“Ah. Very nice choice,” James comments with dollar signs in his eyes as Kayne slips the ring on and makes a fist several times, trying to get used to the feel.
“Make you anxious?” I tease him.
“Makes me excited.” His eyes flash with something sinful.
I bite my lip, knowing full well that look means trouble. A delicious kind of trouble.
“Done.” He slips the ring off and hands it back to the deliriously happy man in the gray suit. I can’t even imagine how much money he just spent, and frankly, I don’t want to know. Kayne is wealthy. That’s obviously no secret. He has been since I met him. I’m just not exactly used to him spending large amounts of money on me. I guess that’s something I’m going to have to get used to.
“I can have the two rings wrapped up and sent to your room if you’d like,” James says. “It looks like you’re going out.”
“That’s fine.” Kayne starts to peruse some other glass cases while I admire my new ring. Thisisreally happening.
A few moments later, I hear Kayne ask James to see something at the far end of the store, near the front.
“Ellie,” he calls me over. “Stand here,” he says once I reach him, both of us positioned in front of a mirror. “Pull your hair back, please.”
I move my long, sun-kissed hair to the side. I blew it out straight and braided the front like a headband. Kayne drops something in front of my face, a necklace, and fastens it around my neck.
“Now you can always be collared,” he murmurs in my ear as the salesman watches us.
“The heart is Tiffany,” James informs us as I admire the sparkly pave charm attached to a black silk choker in the mirror. “We can change it up if you like. Maybe put the heart on a platinum chain?”
“No,” Kayne snaps mildly. “It’s perfect.”
I keep my mouth shut. This purchase is much more for him than it is for me. I secretly love it, and I’ll show him how much later.
“Very good, sir. I’ll add it to the bill.”
“Thank you.”
I glare at him over my shoulder. “This was your diabolical plan the whole time,” I accuse him playfully.
He shrugs. “A man always has to have a plan.” He tickles the heart on my ‘necklace.’ A prideful gleam of ownership shining in his eyes.
I barely remember the walk to the restaurant, and I’m pretty sure if Kayne wasn’t leading me by the hand, I would have walked straight into a wall.
Thisisreally happening.
“Ellie? Earth to Ellie?” Jett waves his hand in front of my face.
“Huh?” I blink.
“I said congratulations.” His big aqua eyes sparkle.
Where the heck did I go?
I think the enormity of the last week and a half—hell, the last year of jumbled feelings, the love, the hate, and the confusion—is finally hitting me like a ton of bricks.
“Thank you,” I smile brightly because, for the first time in so long, I am truly happy.
Kayne pulls out my chair at the table and the four of us sit.
“You okay?” he asks quietly, concerned.
“Yes,” I reply in my most confident voice, because I am.
“A bottle of your best Prosecco, please.” I hear Jett order and see the waiter hurry off.
