Total pages in book: 235
Estimated words: 224334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1122(@200wpm)___ 897(@250wpm)___ 748(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 224334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1122(@200wpm)___ 897(@250wpm)___ 748(@300wpm)
“I can’t believe you’ve done this to me,” she moans, and I smile, because I can see she’s coming round to this. She just doesn’t want to let me have my way.
I give her a quick kiss. “Let me have my fun,” I beg. “I get my own little fashion show with my favorite lady modeling.”
“Who gets to pick the dress, Jesse?”
That’s only a small part of my game plan. “You do.” If they’re in the acceptable pile. “I’m just observing, I promise.” I smile my sincerest smile, willing her to be openminded for the next hour or two. “Go on, knock yourself out.” I lower back to the couch and get my mobile out, ready to kick the next part of my plan into action, discreetly peeking up, watching Zoe lead Ava away.
As soon as they’re out of sight, I jump up and dash off in the opposite direction through Harrods, racing down to the ground floor. I have no idea how long they’ll be before they’re back at the changing rooms. Twenty minutes? Half hour? I suppose that all depends on how much fun Zoe makes this.
When I make it to the jewelry rooms, I find Hans polishing his glasses. “Ah, Mr. Ward,” he says, delighted, slipping them on. “Another Rolex?”
“Not exactly.” I take his arm and guide him to a nearby cabinet. “Show me all your diamond rings.”
His hands slap over his mouth, his eyes wide. “No.”
“Yes, Hans.”
“No!”
“Yes, Hans.”
His hands move from his mouth to his knees. “Oh my God!”
I look at my Rolex. “Time is not my friend right now, Hans.”
“Yes, right. Tell me about the lucky lady,” he says, and I frown. “What does she like? What doesn’t she like? What do you like? What don’t you like? Where will you pop the question? Who will be there? The setting? What time of day? Sunrise? Sunset? The color scheme? Will there be flowers? Water?” He gasps, his hands covering his mouth again. “How will you pop the question?”
I stare at him blankly, incredulous. “I just want a ring, Hans.”
“Which ring?” He glides a hand across various cabinets, all full of beautiful rings, and I take them all in, even more overwhelmed.
I spot an oval cut diamond on a simple band. “That one,” I say, pointing, but no sooner have I uttered the words, I spot another gorgeous teardrop diamond on a slightly thicker, flatter band. “No, that one.” Then a square diamond wrapped in a band of tiny diamonds catches my eye. I lower my hand to the glass cabinet and exhale. “Or that one,” I say quietly. Fuck, this is harder than I thought it would be. I look up at Hans, lost, and he smiles in sympathy. “I haven’t got time to answer your questions, Hans. Zoe is distracting her while I’m here.”
“She’s here?” he asks, alarmed. “In the store?” He starts looking around in a panic.
“Yes, she’s here.”
“Why didn’t you come alone?”
“This is a spur-of-the-moment thing.” Bullshit. She will say yes, she will say yes.
“Maybe come back alone next week and we can take the time and consideration this needs.”
“No,” I say, adamant. “I need the ring today.” I’m not wasting another moment. I want a ring on her finger tonight so every man and woman will see it. Mine. I pause for thought, reining myself in. But the last thing Ava will want to do is go to my sex club after I’ve killed her with romance and proposed. Shit.
Okay. Maybe tomorrow. I swallow. Or Sunday. I pout. But I’d love to give her something special to wear tonight. Something significant. Something every member will see and appreciate.
Mine, mine, mine.
“Mr. Ward?”
I look up at Hans, who has a cushion of rings before him. “One word to describe your love,” he says, reminding me of why I’m here.
I smile, prompting one from him. “I have two,” I say, every vision of Ava I have stored in my memory coming forward and bombarding my mind’s eye. “Understated elegance.”
Hans gasps, and he goes straight to the cushion, plucking a ring from the red velvet. “Then you must have this one.”
I gaze at his recommendation in his gloved hand.
“This,” he says, almost dreamily, pointing at the diamond. “A one-of-a-kind cushion diamond.”
I lean in, seeing the edges of the stone are slightly tapered, softening the squarer cut. “It’s beautiful.”
“Indeed. Two carats. Excellent color, amazing clarity. Like I said, one of a kind.”
“It’s perfect.” I stand, my heart going crazy in my chest. One of a kind. “I’ll take it.”
“It’s a very romantic diamond, Mr. Ward. Do you know the lucky lady’s size?
I reach into my pocket and pull out the ring Kate nabbed from Ava’s jewelry box, a costume piece she used to wear. “Here.” I place it down. “Size it to that. How long will it take?”