However, a more immediate concern was Gavin’s reaction to her dress. She wasn’t entirely convinced that he approved of it. On the other hand, she loved the way his face had gone tight with lust when he looked at her chest. So maybe it was worth a little immodesty.

She couldn’t help sighing inwardly over the way the giant blond athlete had engulfed his tiny wife with his body, handling her as though she was both precious and hungered for. Miranda was so warm and down-to-earth, yet she had captured the love of the superstar quarterback. The thought fanned the tiny, unwarranted flicker of hope that burned deep inside Allie.

“The jewel room is through there,” another black-clad dress assistant said in answer to Gavin’s question.

“I don’t know much about accessorizing with jewelry,” Allie said, suddenly nervous about the next step in her fashion adventure.

“Oh, I’m sure there will an expert more than willing to help you.” Gavin propelled her forward. “Maybe we can find one of those drapey collar necklaces that hang down very low.”

“Gavin, I don’t have to wear—”

“Joking.” But he sounded cranky. Her hope flared a little brighter.

“Mr. Miller, how may I help you?” A tall brunette in a cream-colored suit stepped forward as they passed into a library that had been converted to a jewelry showroom with glass cases and wheeled locking chests.

“My lovely companion, Allie, needs a necklace to draw attention to her neck, rather than her neckline.”

The brunette smiled. “I’m Helen. I think I have the perfect piece for you.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Gavin asked. “Show her several before you get to the perfect one.”

That was pure Gavin. Allie grinned.

Helen obliged them by beginning with an absurdly ornate collar that dripped with diamonds. The cold weight of the stones against her skin made Allie shiver, although she twisted and turned to bring out their sparkle. Gavin’s grumpy mood seemed to dissipate as she modeled a few more outrageous gems.

“Now the one I think you’ll want. It’s by a new designer, a little edgy.” Helen unlocked one of the chests and slid out a drawer, lifting a necklace onto the velvet pad in front of Allie. “These are Paraiba tourmalines,” the jeweler said, pointing to the irregularly shaped green gems. “They’re found in only one region of Brazil, making them quite rare and desirable. These are a particularly glorious shade that hovers between green and blue.”

Their color was so intense that the stones seemed to glow with their own light source. They were set in bezels of tiny diamonds and joined together with more small diamonds. A larger diamond was attached to each bezel in a seemingly random position, which somehow added that modern edge Helen mentioned.

“It’s stunning,” Allie breathed.

“Allow me.” Gavin lifted the necklace and draped it around Allie’s throat. The tickle of his fingers against her nape as he fiddled with the clasp sent tremors of delight surging over her skin. He made a sound of satisfaction before he let his fingertip drift down the line of her spine, turning the tremors into tiny earthquakes rolling through her.

Fighting her yearning to lean back into Gavin, she focused on her reflection in the mirror. The jewels shimmered against her pale skin and tamed the red of her hair to near elegance. The sequined starfish on her dress evoked the sea, and the necklace seemed to contain it in each stone. Allie touched one of the gems as she admired how the brilliance and color brought out the delicacy of the dress.

She met Gavin’s eyes in the mirror. He smiled. “Helen got it right.” Then he leaned over, his body just brushing her back, to whisper beside her ear. “Tonight I want you to wear the necklace and nothing else.”

“We’ll take it,” Allie said in a rush as his breath seemed to feather over her in places he was nowhere near.

“Don’t you want to try on earrings as well? And I think a statement ring.”

“Whatever you recommend is fine.”

Helen laid out earrings that were simply a long chain of small diamonds, each circled in gold. “We don’t want to compete with the necklace, so something delicate is best,” she said. “And this ring in the shape of a sea urchin, worn on your index finger, will add the right touch of whimsy.”

Allie hung the earrings from her earlobes and slipped the large, jewel-encrusted dome ring on her finger, as instructed. “Works for me,” she said.

Gavin slid his finger under one of the dangling earrings, letting it drape over his skin. “You’ll dazzle them all at the gala.” He ran the back of his hand down the side of her throat, making her skin tingle and flare. He turned to Helen. “Draw up the papers and we’ll be on our way with our king’s ransom in jewels.”

“Borrowed jewels,” Allie clarified, her gaze on Gavin’s.

“Of course,” he said.

Helen printed out several sheets of paper and laid them on a leather blotter set on top of the jewelry case. Allie peered around Gavin’s shoulder to see photos of each piece of jewelry on the papers. Gavin pulled out his pen and began to sign where Helen indicated.

There was one odd moment where he paused and raised his eyebrows at the jewelry expert. Some silent communication passed between them, and Gavin signed his name yet again.

As Gavin tucked the elegant bag containing the leather-and-velvet jewelry cases under his arm, Allie asked, “What was that about?”

“What?”

“The signature thingie.”

“Oh, I have to guarantee that if you go skinny-dipping in the ocean and lose a gem or two, I will pay for the loss. It’s standard insurance red tape.” He put his arm around her waist. “You were meant to wear sparkling jewels. Do you like them?”

The question was asked with a note of uncertainty that struck her in the heart. “I feel like a princess.”

“You look like a goddess, ready to drive a chariot pulled by sea horses over the waves, with your mortal lover by your side.”

Allie stopped breathing, caught in the spell woven by his eyes and his words, waiting to hear how he would end the story.

“Allie! Gavin! I’m so glad we caught you before you left!” Chloe Russell’s cheery voice broke the spell before she hugged them both.

Nathan strolled up behind her, giving Allie a kiss on the cheek and offering a handshake to Gavin. Allie couldn’t believe that these rich-beyond-belief people were being so nice to her.