Lucius inclined his head. “We’re good, thanks.”
The instant he left, Angie turned dazed eyes in Lucius’s direction. “Okay, wow.”
He handed her a flute. “Get used to it, at least when we’re out in public. In private, I prefer leading a far simpler lifestyle.”
She helped herself to some cheese, nibbling in what he took to be a nervous manner. “I hadn’t thought… Didn’t anticipate—”
“You’ve been part of my life for eighteen months, Angie. You’ve seen this side of things.”
“To a minor extent, yes.” She closed her eyes and confessed, “I’m feeling a bit out of my depth.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
She impressed him by nodding, straightening in her seat and taking a deep, calming breath. “Okay, I can handle this.” She studied the tray. “Would you like something to eat? The fruit mixture looks incredible.”
“Are there currants in there?”
“Yes, and color me impressed that you even know what a currant looks like.”
“No choice but to learn. Either that or make sure I carry around a supply of antihistamines.”
She regarded him in surprise. “You’re allergic to gooseberries? How could I have worked for you for so long and not known that?”
“It’s a mystery. I thought you knew everything.”
She offered a casual shrug. “I do now. I assume you’re not allergic to sushi and cheese?”
He took the plate she offered. “That I can handle.”
Tomas Arroya joined them just then, accompanied by an assistant. They exchanged the requisite amount of small talk before getting down to business. He had to give Angie credit. Even though this world was miles out of her realm, she handled it with a quiet poise that impressed the hell out of him.
She took her time examining the rings on display. He was probably the only one to catch the slight hitch in her voice and uncontrollable tremor of her hand when he slipped each ring on her finger. He could also tell that none of the choices was quite right, and sensed she teetered on the verge of choosing one, any one, just to be done with it. Mr. Arroya proved equally astute.
“These all look lovely on you, Ms. Colter,” he said gently. “But none suit the way Francesca would insist they must.”
“Oh, but—” Angie started to say.
Arroya simply shook his head. “No, no. They won’t do. Tonya, bring me Utter Perfection.” He patted Angie’s hand. “I think this next one may work. It wasn’t designed as an engagement ring, but as part of a set. Even so, I suspect it might be right for you.”
Tonya returned with a large velvet box. Tomas gestured toward Lucius and the assistant offered him the box. Fire diamonds shimmered beneath the light, exploding in shards of flame in a manner unique to the stones. The pieces were utterly exquisite—a necklace, bracelet, earrings and ring. The sheer simplicity of them would have caused most women to pass over the set in favor of something more ostentatious. But the instant he saw it, he knew it was not only Utter Perfection, but utterly perfect for Angie.
Lucius removed the ring from the case and took Angie’s hand in his. Sliding the narrow band of white gold onto her finger, he nodded. “This is the one. We’ll take them.”
He shot Arroya a look, one that had the manager’s eyebrows shooting skyward and had him nodding in instant understanding. Angie remained oblivious to the byplay, one hundred percent of her focus on the ring he’d selected.
“It’s…it’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen,” she murmured.
And it was. The ring had a curving flow of small, perfect fire diamonds that seemed to float across her finger, like a trail of stars across the night sky. On one side of the pathway of diamonds was a huge, stunning solitaire, set slightly off center. Balancing it on the opposite side was a brilliant sapphire, the two stones like a pair of dancers, twisting around each other across the cosmos, their passage marked by the trail of diamond stars.
It was as unique and individual as the woman on whose finger he’d placed the ring. Even Mikey appeared riveted by the brilliant sparkle, babbling his excited approval. “I couldn’t agree more,” Lucius said and lifted Angie’s hand. He kissed her fingertips, then her mouth. A hint of tears flavored the kiss, revealing one more intriguing facet of her personality. He had a feeling the next few years would prove fascinating as he worked his way through all the interesting layers that comprised the woman soon to become his wife.