I frown at her, the gift? What’s that supposed to mean? I run my thumb over the stone of the ring as I hold it in my hand, she’s right. I can feel the beautiful energy coming from it.
I smile softly at her.
“Try it on,” she urges.
I slide it onto my ring finger of my right hand and I melt a little. Oh, I do love this ring. I don’t know why; I have never liked anything like it before.
“How much is it?” I ask.
“Four hundred and twenty pounds,” she replies.
My face drops. “Oh,” I murmur sadly, knowing I don’t have that kind of money. I stare down at my hand again. Shit.
Another customer calls her from the back aisle. “Excuse me for a moment, dear.” She disappears to the other side of the shop.
I stand and stare at the ring on my hand. I do love it. I want to get it but I have to be careful with my spending. Damn it. Should I just splash out? It is a lot of money… but then it is something that I would have forever. I bite my thumbnail as I think.
The old lady comes back over to me. “Do you want to take that ring, my dear?”
I look down at my hand, I do, but I’m not telling her that. “Is this ring negotiable?” I ask meekly.
“No, darling. That ring is very valuable. We don’t even know of its true age. We do know it’s hundreds and hundreds of years old by the stampings inside, though. But its origin is unknown. We believe it may have belonged to royalty way back.”
I frown.
“It has royal stampings,” she replies, seeing my confusion.
I smile, that’s it. I really want this ring.
“Oh.”
“What is your name dear?” she asks.
“Emerson.”
“What a beautiful name.” She smiles.
The doorbell rings to notify us of someone entering the shop and I feel them walk over to us. I smile broadly and turn as I lift my eyes I stop dead in my tracks.
My eyes widen.
A tall man with olive skin and dark wavy hair stands in front of me, his hands are in the pockets of his expensive jacket.
Holy shit.
Every hair on the back of my neck stands to attention.
He smiles softly. “Hello, Em.” His eyes search mine.
My heart starts to hammer; my eyebrows instantly rise by themselves as he takes a step toward me.
“Hello,” I murmur as I fight the urge to step toward him.
His eyes look down at my new ring. “Beautiful,” he whispers in a thick Northern Irish accent, his voice deep and inviting. That accent… holy fuck.
My brow furrows. Who the hell is this? I turn to look for the old lady who is now standing smiling as she watches our interaction and I turn back to him.
No words come out of my mouth but I can feel myself blushing as my face hits a tropical heat.
I am tongue-tied. Never has a man affected me like this. Is this what they call a physical attraction?
No words will leave my mouth and I look back to the old lady for some much needed guidance.
“The ring, dear.” She smiles. “Do you want to take it?”
“I...” I shake my head as embarrassment fills me. God, I bet every woman he meets reacts this stupid to him. “Umm.” I shake my head, this is really too expensive to buy, just for the sake of it.
The tall man takes out his wallet and slides his credit card across the counter. “I will take it, thanks.” He smiles.
I frown at him. He will take what?
“What did you want to take, dear?” The old lady asks him.
He gestures to me. “I will take the ring that she is wearing.”
My face drops. What?
“Excuse me? I-I haven’t even made up my mind if I want it yet,” I stammer in a fluster. Is he kidding? Is it international rude man day today?
His eyes roam across my face as if memorizing every inch of it. “I have been looking at this ring for weeks and I have just come back to get it,” he replies curtly.
I frown. Oh, the hide. “Well, I’m sorry, but I’m taking it,” I snap. I wasn’t going to but damn him, he’s not getting it now for being so rude. “It will look stupid on you, anyway.”
A trace of a smile crosses his face. “The ring is for my mother.”
I fake a smile. “You snooze, you lose.”
He glares at me.
I turn back to the old lady. “How much is it?” I ask her again as I shuffle around in my handbag for my wallet. Damn this fool for making me break my budget.
“Four hundred and twenty pounds,” The kind old lady reminds me.
“I will give you double that,” he interjects.
Is he kidding? “Excuse me, Mr. Rudeness. This ring is already sold. Go. Away.”
“I will not go away until I have my ring,” he snaps.
For the love of God, how did I think this guy was hot just a few minutes ago? He’s a damn pig.
“It’s not your ring. It’s my ring now.” I quickly hand over my card. Shit, I hope the old lady sells it to me and not to my outbidding counter buyer.
“Fifteen hundred pounds,” he interjects.
I cross my arms angrily in front of me. “Oh, you are really something, aren’t you?”
He narrows his eyes at me. “Like I said, I have wanted this for a long time.”