Page 69 of Nigel

Blowing out a breath,she went back to get her coffee and try to recover her composure.

*****

“That man ofyours is turning out to be a prize.” Lionel commented as soonas he walked into her office.

“I shouldknow.” Moving her hand from beneath the desk, she spread thefingers of her left hand.

“Good God.”Lionel came into the office and closed the door behind him. “That’s– You are wearing that thing here?” Seizing her hand, hetook a long look at the diamond.

“This must haveset him back a pretty penny.”

“It comes withthis.” Using her free hand, she dragged out the huge heart teardrop diamond pendant.

She watched herbrother’s face go slack in shock.

“You arewalking around with a small fortune on your person.” Droppingher hand, he gave her a piercing look. “When is the wedding?”

“He wanted itin July but I managed to convince him to wait until August. This ismy first and only wedding and I am going big. I am going to obsessover everything.”

“I am happy foryou and I really mean it.” He took another look at the ringbefore going to take a seat. “Thomas is on his way here and hesounded very contrite.”

“Nigel said heis going to offer compensation. I want to tell him to shove it up hisass, but it’s up to Jenny and I am sure she could use themoney.”

He nodded and openedhis briefcase. “He is being very generous.”

“How generous?”

Lionel quoted a sumthat had her eyes widening. “She will be able to retire.”

“Apparently,this has been a pattern for him and we could have beaten him in courtand perhaps got a settlement and some jail time which his fancylawyers would have wiggled him out of. And a trial takes time.”He looked at her. “How did your man get him to climb off thathigh horse he was riding?”

“Nigel calledhis mother at midnight last night.”

“Midnight?”

Ava smiled at that.“I was shocked myself. But he told me that – her name isBeatrice and she holds the purse strings. She does not sleep much atnights and she did not seem to mind him calling her. He did somefavor for her, got her a doctor to take care of some ailments and sheis grateful. And she has that creep by the balls.”

“Which is adamn good thing.” Leaning back, he gave her a thoughtful look.“How does it feel?”

“How does whatfeel?”

“To be with aman with that amount of power? And believe it or not sis, NigelHawthorne has his hands in a lot of pies. He rubs shoulders withpresidents and royals. I am assuming you know that he is tight withPrinces Alexander and Ricci?”

She shifteduncomfortably in her chair. “I am trying hard not to thinkabout it. I see a different Nigel. To me, he is the man who loves meand he does. He has proven it over repeatedly. To me he is the manwho makes me feel on top of the world.”

Lionel nodded, hisexpression softened. “I questioned his motive before and eventhough I have not met him officially, I trust your instincts.”

She nodded. “Iam stupid in love with the man.” She rubbed her cheeks. “Iam blubbering all over him and it’s fine. I don’t feelashamed or anything like that. He makes me so hot that I feel like Iam burning up.” She jolted when her phone started vibrating.

“I have to takethis.”

Lionel watched inamazement to see the transformation on his usually stalwart sister’sface. She turned slightly to get some privacy and he supposed hecould have excused himself to give her some privacy.

But he would not havemissed this for the world.

She had lowered hervoice to talk to him, but her face was so animated that he realizedto his shock that she was in fact a very beautiful woman.

Shaking his head, hepretended to be studying the documents in his briefcase while heeavesdropped on the conversation.