, I think they’re cool, too,” Paula admitted.
    “So you have a broad range of musical tastes?”
    “Yes, you could say that, including a little jazz and classical music.”
    “Interesting.” He hummed. “Maybe someday we can check out a concert.”
    Paula liked that idea. “Maybe we could,” she said coyly.
    Ten minutes later, Chase walked Paula out to her car. There was a bit of a chill in the early November air, and she wouldhave welcomed being warmed by his strong arms. Or was that asking too much at this point?
    “Thanks for putting together what looks to be a great concept,” Chase told her.
    “I had fun with it,” she confessed. “Of course, we’d better wait till everything’s in place for the final judgment.”
    He nodded. “I look forward to seeing the finished product.”
    Paula quivered. She wasn’t sure if it was from being outside or from the images dancing in her head of sharing some romantic moments with him. Was he thinking the same thing?
    Chase stepped closer. “I enjoyed our evening.”
    “Me, too.” Paula saw no reason to deny it, and obviously he didn’t, either.
    “Perhaps we can do it again sometime—apart from business.”
    “I would like that,” she said, happy he’d said he