Sapphire (Rare Gems Series) Read Free Page A

prefer you never say any words
like that to me again. I have no idea why you think it’s funny to make me feel
uncomfortable when you talk like that, but there you have it.”
    “It’s what I live for.” Blair looked at
the doorway when his secretary, Justine Troy, walked in after a short knock. Before
his dad could make a no doubt dirty comment, Blair spoke first.
    “Any information on the Erickson woman
yet?” She winked at his dad and sat down next to him across from his desk.
    “She’s purchased the house on Manor
Hill. You know which one, the large mansion that you placed a bid on when you
were looking at houses. She and her family live there, but so far the only person
that has had any contact with them, other than the previous alpha, is a pizza
delivery kid.” She smiled as she continued. “I don’t think he’s going to be
very helpful either. All he could tell me was ‘wow’ and also ‘man.’ I have no
idea what that means in male terms, but I can only surmise that the women are
pretty.”
    She handed him a file that he took and
opened. There was nothing in it more than a copy of the deed to the house as
well as the names of the residents. He looked up at her when he realized the
names.
    “They’re all gems.” She nodded at him.
“And this odd ball out, I’m assuming she’s their mother or something?”
    Annabelle Erickson’s name did not match
the others. When Justine didn’t answer him, he looked up at her. She and his
dad were flirting again. Damn it all to hell and back. Blair said her name and
she turned to look at him.
    “Grandmother. She’s their grandmother. According
to what I could find, their mother died some time ago and the father died about
a year later. The oldest girl, Sapphire, was about ten, and the sisters all one
year younger than the next oldest. They’ve lived with her since their father
died.” Justine handed him another file. “This is the stuff you asked for about
their old alpha. He’s a piece of work, and it’s no wonder they left. Sapphire
Erickson fought him about two weeks before they moved here, and rumor has it,
she was torn up pretty badly. Jeffery Benetton nearly killed her, and she
didn’t do so badly tearing him a new ass either. I have pictures of him. Someone
at the clinic that he runs took them, and you owe me for paying for them.”
    He nodded, distracted by the photos. If
this female did this much damage to an alpha, then he thought they’d have
trouble. She wasn’t projecting a very good picture of herself right now. But
this didn’t really seem like the girl he’d hired sight unseen either. Her previous
boss, Bruce Maxwell, had told Blair that Ms. Erickson was a hell of an artist,
and she could make a client so happy they could charge double their fee and
anyone would have paid it.
    “You’ll be lucky to have her on your
staff. And not worry so much about her needing one weekend a month off. Shit,
if she had asked, I’d have given her every weekend off, but she said she needed
the money more.” Blair smiled, just realizing now why she needed the weekend
off. Her other boss obviously didn’t know what she was. But he did.
    And it was all a moot point when he
couldn’t contact her. Blair stood up and reached for his jacket. If she
wouldn’t call him back, he’d simply go and see her. He was standing near the
elevator when he realized his father was standing beside him.
    “You’re not going with me.” His dad
didn’t say anything. “I mean it. I want this woman to work for me, not sue me because
you can’t keep your mouth shut.”
    His dad laughed. “What a way to talk
about your poor old dad. You know that I’m only teasing the women who work for
you. Hell, I think most of them enjoy it. You should try it sometime. A little
romance with a woman might get you laid more than once a year.”
    “Dad, please.” He stepped into the wide
opening the elevator made for him. “Can you not just let me do this? I know
what I’m doing.