The Sicilian’s Betrayal: A second chance and a secret child for the Sicilian billionaire (The DiMarco Empire Book 1) by Cindy Redding
Liz turned with a smile on her lips ready to greet the new customers. She took a step back, her heart froze, and the greeting died on her lips. Rico! she thought, hoping they didn’t notice her stunned expression.
The man seemed to be looking through her as he said in his Italian-accented voice, “We wish to see the ruby and diamond necklace you have in the window.”
“Ah . . . Ah . . . Ye-Yes,” she stammered, her voice sounding strange to her own ears. “Please come with me to our private showing salon.” Walking in front of them, Liz snapped out of her momentary daze and tried to control the turmoil brewing in her head. Her thoughts were running wild. It couldn’t be him, but this man could be his twin. Only Ricardo doesn’t have a twin.
Taking a breath, she opened the door for the couple who entered and, placed their purchases on the shiny mahogany table. Then the tall darkly handsome man helped the beautiful woman remove her coat. He handed the mink to Liz, without so much as looking at her. Hanging the fur on a gold-toned hanger, she placed it carefully in the closet. When Liz turned, he was there. She’d nearly walked into him.
He handed her his coat, his fragrance clinging to the cashmere, the fabric still warm from his body. Mumbling an apology, which he ignored, she breathed deep, trying to still her trembling hands. Big mistake! The scent of his cologne wafted in the air. Her heart tripped in her chest, she ignored that. Liz stood tall and walked to the table offering them a beverage, which they both declined. The woman sat in one of the red leather armchairs at the mahogany table, her blonde hair flowing around her. The man remained standing, his hand on the back of her chair. When she was sure that they were comfortable, Liz said, “I will be back with the necklace you wish to see.”
Returning with the beautiful one-of-a-kind diamond-and ruby-necklace, she placed it on a blue velvet display mat. Again, Liz froze. The gorgeous blonde had taken off her leather gloves and on her left hand was a pear-shaped diamond at least five carats, adorned on either side were pear shape stones of at least one carat each. Without a doubt-an engagement ring.
The man’s eyes bored into Liz. She was beside herself. He looked like Ricardo, he sounded like Ricardo, with that dreamy Italian accent and his deep baritone voice. The voice she still heard in her dreams. Her hands shook as she helped the beautiful blonde hold up the necklace and examine it.
The woman turned to the man. “It’s perfect.”
He bent to look at the piece, took it from her hand and examined it more closely.
Looking at the necklace and not Liz he said, “Tell me about the quality, the origin of the stones, the carat weight.”
Liz tried so hard not to stare, but she couldn’t help it, she was positive it was him. She remembered that Ricardo liked tall blondes, he even had joked that Liz was his first redhead. He told her how much he loved the way her hair looked like fire and how much he liked her wearing it down around her shoulders.
Controlling her voice so it didn’t quiver she said, “There are forty-three Oval Burma Rubies, alternating with forty-three Brilliant Cut Diamonds.” She glanced down at the description card. “The mounting is platinum and eighteen karat yellow gold.”
Finally, the woman turned to Liz. “We will take it. Can you wrap it for us?”
The man pulled out his credit card, looked directly into Liz’s eyes as he handed it to her. She glanced down, there in bold letters on the black metal card was his name, Ricardo Antonio DiMarco.
She took the necklace. “I will be right back,” her voice was a husky whisper. She went into a side room, so she could wrap the gift and run the black metal credit card. Knowing that there would be no problem, the two-hundred-thousand-dollar purchase price would be approved. Liz smirked thinking, he could have bought ten necklaces without issue.
Did he not recognize her? After all, they had been to each other? She gently placed the necklace in a red velvet box. Her fingers were too stiff to tie the bow on the package. Trying desperately to snap out of her daze she managed to make a neat bow out of the gold ribbon, then she placed the box inside a red bag and filled it with gold tissue paper. She brought out the package, along with the receipt that required his signature, and handed him a silver pen.
Former piano prodigy-turned FBI agent Scott Drayco is still suffering nightmares from his last case as a private consultant. To add insult to injury, he’s bequeathed an unwanted and rundown Opera House in Cape Unity, a down-on-its-luck seaside village where vacation homes were once a playground for the rich.
