Page 72 of Faking Ties

“No. I don’t need any jewelry. Some gelato is enough.” I’ve barely used any money that Stella’s paying me. Even though I’m officially a millionaire, I’m not used to that kind of money and almost don’t believe it’s real. There’s no way I can accept yet another gift from Hunter. His sun bracelet is already on my wrist, alongside the navy bracelet Mom made me. That’s more than enough.

“We can do that too.” When I pull against his hold, he says, “Please? Let me spoil you some. Making you happy makes me happy.”

“Ugh, fine. I’ll look but I won’t promise to like anything.” That quickly turns out to be a lie, because the second I see the huge canary diamond necklace that’s surrounded by too many diamonds to count, it’s love at first sight. Probably because it reminds me of Hunter and the sun bracelet he got me due to the color. Hunter notices right away and makes me try it on.

It sparkles against my skin in the mirror. It’s stunning, but there’s nowhere I could wear it back home. It’s wasteful to spend that many thousands of dollars on something like this.

“We’ll take it,” Hunter says to the jeweler.

“No, it’s too much,” I whisper. “I don’t need it.”

“You don’t always have to buy stuff you need. Youcan also buy something because it’s pretty or because you like it.”

“But—”

Hunter kisses me, effectively stopping all the protests building on my lips. He kisses me until I forget my own name. When he pulls back, he has a smug smirk on his face.

“This necklace was made for you,” he says before whispering, “and I can’t help but picture fucking you in nothing but this around your neck.”

I shiver at his words. At how much I want that. A swipe of a credit card and we walk out with the new purchase in tow.

“What would you like to do now?” he asks.

“Eat gelato on the Spanish Steps.”

“Your wish, my command.” Hunter takes out his phone. “I’ll call Brian to pick us up.”

“I bet he’s freaking out.”

“He’s not. I already told him of our plans, and he should be around here somewhere.” I give him a confused look and he shrugs. “I didn’t want us to have an issue like last time.”

I can’t help but soften even more toward him. He’s shown me over and over again that he follows through on everything he says he’ll do. From the small things, like bringing my favorite desserts, to the bigger things, like making sure I’m safe.

I’m quiet, lost in thoughts of Hunter and him showing up for me, as Brian picks us up. I’m quiet evenwhen Brian tosses us hats, sunglasses, and light jackets to cover our outfits. Hunter listens intently to Brian’s directions on where best to sit and how he and the team can cover us.

When we step out of the car, autumn sunlight bathes the Spanish Steps in a warm glow. Hunter and I stop at a gelato shop near the steps. He orders pistachio for himself, and I order stracciatella for me. We find a worn step halfway up the staircase to enjoy our gelatos.

The air is crisp but gentle, carrying the scent of fallen leaves and roasting chestnuts from a nearby vendor.

“Wow,” I say, taking in Rome sprawled out before us like a living tapestry. Tourists mill about, and a street performer plays the violin in a melancholic melody. A group of giggling teenage girls attempt a precarious selfie on the steps below us, and I grin as I watch them.

“It’s my first time in Rome,” he says, “and I have to say it’s as magnificent as I imagined.”

“Same here. I have a feeling I could stay here forever and die a happy person.”

“Then it’s settled, we should move here.”

“Yeah… Maybe one day.”

Our shoulders brush as we eat, both of us trying each other’s gelato every so often. We finish them while people-watching in a comfortable silence.

“Are you ready to tell me about what happened with Jax?” Hunter asks.

“He has something on S. He basically threatenedthat if we don’t break up by Shanghai, he’ll reveal whatever that information is.”

“What the fuck?”

“Yeah, I don’t know. There’s more to their story than I know, which is making it really hard to do my job.”

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