Chapter Fourteen
SANTE ARRIVED SLIGHTLY later than planned but he had good reason—one he couldn’t wait to share with Mia.
He ran up the stairs to fetch her, but stopped just in the doorway and blinked.
The palazzo was full of people—cleaners, catering staff, florists—all being overseen by a very efficient, equally terrifying, wedding coordinator that Adele had hired.
The older woman had become quite smug about her hand in their whirlwind romance.
I knew you’d be perfect for him, Mia.
She was, of course. But right now his perfect woman wasn’t in sight.
He snaffled a pastry from the pile on the counter, ignoring the combination of smiles and frowns the theft earned him, and backed out of the chaos and onto the balcony to look across the gardens as he quickly ate.
A flash of colour clued him in. He went back to the car and carefully lifted out his precious cargo and walked towards the wrought iron summerhouse.
He heard her humming but couldn’t see her from the back of the plush armchair. Carefully, he set the load down behind her and stepped around so she could see him.
‘You found me.’ She was curled up in one of the plush chairs.
‘You knew I would.’
‘I was just checking the place was ready for Dario and his fiancée.’
Her brother had accepted the wedding invitation they’d sent him a fortnight ago.
Mia was nervously pleased about it. Sante was pleased she was pleased, but he didn’t entirely trust that Dario wouldn’t try to interfere.
He was mentally rehearsing self-restraint—determined to stand alongside Mia should that happen.
He wanted Mia to have everything. To marry him and still have a relationship with the brother she deeply cared about—even if things had been distant between them for a while.
If Dario actually loved her, he would accept Sante’s relationship with Mia for what it was.
Genuine. All-encompassing, all-consuming love.
He hunched down before her. ‘And got distracted? Needed a minute?’
‘It’s very busy in there even for me,’ she said.
Sante had discovered that sometimes his effervescent, kind-to-everyone, sweet humming sunshine girl needed some space. She smiled but her eyes filled.
‘Hey.’ He cupped her face in both hands, frowning at the tears sparkling in her eyes. ‘What’s up?’
‘I’m nervous,’ she confessed. ‘I don’t want to have the night apart from you.’
Relief washed through him. ‘I thought you said it’s tradition,’ he teased.
‘Screw tradition. It was a stupid idea…’ She bit her lip. ‘Are you sure about this, Sante?’
Oh, his bride still didn’t believe how much he loved her.
The past three weeks had been the best of his life. They’d returned to Rome—to a party atmosphere in the office when they’d made the announcement. They’d taken the week off—gone to the concert, gone out to dinner, gone back to Sicily. He’d found her a ring and they were only just getting started.
‘So sure,’ he promised. ‘You have my heart, Mia. Be gentle with it.’
‘I’ll hold it close and treasure it always.’ Her smile went a little coy. ‘Though I might not be as gentle with other parts…’
Chuckling, he leaned closer. ‘I’ll be with you tonight and every night that follows. I never want to be apart from you. I want you with me for the rest of my life. You’re my anchor. My everything.’
Mia wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her.
It was everything she’d needed to hear because the old insecurity was hard to overcome today.
Sante could have anyone—yet he’d chosen her and she wasn’t used to being wanted.
Unbelievably—devastatingly—nor was he. But they would spend the rest of their lives loving each other. Completely.
‘I can’t wait for tomorrow,’ he groaned. ‘You’ll be my wife.’
She loved that he shared his dreams with her. ‘And you’ll be my husband who right now tastes of—’ She paused. ‘Did you hear that?’
‘What?’
‘Scratching?’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘Oh no, do you think there are rodents in here?’
‘No.’ He smirked. ‘I have a present for you.’
He drew her out of the chair and led her round to the oversize box sitting behind it.
‘Are you going to unwrap it?’ Sante prompted when she just stood staring at it.
Her heart raced because there was definitely something moving in there and she didn’t want to guess in case she was wrong.
The paper was loose and lifted away at the first tear. It wasn’t a box, but a wire crate and inside it was a floppy-eared, trembling-limbed puppy.
‘Oh, Sante…’ She dropped to her knees and drew the little darling out, her tears immediate and fast. ‘He’s ours?’
‘Yes.’ He crouched down with her, slinging a firm arm around her. ‘He’s ours. Always.’
Mia buried her face in the puppy’s fur.
‘I was going to research some dog breeders but there was an animal shelter not far from the airport and they’d just taken in a litter and—’
‘And you rescued him.’ She lifted her head and her heart swelled.
‘Couldn’t leave without him.’ Sante shot her a sheepish grin. ‘Figure we could start building our family right away.’
‘Oh, yes. He’s gorgeous.’ She cuddled the puppy close, chuckling as it licked her jaw, when something dangling from the crate caught her eye. She reached for it and her laughter deepened. ‘You got him a very blingy collar.’
‘Actually, that’s an extra little present in case you didn’t like the dog—’
‘How could anyone not adore this dog!’ Then she shot him a look. ‘You got a collar for me?’
‘Look a little closer.’ He winked.
She studied the tiny collar looped around the top rail of the crate, gasped as she realised the ‘bling’ was actually a pair of sapphire-and-diamond drop earrings. ‘Sante, they’re stunning.’
‘You don’t have to wear them tomorrow. I just wanted to give you—’
‘Everything. You’ve already given me everything.’ She bent her head and breathed in the puppy’s sweet scent again. ‘They’re beautiful and he’s beautiful and you’re wonderful.’ She craned forward and pressed her mouth to his.
‘Mmm.’ He chuckled as she almost toppled over.
‘Actually, I have a gift for you, too.’ She had her present wrapped and hidden in here—it was the real reason she’d come in here before getting distracted by insecure thoughts.
He paused. ‘You do?’
There was that hitch in his breath that she’d come to recognise—a hint of emotional vulnerability.
‘It’s hard to buy for a billionaire who could get himself whatever he wants, whenever he wants, but I thought of something. I think. Will you take him a minute?’
Sante took the wriggling bundle into his arms and cradled him close. Mia watched as the puppy sank against his chest and promptly fell asleep.
‘He knows he’s safe with you,’ she whispered.
Sante looked at her and she fell in love with him all over again.
‘Whereas he just wants to kiss you,’ Sante chuckled softly. ‘He and I have that desire in common.’
He carefully put the sleeping puppy back into the crate and tucked the blanket around him before turning back to her.
He unwrapped the present slowly, not tearing the paper the way Mia had, but taking care with it. Mia sat on her hands and refused to hurry him despite her nervousness. He was savouring the experience because it wasn’t one he’d often had—a fact she intended to change.
The frame was facing down and she held her breath as he flipped it. He studied the black-and-white photograph she’d had printed for a long time. She was just about to ask when he cleared his throat.
‘This is just before the concert and you insisted on a selfie.’
‘To remember the moment, yeah,’ she whispered.
‘It’s beautiful,’ he muttered, still looking at it. ‘You’re beautiful and we’re…’
‘Happy,’ she said. ‘I know it’s just a selfie, but we’re us in this and I thought it was time for you to have some family photos. We can have a house full of family photos. A house full of family.’
‘There’s nothing I’d like more. I love it. Thank you—’ He kissed her.
But Mia broke away to giggle at a sudden, silly, happy thought. ‘We’ll need to have another taken with the puppy.’
‘He can always be the ring bearer tomorrow,’ Sante murmured through kisses.
‘Oh, yes!’ She laughed, joy bubbling up from a spring deep within that he’d filled. ‘Oh, I love you, Sante.’
‘And I adore you.’ He bent his head to hers and pulled her into his strong arms. ‘I always will.’
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