“Oh!” My hand flies to my chest. It’s a gold, bib-style necklace designed like the Pemberley sunburst. Where the original piece is inlaid with mother-of-pearl, the necklace is open, save for the centermost point, which is solid. “It looks like something out of a Klimt painting.”

“Ming helped with the measurements; she suggested I have an extra link put in to accommodate any increase in muscle mass.”

“It’s beautiful, Darcy.” I lift it from the box. It’s light, despite its size.

“May I?” Darcy takes the necklace and I turn my back to him, letting him fit it around my neck. Links connecting the rays of the sunburst shift to conform to my collarbones, the squared end of the center resting just above my cleavage. Even from my upside-down view, it’s stunning.

“I thought it would coordinate well with what you wear here.” He kisses the back of my neck, brushing his lips along my hairline. “And what you don’t.”

“Thank you.” I turn and bring my arms around his neck. “It’s perfect.”

Darcy’s watching me with that soft smile again. He places his hands at my waist. “Did I ever tell you about the cheeky admin who had me intrigued after a few email exchanges?”

“Cheeky admin . . .” I mean to sound thoughtful, but Darcy leans closer and the proximity leaves me legitimately muddled. “Wasn’t she more of a ‘glorified receptionist’?”

“Hardly.” He nuzzles the side of my neck, tweaking my earlobe with his teeth. “I was devastated when she had to cancel a meeting we’d scheduled. I even showed up at the party she coordinated,” he murmurs. “Hoping I’d get to meet her.”

I laugh and trace the skin above his collar. “You weren’t afraid of coming off like a weirdo?”

“I played it pretty cool,” he says, brushing his lips against my neck. He smiles against me as my laughter tapers. “And the stage kitten. She bewitched me.”

Instinct compels me to say something clever. This time I wait. I’m getting good at waiting. Having a comeback at the ready can be satisfying, but sometimes the payoff is better when I let silence do the heavy lifting.

Darcy meets my eyes. “And the brilliant designer who realized the potential of a place I’ve cherished since childhood. They ended up being one person. One wonderful, beautiful, clever, terrifying force of nature. They were all you.”

He strokes the side of my face. I close my eyes, leaning into the touch. His fingers trace my jawline. “And I get to love you.” He says it like he’s awed at his good fortune. And I think I recognize it because I feel the same way about him.