Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 144908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
At once, Amanda’s face went soft. She smiled at Marcus. “That’s so sweet to think that way.” She turned her attention back to Ambrie. “How did you get back together?”
Ambrie laid her palm against Master’s jaw, stroking gently. “I saw him and sort of flung myself at him and point-blank asked him to marry me.”
Adam and Rashad laughed openly. Amanda gasped. “You did not.”
“I did. I convinced him I really wanted to make it work, and then once he heard the news about Mom and Dad, he married me. I suspect he didn’t want me to be alone in the world.”
Amanda narrowed her eyes. “You aren’t wearing a ring.” It was an accusation. More, she sounded as if she believed they were lying to her.
Master rubbed Ambrielle’s naked ring finger. “We need to do something about that, princess.” He brushed a kiss across her temple and then turned his head, raising his voice. “Hey, Ice. Get it finished for me?”
Ice stood, his chair scraping on the floor. “As a matter of fact, I did. Brought it with me. I hope I got the sizing right.”
“Ice?” Amanda whispered.
“As in Ice?” Rashad echoed. He gripped Adam’s shoulder. “Do you have any idea who that is?”
Adam shook his head. “I don’t have a clue.”
“He’s only one of the most famous jewelers in the United States,” Rashad said. “Very few people ever manage to get their hands on one of his pieces of jewelry, let alone meet him. I had no idea he was a biker.”
They watched as he handed Master two jewelry boxes. “Thanks, brother,” Master said.
“Hope you love it, Ambrie,” Ice said. “Let me know if there’s a problem.”
Master opened the small box and took out the wedding band. It was made of platinum, a simple band etched with words in Russian. He slipped it on her finger and then took out the engagement ring. The gem was round cut, a deep, deep purple, the stone sparkling under the lights in the room.
Ambrie looked up at him as he slid it onto her finger. “I’ve never seen a stone like this. It’s so beautiful. What is it, Master?”
“It’s a purple diamond from Russia. Ice had it, and when he showed it to me, I knew it was the perfect stone. Your eyes change to that color sometimes.”
Master didn’t know anything at all about diamonds, but Amanda did and apparently, so did Rashad. Both let out a little gasp.
Rashad nearly threw himself across the table to get a better look. “Is that real? As in not from a lab?” There was awe in his voice. “You said from Russia. There’re two mines in Russia that produce a small number of purple diamonds. They’re so rare.”
Ice shrugged. “Master wanted the stone because it matched her eyes, and it comes from Russia. That’s the significance, not how rare it is. It’s what he’s saying to her.” He leaned down and brushed a kiss on top of Ambrie’s head. “Welcome to the family, little sister.”
Ambrielle smiled up at him. “Thank you, Ice. I love my rings.”
He sauntered off, acknowledging the others with a nod.
“May I see your rings?” Blythe asked.
Ambrielle held her hand across the table. Master slid his under hers. The rings looked perfect on her delicate finger.
“Speaking of rings, Amanda, do you remember going to one of the clubs and there was a woman who came in a few times wearing a very unusual ring? I was trying to describe it to Master so he could tell Ice about it. I thought he’d know the designer. It was a snake made of thin gold with diamonds for eyes, and she wore it on her index finger.”
“Yes, of course. She came in with her brother to the club right down from our office. He was a big blond man. Had a scar on the side of his face. He always wore gloves on his hands. I thought that was odd in a club. She was gorgeous, tall, with dark hair and eyes. Looked like a model. I thought she was by the way she walked and held herself. She didn’t look anything at all like her brother. I flirted with her brother at the bar, but he didn’t respond. He kept scanning the crowd, obviously looking for someone. She was friendly. He wasn’t.”
“You talked to her more than I did,” Ambrie encouraged. She smiled at Marcus. “Amanda is extraordinary with our customers. She can remember names and faces. She’s the friendly one and puts everyone at ease. If it was left to me, we’d lose all the clients. I’d stare at my computer screen all day.”
Amanda laughed her first genuine laugh. “That’s not exactly true. You remember the faces and names, but you do stare at your screen.”
When the laughter died down, Ambrie continued, “What was her name? Who was she looking for?”