Page 120 of A Diamond Deal
‘It’s highly likely there will be photographs of us taken tonight. The restaurant is high profile, your grandparents well known, and I’m—’
‘I know.’ She nodded once. ‘I can manage.’
She probably could. There was an impressive steel to this woman, a determination that he couldn’t help but admire, particularly given everything she’d been through.
‘You are upset,’ he said, surprising them both by putting a hand on her knee, as if to underscore that. But it was a mistake. He saw that the second her eyes flared, unmistakably, with something like awareness, and he felt it spark in his fingertips then travel the length of his body. He pulled his hand away quickly.
‘I am upset, yes, but I think the distraction of meeting my grandparents will probably be good for me.’
‘You are sure you feel well enough?’
‘I’d tell you if not.’ She smiled, but it quickly turned into a grimace as the gesture clearly pained her.
‘Amelia,’ he warned, voice deep.
‘I’mfine,’ she insisted. ‘Just…ten minutes.’ She stood, and moved through the suite. She looked so incredibly vulnerable in that robe, so petite, that it was little wonder every single one of his protective instincts had burst to life.
He texted his assistant, Tania, as he waited, asking for his security detail to be put on alert that he’d want to speak to them later that night, and also asking her to inform Amelia’s grandparents that they were a little behind schedule. And then he waited, staring at the view, in an attempt to blot the image that had scored itself into his brain of Amelia’s damaged face—and the knowledge that, somehow, it had been his fault.
True to her word, Amelia stepped out of the bathroom—which was larger than her entire apartment had been in London—nine minutes later, a completely different woman. She’d chosen a stunning shimmery silk skirt and black halter-neck top that tied in a bow at her throat, and to complement the complexity of the neckline had bundled her hair into an elegant bun.
Her make-up had taken the longest, but the kit she’d been provided with was exceptional. There was primer, concealer, both liquid and powder foundation and a setting spray. She moved as quickly as she could to remove the redness and bruising, and then softened the effect with some shimmering bronzer, a sweep of mascara and lipstick. When she stood back to study the work, she was pleased. But nothing compared to the expression on Massimiliano’s face when she stepped into the lounge room and his eyes raked over her, his lips parted on a look of obvious surprise.
She’d snapped a pair of black heels in place at the last minute, and they brought her much closer to his height, as well as giving her body a feminine proportion that was so often lacking in her work gear and flats.
‘You look almost perfect,’ he said, walking towards her without breaking the grip his eyes had on her.
‘Almost?’ She resisted the urge to pout. ‘I have to tell you, I think it’s the best I can do.’
‘This is not for you to do, but rather me.’
She blinked up at him, not following.
‘This is for you to wear, Amelia,’ he said, removing a ring box and staring at it for a beat, before cracking it open and turning it so she could see inside. ‘It’s known as the Moretti diamond, and has been in my family for generations.’ He slid the ring onto her finger, and Amelia was glad. She wasn’t sure she could have made her hands work well enough to put it on herself.
The ring wasstunning. A canary yellow diamond solitaire that was easily as large as her thumbnail, set in a high four-claw yellow-gold setting. It sparkled as though it were backlit by a thousand lights, showcasing the purity and perfection of the gem.
‘I can’t possibly wear this,’ she said.
‘You must.’
She shook her head. ‘Especially not after today. What if someone tries to steal it from me?’
‘Believe me, I will make sure nothing like that ever happens to you again.’
A shiver ran down her spine at the cold determination in his voice that almost bordered on violent anger.
‘No one will ever touch you against your will, do you understand, Amelia? If I promise you nothing else, let me promise you that.’
Her stomach looped itself into knots, but shedidbelieve him. She felt strangely safe, with those words ringing in her ears.
‘It’s too beautiful. Too old and undoubtedly expensive.’ Her eyes lifted to his. ‘Right?’
‘In truth, it’s irreplaceable.’
Now, Amelia’s fingers did work. She wrapped them around the ring and removed it, passing it to him as though it were a scalding-hot potato. ‘I need something else.’
He frowned.
