Page 16 of Claimed Gem

Stephanie nodded slowly, “I guess I can see how that would be tough to deal with. Still, growing up like I did was hard.”

“I personally envy you,” he told her.

“You do? Why on earth would you do that?”

“Look at you. You have confidence that goes for miles. You moved to another country just to get a clean start and possibly a better chance at making something meaningful out of your life. You’re scary independent in ways I’ve never achieved.”

“You haven’t needed to be independent, and you are way more confident than you’re giving yourself credit for,” she told him.

Stephanie wasn’t sure that Ries had fully understood what she’d been talking about, and she’d left, torn between wanting something to break on their investigation and wanting it to stay in limbo a bit longer.

She was really enjoying spending time with Ries and once the criminal was brought down, there would be no reason for them to ever see one another again.

They’d been sharing their thoughts and news about the criminal for over a week and Stephanie knew she had broken her own rule: don’t get emotionally involved. She’d gone and done it.

The more she got to know Ries, the more she was sure that she could be very happy by Ries’ side. What was even more amazing was the fact that he seemed excited to see her each time they met. She figured he would have tired of her by now.

He hadn’t tried to sleep with her. Not once. She admired him for that but also thought that she was the only one feeling the pull between them.

Then again, she liked the fact that he wasn’t just about getting into her panties but liked hearing her opinion on things and just talking with her about life. He actually listened to her and more than once he complimented her on her grasp of certain topics.

By the end of the first week, Stephanie had to acknowledge that Ries had all of the makings of Prince Charming. Maybe even her own.

He was definitely more than he showed most people. He was smart, had a wicked sense of humor, and deep down truly cared about a variety of things most playboys would pass off as beneath them. Not Ries.

Stephanie had a sneaking suspicion that she was one of the few people who ever saw this side of him, and that was fine with her. He had been nothing but an annoyance the first time they’d met and now he was becoming something more.

She just wasn’t sure what.

Several nights later,Stephanie was once again with Ries after her shift at the bar. Ries had actually shown up at the bar about an hour before closing and insisted on escorting her to his new hideout.

He’d grown tired of the hotel’s lack of security and had rented an apartment in a high rise building that came with a 24/7 doorman and round the clock security personnel.

Stephanie stood quietly beside him as they rode the elevator up to the top floor, not surprised that his new apartment was the best this building had to offer.

Ries always seemed to go for the best of everything, and who could blame him. He could afford to, so why not?

“Want a drink?” he asked after showing her around the three-bedroom, four-bathroom space.

“Sure, but I’m not a very big drinker.”

“You told me that once before. Let me guess, you like wine over hard liquor?” he asked with a smirk.

“Absolutely.”

“Red or white?” he asked, heading for the fully stocked bar in the corner of the room.

“Red?” she answered hesitantly, not entirely sure that drinking with him was a wise idea.

He returned with two glasses and a brand-new bottle of some wine she couldn’t even hope to say the name of. He poured them both a measure of the red liquid and then watched her as she slowly tipped some of it into her mouth. Flavor burst upon her tongue, the flavors and spices bringing a smile to her face.

“This is really good,” she told him.

Ries took a drink of his own and smiled at her. “Let’s sit down.”

Stephanie chose to sit on the corner of the oversized couch, looking directly out over the small town. “You have a wonderful view.”

“I like it,” he murmured, watching her instead of the window.