Chapter 26
MICHAEL
“Oh my goodness,” Mom gushes the following day as we return back home. “Sophia, you got so tanned!”
“I know, Grandma.” She rushes toward Mom, giving her a hug. “We had so much fun, swimming and dancing.”
“Your dad danced?” Gio chuckles.
“Oh yeah.” She slowly nods with a mischievous squint to her eyes. “He even sang. And so did Elsie. She sings just as nice as Daddy does.”
“Okay, Sophia. That’s enough of that.” I shake my head when my brother laughs.
But inside, I’m laughing too.
She giggles. “We even swam in the same pool Uncle Raph dunked you in, Uncle Gio. Do you remember?”
At the mention of my other brother, my mother tries to smile, but her brow twitches like it does whenever she’s upset.
She misses Raph most of all. I know how much this has affected her, how much pain she’s riddled with. I promised I’d find a way to get him back to her. But I just need time.
I turn toward Elsie, who’s standing awkwardly on my left, playing with her fingers as she watches my mom with Sophia. But me? I’m staring at her. She takes my breath away.
How is that possible? How can I feel this much for her? And how the hell do I stop it? She’s too perfect to be my wife, too perfect to ruin. But if I keep her, I’ll do just that.
Yet, the very thought of never kissing her again, never waking up beside her…fuck. I can’t lose her. I’d give it all up if I could—the title, the family. For the mere chance of seeing what we could be.
I could go legit. I have enough power, enough money. There’s nothing stopping me. Gio could take over the family. But is that even enough to keep her safe? Or am I merely fooling myself into believing that it could?
“You’re obsessed already, huh?” Gio whispers to me as he approaches.
“How can I not be?” My voice drops, not giving a shit that I’ve just admitted I have feelings for Elsie to someone other than myself.
“Damn…” He scoffs. “What exactly happened on this trip?”
“Too much,” I admit just as my father comes out of the kitchen, where he was making a call.
His features grow tense as he approaches me. “Patrick wants to meet. Soon.”
“He’s ready to collect,” I say.
It’s not a question. I already know everything, and I’m ready to play.
“I’ll go,” I tell them in a hushed tone.
“He wants us all there.” He places his cell back in his pocket.
“Fine.” I nod. “After the wedding, then.”
“That’s what I told him. He was a little offended he didn’t get an invitation, though.” My father chuckles.
“I’ll make it up to him.”
ELSIE
“That girl simply adores you,” Fernanda says, handing me a cappuccino she just made.
I smile fondly, taking a sip in the kitchen, where it’s quiet. “I adore her too. She’s such a sweet child.”
“She really is, and I’m not just saying that because she’s my granddaughter.”
Her amber gaze wanders to where Sophia ran off, wanting to grab the new dolls Michael bought her on the last day we were away. You’d think he gave her the moon, the way her eyes lit up. And his did too.
It’s beautiful to see the way he is with her. Something powerful in that. It only adds to my attraction to him, which is more of a problem than I can afford.
My focus has to remain on Kayla. It’s been just over a week since I left her alone. She must think I abandoned her. But I could never do that. I just don’t know how to help. What can I possibly do that Michael hasn’t? He’s doing everything he can.
“Michael is a reserved man, you know.”
Fernanda zaps through my thoughts, and I peer over at her.
“He’s always been this way, but with you…
” Her mouth slants up. “You’re good for him.
You make him happy, and that makes me happy too.
” She pats my hand as she takes a sip of her coffee.
“No matter how old your kids get, they’re still your kids and you still want them to have a full life, and Michael has done everything in his power not to live the life he deserves. ”
She encloses both hands around her mug, staring into it.
“It’s like he's purposely trying to avoid being happy. But I hope that has stopped now that he has you,” she says, glancing up at me, her eyes gleaming.
I can tell she’s a kind woman and probably was nurturing to her sons, unlike her husband.
“Oh!” Her hand jumps into the air. “I almost forgot. Galina made your dress, and it’s waiting for you in the bedroom.”
“Wow. Uh…” I clear my throat. “That was fast.”
I met her once when she came to measure me, asking about the kind of dress I pictured myself in. I honestly had no idea. I told her to do whatever she wanted. It doesn’t even matter, does it? None of this is real, even when all of them think it is.
“She had around ten people working on it, day in and day out.” She places her cup back on the counter. “I can help you try it on. I want to ensure it’s perfect for your special day.”
She grins wide, and suddenly, I’m excited. It’s crazy, but I want to see myself in it. I want Michael to see me in it on our wedding day.
“I’d love that.” A smile tugs at my lips. “Thank you.”
“Let’s go, then. We can get Sophia to join us.”
I quickly finish my coffee and leave the cup behind as I follow her out into the den.
“Sophia, sweetheart,” she calls. “Where are you, honey? We’re going to go see Elsie put on her wedding dress.”
In that moment, I catch the look in Michael’s eyes as he watches me. His gaze is full of heated intensity, the kind you feel coursing through your veins.
My pulse speeds up, prickles awakening my flesh. I run a hand up and down my arm just as Sophia runs over to us, holding a doll with bright pink hair.
“Yay! Can I do your makeup?” She peers up at me with hope tugging her features.
“Uh…” I force a grin.
“No, princess,” Michael interjects, coming to stand beside me. “We don’t want any makeup to accidently mess up the dress, do we?”
He tucks her chin in his palm as she narrows a gaze, considering what he said.
“I guess not.” She shrugs. “But I can do it on the actual wedding, right?”
Michael chuckles, his gaze lifting to the ceiling.
“How about…” I say, arching a brow. “…we get someone else to do our makeup and hair, and be queens for a day?”
“Hmm…” She dabs her index finger on her temple. “After we arrive there in our Cinderella carriage?”
“Yep!”
“You’ve got yourself a deal.”
She reaches out her hand for mine, looking all serious, and I shake it, fighting like hell not to laugh.
Michael’s chest widens, his face growing serious, and for a second, I wonder if I said something wrong. He draws his mouth over to my ear, fingertips grazing the small of my back, making me shiver.
“You need to stop doing that,” he whispers.
“Doing what?” I breathe, feeling like all eyes are on us.
“Making me fall for you even more than I already have.”
My heart jumpstarts, and I rear back to find him with a haunted look in his eyes, as though whatever he’s feeling is the worst possible thing to happen to him.
“Come on, Elsie!” Sophia pulls my hand, but I barely budge.
It’s as though neither he nor I can rip our gazes from one another.
His palm reaches for my wrist, cinching tight as he tugs me up against the hard edges of his body. His lips hover against my ear.
“I can’t wait to see you in that dress,” he rasps. “But mostly, I can’t wait to get you out of it.”
Oh, God.
I’m so screwed.