Mile High (Up in the Air #2)(65)

“They’re lovely. Thank you,” I told him.

Amy and Ariel began to ooh and ah over my diamond jewelry. “That is luxe. Who did you borrow from? You’ll need a bodyguard for this kind of jewelry.” Ariel’s voice was awed.

James answered for me, but I felt my cheeks redden. I had tried very hard not to think about how much the jewelry he gave me was worth, but her comment made it harder to ignore.

“I actually had it all designed for her,” James told them. “It’s her own personal collection.”

More oohs and ahs. “What a generous boyfriend,” Amy said, her voice dreamy.

“That’s nothing. I haven’t even begun to gift her with my mother’s jewels. She left me a queen’s ransom’s worth,” James said, a clear grin in his voice.

I thought the two women were going to swoon as they rushed to tell him how wonderful he was. He was wonderful, but I couldn’t bring myself to be pleased with the prospect of more extravagant gifts. They still just made me uncomfortable. And if he wasn’t joking, if he really did intend to give me some of the jewels his mother had left him, well, that was even more disconcerting. It seemed like such a huge step.

You didn’t give a woman things with such sentimental value unless she was your wife, or you were certain that she would be. The thought still made my blood run cold. Would he really push this issue so soon after I had agreed to live with him? I still couldn’t believe we were moving so incredibly fast, and yet he only wanted more. I tried not to panic at the thought.

“She even left me her five-carat princess cut diamond engagement ring, surrounded by sapphire baguettes. Don’t you ladies think that would look particularly lovely on Bianca’s left hand?”

I felt myself get a little light-headed, but the ladies went crazy, gushing over how romantic he was. I told myself, rather desperately, that he was only joking, that he was just having fun at our expense, but I was beginning to know him well enough to be worried.

“Just take deep breaths, Love. You’ll grow accustomed to the idea, once the initial shock wears off,” James told me, his tone rather casual considering the topic matter.

The ladies giggled, as though he were joking. If only.

“James,” I began.

“Deep breaths,” he said again, the clear smile in his voice infuriating. But I took a few deep breaths,

and it did help a little.

Amy and Ariel finished my hair and makeup within seconds of each other, almost as though they had it down to a science. They seemed to be used to working together, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case.

“Thank you, ladies,” James said, his voice a touch husky.

I knew that tone. It wasn’t fit for company. It was way too tender and affected for that.

“You can open your eyes, Bianca. Tell us what you think. We can change anything you don’t like,” Amy said, her voice endearingly earnest.

I looked. I was…stunned. I looked more lovely than I had thought makeup could make me. My eyes were lined in a soft brown, my lashes sooty and black. My lids were a pale lavender near the brows, with a more vibrant violet along my lashes. The color brought out my eyes startlingly, the liner making them look huge in my rounded face. Just a touch of bronzer on my cheeks had me glowing, and a soft, shiny pink lip made my lips look plump and kissable. My hair was straight and smooth, the short bangs working with the makeup to bring out my pale aquamarine eyes.

“Wow,” I managed to get out.

“Exquisite,” James murmured.

My eyes traveled to him when he spoke. He had turned one of the reclining chairs towards me, and was lounging in it comfortably, one perfectly tailored leg crossed over a knee, shiny navy shoes gleaming in the light. They were the mens version of my shoes. I knew he’d get a kick out of that, if he hadn’t noticed already. Hell, I got a bit of a kick out of it. He looked amazing, of course. Jackie had been right about his tux being fashion forward. It was sleek and navy, more fitted than a normal tux, showing off his stark muscular build to perfection. Even his sleek dress shirt and bow tie were a dark navy that caught the light a bit more than the rest of the ensemble. It was something you would normally only see on a runway at fashion week, because no one who wasn’t a damned supermodel could pull it off. The dark navy set off his dark tan, his turquoise eyes shining vibrantly against the dark contrasts. His hair was slicked back just a tad.

I pointed at him. “Did it really only take you ten minutes to look like that? That is so unfair.”

He looked at his watch. It wasn’t one I’d seen before. I had quickly caught on that he liked to collect watches. Expensive ones, of course. “Love, it only took you forty-five minutes, so you can’t really complain, either. That’s unheard of for a red carpet event.”

I waved a hand at the women hovering behind me. “It took a team to get me ready that fast, Mr. Beautiful.”

Amy and Ariel giggled at the name.

James smirked. “Every woman attending tonight had a team getting them ready, love, and I guarantee that no one other than you only took forty-five minutes, team or no.”

James politely dismissed my ‘team’ of beautifiers, and I thanked them again.

When we were finally alone, he pulled me to my feet, whipping off the white robe that protected my gown. His eyes were hot as he just stared at me, studying me from head to toe. He smiled when he saw our matching patent-leather navy shoes.