Page 32 of Tease Me

“Yes, please.” I handed the case toward him and watched as he unclipped the chain from the velvet inlay. His hands were immaculate, with neatly trimmed, clean nails and supple skin, devoid of calluses from manual labor. A delicious shudder rolled through me as he unraveled my scarf and draped his fingers across my neck to clip the chainin place.

“It’s white gold.I wasn’t sure which youpreferas you don’t wearanyjewelry. Butwith your coloring I thought this would suit you.”

White gold! Oh my god.

“Here, take a look.” He held his phone toward me, and as I glanced at my reflection in his camera, he clicked off a few shots with him leaning over my right shoulder.

Our first couple photo.I smacked that silly thought aside. “It’s too much, Clayton.”

He wriggled in beside me again. “Don’t be silly. I manage a jewelry store. You’d be stunned at the markup. Another sandwich?”

As I reached for a chicken sandwich with one hand, I fiddled with my new piece of jewelry with my other and realized that, excluding my extensive shoe and bag collection, this just became the most expensive thing I owned. How could it be that at twenty-nine, I owned nothing? That thought struck me from nowhere.

I had nothing else of value.

No car. No home. No shares—hell, I didn’t even own a computer.

Wow. I should consider myself lucky that a man as gorgeous and established at Clayton was even interested in me.

“Cheers.” Clayton held his glass toward me, and I raised mine, interested in what he’d be toasting to this time. “To the birthday girl. May all your wishes come true.”

I sipped the delicate bubbles and thought about the only wish that meant anything to me. I wished to find the man of my dreams. As I glanced at Clayton, and he, in turn, stared out over the ocean and munched on a sandwich, I wondered if I already had.

As the afternoon rolled on, we moved on from the sandwiches to a cheese platter he laid out with three cheeses, pâté, crackers, nuts, and dried apricots. Our conversation flowed easily, and we laughed together as he told stories about crazy customers and his daughter’s funny antics.

The breeze picked up, producing tiny goosebumps that dotted along my arm. Clayton must have noticed because he gathered my scarf from my lap, wrapped it around my neck, then put his arm across my shoulder and tugged meto him. I nestled into his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat.

“It’s getting cool now.” Heran his free hand up and down my arm.“Come on. I’ll get you home so you canhave asleep before your shift.”

Iplaced my hand onhis leg and pulled back to look at him. “Thank you for a wonderful birthday.”

He smiled, and when he leaned toward me, our lips met. It was a soft kiss that had my insides dancing.

Together, we returned everything to the car and hopped in, and within twenty minutes, he pulled up at the drop-off zone at the Hot Horizon Hotel.

He came around to open the car door for me, and when I stood, we kissed again. “Thank you for a wonderful day and this beautiful necklace.” I ran my finger over the pendant.

He cupped my cheek. “You’re welcome. Have a good sleep.”

I strode up the stairs and turned to wave as he drove away.

The little happy dance inside me put a spring in my step, and as I crossed the lobby, I waved at Marjorie, who was on the phone at reception. I hit the call button on the elevator, and it opened immediately, which was a nice change. I stepped in and pulled my scarf aside to look at my new necklace in the reflection. White gold really looked good on me.

The second I stepped into my apartment, my phone rang. It was Lolita.

“Hey, babe. So . . .how was it?”

I strolled to my bed and flopped back onto the covers. “It was wonderful.He’sreallynice.”

“I told you.”

“He made a picnic for me, and we sat near the beach andjusttalked for a few hours. He bought me a white-gold necklace with a Saint Christopher pendant. It’s beautiful.”

“Awww, I’m so happy for you two.”

Us two?I wasn’t sure I was happy with that reference. “Hmmm.”

“Hmmm, what?”

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