Billionaire Temptations: Rich, Ruthless & Obsessed

Chapter 4

Chapter Four

When we arrived at Tiffany’s, we were taken into a room in the back where the most beautiful diamond rings sat on velvet cushions.

“It’s nice to see you, Mr. Hamilton.”

“Thank you, Doug. I would like you to meet my fiancée, Emma Knight.”

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Miss Knight.” He smiled graciously. “Please take a seat. I’ve taken the liberty of pulling some of our finest diamonds for you. May I offer you a glass of wine?”

“That would be wonderful. Thank you.”

Max and I took a seat in front of the table. “Pick out whatever you want.”

“They’re all so beautiful, Max.”

“Beautiful diamonds for a beautiful woman.” He winked.

My stomach was in knots, and I was afraid to touch them. I’d never seen such beauty up close before. I carefully looked at each ring as I slipped it on my left hand. Such sparkle and elegance had never touched these hands, and I was in awe and feeling a bit overwhelmed.

“Here, try this one.” Max smiled as he took my hand and slipped on a three-carat cushion-cut ring with diamonds going down the sides.

“Excellent choice, Mr. Hamilton. That is one of our brand new collections.”

“I love it.” I smiled as I looked over at Max.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, and it fits perfectly.”

“That’s the one we’ll take, Doug.” Max pulled out his credit card.

“Ah, excellent. It’s so wonderful to see two young people so in love and embarking on a wonderful journey and new life together.”

I almost busted out into laughter. If poor Doug only knew.

As soon as Max and I left Tiffany’s, I stopped him and put my hand on his chest.

“Aren’t you going to propose to me properly?” I smiled as I slipped my ring off and handed it to him.

“You mean right here on the street?”

“Yes. If we’re going to be engaged, I expect a proper proposal.”

“But the street is filled with people,” he nervously spoke.

“Isn’t that the point, Max?”

He rolled his eyes and looked around. He got down on one knee and took my hand. Suddenly, people were stopped and gathered around us, watching the show.

“Emma Knight, will you marry me?”

I placed my hands over my mouth in excitement. I had to play the part of the happy girl who had just been proposed to on the streets of New York.

“Yes. Oh my God, Max! Yes! I will marry you!”

He slipped the ring on my finger and stood up, pulling me into a warm embrace, one that jolted the shit out of me. His muscular arms wrapped around me set my body on fire.

“You’ll pay for this.” His hot breath trailed along my ear.

Everyone around began to clap and whistle, and congratulations were said all around. Martin opened the limo door.

“Congratulations, Max and Miss Knight.”

“Thank you, Martin, and please call me Emma.” I smiled.

We slid into the back of the limo, and Max looked at me, narrowing his eyes.

“You wanted me to do that in front of Martin. Didn’t you?”

“Made it look more real. Didn’t it? Now he can tell your parents how you proposed to the love of your life on the streets of New York because you’re so happy and you wanted everyone to witness it.”

“Damn. You’re good.”

“I know.” I winked.

“Martin, please take us to Saks so my lovely fiancée can buy a new dress for dinner tonight.”

“I have dresses, Max. I don’t need to go to Saks.”

“How can I put this nicely? Dinner with my parents is a formal occasion. Don’t worry. I’ll help you pick something out.”

If I were going to play the role of a millionaire’s fiancée, I’d better dress the part. Martin pulled up to the curb of Saks and opened the door for me. I climbed out, and Max placed his hand on the small of my back, sending shivers down my spine. Damn. We took the escalator up to where the women’s dresses were, and immediately, Max pulled a dress from the rack. It was a Jacquard Sheath sleeveless dress with a round neckline in natural.

“You’re what? About five foot nine and a size two?”

“Size four.” I smiled. “But thanks for thinking a size two.”

“This will look amazing on you. Go try it on.”

I took the dress from Max, and the sales associate let me into the dressing room. As I took off my clothes and stood in front of the full-length mirror, I noticed some areas of toning that were desperately needed. Damn, these fitting room lights. Macy said there was a fitness center in the apartment building, and I could use it at any time. Tomorrow, I’d start working out. I slipped into the dress and had trouble zipping it up, so I walked out of the fitting room and asked Max, who was sitting in the chair, to help me out. He got up and walked over to me with a smile on his face as I turned around. His hand lightly took hold of the zipper, and he slowly zipped it up.

“Nice light pink bra. Are you, by any chance, wearing matching panties?” His hot breath trailed along my neck.

I swallowed hard. “Don’t you worry about what panties I’m wearing,” I replied in a seductive tone.

“I can’t help it.”

I took in a deep breath and turned around. “Well?”

“That dress looks perfect on you and incredibly sexy.”

“Thanks. I like it too, but I’m afraid it’s too expensive.”

“Nonsense. Nothing is ever too expensive for my fiancée.” A smile crossed his lips.

Hell, if he wanted to buy it for me, who was I to turn down a four-hundred-dollar designer dress? I began to walk back into the fitting room when Max called my name.

“Ahem, Emma.”

“Yes?” I turned around.

“Don’t you need help with your zipper?”

Shit. Here we go again. My panties were already wet from when he zipped it up. I turned around and pulled my hair up. He unzipped it as slowly as he had zipped it up.

“I swear to God. If you even think about looking at my panties, I’ll smack you.”

“I would never. Only if you wanted me to see that sweet ass of yours, then I would.”

I smirked and walked into the dressing room. As I changed back into my clothes, Max paid for the dress.

“Do you need shoes?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I forgot about shoes.”

“Well, let’s head over to the shoe department and see what they have.”

He walked ahead of me, and I couldn’t help but check out his fine ass in the dark denim jeans he was wearing. He had a great body. Muscular, strong, and, from what I could tell, perfect in all areas. When we reached the shoes, a pair instantly caught my eye. I walked over to the table and picked up the thin strap, four-inch heel sandals in a natural color.

“I think these would go great with the dress.” I turned the shoe over to see what size it was, and my eyes diverted straight to the price. “Oh, never mind.” I put the shoe down.

“Why? What’s wrong with them?”

“The price,” I replied as I moved to another display of shoes.

“It’s fine, Emma. They’re only eleven hundred dollars. I’ve paid more than that for my own shoes. What size are you?”

“Size eight. But seriously, Max, they’re too expensive.”

He flagged down the sales lady and asked her if they had an eight. A few moments later, she returned with the box of shoes, and I slipped my feet into them.

“They look great on you.” Max smiled. “What do you think?”

“I think they’re great.”

“We’ll take them,” Max told the sales lady.

Martin was waiting for us when we stepped out of Saks. He opened the door, and I slid in and across to the other side. As soon as Max slid in next to me, I lightly grabbed his hand. He looked at me with surprise and smiled.

“Thank you.” A small smile fell upon my lips.

His gray eyes stared at me for a brief moment. He tilted his head as the corners of his mouth slightly curved upward.

“You’re welcome.”

I let go of his hand and looked out the window. We arrived back at my apartment, and Max told me that he’d be over around six thirty to pick me up.

“I can catch a cab. You stay at your house, and I’ll see you when I get there.”

He chuckled. “Emma, I don’t live with my parents. I have my own place.”

“Oh. I assumed you lived with your parents.”

“Good God, no. I moved out as soon as I graduated from college. My apartment is over on East 77 th Street, about twenty minutes from here, and my parents live over on Park Avenue.

“Then I guess I’ll see you at six thirty.” I grabbed the bag with my dress and my shoes and went to my new apartment.

I stepped into the marble-tiled shower and let the hot water bead down the front of me while I tried to take in everything that had happened. I lost my loan to Parsons. I moved to New York. I got engaged to a man I had just met last night, and I was going to be wearing an entire outfit that cost over fifteen hundred dollars to dinner with his parents, parents who believed that I was the love of their son’s life. It was only for three months. I needed to keep reminding myself of that. I did the right thing, right? I was second-guessing myself and my decision now that I was alone and had time to absorb it. I was nothing but an ordinary girl who lived in a doublewide trailer her whole life. Everything I had was worked for. Nothing was ever given to me, including the tuition payment for Parsons. I was working on that, like an actress. Playing a role, a part, one that probably could have won me an Academy Award.

I stepped out of the shower, put on my makeup, and threw a few curls at the ends of my long, blonde hair, deciding to pull the sides back and pin it up with a pretty pearl hair clip that Aubrey bought me for my birthday. Slipping into my dress, I struggled to zip it up. Somehow, I managed, and then I slipped on my ring. As I held out my hand and stared at the beauty of the diamond, there was a knock on the door.

“Hey.” I gulped when I saw Max standing there in a pair of black dress pants and a white dress shirt with the top three buttons undone underneath a matching black blazer.

“You look gorgeous.” He smiled as he stepped inside.

“Thanks. You’re looking pretty hot yourself, Mr. Hamilton.”

“Are you ready to have dinner with the folks? There’s been a change of plans, and we’re meeting at a restaurant instead.”

“As ready as I’ll ever be. Let me grab my shoes.”

We walked out of the apartment building and climbed into the back seat of a Rolls Royce.

“Emma, I would like you to meet Darren. He’s another one of my drivers.”

“Hi, Darren. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Emma.” He smiled as he looked back at me.

“Darren is the only one who knows about our little arrangement. I trust him with my life. If you need him for anything, you are to give him a call. He’ll take you wherever you need to go. Hand me your phone, and I’ll put his number in for you.”

“I thought no one was supposed to know.”

He put in Darren’s number and handed me my phone as he placed his fingers under my chin.

“Like I said, I trust him with my life.”