I wasn’t able to stand yet. My body was still trying to recover. There was the adrenaline of possibly getting caught, along with the climax, which was still causing my legs to quiver. I brought my arms around his neck and held him against my chest, enjoying the silence and the release that we both needed.
There was a sense of calm that filled me, allowing me to let go of some of the events of the day. It had been too much. I could finally relax, if only a little. There would be time to grieve properly later alongside my family.
“Are you okay?”
He lifted his head slowly to look into my eyes. “I’m shocked, but I’m okay. You?”
“I know you’re shocked, but I needed to make sure,” I said and brought my eyes to his. “I had to know that you would give me control and that it wasn’t just the power dynamic between us that you loved.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Well, I hope that it was also that you wanted to do it.”
“Of course, that was part of it, too,” I said, giving him a sly smile. “I’ve considered it before, but never had the confidence to try it.”
“Well, I’m glad you did.”
He held me closer and lowered his lips to mine. It was a gentle, sweet kiss, that was the perfect ending. Butterflies appeared in my stomach, making me feel as though I was weightless. I knew at that moment that I’d fallen in love with a Cavetti. He’d allowed me to take control, and he’d proven to me that I wasn’t just a prisoner to him. I was the woman he was in love with.
“I love you.”
His eyes widened as a smile graced his lips. “I love you, too.”
He took me in his arms and lifted me off the bench. He squeezed me, forcing the breath from my body. We were silent as we held one another. It made me feel as though we were the only two people in the world.
And I loved it.
28
Marcello
Iwas glad that Lucia had finally convinced my father to allow the girls to join us for dinner. Her belly had begun to grow over time, and her gait was changing with each month that passed. I was also glad that the girls now had their own rooms in the mansion. Chiara and I were able to spend more time with each other and often snuck from one room to the other throughout the night. So far no one had noticed, except Alessandra and Lucia, who remained silent about what we were doing.
I’d been waiting for the moment that my father saw them differently, and it was about time that they were no longer treated as prisoners. They were becoming part of the family and it was a good thing. They’d been through enough already and proved their worth over the months that they’d been with us. I knew my father wouldn’t admit it, but he was beginning to come around to enjoy their company, too.
Chiara was sitting across from the table. I could feel her foot along my ankle and a sly smile forming on her lips as she ate. Each bite was provocative, but no one else noticed. I loved the fact that she was doing it in front of everyone, knowing that it pleased me. Meals had stopped being boring the moment she’d started sitting across from me.
She was wearing a low-cut floral dress that reminded me of the first time I’d met her. Her long brown hair flowed along her shoulders, wavier than it normally was. Her brown eyes kept averting mine, as though she was trying to pretend nothing was happening. I liked that she played games in front of everyone, and somehow no one had caught on.
The only person that had yet to earn their place at the table was Giorgio. He was still being held prisoner, but now he was in the house and the girls were able to go visit him. He was even allowed to take walks outside. He wasn’t like Antonio. He was smart and was playing the long game.
The Bonifacio’s didn’t understand why he was still ostracized, but it was only because my father feared him. The last Bonifacio male? Of course, he’d be threatened. Despite their dominance having been passed onto our family, the Bonifacio name still held weight. Giorgio, without even knowing it, had the power to destroy my family, should he choose to.
“Now, then, I want you all to stop eating for a moment,” my father said, wiping his lips with a long white kerchief and pointing at Lucia and Romeo. “I’ve been thinking about it since the two of you married. It’s about time that we marry you girls off, too.”
I held my breath as he brought his finger to Chiara and Alessandra, causing Chiara to drop her fork. There was a tension that arose at the table. Savio and I shared a look, knowing that we’d both been visiting the twins since they’d arrived. I wasn’t sure about Savio’s stance on things, but I knew that I wouldn’t let anyone marry Chiara. No one but me.
My father adjusted the sleeves of his dark blue dress shirt as he peered to everyone at the table. There was a silence that followed his statement as everyone avoided looking at him directly. I knew that my father would begin orchestrating something with the twins. He hated not being able to decide their fates, and now that he’d married Lucia and Romeo, he would turn his attention to them.
“What do you girls think?”
Chiara swallowed hard before clearing her throat. “If you’re sure.”
“Of course I’m sure. You girls are of age, and we could use more family ties here. I’ll start looking into it.”
Chiara brought her eyes to mine and narrowed them. I could tell that she was uncomfortable with the idea of being married off to some mafioso that she didn’t know. I reached out my foot and gently grazed her ankle. I couldn’t say it aloud without attracting attention, but I wanted her to know that I’d help remedy the situation as best as I could.
“Isn’t it enough that Lucia and I are married?” Romeo asked, reaching out to take Lucia’s hand in his. “The girls are still pretty young.”
“Did I stutter?”
