DIAMONDS DOWN UNDER SERIES
The cut, clarity & cost of family...
The Heroine:
Briana Davenport is an Australian supermodel who is the "Face" of Blackstones. She is tall with a gorgeous figure, beautiful, with long wavy golden-blonde hair and blue eyes that capture a person beyond the camera. She's intelligent, classy, and fashion-conscious though sets her own standards. She lives in a modern apartment in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, but also has an apartment in Sydney paid for by Blackstone Diamonds for her numerous model engagements.
Framed by the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, and dressed in a silky, pale-blue pantsuit that flowed as she moved, she was elegance and sophistication. The epitome of glamour. A crowning glory for the diamond company she symbolized. He could see why Howard Blackstone had chosen her to represent his business.
The Hero:
Jarrod Hammond is tall and very handsome with short dark hair and blue eyes, and is a successful property lawyer who lives in a high-rise apartment building in the heart of Melbourne. He's always had an affinity with this city, having been born here before being adopted by the Hammonds and moving to New Zealand. He is extremely close to his younger adopted brother, Matt.
Dressed in dark trousers and sports blazer, a white t-shirt underneath, he could have been a male model himself, Briana mused, if there hadn't been such a hard edge inherent in him, those blue eyes clearly showing that hardness... an arrogance... that would never let anyone dictate to him, let alone a camera.
Diamonds in the safe:
Were those 4 pink diamonds really a girl's best friend?
Her father looked over his shoulder with a frown. "Diamonds?"
"The ones Marise left in my safe," Briana reminded him.
His face cleared. "Oh, that's right. You found them in your safe after the plane crash, didn't you?"
"Yes, but with everything happening at the time, I'd forgotten them. It was only when I was going to Howard's funeral, I remembered Marise asking for the safe combination to keep some jewellery in there."
The Settings:
The Casino
No other setting seemed so perfect for an indecent proposal storyline than the casino:
And then Briana's gaze caught Jarrod's by accident and everything came tumbling back. Until now she hadn't let herself think about being here, but returning to "the scene of the crime", the sounds of the casino, the scents of perfume and aftershave, of food, the gleam in Jarrod's eyes, reminded her what they had done together here in one of the casino suites - all for the sake of a million dollars.
The Surf Coast
Being at the beach was such an integral part of the Australian way of life, Briana thought as they walked along the path cutting through the tuffs of grass to the sand. She loved Aussie beaches... loved the smell of the ocean and sand... the sun evaporating the stresses of daily life...
Little did Briana know that a day at the beach would almost end in tragedy and bring about a defining moment for her.
The Events:
Moomba was a chance to relax a little after their first night together at the casino...
An hour later they'd found a good vantage point along Swanston Street. The Moomba Festival was Australia's biggest community festival and a Melbourne tradition for over fifty years, with firework shows, outdoor movies, the Moomba parade, and lots of water-related activities on the Yarra River. The parade was the highlight of the Moomba Festival and Melbourne families turned out in droves, creating a sea of colour and excitement.
Or was it?
At the Melbourne Grand Prix, Briana put her career on the line by letting the Blackstones know she and Jarrod were now an item.
Briana had attended the Grand Prix last year, so had previously witnessed the sensation of the world's fastest men racing at incredibly high speeds around the track. It was a four day action-packed extravaganza of on and off-track activities, culminating in the main race on the Sunday.
The Cheque/Check:
Neither Briana or Jarrod could deny wanting each other, but was the million dollars merely the means to take their attraction further?
Tension rattled inside her as the suite flooded in darkness, leaving only a faint glow from the city lights beyond the glass. She still didn't turn around. She needed to focus on those city lights, to remember she was here for a purpose tonight.
"Will you respect me in the morning, Jarrod?" she heard herself mutter the cliché, but needed to say it all the same.
"Yes," he said quietly, close behind her, so close his breath stirred strands of her hair, but not touching. "But will you respect you in the morning?"
She thought about that, surprised by his astuteness. His question had dispelled any hint she was selling herself, and she was grateful to him for that. "Yes," she murmured.
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