Chapter 8
The weeks passed quickly. Too quickly.
And for the first time in a long time, Sara was happy. Truly happy.
Vincenzo had become part of her routine without her even noticing.
Sometimes he appeared without warning — knocking on the door in the morning with coffee and gifts, or showing up at night like an elegant ghost who always found his way back to her.
Other times he disappeared for a few days, but he always returned. Always.
And Sara began to wait for it. She began to wait for him.
The flowers became frequent. Some arrived red, others blue, others yellow.
Each bouquet came with a small card of simple messages, but enough to make her smile all day.
When it wasn’t flowers, it was chocolates.
When it wasn’t chocolates, it was beautiful dresses or small gifts he insisted on buying.
“You spend too much money on me,” she complained once, trying to sound annoyed.
Vincenzo just shrugged, that discreet smile on his lips.
“I like spoiling you.”
“That’s not a justification.”
“It is for me.”
She rolled her eyes, but smiled. He smiled.
◆◆◆
On a sunny afternoon, Vincenzo drove her to see Milan.
Sara spent the entire day marveling — the streets, the ancient buildings, the cafés, the shop windows.
Everything seemed straight out of a movie.
Vincenzo walked beside her with one hand on her back, discreetly protective, discreetly possessive, as if he wanted to make sure no one would take her away from there.
At one point, she stopped to take a photo with her phone.
“Stay still.”
“No.”
“Vincenzo.”
“I don’t like photos.”
“Liar.”
“It’s true.”
“You’re handsome and you know it.”
He arched an eyebrow, amused.
“Handsome?”
“You make my mouth water… I want to look at you when you’re not around.”
He smiled, smug. “Interesting… I can make a small effort then.”
She started laughing.
“Really?”
“If my woman wants an exclusive album of her man… it will be a pleasure to satisfy her desires. I know how sexy I am.”
Sara laughed louder.
“You’re so full of yourself… But it’s charming.”
“I’m confident… It’s different.”
She ended up taking the photo anyway and saved the images like a private treasure.
◆◆◆
A few weeks later, he took her to see the Italian coast. The sea looked infinite, the waves sparkled under the sun, and Sara ran across the sand like a child, laughing, the wind messing up her hair.
Vincenzo watched everything sitting in a nearby chair, a glass in his hand and a discreet smile on his face — because he couldn’t take his eyes off her. And he didn’t want to.
At night, they stayed in a private villa by the sea. After a romantic dinner with candles and a view of the ocean, Vincenzo pulled her into the bedroom with that dangerous calm that always left her breathless.
He undressed her slowly, kissing every piece of skin he revealed. When she was completely naked, he laid her on the enormous bed and worked his way down her body with his mouth. He licked, sucked, gently bit until she was panting, her hands buried in his hair.
“Vincenzo…” she moaned when his tongue found her clit.
He didn’t answer with words. He just sucked harder, thrust two thick fingers inside her, and curled them against the right spot. Sara came quickly, her body arching, moaning his name without shame.
But he didn’t stop.
He climbed up, kissed her mouth with her taste still on his tongue, and entered her slowly, deeply, until he was completely inside. He stayed still for a second, forehead against forehead, breathing the same air.
“You’re mine,” he murmured, his voice rough. “My future wife… the future mother of my children…”
“Oh, Vincenzo…”
Then he began to move. Deep, rhythmic thrusts, growing stronger. He gripped her hips tightly, pulling her against him with every thrust. Sara wrapped her legs around his waist, her nails digging into his broad back.
“Harder…” she asked.
He obeyed. He fucked her with more intensity, the wet sound of their bodies echoing in the room along with her moans. When she came for the second time, clenching around him, Vincenzo let out a grunt and came deep, pulsing inside her, marking her from within.
Afterward, he pulled her against his chest, kissing her hair, her forehead, her lips tenderly.
“You make me so weak, Sara…” he confessed softly. “But I love it…”
◆◆◆
The months began to take on a rhythm of their own. A rhythm that belonged only to the two of them. Dinners, outings, short trips, nights together, lazy mornings, laughter, conversations, and comfortable silences. It was simple. And maybe that was exactly why it was so special.
One night, Sara was sitting next to him on the couch, nestled against his chest while they watched a movie neither of them was really paying attention to. That was when she casually commented:
“Today a photographer kept asking me out… I always try to dodge those attempts, but today that guy seemed to have found the courage to be direct.”
The silence was immediate. Vincenzo kept looking at the television, motionless.
“Oh, is that so?”
“Uh-huh.”
“And what was his name?”
She had to bite her lips to keep from laughing.
“Why?”
“What was the name, Sara…”
“I don’t know, dear…”
He stared at her, lowering his gaze to her. “Sara… Don’t lie to me.”
“But I really don’t know… I don’t talk to the men there. If I do I might cause trouble.”
He stayed silent, but she noticed his jaw locked.
“Are you jealous?”
“No…”
“Yes, you are.”
“No.”
“You are.”
He sighed. “Sara…”
She was already laughing hard when he finally gave up.
“I don’t like knowing there are so many men looking at your body…” he murmured, his voice low and possessive.
“You look incredibly sexy when you’re jealous of me, you know?”
He turned his face and kissed her. It was a rough, deep kiss, full of jealousy and desire. His hands slid down to her ass, squeezing hard.
“You’re my woman…” he growled against her mouth. “Only mine. Understand?”
“Uh-huh…” she moaned, already feeling her body react.
They didn’t watch any more of the movie.
He sucked her clit right there on the couch, made her come, and when she was completely soaked he fucked her, marking her ass with every slap he left on it.
◆◆◆
A few days later, while they watched the rain fall through the window of her house, Sara asked the question she had been holding onto for weeks.
“Vincenzo?”
“Yes?”
“What are we? Boyfriend and girlfriend?”
There had never been any official request; she didn’t know if this was temporary or if it would last forever.
He looked away from the rain and stared at her. For a few seconds he stayed silent, as if searching for the right words. Vincenzo always knew exactly what to say. But not this time. Because this mattered. It mattered too much.
Then he answered with sincerity:
“You’re the first person I always come back to.”
Her heart raced. The words were simple, but they meant more than any elaborate declaration. Much more. Because she knew how hard it was for him to admit that.
And in that moment she knew she loved him. Maybe more than she should.
That same night, the two of them were lying together on the porch of her house. A blanket covered their bodies. The sky was full of stars. Sara rested her head on his shoulder while Vincenzo distractedly stroked her hair.
Everything was perfect. Calm. Silent. Happy.
That was when his phone rang. Just once. But it was enough.
Vincenzo looked at the screen. Sara saw the change happen in real time.
The smile disappeared.
His eyes darkened.
The relaxed expression vanished completely.
It was as if another man had appeared in front of her.
He answered.
“Yes.”
He listened in silence. Without interrupting. Without reacting. Without showing any emotion. The more he listened, the more serious he became. Until he answered only:
“I’m on my way.”
The call ended.
The silence returned, but now it felt heavy. Dangerous.
Sara sat up.
“What happened, dear?”
Vincenzo remained still for a few seconds, staring into the darkness ahead. Then he sighed and stood up.
“My family needs me.”
Something in the way he spoke — cold, distant, professional — sent a shiver through her body. For the first time, she felt that there was a part of his life that still remained completely hidden. A part capable of pulling him from her arms in the middle of the night. A part she didn’t know.
And for the first time since they had fallen in love, Sara felt fear.
Without knowing that that call would change everything.