Page 82 of Hate to Crave You
“About the dentist?” She made a face. “Absolutely.”
“I knew I’d fallen in love with you for a reason.” Roman drained the rest of his scotch, then put the glass down on the small table next to his chair, turning his attention toward Charles as the man drew a large portfolio case from the space next to his chair.
There was a large table in front of them and he used that as a workspace, unzipping the case and pulling a large, aerial image from inside.
“This will be our first trip out to this particular mine, Julianna. Roman, you traveled out there before, correct?”
Roman leaned forward, placing a hand on it the image to help hold it in place as the pilot came on the speakers to announce it was time for takeoff.
They all buckled in, but kept their focus on the image of the mines.
“Yes. I visited this one, and one other. You and Julianna took care of the Sri Lanka visits. Sometime in the next year, I think we should all visit them together, including Moira, if at all possible. I know she’s busy with her end of things, but we could take two weeks and get it all done, let the teams see who is in charge now, let them get to know us all a bit better. I want to be visible leaders in this.”
Charles nodded his agreement while Julianna started to twist her ring again. It had already become habit.
“The main export we have here is sapphires,” Charles said, tapping the image with a pen. “I’ve been thinking…”
As he continued to speak, Roman looked up and met Julianna’s eyes across the table once more.
She smiled at him and took a sip of wine.
The plane started to taxi down the runway and they both directed their attention back to the aerial image of the mines.
“I was thinking, while we’re there,” Charles mused. He slid Julianna a look, then eyed Roman. “The two of you will be shopping for wedding rings at some point, eh? Or at least getting them designed. I happen to know that Julianna is a sucker for a good sapphire.”
Roman cocked a brow at his future father-in-law. “Is that a fact?”
“She’s been known to appreciate them.”
Julianna reached over and swatted her father on the arm. “I think we can handle this ourselves, Daddy.”
“I’m just saying…isn’t that what you kids say these days?” He winked at Roman. “Just keep it in mind. Be on the lookout for a nice sapphire.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
There would be time for it, Julianna mused. In her mind, she started to imagine a delicate, platinum band that would go perfectly with the diamond engagement ring she already wore. A princess-cut sapphire, its cut flawless, sparkling in its unique setting…
“Julianna…”
She jerked herself out of her daze and met her father’s, then Roman’s eyes. “Sorry. Daydreaming.”
“You’re doing that a lot lately,” Roman noted.
She twisted the engagement ring on her finger and said, “Guilty.”
His eyes slid down to the ring on her hand, then back up to meet her gaze. A slow smile curled his lips and her heart caught, then did a slow flip over in her chest.
“Sapphire, huh?” he murmured, reaching across the table to trace his finger across the diamond of her engagement ring, understanding perfectly just where her mind had gone.
She answered him with a smile of her own, falling into the intense blue of his eyes. She could see forever stretching out in front of them—theirforever.
As her father continued to talk, they smiled at each other and linked hands.
They were going to make it.
Maybe Roman’s father wouldn’t ever come around, but Julianna’s parents were there for them, his mother was there for them, and the siblings were absolutely rooting for them—all of them.
I love you,she mouthed to him.
He took her hand and lifted it to his lips.
Against her skin, he whispered it back. “I love you, too.”