Page 42 of Return of the Outback Billionaire

She hadn’t forgotten his earlier words about buying her jewellery because he felt he’d let her down somehow.

He hadn’t.

His brutal honesty—in everything he said and did—was a gift in itself, forcing her to examine her own behaviour and immaturity. ‘You don’t have to. This weekend is already...’ she shrugged a little helplessly ‘...gorgeous. Thought provoking. Revealing.’

‘All the more reason for you to have something to remember it by. Take a look. I don’t know your taste. You might not like any of them.’

But that wasn’t the problem, because she loved all of them. The problem was the no-doubt astronomical and currently invisible price tags that accompanied the necklaces.

‘I can’t.’ She backed up until she hit the door.

‘A photo a month. A lifeline to home. You gave me that.’ He nodded towards the counter. ‘They don’t even compare. Trinkets.’

‘Beautiful, expensive trinkets,’ she corrected as she met the salesman’s long-suffering smile.

‘Thank you, Miss Starr. Yes, yes, they are all beautiful and expensive, although I can’t quite bring myself to call them trinkets—even if the customer is always right,’ said Martin the despairing salesman, before regrouping. ‘Take this one, for example: a triplet of perfectly graded natural white South Sea pearls with a nineteen-carat fire opal centrepiece set in platinum. A classic design.’

‘Gorgeous.’ She admired it from afar. ‘Not exactly something you’d wear every day.’

‘No indeed, Miss Starr. That one’s a statement trinket.’ He moved on to the next necklace, lifting it and letting it dangle from his fingers. ‘This one you could wear every day.’

Maybe if you were a queen. Or, nope, not even then. Bridie eyed the diamond and sapphire art deco pendant, before turning to look at Judah. ‘Are you serious?’

‘Do I not look serious?’ He had a smile in his eyes that was hard to resist. ‘I like the third one.’

It was a modern piece. A swirling landscape of white diamonds, black pearls, cerulean sapphires and pinky-orange-coloured stones that glowed with no less dazzle than the diamonds and sapphires. ‘What are the pinkish stones?’

‘Padparadscha sapphires, ethically mined, of course. Aren’t they wonderful?’

‘Stunning.’ She leaned closer and the salesman mirrored her. ‘But still not an everyday wearer.’

The man spread his hands, his expression helpless. ‘Madam, we don’t do everyday wearers.’

‘She’ll take that one,’ said Judah, and to her, ‘Today’s a good day. Wear it to lunch.’

So she wore it to lunch and tossed her head and felt like a million dollars as she collected admiring gazes from nearby strangers. Maybe it was the pendant they were looking at. Maybe it was Judah, handsome sod with a watchful quality about him and a stare that encouraged people to mind their own business.

But even he couldn’t resist the glitter of the harbour and a playful breeze, a cold beer at his fingertips and the freshest of seafood.

‘I could do this more often,’ she told him with a deep sense of satisfaction.

‘Glad to hear it.’

‘What about you? Enjoying yourself? Because you get all flinty eyed every so often.’

‘Is that so?’

‘Yeah. Seagulls giving you trouble?’

‘More like some of your admirers don’t know when to stop staring.’

Ah.

‘Do you get that a lot?’

She nodded. ‘And I’ve never enjoyed that kind of attention, but it’s what you get with a face like mine. Beauty has its price. Or they could be trying to put a price on my absolutely stunning necklace.’

‘Suits you,’ he rumbled. ‘Why have you stayed single when you could have any man you want?’

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