Chapter 29

"Yes?" Diamond's voice murmured irritably through the phone. "Are you in Tokyo?" I whispered anxiously, sliding down against the wall to the floor. "For now, yes. Why? Is everything okay, Usagi?" His tone suddenly changed. "I don't know. There's this man... Right in front of my house..." "Turn around, we're heading to Mrs. Tsukino's... I'll be there soon."

Upon hearing those words, a sense of relief washed over me. Silence on the phone. I was already used to Diamond hanging up like that, it was just his way. I cautiously peered over the windowsill. He was still there, now talking on his phone. Was I becoming paranoid, or was there really something suspicious about that guy? I sank back down and rested my head on my knees.

It didn't take long, and there was a knock and a ring at my door. "Usagi, I'm here. Open up," Diamond's voice echoed from the staircase. Struggling, I managed to get back on my feet. As I opened the door, I stared speechless at him. Right behind him stood the sandy-haired guy who had also been at the Crown and had been standing outside on the street. Diamond had a mischievous grin on his lips. He kissed my cheek and pushed me aside to enter.

"Is this the guy you were talking about?" he asked calmly. The sandy-haired man leaned against the doorframe, looking over at me. I swallowed hard and forced myself to breathe. "Yes." A amused laughter escaped Diamond's throat.

"Usagi, this is Haruka. I told you she would keep an eye on you." He shook his head briefly and then turned to Haruka.

"Didn't you say she knows you? That's why I turned around! Don't waste my time again over something like this." Diamond seemed angry with her. Haruka extended her hand to me.

"Hello, Moon face. I pulled you out of the car back then. Don't you remember me at all?" Shaking my head, I took her hand.

"No, I'm sorry." So that wasn't a guy, but my bodyguard, Haruka. A woman, even though she definitely didn't look like one. Brown suit pants, a long brown coat, black leather shoes that also seemed to be from a men's store, topped off with the short hairstyle. She definitely appeared masculine to me. Diamond gestured impatiently towards the door.

"Now that that's settled, you can leave us alone."

Diamond went into the kitchen, and I followed him. Did he feel at home everywhere he went? He grabbed a glass of water and leaned against the countertop. His eyes rested on the remnants from last night. Three empty champagne bottles and five empty wine bottles stood next to him. A playful twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Long night?" he asked. I nodded. "With whom?"

"Minako, my best friend," I said as I slowly approached him. Don't weaken. But suddenly, the familiar tensions reappeared. His dark eyes flickered towards me. The little junkie within me suddenly awakened and eagerly reached out for him.

"You look terrible, and it's not just because of your clothes."

"Thanks, Diamond. That's exactly what every woman wants to hear," I said, hoping he would understand the irony. He tapped on my cast.

"How much longer do you need that?"

"If I'm lucky, I'll get rid of it in two to three weeks. Why?"

"Because in four weeks, the grand winter gala is taking place. I want you to accompany me. There will be some interesting exhibits up for auction, and I would like to have you as my consultant."

I didn't know what to say. Once again, he managed to throw me off balance. As a consultant... Before I could react, he was already standing behind me. His hands rested on my hips, and his head leaned down towards my ear. Unconsciously, my pulse quickened, and my breathing intensified. His hands on my body felt like little electric shocks, causing pleasurable shivers to run through me.

"That... that is... but it's only business, right?" I stammered, continuing to stare straight ahead at the spot where he had been standing just moments ago. My brain was already starting to check out. When his lips touched my neck, a shiver ran down my spine, and an expectant pull from my core spread throughout my entire body. He just knew exactly which buttons to push to render me unable to think. His intoxicating scent filled my nose, further numbing my senses. In the next second, my sweater fell to the floor, and I found myself sitting on the countertop. Diamond stood in front of me, gently tilting my chin forward. His eyes hungered for me, just as my body yearned for him. We simply stared deep into each other's eyes, stoking our desire for one another. It had been an eternity since he looked at me like this. So full of lust and desire. I couldn't resist, I quickly rid him of his shirt and traced his defined muscles downward. It had been so long since I touched him like this, since he touched me like this.

Suddenly, our trance was broken by the sound of my doorbell. It rang repeatedly, accompanied by insistent knocking. Startled, I moved back a bit and slid down from the countertop.

"Usagi, open up. I know you're in there," Yaten shouted from outside. Damn it, Yaten! What did he want here? I hastily put my sweater back on. With a slight panic, I followed the knocking sound. I slowly opened the door.

"Mina forgot her bag. I wanted to quickly pick it up while she's getting ready. We need to hurry," he said, and in the next second, he was already in the hallway. Was it open house day in my apartment? Mina's bag was in the bedroom. Luckily, it caught my eye earlier, so I didn't have to search for it for long. "Wait a moment, I'll get it for you."

I hurried to grab the bag, silently praying that Diamond would stay unnoticed in the kitchen. Of course, that wasn't the case because as soon as I stepped back into the hallway, Diamond and Yaten faced each other. At least he was dressed again. I couldn't let anything show now.

Floor, open a hole for me to hide in.

Diamond looked at me intently and then skeptically sized up Yaten from top to bottom. I knew exactly what was going through his mind. He was annoyed by the interruption and wanted to pick up where we had left off immediately. Yaten took a step towards him and extended his hand.

"Yaten, and you are?" To my surprise, Diamond, reached out and shook Yaten's hand.

"Diamond Prince, a friend of Usagi's."

Yaten seemed oblivious to the particular emphasis Diamond put on "friend" as he had already taken the bag from my hand. "Thanks. Oh, have you talked to Seiya yet?" Yaten asked as he was almost out the door. I swallowed. "Yes, I have. Great concert yesterday."

Once the door closed behind him, I let out a sigh of relief. That had been a close call. Yaten's sudden appearance had saved me from giving in once again. But Diamond didn't give me a moment's respite; he was already standing in front of me, holding my hands.

"And who was that again?"

"That was Minako's friend... Seiya's brother," I replied, lifting my gaze.

"But speaking of brothers, have you managed to find yours yet?" I had to seize the opportunity to address the uncomfortable topics before he undressed me again. So I dove right in. Diamond clenched his jaw as soon as I mentioned his brother.

"I'm working on it. That bastard is damn good at throwing people off track," he grumbled, clearly displeased. Of course, we were interrupted by Yaten first, and now I was bringing up this topic. His mood had suddenly changed.

"Diamond, do you think Saphir will ever leave me alone?" His hands now framed my face, and with his thumb, he caressed my cheek with slight pressure.

"I don't know, Usagi. But I've already told you, I won't allow anything to happen to you ever again. Not again." I nodded silently.

His words sounded determined, and I could already feel his lips on mine. He tasted so good. It took a great deal of effort to end that intoxicating kiss.

"Diamond... I don't know if I can handle this. I'm falling apart inside. Mamoru broke up with me, Seiya is probably still furious, and then there's your brother chasing after me. It's all becoming too much. I just don't know what to do."

I could feel tears welling up again, and Diamond seemed to see it too because he backed away slightly. My tears were his weakness. But why? Why couldn't this otherwise strong man comfort me like any other guy would?

"Usagi... I'm going to leave now... Let me know if anything happens," he said, pressing a kiss to my cheek before I could react. And before I knew it, he had disappeared. I took a deep breath; my heart was still pounding.

What a crazy day. My head still had a slight, unpleasant pressure, the aftermath of the alcohol. I desperately needed a break from everything, from this whole chaos called life. If only it were that easy.

So, I continued to revolve in circles with Diamond. Whenever he stood in front of me, my mind automatically hit the pause button. A pause that was difficult to recover from. Today, I was somewhat proud of myself for not having sex with Diamond. Did that count as a success? Probably not, because it wasn't a definitive end, and the worst part was, Yaten saw him. What if he told Seiya about it?

Once again, I looked out the window, and Haruka was still there, either still or again. I felt sorry for her, standing out there alone in the cold. I brewed a large pot of tea and filled a thermos cup with it. Then I made my way downstairs to her.

"Here, this will warm you up a bit," I said kindly, offering her the cup. Haruka blinked in surprise. "Oh, thank you."

"I haven't even thanked you yet for getting me out of the car. I wanted to do that now. Thank you, Haruka."

"It's my job," her statement reminded me a bit of her boss. Distant and focused on the essentials. She seemed lost in thought, and I wondered what was going on in her mind.

"I can imagine that you're going through a lot right now," Haruka said eventually, breaking the silence. How much did she know? What had Diamond told her? I didn't really know her, after all. "Yeah, everything is just not easy at the moment," I muttered in agreement.

"By the way, how long... have you had an eye on me?" She furrowed her brow slightly.

"For a while, since you got the bracelet, I've been on standby. Since the accident, the boss made it clear to me to keep a closer eye on you." So she had been my shadow for quite some time. I had a lump in my throat that I tried to swallow.

"How much do you know?" I asked anxiously. Haruka gave me a wink.

"Enough. You better go back upstairs; it's cold down here."

My heart sank a level deeper. Enough, to me, probably meant everything. Mamoru, Seiya, and Diamond, certainly. Oh great. I tightened my coat around me and went back upstairs since Haruka didn't seem particularly interested in conversation.