Chapter Thirteen #2
Passion shot through her in an electrical surge so powerful she could only cling while his hug became so tight she could barely breathe. But it didn’t matter. He was back and he was hers and she was never, ever letting him go. Fortunately, he clearly wasn’t letting her go, either.
‘Mia, Mia, Mia.’ He kissed her breathlessly. ‘Can we get to your room? Now?’
She chuckled as her blood fizzed and her brain jumped all over the place.
‘I need to cancel the interview,’ she babbled. ‘It was with an agency. I can’t just not turn up.’
He shot her a rueful smile as he took her hand and laced his fingers through hers.
She made the quick call as they walked to the room she’d booked at the little hotel.
The moment they were inside he turned to her and she threw her arms around his neck.
It was with both laughter and tears that they tumbled together onto the bed.
‘I’ve missed you,’ he groaned. ‘Having you in my arms, by my side, every moment of every day, I have missed you.’
Engulfed in joy she fumbled trying to get his tee up before he swore and took over.
Getting naked, being together, was everything.
But the relief of seeing him again, when she thought she’d lost him forever, was overwhelming.
Her hands stilled and her eyes filled and all she could do was stare at him mistily.
‘It’s okay,’ he said, seeing her torn between distress and delight. ‘It’s okay.’ He pulled her close, gently sweeping his hands over her trembling body. ‘I’ll never leave you again,’ he vowed. ‘Never ever let you go.’
He tenderly undressed her with gentle slowness, caring, calming her until the heat flowed back into her body.
Until she truly believed. And then she moved—she arched towards him, her hands impatient and her mouth hungry.
She needed him inside her—to share that ultimate intimacy with him—now. ‘Sante.’
‘I’m here.’ As he sank deep inside her, he closed his eyes briefly and his voice hitched. ‘Don’t leave me again, either.’
‘Never.’ She trailed her hands down his back and pulled him even deeper into her. She never wanted to hurt him. She hadn’t understood that she could. But now she knew she had his heart the same way he had hers. ‘Love me, Sante.’
‘I do. Will. Always.’
They lay together for a long time after, breathlessly whispering words of love and forgiveness, sharing soft, sweet laughter. But he suddenly rose up onto his elbows and gazed into her eyes even more intensely than he had just before.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing at all.’ He swallowed. ‘I just…will you marry me?’ he asked shakily. ‘Preferably as soon as possible?’
‘What?’ Mia’s heart stopped and started all over again—at thrice the pace.
‘I love you. I want you. I never want to be apart from you again, and I want you to know and believe it, too. I want you to be mine and I want everyone in the whole damned world to know it. I’d be so proud to be your husband, Mia.’
‘Isn’t it too…’ Mia studied the vulnerability in his eyes.
‘No. It’s not too soon. Not for me,’ he whispered. ‘I love you.’
He’d just offered the future she’d not yet dared dream of.
‘Yes.’ But she was so stunned her answer was soundless.
‘Was that a yes?’ His eyes gleamed.
‘Of course yes!’ she screamed.
Sante laughed and rolled, flipping her so she was above him. He swept his hands up, cupping her breasts as he gazed up at her adoringly. ‘Then let me love you again, my gorgeous fiancée.’
An hour later she still couldn’t stop smiling. ‘So you want to elope?’
‘No. I want a big wedding.’
She yelped. ‘No. You’re too private. You would never want—’
‘Okay, so maybe it won’t be that big,’ he conceded. ‘But we need Adele and Bruno there, right? Definitely the coders and creatives.’ He chuckled at her cringe. ‘I need to prove to them I’m good enough for you.’
‘You already are.’ Despite her smile, Mia’s eyes watered again. ‘And your neighbours in Sicily.’
‘We could marry there. Everyone could stay. Big party.’ He stiffened slightly and cupped her face, looking directly into her eyes. ‘Including Dario, if you want. I don’t want to come between you and him. You only have each other—’
‘You’re not the one coming between me and Dario. It was our father who did that.’
‘So invite him. I know you’d like to be closer to him.’ He lowered his gaze. ‘Family matters.’
‘It does. He’ll have to get used to you being mine.’ She held him close.
‘I’d like to build a big family with you,’ he whispered.
‘I would love that. Dogs, right?’
He laughed but his voice softened. ‘And children. Three or four? Five or six? You pick.’
She giggled, too, and wriggled beneath him. ‘You know I’m a little greedy.’
‘And you know I love that about you.’ He breathed in shakily. ‘I’ll try, Mia, but—’
‘We’ll make good lives for them,’ she assured him. ‘We’ll never abandon them. We’ll never make them feel…’
‘Unwanted.’ He rolled and pulled her to lie on his chest. ‘We’ll give them—’
‘Love,’ she breathed, adoring him with every fibre of her being. ‘All our love.’