Free Her Man: An Interracial Romance (The Bentini Brothers Book 2) by Jaye McCloud Page B

bags and baskets.  Turning around, I walk back to the
sofa, drop my purse on the coffee table and put the beautifully wrapped gift on
my lap.  Looking up, I see that Antonio is watching me with a bemused
expression.  Men… they just don’t get it.   I carefully loosen the
beautiful bow, and unwrap the paper …and softly gasp.  The box is absolutely
beautiful.  It has an intricate design in glossy cherry red and some type of dark
burgundy velvet.  I’ve never seen anything like it before.
         “Damnit Tiressa.  The box isn’t the
present.  Open it.” Antonio says with an impatient arch of his brow.  “I know,
but it’s such a beautiful box.  I told you how much I love boxes and you
remembered…I only mentioned it once and you remembered.  Just like you
remembered when I told you how much I love West Highland Terriers.”  I look at
him with misty eyes.  “Damnit Ti, don’t you dare start crying again.”  Typical
man.
         “I’m not.”  I say blinking my eyes to keep the
moisture at bay as I take the lid off the box …and this time I can’t hold back
a loud gasp.  “Oh my gawd, Antonio!  It’s breathtaking!  I love it!”  I move
the now empty gift box to the coffee table and place the beautiful chest carefully
on my lap.  Reading the information card, I learn that it was hand crafted in
Peru, in traditional Peruvian style.  It’s approximately twelve inches long; ten
inches wide and maybe about ten inches deep, with three stacked compartments. It’s
an intricately designed, tooled leather jewelry chest made of mohena wood, which
is similar to the color of mahogany wood, and etched in a colonial art style with ornate bronze handles on each side.  “Oh, Antonio…I
absolutely love this jewelry box…I’ll treasure it always.”  I beam at him.
         “You, my caramel delight, can
be so exasperating.”  Antonio says as he sits down next to me, kissing my bare
shoulder.  “Baby, turn the key and open the box.”  Doing what he asks, I turn
the key, lift the lid and… immediately bring my trembling hand to my chest.  “Oohh,
Tony no…I can’t…”  I try to close the lid, but he stops me.  “Yes, Tiressa…you
can.”  Taking my chin in his hand, he lifts my face up to his.  “Please Baby…this
means so much to me.  I chose each piece personally. For you.”  Inside the box,
lying on gray velvet are several pieces of jewelry.  I don’t know jewelry, like
I don’t know high-end fashion, so to me the jewelry just looks beautiful…and
expensive.  There is a black pearl necklace on a thin silver chain, a thin
diamond necklace, a diamond bracelet, two pairs of diamond earrings, and two
diamond rings.  The pieces are more beautiful because they are simple—not flashy
or gaudy—not that I would expect that of a man like Antonio.
         “I don’t want to hurt you. 
And it’s not that I don’t appreciate your generosity because you know that I do. 
I care about you , not what you can give me.  They’re beautiful Antonio, really
they are, but I can’t accept them if you’ve paid some ridiculously outrageous
amount.”
         “Then we don’t have anything
to worry about because although they aren’t cubic zirconia, they didn’t cost an
arm and a leg.  So, you see…you can accept them.  Now, which do you want to
wear tonight?”  I bring his head down for a kiss, and then choose the black
diamond earrings, the thin black diamond bracelet, and the black pearl necklace
that goes perfectly with my black lace and velvet dress.  
         Wow!  Looking at
myself in the wall mirror in the entryway, I’m speechless.  I’ve never in my
life owned real diamond jewelry, and it’s now easy to see why people get giddy
over them…they enhance anyone’s appearance and makes them shine.   “Thank you
Tony, they shine.”
         “No Baby, you shine, with or
without diamonds.  You’re beautiful.”  Antonio says coming up