Page 106 of Charming Deception

“We can video call Cole later today, talk to him together, like you wanted,” he continues, like I’m not almost fainting over here. “I’ll get that arranged. And tonight, we’ll have dinner with my family. We need to tell them in person. Then we’ll make a public announcement.”

Oh, Jesus. And Mary. My nerves are flipping out already. I’m not religious, but I’m thinking I’ll start praying to every biblical figure I’ve ever heard of to help me get through this. Can’t hurt, right?

I can’t even decide if I’m more nervous about facing his family, acting as his fiancée in front of them and trying to convince them that Jameson made the right choice in me, or in front of the world.

“I’ll make the dinner arrangements and let you know what time to be ready, once I know,” he tells me. “I have a preexisting lunch meeting, so I’ll be out of the house for a few hours. I want you to feel at home here, whether I’m here or not. The staff are now here for you as well. Don’t hesitate to ask them for anything.”

“Okay…”

“And Clara will coordinate with you today, everything you need.”

“Need?”

I’m not even sure what I could possibly need that he hasn’t already offered me.

But Jameson doesn’t elaborate. He just gives me that rare, killer smile that makes me inwardly swoon.

Chapter 25

Megan

As it turns out, what I “need” is an engagement ring that features a diamond capable of being seen from outer space.

As soon as we finish our breakfast, Jameson receives a text from Clara, then informs me that we have an appointment downstairs. Then he leads me there, holding my hand, while I quietly freak out. Since we’re now “engaged,” I should really get used to the hand-holding and the killer smiles.

Quickly.

Lest I pass out in shock as all the blood rushes to my loins every time he does it.

All he tells me, or all I really hear, is “The jeweler will have security in the room. They’re here to guard the rings?—”

“Jeweler?” Rings?

I have so many questions.

They’re all answered when I find myself in a meeting in Jameson’s living room with a local jewelry designer and her assistant. Apparently, she’s a friend of the Vance family, and her rings are, according to Jameson, “worn by many celebrities.”

I can see why.

The one he helps me choose from the small selection on offer, after some low-key bickering, is stunning. The others all feature clear diamonds, other than one that’s blue, in various shapes. This one has one large, round, slightly pinkish stone. It’s a simple solitaire style, classic, and I love it.

I would’ve been content with a much smaller diamond, but this is the smallest one Jameson will allow me to get. The ones he suggests at first are way too intimidating. He tells me the fiancée of a billionaire would wear a more expensive diamond, I tell him I’d be scared to walk around wearing the ones he picked out without an armored cage around me, and he finally relents.

I’m told by the jeweler’s assistant that this one is an Argyle Light Pink Champagne diamond from some famous Australian mine. Twenty carats.

I have no idea, really, what he just said. All I heard was fucking expensive.

The way the sunlight sparkles off it is nothing short of dazzling. It’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen. Next to Jameson Vance, of course.

Somehow, that makes wearing it as his fiancée utterly perfect.

“It goes so well with your light eyes,” he remarks, finally coming around to how awesome this ring is, when he slides it onto my finger.

I melt right there.

If I have to wear an attention-grabbing ring to sell this whole engagement-to-a-billionaire situation, it won’t be a hardship to do it with Jameson looking at me like that.

Unfortunately, I don’t get to wear it. The jeweler takes it with her when she leaves, to have it properly sized for me, along with Jameson’s demand that it be returned “before five o’clock.”

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