Chapter 9 #2
She settled back against my chest, and I felt her breathing gradually slow, deepening, as exhaustion from the day caught up with her. Within minutes, she was asleep. I lay there for a long time, staring at the ceiling, her question echoing in my mind.
Will you be open to love if it happens?
The smart answer was no. The safe answer was no.
The answer that kept me protected and in control was no.
But as I looked down at her, at her hair spread across my chest, at the trust evident in the way she slept so peacefully in my arms, at the marks I'd left on her skin that she wore like badges of honor… I realized I was already in trouble.
Because what I felt for this woman after less than twenty-four hours together wasn't supposed to be possible. Wasn't supposed to be this intense, this consuming, this absolutely fucking terrifying.
But it was.
And if I was going to ask her to marry me, to bind her life to mine, to trust me with her safety and her future and her body, then maybe I owed her honesty. Maybe I owed her the possibility of more.
I carefully extracted myself from beneath her, tucking a pillow under her head and covering her with the silk sheet. She murmured something in her sleep but didn't wake. I pulled on my boxer briefs and grabbed my phone, moving to the office so I wouldn't disturb her.
It was getting late. Valentine's Day was almost over. But maybe I could salvage it. I pulled up my contacts and made a call.
"Dez?" Gianna's voice was alert despite the hour. My sister never slept. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I need a favor."
"This late?"
"It's important." I ran a hand through my hair. "You know that woman I bid on last night?"
"Angelina Castellano. Of course I remember. You paid a quarter of a million dollars for her." I could hear the smile in her voice. "How's that going, by the way?"
"I'm going to marry her."
Silence. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Long story. I'll explain tomorrow. Right now I need your help with something." I took a breath. "I need to make Valentine's Day special for her. Really special. Can you help me?"
"Dez, it's late. Valentine's Day is basically over."
"I know. But it's not over until she wakes up." I looked back toward the bedroom where Angelina was sleeping. "Please, Gi. I need this to be perfect."
Another pause. "Tell me what you need."
I smiled. This was why Gianna was my favorite sibling.
"Flowers. A lot of them. And I need a jeweler to open their store at—" I checked my watch, "—six AM. And I need you to get me the contact information for Castellano & Co.'s biggest supplier. And—"
"Dez." She cut me off. "Just tell me what you're trying to accomplish here. Let me work backwards from that."
I looked back toward the bedroom again, at the woman who'd asked me to be open to love if it happened.
"I'm trying to show her that I get it," I said quietly. "That I understand what she's asking for. That I'm willing to try, even though it terrifies me."
"You're in love with her." It wasn't a question.
"I barely know her."
"That wasn't a no." I could hear the warmth in Gianna's voice. "Okay. Give me three hours. Can you keep her busy that long?"
I thought about how exhausted Angelina had looked, about the physical and emotional toll today had taken.
"Yeah. I can manage that."
"Then go back to bed. Hold her. And when she wakes up, when the sun is actually up and it's properly morning, we'll make sure she knows you're serious."
"Gi?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"That's what family is for." She paused. "And Dez? I'm happy for you. You deserve this."
She hung up before I could respond.
I stood there for a moment, phone in hand, trying to process everything that had happened in the last twenty-fourish hours. I'd gone to that auction looking for a wife of convenience.
Instead, I'd found Angelina.
Smart, strong, beautiful Angelina who surrendered so sweetly in the bedroom but stood her ground everywhere else.
Who ran a multi-million-dollar company but still believed in the possibility of love.
Who'd asked me for honesty and then given me her own vulnerability in return.
Who was currently asleep in my bed, trusting me to keep her safe while she was at her most defenseless.
I walked back to the bedroom and climbed carefully into bed beside her. She immediately curled into me, seeking warmth even in sleep, and I wrapped my arms around her.
"I don't know if I can give you love," I whispered against her hair, knowing she couldn't hear me. "But I promise I'll try. I'll try to be open to it. Try to be the kind of man who deserves what you're offering. Try to be worthy of the trust you're putting in me."
She sighed contentedly, burrowing closer.
Then I did something I haven’t done since I was a boy. I let myself imagine a future that wasn't just about duty, responsibility, and maintaining the family legacy.
A future that included this. Warmth. Partnership.
Maybe even happiness. One that included Angelina, children, and love.
I closed my eyes and let sleep take me, one hand resting protectively on her hip, already counting down the hours until she woke up and I could show her exactly how serious I was about making this work.
Valentine's Day wasn't over until I said it was. And I was going to make damn sure it was one she'd never forget.