Side Squeeze (Jasper Falls 6)
“Oh, those are lovely. The pearls are moored from a little town in Ireland. The setting is platinum and the stones are cushion diamonds, two karats total weight. Would you like me to take them out?”
He nodded and she removed the velvet tray from the glass case. The studs were simple but exquisite. A square cut diamond glittered from the platinum post and a dainty saltwater pearl dangled below.
“You’ll notice these have a lever back closure. Very secure.”
“I’ll take them.”
Startled by his abrupt decision, she smiled. “O-oh, wonderful. I’ll get a box.” She carefully secured the earrings on a black velvet cushion. “Would you like them wrapped?”
“Sure.”
She tore a strip of black paper from the roll under the counter. “All of our jewelry is certified and comes with a lifetime guarantee against regular wear and tear. She can come back and have them polished and steamed at any time for free.”
Three thousand dollars later, he was on his way back to the hotel.
Mariella was at the front desk when he arrived. As soon as she saw him, her expression froze and her smile turned guarded. He hated that he made her nervous in such a way.
“Can I speak to you in your office?”
She glanced at the desk clerk and excused herself. “Sure.”
He followed her into the little office as she held the door. She gently closed it, but made sure it didn’t shut all the way, as if she wanted privacy but didn’t want to be alone with him.
“What did you need, Harrison?”
He reached in his pocket and set the small wrapped box on her desk.
She looked at the gift then back to him. “What is it?”
“It’s for you. Open it.”
She hesitated, but her curiosity overruled and she slowly reached for the box. She gave it a little shake. “I don’t understand.”
“Just open it.”
A brief smile teased her lips as she peeled back the paper and removed the velvet box. The hinges creaked as she snapped the lid open and she gasped. “Oh my God.” She looked at him in question. “Harrison, what is this?”
He crossed the office and reached for her ears, gently removing the knockoff studs. “The woman said they have strong backs, so they shouldn’t fall off.”
Her old earrings were flimsy and cheap, lacking the weight and sparkle of the new ones. He set them aside and took the box from her. Swiping her hair behind her shoulder, he carefully slipped the earring post through her lobe.
The diamonds glinted under the florescent lights. “Beautiful.” He attached the other one and snapped the box shut. “They should hold.”
She looked up at him, their mouths only a few inches away. “You bought me diamond earrings?” she asked, brow kinked with confusion.
“I also got you the insurance in case anything happens to them.” He gave the pearl a little tap. “The pearls are from Ireland.” He withdrew the paperwork from his pocket and handed it to her. “Everything’s certified.”
The divot between her brows deepened as she shook her head. “Why?”
His jaw locked as he met her stare. “I didn’t like seeing his hands on you.”
There were a hundred other less possessive excuses he could have given. He’d missed her last ten birthdays. He thought they’d bring out her eyes. She deserved more than knockoff gems and paste. But he didn’t want lies between them, and the simple truth was, he never wanted that man to touch her ears again.
“He was trying to fix the post. There was nothing sexual—”
“I didn’t like it.”
The air grew heavy, and he found himself breathing with her as he held her stare. One of the articles Erin had sent him advised a no contact rule. The article suggested keeping his hands to himself to hike up the other person’s desire for his touch.
It wasn’t easy. He sensed the moment Mariella would have let him touch her and fought the urge to drag his hand up the inside of her skirt.
He cleared his throat and stepped back. “I’ll let you get back to work.”
Her posture shifted as if his abrupt dismissal knocked her off balance. Maybe there was something to be said for those silly blog articles. Because as he walked out the side doors, he could see Mariella’s reflection in the glass.
Sure enough, she watched him leave, her fingers delicately caressing the diamond earring in her ear.
CHAPTER 26
“Mariella, take the bread out of the oven and put it in the basket on the table.”
Her Nona stirred a large vat of sauce as her mother carried a stack of plates to the dining room. It was the first family dinner since her father came home from the hospital, and Giovanni and Erin were joining them so everyone was in a celebratory mood.
“No butter.” Her mother took the dish out of Mariella’s hand and replaced it with a bottle of olive oil. “The doctor says olive oil’s better. Throw some pepper flakes and garlic in it. But no salt.”