Valorous(76)

“If I open it, I’ll like it. If I like it, that’ll encourage you to do this again when I told you I don’t want you to.”

“Hmm,” he says, scratching at the stubble on his jaw, “I can see your dilemma. On the one hand, you’re burning up with curiosity because you really, really want to see what’s in there. But if you go along with me on this, chances are you’re setting a precedent for our entire marriage. I mean, can you imagine if I get a big idea to buy you something new for every formal event we attend together? With the way we pat ourselves on the back in Hollywood, you’ll need a storage unit for your jewelry. It is indeed a dilemma.”

“You’re totally making fun of me.”

“I am not! I’m simply summarizing the situation and the impasse at which we find ourselves.” Every beautiful inch of him is sexy in yet another tuxedo, this one by Armani.

His eyes dance with mirth as he pushes my buttons and tries to win me over to his way of thinking. He’s absolutely right about one thing—if I accept this gift, I will be setting a precedent, and that concerns me.

“Open it.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“How about I open it for you, and if you don’t like it, you don’t have to keep it.”

“What kind of BS is that? Of course I’m going to like it.”

“Do you ever actually swear? BS doesn’t count unless you actually say it.”

I get very close to his face and say, “Bull. Shit.”

He takes full advantage of my closeness to kiss me. “I love you, Mrs. G, and I love to pick out shiny things I think you’ll like. You’ll hurt my feelings if you make me take it back, so I suppose you ought to just open it so my feelings won’t be hurt.”

“Oh my God. You’re really going to play the hurt-feelings card?”

“I believe I just did.”

I snatch the velvet box out of his hand and open it. I think I actually go blind for a second or two from the shine of diamonds sitting in blue velvet. “Flynn… What? I mean…” I sigh, deeply. He’s too much for me. I lost this battle before it ever began.

He takes my glass and puts both of them in cup holders so he can remove the dazzling diamond bracelet from the box and affix it to my wrist. “There. Now I’m happy.”

“It’s beautiful, but—”

Laying a finger over my lips, he stops me before I can finish the thought. “No buts. You’re my wife, and that gives me the legal right to buy you anything I want whenever I want.”

I raise a brow. “The legal right?”

“Uh-huh. And the law says you gotta take whatever I buy for you, no matter what it is.”

“Where does the law say that?”

“Like you want an actual paragraph or something?”

“That’d be good.”

“I’ll ask Emmett to get it for you.”

“You do that.” I look down again at the bracelet. “It’s too much, Flynn. I’m not comfortable with being spoiled like this.”

“Give it time. You’ll get used to it.”

“No, I don’t think I will.”

“Why do I suddenly fear there’s a deeper issue afoot here?”

I take a moment to collect myself, swallowing the knot of emotion that has gathered in my throat. “You’re so incredibly generous. I’ve never known anyone who thinks of others as selflessly as you do. I don’t want you to ever think I don’t appreciate your thoughtfulness or your generosity, because I do. I appreciate it very much.”

“But?”

“But it makes me uncomfortable to be showered with things like diamonds when I can barely buy you dinner right now.” A glance at my online bank balance earlier in the day left me feeling rather ill. He mentioned me getting paid for my work on the foundation, but that hasn’t kicked in yet.

“Wow. Well, I don’t even know where to begin to reply to that. You’re my wife, Natalie, which means everything I have is now yours, too. You can buy me anything you want to. You can buy yourself anything you want or need. Tomorrow, we’re getting you access to money. I should’ve done that sooner, and I’m sorry that I didn’t think of it before now.”

“I’m not asking you to do that.”

“I know you’re not. I’m telling you that that’s what’s going to happen.”