Page 79 of Auctioned to the Billionaire Surgeon

She looked at me.

I pushed a box towards her.

“What’s this?”

I grinned. “Why don’t you open it?”

She ripped the paper off carefully and folded it as she set it aside. I briefly wondered if she was one of those ladies I’d heard about who saved all their wrapping paper. I didn’t think this was the most ideal time to ask her; I’d have to save the thought for later.

She lifted the lid and gasped. “Oh, it’s beautiful!” She pulled the delicate bracelet out of its box and held it up. “They look like little stars,” she said, a big smile on her face.

“That’s exactly what they’re supposed to represent,” I told her, reaching across the small table to help her put it on. Star shaped diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires were affixed between two thin platinum bands to make a gorgeous cuff bracelet. I’d seen it, thought it would suit her, and it did.

She held it up to the sunlight, and prisms shot around the floor of the balcony. She gasped. “So, so pretty. Magical,almost.” She jumped up and gave me a hug and kiss. “Thank you so much, Paolo. I love it.”

“I’m glad.” I took a deep breath. “I, uh, wanted to talk to you about something.”

Her eyes widened and she looked nervous.

“Why are you looking like that?”

“Nothing good ever starts that way.”

“This is good,” I assured her, reaching for her hand. “Our contract will be up in less than a month.” It had flown by. At the start of it, four months had seemed impossibly long. Now it felt like fouryearswouldn’t be close to long enough with her.

She looked down. “Oh. Was this like a goodbye bracelet?”

“No. Not at all. I… well, I…” I wasn’t good at this. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my sweatpants. “I want you to be my girlfriend. I want us to continue to date after the contract is up. I can’t imagine being without you now,” I finished simply.

She stared at me long enough, that I was afraid she was going to tell me that’s not what she wanted at all. “You’re serious?” The smile on her face told me she thought this was a good thing.

I blew out a breath of relief. “Yes. Very serious. I want to be with you, Jelly. I don’t want to scare you, but I think I’ve fallen in love with you.”

She turned pink, grinned, and hid her face behind her hands. “I’ve fallen in love with you, too,” she said from behind her hands, her words muffled.

I pulled her hands away. “Could you repeat that?”

“I’ve fallen for you, too.”

“So, we’re on the same page.”

She nodded happily. Then a cloud seemed to come over her face. “But what about your reputation? What about your family and you needing to date a woman from a certain background?”

“Fuck ‘em.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Bold statement. Are you sure you’re going to be able to standup to them?”

“Of course.”

“What about the hospital board? Don’t you think they assume you’re going to settle down with some charity gala throwing guru?”

“Is that a thing?”

“Pretty sure it is.”

“I don’t think the hospital board cares, baby, as long as I settle down with a wonderful woman.”

“You want to settle down with me?”