She’d had an epiphany today, yet that didn’t mean she’d been wrong about their convenient marriage.
But you need to give it and the pair of you a chance.
‘Something to wear? That’s intriguing.’
The smile dancing in his eyes chased the shadows from his face. ‘Says the woman who complains my gifts are too lavish.’
He released her hand and pulled a small leather box from his jacket pocket.
Greer swallowed. Conall’s giftswerelavish, especially to a woman from a humble background. That engagement ring had stolen her voice. As had the surprise trip by private plane last winter to one of New Zealand’s most exclusive private ski resorts.
She loved his gifts. But they reminded her how different their lives were. They didn’t just come from different sides of the track but from beyond a social and financial chasm that felt almost uncrossable.
Tonight, for instance, he’d be completely at home in a gathering of some of the world’s richest people. All she knew about that milieu was what she’d gleaned from her work, liaising with their staff.
Her thoughts atrophied as he opened the box. He’d bought her hair clips, she decided after a stunned moment gawping. They were identical, each with a row of stars that winked and shimmered with the blue-white fire of diamonds. The design was delicate and utterly beautiful.
‘Antique?’ she murmured when she found her voice.
‘Yes. They were made for a princess.’
‘You bought them in Singapore?’ When had he found the time? Until this afternoon their schedule had been full of meetings.
‘No, I bid on them at an auction. They were delivered when I returned from my last trip.’
His last trip. The day she’d miscarried. Her head jerked up. Conall met her stare and this time she saw the emotion in his features. Emotion he didn’t try to hide. Regret. Concern.
Maybe he thinks you’re going to reject his gift, the way you’ve rejected him.
Greer swallowed hard, emotions brimming. She hadn’t treated him well. She vowed to make it up to him.
‘Thank you, Conall. They’re beautiful. Utterly extravagant but stunningly beautiful.’
Heat blazed in those dark eyes. The way he looked at her made her heart sing. ‘No more beautiful than you.’
Her mouth trembled. She felt momentarily overcome by the hope rising in her. Maybe, just maybe, he felt more than physical attraction and obligation. Or would one day. Swiftly she looked down, her hand hovering over the box. ‘May I?’
He pressed it into her hand. ‘They’re yours.’
Conall put his hand to the small of Greer’s back as they walked towards the towering bronze front doors of Lee’s palatial home. Surrounded by manicured tropical gardens and beautifully lit, it was a lavish oasis in the teeming city.
Greer looked stunning, and she was his. He’d do whatever it took to ensure it.
That red dress clung to her body and he felt almost jealous. He wanted to feel her nakedness against his own. To sweep his hands over her and hold her tight.
But it was more than the dress. It was Greer. The way she moved, the way she held herself. The woman she was.
Her expression as she’d accepted his gift made hope soar that finally he was making progress, pushing past her barriers.And she wanted them to talk tomorrow!
Elation punched his ribs.
Under the lights of the enormous port cochere, the diamond clip holding back her hair on one side glittered. It drew attention to her profile, the perfect arch of her eyebrow, the angle of her cheekbone and the soft promise of her lips.
She lifted her hand to smooth her hair then let it drop. Her bare left hand.
That punctured his elation. She still wasn’t wearing his rings. It felt like one step forward and three steps back with Greer lately.
Maybe it would have been easier if they’d announced their wedding to the world straightaway, instead of keeping it to themselves. Why she should act now as if their marriage wasn’t real after all they’d gone through, he didn’t know. But he’d had enough of that pretence.
