Epilogue
CURTIS
It was a year after my announcement to the world that I loved Faith—our anniversary, if you will.
I thanked the pastry gods daily that she said it back.
The business was humming along nicely. We were getting a new big client every couple of weeks.
And we were established enough now that I had people I trusted to run the operation while we were gone.
Faith had moved in with me seven months ago, and things had never been better.
Waking up to her every day, making her come every night, it was a dream come true.
I’d never felt more comfortable with anyone.
Her joy was my joy. Which was why we were in Italy.
We’d been in Florence for three days. Today I’d rented a car, and we were on the way to our next accommodation after eating lunch at a winery overlooking the Tuscan countryside.
Faith couldn’t help exclaiming over everything—the delicious pasta and prosciutto, cute stone houses with flaking paint, the olive trees, the bumpy cobbled and dirt roads, people speaking Italian.
We hadn’t stopped smiling since we got here.
In fact, I didn’t think I’d smiled as much in my entire life as I had since Faith and I had made up and become a proper couple.
She was even more enthusiastic about everything than Jack was, and that was saying something since my brother was the king of positivity.
The late afternoon sun slanted through the canopy of trees on the narrow road winding amongst the hills.
We were nearly there, my sweaty hands on the steering wheel a reminder of the nerves zapping through my system.
I might be a CEO and used to dealing with powerful people, but none of that was personal.
This mattered more than anything, and I wanted everything to be perfect.
The navigation system piped up that our destination was on our left. I pulled the car into the beginnings of a dirt driveway, stone walls on either side. The iron gates were open, so I started along the gravel driveway.
Faith sat up straighter and looked at me. “Ooh, are we here?”
I grinned in answer as our tires crunched along the path.
“Is it a big hotel or a small one? Look at all the pretty trees. Everything’s so green, and the air is so fresh.
” She inhaled through her nose and smiled.
“This is amazing.” She put her hand on my thigh.
Even after being together for a year, she still managed to make my heart race.
If there was somewhere to pull over, I would have taken time to show her how she affected me.
The driveway climbed steadily up the hill. I slowed the car to a stop and turned to Faith. “Shut your eyes.”
Her forehead furrowed. “Why?”
I rolled my eyes. “Why do you have to ask about everything? Just trust me.” I raised a brow.
She laughed. “Okay. It worked out well the last few times I’ve trusted you.”
I raised my hand to her face and ran my thumb along her bottom lip, the sensation traveling all the way to my dick. I really, really wanted to be inside her. “And it will continue to work out well. Always.”
I leaned over and placed my lips on hers, my tongue nudging its way into her eager mouth—I could afford a minute or two of tasting the love of my life. Kissing her was one of my favorite things in the world.
When I pulled back, she blinked, her eyes glazed.
Faith’s voice was breathy when she said, “Mmm, we should check into our room ASAP.”
I smiled. “We should, and we will. But first things first. Close your eyes. The sooner you close them, the sooner we can get to our room.”
She gave me a cheeky look and waggled her brows. Finally, her eyelids shut. “Okay, I’m ready.” Her leg bounced in anticipation.
As I neared the parking area, I glanced at her to make sure she wasn’t cheating, ready to put my hand over her eyes to block her view. I wanted to film her reaction, so I could always remember this moment.
I parked the car and looked up at the house in front of us. The three-story home was rendered and painted yellow. It had the traditional terracotta roof tiles that many of the Tuscan buildings had. I took out my phone. “Stay there and keep your eyes closed. I’m coming around to get you.”
“Yes, boss.” She smirked. It was a joke of ours.
Since both of us were the boss but not the boss of each other, Faith had excelled at helping me run DGMP.
We both did a bit of CEO stuff and some marketing.
It meant neither of us were ever bored, and we got to work closely with our employees, which were numbered at nineteen already, just over half of them taking a stake in the company.
I went around to her side, opened her door, and helped her out. Leading her to the end of the parking area and up a few steps, I placed her in front of our accommodation. “Wait for one moment. I’m going to get a video of you during the reveal.”
“Seriously? Why?”
“Because I want to. Now stop asking questions.”
“Argh, you’re killing me. I want to see it now!”
I laughed. “Patience, grasshopper.” I could practically hear her rolling her eyes.
She leaned from foot to foot, impatient. “Get on with it or I’m opening my eyes.”
I was pretty sure it was an empty threat, but you never knew, so I stepped back and trained my phone camera on her and pressed Record.
“Okay, my gorgeous lady, behold the place we’re staying at for the next week. Open your eyes.”
Her eyes popped open, and then her luscious mouth followed.
She dragged in a noisy breath. “Oh. My. God. You didn’t!
” After taking in the Villa Laura, the house in the movie version of Under the Tuscan Sun, she ran at me, jumped up so her legs were around my waist, and threw her arms around me.
It was a feat not to drop my phone. Faith clung to me, peppering kisses on my neck, up my jaw, and finally my lips.
After kissing me stupid, she slid down my body, leaving me aching for more.
“I can’t believe this! Are you serious? We get to stay here for a whole week? ”
“Yep. I’ve rented the whole place. We also get that renovated barn and the limonaia, which translates to lemon house.
” I gave a nod toward the two-story stone building on our left.
All three buildings had a total of ten bedrooms, so plenty of room for the crowd of friends and family I’d invited.
They’d all be showing up early this evening.
Until then, we had the place to ourselves. “Let’s go check out our bedroom.”
Heat ignited in her eyes. “Yes, let’s.”
FAITH
After spending time with Curtis in “Frances’s” bed, I showered in the master bathroom.
I still couldn’t believe we were in the house.
I knew the movie was fiction, but the centuries of history I felt leeching from the floorboards and ceiling beams was real, as was the tap in the entry foyer that had water flowing from it at the end of the movie.
This was an incredible home, and it cemented the idea within me that no matter how much adversity you lived through, your dreams could come true—a message I’d clung to from the first time I’d ever seen Under the Tuscan Sun.
And now I was living it. Because of Curtis.
I stepped out of the bathroom nude because we were here by ourselves, and I knew Curtis would appreciate it.
He licked his lips when he saw me, the evidence of his arousal clear.
He groaned. “I’m not coming anywhere near you.
There’s a chef cooking us dinner, and we’re due in the garden in fifteen minutes. ”
I pouted. I’d never been a pouter, until now. “Can’t we just have dinner up here? We’ve got time for another orgasm before getting dressed.”
“Argh, you’re going to kill me.” Curtis, clothed in peacock-blue trousers and a white button down with the sleeves rolled up to expose his mouth-watering forearms, came to me and put his arms around me.
He squeezed one of my butt cheeks and kissed my neck.
“We’ll get back here as quickly as possible.
Promise.” His hardness pressed against my stomach.
Too soon he pulled away and went to the garment bag on the bed.
“This is for you. I’d love it if you’d wear it tonight. ”
He pulled a strapless gown from the bag.
It was the same color as his trousers in a smooth, shimmering fabric.
It looked fitted to the waist, then looser and flowing to the floor.
“It’s gorgeous.” I rubbed the fabric between my fingers.
“But what have I told you about buying me things? I don’t want you wasting your money. ”
He frowned. “My money is your money, and it’s not a waste if it makes you feel beautiful and treasured. My one greatest pleasure is to spoil you. You don’t want me to be unhappy, do you?”
Oh, boy, he wasn’t playing fair.
“Besides, Jack designed it. It’s from his new collection. You’d be helping him by wearing it. We can share a couple of pics on social media later.”
I took the dress. “You sure play dirty, mister.”
He smirked. “I make no apologies.” His lips met mine again in a kiss that was too brief. “Now, finish getting ready because dinner is going to be unforgettable.”
A kaleidoscope of butterflies flitted in anticipation in my belly. The honeymoon period of a new relationship was meant to last at least a year, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it lasted much longer. This man had my hormones on a short leash.
I dressed, put on some makeup, and let my hair flow in loose waves.
When I was done, I stepped into the bedroom.
Curtis was sitting on the bed. He looked up at me, and his eyes widened.
He swallowed, and his expression said I was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen. He stood. “I have something for you.”