Flawless Desire

My jaw drops. Each piece is more beautiful than the one that came before it. Necklaces… Bracelets… Gorgeous sparkling rings. It’s like Wonka’s Chocolate Factory in here, but instead of candy, I’m surrounded by priceless jewels.

Caleb sets his phone down and moves to the jewels. I glance over at the handset, wondering if this is the moment to investigate. He’s definitely distracted, walking a ways down the aisle, talking to the woman, who I gather is the official archivist.

Imagine, your full-time job, just taking care of these riches.

I edge closer to his phone.

“Bring me seventy-six, and the cuffs from eight-two,” Caleb is saying, swiping through some kind of catalog on a tablet.

I reach out to grab it—

And then snatch my hand back, because Caleb is heading in my direction.

“There’s so much to look at,” I say, covering my tracks.

“For the seventy-fifth anniversary, we’re releasing an archive collection,” Caleb says, browsing the boxes. “Designs based on our classic collections.”

I see him pause by the diamond daisy necklace that Mara designed. “I love that one.”

“Really?” Caleb pauses. “It’s nice enough, I suppose. But nothing compared to the piece it was based on.”

He motions to another box and pulls out the most gorgeous necklace I’ve ever seen. It’s a diamond choker, with a single large yellow diamond hanging from the center.

“Oh, my God.” I breathe, taking in the gleam and sparkle.

He chuckles at my reaction, lifting it up out of the case.

I move closer, tracing the stones. Then I notice letters, inscribed in the back of the platinum setting. “’Petal’”, I read aloud. “What does that mean?”

“I’m not sure.” Caleb shrugs. “The name of the designer, maybe? Or a name for the design.” He pauses. “Turn around.”

“What?”

Caleb moves behind me, lifting the necklace to my throat.

I gasp.

“No. You can’t—”

But he does. Caleb fastens it around my neck. His fingers graze my collarbone, and I shiver at his touch. “Perfect.”

I gulp, feeling the sheer weight of it, all those diamonds weighing on my collarbone. The cool brush of platinum against my skin.

It feels significant.

Sensual.

Caleb sweeps the hair away from the nape of my neck and turns me to face a mirror on the table.

My heart stops when I see the reflection.

The necklace is gorgeous. Easily the most beautiful thing I’ve ever worn. But what gets me even more is the man I see beside me.

Now, he is breathtaking. Raw, strong, powerful.

And he’s not staring at the jewels.

He’s staring at me. With a hunger in his eyes that makes my knees weak. Heat suffuses my body, just seeing the way he’s looking at me.