Page 79 of King of Temptation

“No,” I shake my head. “I’m not dressed for this.”

He leans in and kisses my cheek. “Kim. You are not less than them. You dress how you want to dress, and they wait on you anyway. Get it?”

I am used to people treating me like less, not more. Like I need to dress the part to be believable. “I think it’s going to take a bit…”

He smiles. “This will help. Come on.”

We walk down the stairs together, one of the jewelers setting out cases, while the other is opening champagne.

“No alcohol,” Leo barks out in a clipped tone. The bottle disappears as the man quickly sets up a large light that shines down on the boxes that they begin to open one by one…

I gasp as the rings sparkle in the light, all my reservations forgotten.

Leo pulls me closer. “Diamond? Emerald?” He looks at me, his brows lifting.

“How did you know that’s what I like?”

He brushes my cheek, stopping at the corner of my green eyes. “Lucky guess.”

Several stones are removed, the diamonds and emeralds are pushed to the front.

I look at several of the diamonds, one simple solitaire making me gasp. The light hits it, the sparkle winking at me from the box.

“Excellent choice,” one of the men gushes.

“Excellent taste,” another adds. “That’s a D-color three-carat solitaire with a VS2 clarity.”

I have no idea what any of that means.

But I know this one catches the light like nothing I’ve seen before. It’s slipped on my finger. I stare down at the stone, my fingers flexing as I hold back a gasp.

Tears sting at my eyes as Leo’s hand touches my back. “I’d like to see that emerald as well.”

My head whips to him. “You want an emerald for an engagement ring?”

“No,” he winks. “It’s for your other hand.”

My mouth drops open. He isn’t serious. Charlotte sparkles with new jewelry every time I see her but she’s girly like that.

It’s dresses not leggings for her and I just assumed she really liked sparkly things.

But I’m beginning to wonder if the Kincaids just like to drip their women in jewels.

A large emerald of the same cut that’s encrusted with side diamonds is slipped on my other hand. It’s larger than the diamond, the deep rich color stealing my breath.

“Necklaces?” one of the men asks.

“No,” I shake my head.

“I don’t see why not,” Leo replies.

“Leo!” I straighten. I’ve conceded a lot of ground today, but two pieces of jewelry is two more than I ever expected to accept. “No more.”

He shrugs. “All right. What my lady wants, she gets.”

My lips part again as I stare at him.

“So these two?” The man in the center asks.

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