Chapter 19 #2
“Pierre,” I snap, which has his head spinning in my direction. “Slow down. You’re overwhelming my wife.”
“Oh, shit.” He looks at Laurie, then pouts. “I’m sorry, baby-girl. Let’s take deep breaths and start over.”
She lets out a chuckle, then glances between Pierre and me. “What is happening right now?”
“Oh, silly me.” Pierre rolls his eyes. “I’m the Rizzo family’s personal shopper and stylist. If you ever need anything or just want to browse the latest fashions, call me and I’ll come running.
I’m available twenty-four-seven. That includes helping you get ready for a special event and dealing with wardrobe disasters. My husband does hair and make-up.”
“Wow,” Laurie whispers, and when she continues to look awkward and begins to chew on the inside of her mouth, I push away from the couch and walk to her.
I wrap my arm protectively around her and give her a quick hug, and as she lifts her eyes to me, I say, “In short, pick anything you want. We’re redoing your entire closet.”
“Oh, my God!” Her hands fly up to cover her mouth. “Are you serious?”
“I’m always serious.” I pull her hands away from her face and give her a quick kiss. “Now relax, mia piccola farfalla. I want you to enjoy every second.”
She lifts herself to get to my ear and whispers, “Can I just have a minute?”
“Of course.” I look at Pierre. “Get the jewelry ready. I have somewhere to be in an hour and want to get that done first.”
He nods and dashes over to where the armored jewelry travel cases are while I take Laurie back to the kitchen. The moment we’re alone, she places her arms around my neck and clings to me.
I fold myself around her and press kisses to her hair. “You okay?”
“A lot is happening really fast. I… I would’ve liked some time after… you know. It’s just going from orgasming to shopping in a heartbeat is…” She tightens her hold on me, her face pressed hard into my neck.
“I didn’t plan for everything to happen back-to-back. Sorry, mia piccola farfalla.”
“Oh no,” she quickly meets my eyes, “I’m not complaining. Sorry if it sounded like that. I just want to process the fact that I just had the best orgasm of my life, and the kisses, and the blow job. You know?” She pulls her arms away, and her shoulders slump. “I’m making a mess of things.”
“Hey.” I grip her chin and shake my head. “I understand.” Pressing a kiss to her forehead, I draw her back against my chest. “Take all the time you need.”
When Laurie curls her arms between us and tucks her head beneath my chin, it feels as if the earth shudders beneath my feet from the powerful emotion blasting through me.
My arms become steel clamps around my wife, as undying love takes over my entire being.
The power my little butterfly has over me should terrify the fuck out of me, but instead, it makes me swear my devotion to her.
She’s the one being who was made for me. My person.
My true love.
When Laurie’s had enough time and begins to pull away, I imprison her to my chest, and my voice is hoarse from the powerful emotion she’s just evoked in me. “No. I need more time.”
Giving me what I need, she snuggles against me again and wraps her arms around my middle. Slowly her fingers begin to trail up and down my back, drawing a satisfied sigh from me.
Once I feel back in control of my emotions, I free her. Our eyes touch for a moment, and the intense bond that’s formed vibrates in the air between us.
“Ready?” I ask.
She nods and takes a deep breath before we go back to the living room.
“Thank you, Pierre,” she says, a friendly smile making her more beautiful than my heart can handle right now.
“Are we ready to get this show on the road?” Pierre rubs his hands together excitedly, then looks at me. When I nod, he waves over the display.
Laurie gasps, “Holy shit.”
“Let’s choose the perfect engagement ring for you,” I say as I look at the selection. Instantly, my eyes lock on one, and I pick it up.
It makes me think of Laurie’s blush.
“The ring features a 20.14 carat cushion-cut center stone, 4.3 carats of fancy vivid pink diamonds surrounding the setting, and the platinum band was handcrafted in Italy,” Pierre gives me the run-down.
I take hold of Laurie’s left hand and push the ring onto her finger. Luckily for me, it doesn’t sit too loose.
“As always, you have spectacular taste, Mr. Rizzo.”
“Do you like it?” I ask Laurie.
She makes a sputtering sound, and when my eyes flick to her face, it’s to see she’s shocked out of her mind. “Of course, I like it.” She stares at the diamond, then gulps, “It’s huge. I’m gonna lose it. Take it off before I accidentally scratch it.”
“No.” Gripping her chin, I press a kiss to her parted lips. “Only the best for my wife.”
“Adriano,” she whispers. “How much is this?”
I shrug, then glance at Pierre, who smiles as he answers, “Four point five.”
“Jesus!” Laurie’s left hand remains frozen, as if she’s too scared to move.
I take hold of her fingers and rub my thumb over the diamond. “I can practically see your brain short-circuiting, but there’s still a lot more to get through.”
Laurie begins to nod and sucks in deep breaths.
Locking eyes with her, I add, “No more asking how much something costs and worrying that you’ll damage it. Just enjoy this.”
My wife looks at the ring again, then not giving a shit about the other men, she grabs hold of my neck and kisses the fuck out of me.