Jewel sat perfectly still, riveted, her heart pounding. Fast. Ridiculously fast.
Still not speaking, but schooling his features so that he didn’t give away a goddamn thing, Gian pushed back his chair and paced behind his desk.
Jewel watched him. Her heartbeats wouldn’t slow and her fingers coiled into the arms of the chair.
The fact that this man deliberated over her daring proposal encouraged Jewel. Conversely, she wondered if he was trying to figure out some way to break it to her that she was all kinds of crazy for coming to him and that he also intended to spill the beans to her father.
But then Gian drew up short, gripped the back of his chair, and pinned her with an intent look.
He took her seriously!
Yet no sigh of relief escaped her. Because he hadn’t delivered his verdict.
She fought the urge to gnaw her lower lip—a nervous habit.
A couple more minutes passed.
Finally—finally—Gian Angelini told her, “I’m intrigued. What is your full offer?”
She hastily retrieved a small, sealed envelope from her clutch and placed it on the leather blotter on his desk. “I think you’ll find that very appealing, in addition to the scotch.”
He snatched the packet and slid a silver letter opener under the flap. Extracting the card, he studied it while Jewel’s pulse raged in her ears, because she wanted this deal to go through so badly.
Gian made her suffer further as he seemed to run numbers through his mind, debate this or that.
Pure torture.
He’s torturing me.
And for what? What the hell had she ever done to him that he’d be this cruel to her? That he’d drag out a decision so that she was just about to—
“You get me the scotch, young lady,” he suddenly said, “and I’ll get you the three signatures required on the bill of sale for the land. Mine, my wife’s … and Rogen’s.”
Jewel’s heart nearly burst from her chest.
She’d done it!
Leaping to her feet, she managed to ask, “I have your word?”
“Yes, Jewel.” He extended his hand to her, across the desk. “You have my word.”
They shook. Excitement coursed through her, wild and effervescent.
Granted, it wasn’t a done deal until she’d fulfilled her end of the bargain, but it was absolutely the “in” she needed. And, sure, her father would have heart palpitations over how much money it would cost, in the end, to acquire that land.
But it would be theirs. Which was what he’d wanted for nearly two decades.
“Thank you, Mr. Angeli
ni,” she said in the most professional tone she could muster, given that her body practically vibrated from exhilaration. “I promise, you won’t be disappointed. Give me two weeks, tops. And I’ll be back.”
There was a shrewd look on his face—as though a part of him doubted she could accomplish her side of the transaction. Yet admiration rimmed his eyes. She’d earned his respect.
Jewel collected her iPhone and left the office, floating on a cloud.
She’d taken a huge risk by coming here—and it had miraculously paid off. This was her biggest coup d’état to date. Nothing could bring her down even a single notch. Nothing could taint her euphoria in the tiniest way.
Not tonight.