I don’t understand him.
“For you,” he says, his voice low and sexy, that earnest gaze locked with mine, and for the briefest moment, I fall under his spell.
I’m breathless when he slowly pops open the box, a giant diamond nestled inside. He tugs the ring out, the sun glinting off the stone and nearly blinding me as he reaches for my hand and slips the ring on my finger.
It’s far too loose, the heavy diamond falling downward to rest against the back of my finger, and I snag my hand from his, clutching my fingers together so the ring doesn’t fall off.
“It’s too big,” he says, stating the obvious.
Reality comes crashing down around me, reminding me that yes, this is all a farce and it would do me some good to keep my wits about me and not get caught up in the phoniness of it all.
“We can get it resized,” I tell him, clutching my hand tight. “It’s beautiful.”
“You didn’t even look at it.” He actually sounds offended.
Glancing down, I twist the band so the perfectly cut round diamond sits atop my finger, studying it. It is truly stunning. As large as my knuckle and with enough sparkle to blind everyone in this park. “It really is beautiful,” I say again, keeping my gaze on my hand. “Who did it belong to before? Someone in your family?”
“No one else. It belongs to you.” I lift my head to catch the devilish smile on his face. “I went to a jeweler and asked for the oldest-looking new ring they had so it would look like an antique. That was my brother’s idea.”
I try to fight the disappointment that wants to take over me, but he notices.
Of course he does. He’s far more observant than I care for him to be.
His brother chose the ring, not him. And it’s not an antique, a ring that’s been in the family for generations. What did I expect? What am I romanticizing this moment when it’s nothing but a business transaction?
“What?” he asks when I still haven’t said anything. “You don’t like it?”
“It’s not that I don’t like it. I would actually prefer something old,” I admit truthfully, like a fool. I need to just play along, not protest. “I like antiques. Particularly jewelry.”
“What? Really? I thought every future bride wants a new diamond on her finger so she can show it off,” he says, looking confused.
“I…don’t have anyone to show it off to,” I confess with a shrug. I duck my head, feeling stupid.
I should’ve never said that to him. Showing any bit of vulnerability to Perry is a mistake. One that could cost me. As in, I’m giving him something he can use against me later.
The friendless, hopeless Lancaster. His future bride. The woman who’s had everything taken away from her. I tried to be my own person, and I failed miserably. I can’t be on my own. My father has told me that time and again.
I’m not a catch. No one wants me.
I’m pathetic.
“Charlotte! Perry! Please come over here! The light is starting to wane and Susan wants to get the session started,” my mother calls.
Lifting my head once more, our gazes meet. Catch.
“You ready?” Perry asks me.
I lift my chin, full of false bravado. “Yes.”
“Let’s do this.”
Chapter Seven
Perry
Idon’t understandthis woman I’m supposed to marry.
I treat her nice and she’s hostile in return. I give her a giant-ass diamond that wasn’t cheap, and she hates it. Would rather have an old diamond that belonged to someone else versus a new one that’s just for her.