“I love you more than anything, la mia gazzella,” I murmur with what feels like my heart in my throat.
I’ve never seen her eyes so light before. They’re transcendent. I marvel at the beauty of them. How they glitter and shine. How they stare so openly with love in mine.
A warmth spreads in my chest. I swear every cell lights from her smile.
“I love you too, shadow.”
And for the first time in my life everything feels right.
CHAPTER 40
Imogen
“What’s keeping you awake?” Rico asks with concern from beside me in bed.
I tenderly stroke his unruly hair, loving the feel of it between my fingers. His eyes soften and he nestles closer to me.
“I’m just thinking,” I respond vaguely.
He arches a brow. “Of?”
My smile is wistful. “Of ma. I can’t help but miss her.” While I’m perfectly happy here and the past three weeks of married life to Rico has treated me exceptionally well my heart yearns for her.
But thinking of ma also comes with a heavy guilt that weighs down on my soul. Because I know she’ll never accept the man I chose to marry. She’ll never allow the man who killed her son to be part of her life.
And I know I’ve betrayed her. I can only hope that one day she’ll come to understand that loving Rico was never a choice, it was fate.
“Is that all that troubles you?”
I gnaw on my lower lip. He pulls it free and brushes the swollen flesh with his thumb. “I worry she’ll hate me.”
“For marrying me?”
“Yes,” I breathe and the truth burns. It boils in the pit of my stomach like acid. Knowing my pa chose the family over me was heart wrenching but to have ma hate me. . .
He wraps me in his arms then. Crushing me to his body. His lips repeatedly plant soft and tender kisses to the top of my head. And as soothing as it is I can’t escape this souring feeling.
“Do you regret marrying me? Falling in love with me?” I hear it ever so barely. The vulnerability and hurt in his tone.
I shift in his arms so he can see my face. So his eyes can look in mine and tell I’m giving him the truth. “I don’t regret falling in love with you. Nor do I regret marrying you,” I assure him and place a chaste kiss on his open lips. “Our story is very unconventional I’ll admit,” his lips twitch, “but I’ll never regret you.”
“But it is a heavy burden to wear, loving me.”
I frame his face in my hands. Fiercely I tell him, “Loving you isn’t a burden. Please don’t ever think that.”
“It would be easier if I was someone else,” he points out weakly.
“It would make it easier for my ma to accept you, yes,” I clarify so he doesn’t misunderstand how I feel. “But loving you is as easy as breathing for me.”
He nods his head but I’m not entirely convinced he believes me. When Rico is in his head, overthinking, over analyzing and questioning every word I’ve said I know it will take time before he comprehends what I mean is true. And that’s okay. Because I’ll offer him all the clarity and assurance in the world that I love him with everything in me.
“How about you take me out for dinner. You know, you’ve kind of skipped the whole courting me aspect,” I tease in a light tone hoping to lift the mood.
“A date,” he clarifies.
I slap my hands down on his chest as I sit up in his lap. “Si,” I reply in his native tongue and his eyes shine. “A date. Don’t you think I deserve one?”
“You deserve the entire world, Imogen.” His voice is so tender and beautifully raw it flays me open.
