Chapter 33 #3
His thumb traced the delicate skin of my wrist, his touch sending shivers down my spine. I leaned in slightly, my breath catching as our faces drew closer. The candles flickered around us, casting dancing shadows on the walls. For a moment, the only sound I heard was the soft hum of anticipation.
“I heard about your brother today,” he growled. It was obvious Finn told him since he was the one Lorenzo had ordered to be with me today.
“I handled it. You don’t need to do anything. He’s no longer my brother.” I sighed. “You’re the only family I need.”
“I know you handled it, but just say the word, brother or not, and I’ll kill the bastard,” he seethed. I knew he meant it.
“He’s not worth it. None of them are.” I smiled because they weren’t. “Now, what’s the plan for tonight?” I asked, resting my forehead on his.
“Good change of subject there.” He chuckled, his scowl fading. “So, I thought we’d eat first…” he trailed off, his eyes dropping to my lips before meeting mine once more. “But now, I just want to give you your surprise.”
“A surprise?” I whispered. What else could there possibly be?
"Come and take a walk with me," Lorenzo said, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers all the way down to my toes. It wasn’t a request. It was a command. Delivered with the authority of a man accustomed to being obeyed.
"You know it’s dark out," I whispered, my voice barely audible above the crackling fire in the hearth.
"Just come with me," he said, holding out his hand. There was a vulnerability in his tone, a plea that surprised me. I hesitated for only a moment before following his lead.
He led me through the double doors of the dining room, the cool night air enveloping us as we stepped out into the garden.
The lake stretched out before us, its surface shimmering like liquid silver under the moonlight.
But it wasn’t the lake that caught my attention.
It was the lights, hundreds of tiny, twinkling bulbs that seemed to dance among the trees, casting a magical glow over the entire scene.
"Have these lights always been here?" I asked, my voice laced with wonder as I turned to him, my eyes wide with awe.
"No, I actually had the guys out here this morning sorting it all so we could enjoy some time out here tonight." He gestured to the pathway lined with candles and petals. Again, they were the same petals that adorned the floors inside the house. "Do you like it?"
“Like it? I love it. It’s absolutely everything.” My heart swelled with a mixture of gratitude and confusion. Why was he doing this? What had I done to deserve such extravagance? Such attention to detail?
I kicked off my heels, the grass cool beneath my bare feet as I wandered along the petal-strewn path. The scent of roses filled the air, their fragrance mingling with the earthy smell of the lake. My attention was drawn to a small, fenced-in area I never noticed before.
"What’s this?" I asked, my voice tinged with shock as I approached the fence. What I saw next was the thing that caused my stomach to somersault. There was a bed of roses inside glowing softly, their petals lit up in a way that took my breath away.
" Roses, " Lorenzo replied, his deep chuckle echoing in the stillness. He knew full well they weren’t just any roses.
I crouched down, leaning forwards as my fingers brushed against the petals. "I know that, but why are they lit up?"
Lorenzo knelt beside me, his presence both comforting and overwhelming.
"Because I know that white roses are your favourite, and you used to plant and tend them with your grandfather. I also know they don’t bloom all year round, so I had this made for you.
” He smiled as tears stung my eyes. “Whenever you want to take a stroll through the garden, day or night, you’ll see them every single day of the year. ”
My vision blurred as I looked at him. "Lorenzo, this is…" Words failed me, my emotions threatening to spill over.
He placed a finger under my chin, gently tilting my face up to meet his gaze. "It’s a place just for you and only you. Somewhere you can go when you miss him.”
My gaze fell to the plaque that was just inside the fence. My fingers traced the engraved letters.
In loving memory of Aleksander Fedorov.
A tear trickled down my cheek.
"Thank you," I whispered. "It’s beyond perfect. I never expected anything like this."
“It’s because you never expect things that I want to do them for you, mi amore . You’re the most selfless person I know, and despite me thinking I could never be a better man, you continue to make me one.” He spoke so sincerely, meaning every single word, and I believed each one.
Lorenzo stood, offering me his hand. I took it without hesitation, my grip tight as if he would disappear.
He pulled me into his arms, his embrace strong and reassuring.
For a moment, we stood there, the world around us fading into insignificance.
The lake, the roses, the twinkling lights—it was everything and more.
I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.
“I do have something else for you,” he whispered.
Before I could speak, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small black box.
“Lorenzo,” I began, but he cut me off before I could continue.
“Wait, please let me finish before you say anything.” He opened the box, revealing a delicate white gold chain with a tiny, intricately designed L pendant.
My eyes widened as he gently turned me around, his fingers brushing against my bare skin as he fastened the necklace around my neck.
I spun back to face him, my fingers instinctively rising to touch it.
“I know you aren’t a massive fan of jewellery. You made that clear on our wedding day,” he chuckled, a small smile playing on his lips, “but I wanted to get you my initial. Not because you belong to me, but because I’ll always be with you even if I’m not,” he breathed.
My throat tightened, my emotions threatening to spill over. I snaked my arms around his waist, my chin resting on his chest as I looked up at him. “I know you are. You’re all I need, Lorenzo,” I whispered, holding his gaze.
Lorenzo cupped my face in his hands, the coolness of his wedding band branding my warm skin. “Ana, I’ve never been good with words,” he admitted. “I’ve always been a man of action, not poetry or lovey dovey words, but this is different.”
I waited anxiously for what he was trying to say. I knew how ruthless this man could be. He killed without hesitation, negotiated with ruthless precision, and commanded loyalty with a single glance. But this reluctance, this raw vulnerability, was something I never witnessed before.
“Take your time,” I murmured, reaching up to touch his chest. My fingers brushed the ink of his tattoos, a reminder of the life he lived before me.
“I’ve spent my entire life building walls.” He sighed, his gaze dropping to my lips. “Walls to protect myself, to protect the few I care about. But with you, those walls don’t exist.”
“They don’t, as in, past tense?” I asked.
“Yes, past tense. You blew those fucking walls to smithereens, and I never realised what I wanted all along.” His thumb brushed my cheek.
I never thought our relationship would be built on more than convenience or duty, but I continued to see glimpses of the man beneath the hardened exterior. The man who would stay up late just to watch me sleep and the man who I knew would protect me to the ends of the earth.
“Lorenzo,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “What are you trying to say?”
He looked into my eyes with an intensity that made my knees weak.
“I used to try and deny it, brushed it off and pushed it down, but I can’t fight the feelings I feel for you anymore,” he breathed. “You’ve become my everything, and that scares the hell out of me, but in the best possible way.”
“Lorenzo…”
“Anastacia, I’m not a religious man, but I thank God for you every single day.
Maybe I should wish to turn back time and change the way you came into my life, but I don’t want to, because it got us to where we are now.
It gave us a side to one another we might not have ever found.
I would die for you, and not just because you’re my wife, but because you’re my everything.
You’re my reason for breathing.” My heart raced as he continued. “I love you, Ana.”
Everything seemed to spin for a moment, the weight of his confession settling heavily in my chest. I loved him, too, though I had never voiced it.
Not because I feared rejection, but because I knew the burden it could place on him.
Love in our world was a liability, a weakness that could easily be exploited.
Yet there he was, laying his heart bare, no longer caring about the risk.
Tears welled up in my eyes, unbidden and unexpected. “Lorenzo,” I choked out, my voice thick with emotion. “I love you, too,” I whispered with a smile.
He froze, his expression a mix of shock and relief.
For a moment, he said nothing, just stared at me as if afraid I might disappear.
He wrapped his arm around me like a shield as I buried my face in his chest, inhaling the familiar scent of his cologne.
His heart pounded against my ear, a rhythm that matched the chaos of my own.
“I never planned to say those words,” he murmured, his voice muffled against my hair.
“But now I don’t want a day passing without you hearing them.
” He pulled back slightly, his hands cupping my face as he searched my eyes.
“You’re not just my wife, Ana. You’re my strength, my weakness, my everything.
And I swear, I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret loving me. ”
“I could never regret it.”
And from that moment on, I never did.