One Special Moment - Brenda Jackson [33]
“You look nice, too, Sterling.”
Colby’s words penetrated the silence in the room. She watched as Sterling’s gaze returned to her mouth. And there it lingered once again. The suite suddenly appeared smaller and Sterling’s height and breadth became larger than life. Thinking more of her own survival than anything else, Colby forced a quick smile and took a step back into the room.
“I’m ready. I just need to grab my purse,” she said almost breathlessly. She tried to sound calm and composed but knew she’d failed miserably under the intense perusal of his eyes.
“This is for you,” he said in a deep masculine voice as he handed her a small box.
Colby raised a brow as she took the gift-wrapped package from him. She had been so engrossed in her appraisal of him that she hadn’t noticed him holding anything in his hand. “What is it?”
He shrugged with indifference. “Why don’t you open it and see.”
Colby didn’t miss the silky timbre that suddenly appeared in his voice. She met his gaze. “All right.” She slowly opened the box.
She gasped. There inside the box on emerald-green velvet was a five-carat diamond solitaire ring. “Sterling!”
He took the box from her still-shocked fingers. “It’s your engagement ring,” he said, placing the huge ring on the third finger of her left hand. “This officially makes us engaged.”
“B-but you didn’t have to get anything so…so extravagant. I didn’t expect it.”
He released her hand. “Maybe you didn’t, but the media will. I’ve never been engaged before, so they’ll expect the woman I’ve chosen to become my wife to have some huge glittering representation of my esteemed affection,” he said. “If you’re ready, we can leave now. I’ve made reservations.”
Colby wasn’t given the chance to ask where they were going as she found herself quickly ushered from the hotel to a beautiful sleek red Jaguar. Sterling opened the car door for her.
“This is a beautiful car, and it’s my favorite color,” she said, lowering herself inside the polished leather of the expensive vehicle.
“I’m glad you like it,” Sterling replied as he got under the steering wheel. “For some reason I knew you would look good in red,” he said.
Colby assumed the comment had been made in reference to her outfit until Sterling added, “It will be shipped to you in a few days.”
“What will?”
“This car.”
She thought she must have heard him wrong. She sat upright. “Excuse me?”
Sterling had expertly eased the car out into traffic before he responded. “This car. It’s an engagement present from me to you, and I’ll send it to you in Virginia.”
Colby was aghast. “You can’t give me this car!”
Sterling raised a brow. “I can’t?”
“Of course, you can’t.”
“Why not?”
“It’s not proper and you can’t do it.”
Sterling shook his head. She was the only woman he knew who seemed to care about what was or was not proper. Most of the women he dated didn’t give a flip. In fact, they thrived on doing improper things.
“Colby, I can do anything I want to do, and you’re getting the car.”
“Well, I don’t want it!”
He frowned. “Of course, you want it. You’re a woman. All women like expensive presents. Why should I believe you’re any different?”
Sterling regretted saying the words the moment they had left his mouth. Deep down, a part of him knew in actuality, she was different. Although he wasn’t sure to what degree, he believed Colby Wingate was different from any other woman he had ever come in contact with. He had reached that conclusion after watching the video that showed her interacting with her class, and then meeting her. But still, a part of him would never fully trust her or any woman. And although he had all intentions of marrying her, their marriage would not