Page 156 of Legally Mine

I blinked. "There must be some mistake."

"Oh, I would never make a mistake about Harry Winston," Mary replied haughtily. She set the box on my bed, then gestured that I should face the mirror while she placed the necklace around my neck. It fell just to my collar bone, perfectly setting off the fifties-style neckline.

"Now, this is just a loan," she said with a cheeky grin. "Mr. Sterling was adamant that I tell you explicitly. He thought for some reason you'd be upset if it was an actual present, though why you wouldn't want a gift like this, I'll never know."

"It's beautiful," I whispered as I drifted my fingers over the necklace, then down the silk fabric of my dress.

I looked like a completely different person. But I also looked like someone who could stand next to Brandon and look like she belonged. Gone was the tired, bedraggled almost-attorney with the worn-out jeans and the braid that was constantly falling out. Gone was the girl who couldn't deal with a man even paying for her dinner, let alone jewelry. I was glad to see her go if it meant I could be proud to stand next to Brandon.

"Hey, you guys almost ready?" Eric popped into the room, still fixing a cufflink. He caught a look at me and smiled appreciatively. "Damn, Crosby. You clean up nice."

"What am I, wilted spinach?"

Eric glanced at Jane next to me, then did a double-take. Almost immediately, his face turned the color of my hair. He tugged at the collar of his shirt and licked his lips. He took three massive strides to Jane before seeming to realize that they weren't alone in the room, then stopped to adjust his cufflink again.

"I think," he said to Jane with another look that would have burned through metal, "I'll have to tell you exactly what I think of that dress later."

Jane opened her mouth, then closed it with a smirk. "I guess you will."

With a curt nod, Eric looked back to me. "It's time. There's a car downstairs."

I picked up the matching clutch and shawl that Mary had provided and took a deep breath.

"Into the lion's den we go," I said.

"Don't worry, Sky," Jane said as she shepherded us all out of the apartment. "Brandon made sure you had armor for this battle."

I could only hope she was right.

~