Page 2 of Tempting the Billionaire
Rachel’s eyes widen in pleasant surprise. “Oh great, then this transition should be a breeze. You know all the basics—gemstones, metals, cut, clarity?”
I nod. “Yep. Could recite it all in my sleep.”
She mimes thanking God, rolling her eyes heavenward. I laugh. We spend the next few hours going over various things around the store, stopping to greet customers and help them with questions and sales. I can already feel myself relaxing—I think I’m going to fit in just fine here. Rachel is as nice as can be, and the basics of being a sales associate at a jewelry store are all the same.
I hear the light ring of the bell above the door and look up to see that someone new has entered the store. I move to greet them but am stopped in my tracks when I fully register what is in front of me.
Quite possibly the most attractive man I have ever seen. Tall, lean, speckles of gray in his dark brown hair, wearing a dark blue suit, he strides across the store like he owns it. I resist the urge to physically bite my lip. Holy shit is this guy hot. Probably coming in tobuy his lucky lady something special—like most of the men who come in here. Damn, I wish I had someone like this buying me jewelry.
With a physical shake of my head, I snap myself out of it.Focus, Emma.
“Welcome to Bishop Jewelers,” I call as he approaches the counter, his steps seeming more and more purposeful the closer he gets. “I’m—”
“Emma Hayes,” he interrupts me.
I halt, my mouth still open. I blink, then respond, “Yes …”
The man offers me a small smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling in a way I never thought could be so downrightsexy. “I’m Ezra Bishop. I was told you’d be starting today.” He holds out a hand, and I gingerly take it. His grip is strong and firm, and then it’s gone.
“Oh yes,” I say, realization dawning on me. Damn, Rachel forgot to mention that Ezra Bishop was the fucking hottest man on the planet. “Mr. Bishop, so nice to meet you.”
He shakes his head, coming around the side of the counter and beckoning me to follow him into the back room. “Call me Ezra—Mr. Bishop makes me feel old.”
I follow him through a doorway and into a back area I haven’t been in yet since Rachel and I have been so busy with customers this morning. There are shelves filled with stock items, along with a workbench whereI assume jewelry is made or repaired. Probably mostly repaired as I assume most of the inventory comes from offsite. Through another doorway, I see a desk and monitor set up. That’s where Ezra leads us.
I follow him into the office and take a seat when he gestures to the chair in front of the desk. He sits across from me, booting up his computer.
“So, Beth tells me you’ve worked in jewelry sales before,” he says without looking at me, focused on his computer.
I straighten in my chair. “Yes, I worked at Stoll Jewelry, a small jewelry store downtown, for three years.”
He nods. “Great. That’s perfect. Should be a breeze picking everything up, then.”
“Yeah, and Rachel’s been showing me around all morning,” I add.
He nods again, finally finishing up on his computer and then turning his attention toward me. His eyes are dark and piercing, and I feel myself shifting uncomfortably in my seat. Although whether from intimidation or something else, I’m not entirely sure.
“Did she tell you about the custom design services we offer?” he asks.
I shake my head, remembering the workbench I’d seen in the corner of the back room.
“So, we offer custom designs—most often we see those on engagement rings. Rachel can outline the pricing structure for you, but it’s an important service we offer, so I wanted to make sure you’re aware of it. We have an in-house designer, and sometimes I do the designs as well.”
“You?” I repeat.
At this, he smirks. “Yes. I could outsource it all, obviously, but I still like to get my hands dirty from time to time, so to speak.”
I momentarily fixate onhands dirty, but then I chide myself and try to pay attention. “That’s … impressive,” I reply.
He shrugs. “It’s really not that hard, especially if you practically grew up in this store.” He gestures around and then laughs, those adorable crinkles returning to the corners of his eyes.
I smile.
He returns to his computer, clicking away. “Did Beth email you the new hire paperwork?” he asks.
I nod. “Yep, filled it all out last night.”
“Great. Well, then you’re all set. I think you’re going to fit in well here, Emma.” He shoots me a warm smile that makes me practically weak in the knees.
