Page 17 of Midnight Secrets

Lucrezia

Ash had to be a warlock or magician because he was weaving a spell over me that made it difficult to breathe, even as my heart beat double time and a lump formed in my throat. Over the years, I’d tried to imagine him as the worst type of man who used women and threw them away. Sitting here, surrounded by diamonds, he was still the most beautiful thing in the world.

He didn’t have to organise this for me. Technically, he didn’t need to help me at all since I asked Xavier. Yet he sat here, guiding me, and making me feel special. He allowed me to be the real me without hiding different parts of myself. I didn’t even feel the need to explain my business or why I chose it. Ash merely took all the facts and rearranged them in a logical order.

“Don’t forget to design a piece for yourself,” he said, picking up a sapphire to examine it.

“Me?” I squeaked.

His gaze met and locked with mine and everything else dissolved into insignificance. “The designer is part of the collection. People need to know who you are, so the ultimate showpiece should be decorating your throat.”

Panic reared up inside me at the thought of all those people watching me. “I don’t think I can do this.”

His fingers grasped my chin and everything inside me stilled. Ash tilted my head back until all that was in my vision were his deep blue eyes. “You can do it, Lucrezia. This is what you trained and prepared for.”

“I’m scared,” I finally admitted. “Will you be with me?”

As soon as I said the words, I wanted to grab them and shove them back into my mouth so no one would hear them.

Ash’s head canted slightly to the side as he studied me. “There’s nowhere else I would dream of being. Now, pick the rest of your stones so we can get you home before your Papa realises that you’re missing.”

I blinked, realising that I hadn’t thought about Papa or Catarina for hours. My teeth began to gnaw at the side of my mouth in my usual worry habit until Ash’s thumb brushed over my bottom lip. It was the most erotic thing that had happened to me in my entire virginal existence. When he pressed me into his car earlier, my panties got tight and damp. Right now, there was an inferno ready to erupt down there. How did he do that with just a thumb?

His gaze held me captive and I couldn’t look away, even if I wanted to. His fingers gave me a gentle squeeze and he moved away to talk to Seth in the background. My heart thudded a tribal beat in my chest, even as I tried to focus on what was in front of me.

Deftly, I selected the remainder of what I needed. I would begin to cast the metal mounts as soon as I got home to Tuscany where all my equipment was located.

“Done?” Ash stood beside me.

I stared up and nodded without speaking because I was still too confused by my emotions and reactions.

“Seth, can you sort out all the paperwork for these and have them couriered to my business address?” Ash said, holding his hand out to me.

I put my hand into his and I noticed the heat that infused into me. His hand enveloped mine to pull me up beside him and his masculine spice swept over me. All I wanted was to wrap myself around him and hold on. Ash was the first person who’d helped me without asking for anything in return. His presence today had been more valuable than all of these stones on the table behind me.

“Thank you so much for your help,” I said as Ash tugged me out of the room.

Seth waved and the grin he gave me made the hairs at the back of my neck stand to attention. “The pleasure is all mine, considering you’ve just made me a lot of money.”

I dreaded to think about the amount of money I’d just spent. It was certainly more than Catarina’s shoe collection, and that thing was extensive.

“How much have I just spent?” I whispered when we got back to the car.

Ash shot me an amused look. “This is the business world, Lucrezia. No one deals in money anymore. Seth and I have an understanding that supersedes that. I have something that he’s wanted for a while and now he finally gets his hands on it.”

“Ash!” Horror and terror combined in my chest that he had lost something valuable because of me. “No, you can’t give something up because of me.”

“No worries, this is how our world works. Lucas should have taught you that from an early age.”

That was both the blessing and the curse of Papa. He protected and shielded us, but at the same time, that made us weak and vulnerable to the vultures at our door.

Jordan’s car was outside, and my heart nearly stopped.

“Looks like Jay is keeping your papa occupied,” Ash said. “If he asks, I took you to collect some girlie stuff Mum ordered for a party she’s throwing. Lucas knows that I hate having to deal with caterers, so he’ll believe it.”

“Look at how I’m dressed,” I replied, panic rising inside my chest.

“What? You positively radiate a business fuck-me vibe. Maybe that’s how you deal with caterers?”

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