Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 93347 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93347 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Ten million euros?
I reached up to caress the diamond, which rested just below my collarbone.
I had ten million euros around my neck? Oh God.
I raised my hand to shield my mouth. Sebastian was already watching me. “You put a ten-million-euro diamond on me?”
Of course I knew it was an enormous diamond, but I just assumed it was fake.
He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Don’t worry. Next time I drape you in diamonds, I won’t do it so cheaply.”
Cheap? He thought this was cheap?
Yelena Ivanova was right. I was in way over my head.
In a display of perfect timing, a server walked by holding a tray of champagne.
I snatched a glass. Despite the bubbles tickling my nose, I drained it in one gulp.
I then grabbed a second glass.
Before I could take a sip, warm fingers covered mine.
I looked up to meet Sebastian’s dark gaze as he pulled the glass from my grasp. “And that’s enough champagne for you, little one. I have plans for you later, and they will require you to be sober.”
Why did that sound like a threat?
I tried to swallow as my throat closed.
The next hour went by in a blur of faces and the din of animated conversations as Sebastian worked the crowd of influential designers, buyers, and celebrities. The entire time, he kept his arm tightly around my waist.
Repeatedly, he introduced me as a talented, up-and-coming fashion stylist.
The first time someone asked me for my business card, I floundered. Before I could give them my social media info, Sebastian interjected.
“You can reach Sabrina through the House of Diamanti.”
I bristled at the presumption. “I have cards with me. If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I can go grab them.”
Knowing what an opportunity Paris would be, I’d ordered glossy, heavy stock business cards with silver foil that had links to my social media portfolios. I’d wanted to be prepared just in case I had an opportunity to network.
Sebastian’s arm shifted to caress up my back before he fisted my hair.
I stilled.
Keeping a smile for the guests standing before us, he tightened his grasp on my curls and whispered for my ears only. “If they want to talk to you, they go through me.”
Alarm bells rang in my head. I quieted them by reasoning that he must have assumed they would inquire about the diamond, which was fair.
Still, it seemed a shame to waste this opportunity. “For the diamond, yes, but some might want to hire me for—”
“You’re not available for hire.”
My shoulders tensed, my spine stiffening at the audacity of his possessiveness as it sank in. “But—”
He turned us to face another photographer. “Smile for the cameras, sweetheart.”
Several reporters exchanged looks at Sebastian’s endearment.
Uh-oh.
I tugged on the lapel of his suit jacket to get his attention. “Maybe don’t call me that in front of the press?”
He ignored me as he continued to work the crowd with me glued to his side.
Everyone approached Sebastian like he was royalty. Even the movie stars seemed starstruck, their smiles too wide, their voices too eager. I half expected someone to drop to one knee and kiss his damn signet ring.
People didn’t just admire him. They feared him.
I understood why when one man tried to speak to me directly—sort of. He barely glanced at my face, his gaze fixed on my cleavage as he mumbled about the diamond.
Before I could respond, Sebastian shifted. One smooth step, and he stood in front of me, cutting the man off without so much as a glance.
“He was asking about your diamond,” I muttered. “Isn’t that the point of this?”
“The very last thing he was looking at was the fucking diamond. And if you think that’s why you’re here, then you haven’t been paying attention.”
A strange flutter twisted through my chest. I risked a glance at him from beneath my lashes. It was like staring at a Roman statue come to life, all hard angles and cold stone.
After close to an hour, Sebastian made it clear he was no longer interested in holding court. His ability to scatter the crowd with a mere look terrified me.
He led me to a quiet corner, partially concealed behind one of the Cour Marly’s intricate topiaries.
“I’m pleased,” he said. “You did very well.”
I toyed with the necklace chain, trying to deflect the warm flush creeping up my neck. “The diamond did most of the work.”
His brow dipped. “Stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Deflecting my compliments.”
My stomach flipped. “Yes, sir.”
The words came out before I could stop them—too obedient, too eager. Shame burned through me.
He traced the curve of my exposed shoulder with his finger. “That’s more like it.”
I reached to unlatch the diamond necklace, but my fingertips kept slipping over the clasp. “I need to get back.”
“What would you do if I said no?”
My eyebrows shot up. “No? As in, I’m not allowed to leave…no?”