“What are you doing tomorrow?” Noah asked.
She swallowed the cheesecake and pretended her cheeks weren’t burning. It was time to show Noah her new designs. “I’m working in my store until midday, then starting a new collection. Would you like to see my drawings?”
“I’d love to.”
Noah followed her into the living room. She’d left her sketchpad in the middle of the coffee table and surrounded it with the things she’d used as inspiration.
“It looks as though you’ve found someone’s treasure chest.”
Cassie’s heart pounded. At least he was close to the theme she’d chosen. “I’ve been collecting costume jewelry for years. The tiara was a present from Dad. The other brooches and necklaces are from estate sales and second-hand stores. The jewelry was a starting point for my designs.”
She sat on the edge of the sofa and handed Noah her sketchpad. “This is my royal collection. I’ve created each piece as a tribute to different members of the royal family. Past and present.”
Noah opened the book and smiled. “Queen Victoria would have been impressed.”
The drawing of the onyx necklace was one of her favorites. “Black stones are a symbol of self-control and resilience. I thought that was appropriate given Victoria’s unhappy childhood and the amount of social and technological change in her reign.” Cassie leaned forward and pointed to the diamonds clustered around each stone. “Albert was the love of her life. I wanted to capture his influence on Victoria’s life, so I added melee diamonds to lighten the feel of the onyx and balance the design.”
Noah turned the page.
His low, drawn-out whistle made Cassie smile. “Do you like it?”
“It’s incredible.”
Cassie had thought about the Princess Diana necklace for days. Regardless of what had happened in her personal life, Diana had changed the world’s perception of the royal family.
She wanted to design something that represented Diana’s simple yet elegant fashion style, the way she could captivate the world with a single smile. “Her eyes were a beautiful shade of blue, so I chose a stunning sapphire for the pendant. Thirty-six diamonds will be woven through the chain, representing each year of her life. The silver setting is more delicate than the Victoria necklace, but that’s because I wanted the gemstones to be the showstopper, not the setting.”
Noah studied the drawing. “This collection is more expensive than some of your other pieces.”
Cassie nodded. “It is. But, for the right people, it will be irresistible.”
Noah looked at the next four pages.
When he lifted his gaze, she knew he was hooked.
“Where have you been hiding?”
She grinned at the disbelief on his face. “In a little town called Sapphire Bay.”
“You need to work for me.”
“I know.”
“If you want to create jewelry for your store, we could…” His eyes widened. “You know?”
“I’ve known for the last week, but I had to think about how it could work.”
“You wouldn’t need to live in New York City.”
“Good, because I’m staying here. But I’m happy to visit whoever I’m working with to discuss my designs.”
Noah closed the sketchpad. “We could debut your work with this collection.”
“I was hoping you’d say that. Wait here.” Cassie rushed into the kitchen and took a bottle of apple cider out of the refrigerator. With two glasses in her hands, she returned to the living room. “It isn’t champagne, but it’s bubbly.”
Noah face relaxed into a smile. “It’s perfect.”
She poured the cider and raised her glass toward Noah’s. “To new beginnings and a successful partnership.”
