her to show me the necklace. Did you know rubies are called ‘the king’s gem’?”
Georgina shakes her head, looking like a teary-eyed deer in headlights.
“It turns out, the king’s gem is highly symbolic. They symbolize power and blood. Passion, desire, and fire. All of which is perfect for you, Georgina, because you’re passion and power embodied. A human flame.” And you’ve infiltrated my blood. I grab Georgina’s limp hand. “Ever since I first laid eyes on you, I’ve wanted to tie you to my bed and show you what your body can do, if only you’re willing to surrender completely. But then I got to know you, and I realized I had to wait to do that with you. I knew you’d enjoy it and have fun, to be sure, which is good enough for some... but with you, I didn’t simply want to show you a good time. I wanted to show you something that would transform you.” I squeeze her hand. “Tonight’s finally the night, Georgina. You’re ready to let go completely. You’re ready to trust me. And I can’t wait another night. Tonight, you’re going to wear that necklace for me—a necklace dripping in the king’s gems—and let me worship you as my queen.”
I’ve rendered her speechless.
“Say yes, Georgie.”
She swallows hard. She looks deeply conflicted. Which is exactly as expected. Indeed, I fully expected and counted on Georgina’s conflicting emotions when I bought this necklace in the first place. “I can’t,” she says. “I mean, yes, tie me up. Please. I’ve wanted you to do that since you mentioned it the other night in front of your gate. But I can’t accept this gift from you. It’s too generous.”
“I won’t take no for an answer.”
She frowns. “The truth is, I can’t own thousands of dollars in rubies when my father is on the brink of losing his condo, any day now. If I took this necklace from you, I wouldn’t be able to resist selling it behind your back at my first opportunity, so I could give the proceeds to my father.”
I force myself not to smile. Damn, I’m good.
When Henn called this afternoon to give me the grand total of what Georgie’s father owes on his condo, and also to tell me that a third notice had just gone out to him from the bank—meaning the guy is mere days away from being foreclosed upon, I knew I had to act fast. But I also knew paying off the guy’s loan would be a bit tricky.
Georgie would never accept a straight-up check from me. That much I know. Nor could I anonymously pay off the loan. Georgie would instantly know who’d paid it... and then, quite possibly, quickly put two and two together, and think, “If Reed covertly paid off Dad’s loan, maybe he also covertly paid for Dad’s medication... and my salary.” Which, obviously, isn’t something I want Georgina to be thinking, especially now that I know the story of Mr. Gates.
But, still, there was no question I had to pay off that damned mortgage somehow, as soon as possible, but in a way that didn’t lead Georgina straight back to me. I needed a creative solution... a way Georgina would accept the money from me, in the first place, and also that wouldn’t make her suspect my prior “donations” to her and her father.
And then it came to me. A perfect solution. Don’t rich men impulsively buy the women they’re fucking sparkling baubles all the time? Isn’t that a trope nobody ever questions?
Now, granted, I’ve never bought a single piece of jewelry for any woman, other than my mother. Who, by the way, never wears the thing I bought her. But Georgina doesn’t know that. Indeed, as far as she knows, I’m the kind of rich dude who sees a sparkly ruby necklace in a window at Tiffany’s and buys it for his flavor of the month on the spot, just because he can. Georgina has no idea I’d never actually do that.
Although, come to think of it, maybe I would do that. Because, hell, I did. Today. Yes, my ultimate plan was to give Georgina a gift she could sell off, a gift that would yield the perfect payday for her and her father, without Georgina suspecting my endgame. But if paying off the mortgage had truly been my only motivation, then why did I buy this particular necklace—a piece of jewelry with almost triple the price tag of Georgina’s father’s debt? Why