At no time had we discussed price.
I held the loose diamond in my fingers, taking in the two-and-a-half-carat round brilliant cut. Upon the platinum band was their signature Tiffany setting with six prongs. The color of the diamond was white, and the clarity was flawless.
It was simple and elegant.
“Will it weigh you down?” Van asked.
Tears came to my eyes as I shook my head. “It will help me remember that I’m loved. It will remind me to fly and to be the calm in a storm.” I reached for his cheek and kissed him. For that moment, I didn’t care that we were in a jewelry store or that Gloria was across the table from us. All that I cared about was the feeling that came to life within me, all because of the man at my side.
Gloria waited for our kiss to end. “It appears, Julia” —we’d moved onto a first-name basis between flute two and three— “that we have a winner.”
“How soon can it be ready?” Van asked.
Gloria looked at the screen of her phone. “We will have the ring exactly to your specifications, size, and the matching wedding band by Friday afternoon.”
When Van’s green gaze came to mine, I nodded. “It’s perfect.”
“It seems we’ve made our decision,” Van said.
I wasn’t sure if it was the champagne or the ring or if it was just the way I felt special when I was with Van, but the walk back to the hotel passed in a blur. At only nearly five in the evening, the sky had darkened and all around us white lights flickered in the trees. As we approached the hotel, within the center of the circular driveway was a giant tree all decorated with sparkling lights.
Van stopped walking, still holding my hand. “Here’s a tree for you, Julia. One decorated with lights.” He kissed my lips. “One that shines but not as brilliantly as you.”
It was a beautiful tree. I couldn’t deny it.
“No, Van. My tree is in our cabin.”
“Our cabin?”
I nodded. “I don’t want to know if you were ever there with anyone else. All I need to know is that from now until forever, you’ll only be there with me.”
“That’s a promise I never want to break.”
Soon we were up in our suite as the lights of the city glowed beyond the windows. I wandered room by room, taking in the computer that was set up in the second master suite as well as the one on the dining room table. It was exactly what we needed to dig into work, yet it was the last thing I wanted to do.
“What are our plans for tonight?” I asked.
“We could get dressed up and go down to The Brasserie.”
I laid my coat and gloves on a nearby chair and tugged Van’s topcoat off, leaving it with mine. After unbuttoning his suit coat, I wrapped my arms around his torso, pressed myself against him, and peered up through my lashes. “Is there a second option?”
His strong hands splayed over my behind, pulling me closer. In the few seconds that had passed, I felt the sensation of his erection against my stomach. His tenor lowered an octave. “We both do the work we missed.”
I shook my head. “Option three.”
“I turn on the fireplace, call for room service, and I spend the rest of the night taking you on every fucking surface in this suite.”
The memories of us the first night in his house came back in a flood. I turned toward the tall windows, the ones with Chicago on the other side.
“Yes, Julia, I want you naked against the window with a whole city to watch as you come apart, squeezing my cock and screaming my name.”
My insides twisted as I met his gaze. “I choose three.”