“Jesus, you have no idea how much I missed you,” he says, breathless from the moment we just shared.
“I do. I missed you just as much.”
Pulling out of me, he grabs a couple of paper towels and hands some to me. After we clean up, I jump off the island and pick up my ruined panties, tossing them in the trash.
When I turn around, I’m scooped up into another hug, and Augusto holds me for the longest time.
“Ryo’s fine. It’s up to him to make or break it,” he tells me.
I lift my eyes to his and give him a grateful smile. “Thank you. I’ll never be able to repay you for everything you’ve done for me.”
“You will.” His expression turns serious. “When you’re ready, you can forgive me for what happened when we first met.”
A frown forms on my forehead. “I already forgave you. I thought you knew.”
“You never said the words.”
I frame his jaw with my hands and look deep into his eyes. “I forgive you, Augusto. Besides, it wasn’t our fault. I blame my father, and he’s already dead, so it’s over.”
“Yutaro suffered,” he says, his tone darker. “I gutted him.”
My gaze widens, and there’s such a sense of… vindication. That monster got what he deserved.
“Thank you,” I whisper before pressing a tender kiss to Augusto’s mouth, before I lock eyes with him again. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’ll never take you for granted.”
“I feel the same,” he admits. “I never knew I could love someone the way I love you.”
“I love you with all my heart.” I give him another kiss. “Body.”Kiss. “And soul.”
Augusto lifts me against his body and wraps me in such a tight hug, it feels like he might never let me go.
“Same, my little shapeshifter.” When he sets me down again, he asks, “What have you been up to while I was gone?”
“I’ve spent a lot of time with Mom, Bianca, and Sienna.”
A grin spreads over his face. “Mom?”
Nodding, I explain. “The day you and Ryo left, they all came over to keep me company, and I started calling your parents Mom and Dad. They said it’s okay.”
“It’s more than okay.” Taking my hand, he leads me out of the house so we can walk through the garden.
Augusto
After all the guests arrive, the women head out into the garden where Yuki has tables set up for them.
She went above and beyond for this evening, and as the men look at the snacks table, Chrsitiano says, “I vote, going forward, we have every poker night at Augusto’s.”
“Not a chance in hell,” I chuckle.
I keep an eye on Georgi, and when he sees I’ve placed him beside Uncle Damiano, he shoots me a scowl. “Fucker.”
“A promise is a promise,” I reply.
“What promise?” Uncle Renzo asks.
“Nothing.” I move closer to him. “I took a page out of your book and gutted Tanaka’s guard dog.”
His eyebrows lift as he gives me an impressed look. “And?”
