“Of course it is.” I closed my eyes, needing to escape his.
I never gave a damn about what he could give me. All I ever wanted was my husband, the man and the beast.
He didn’t throw rose petals at my feet, so when he gave me things, they meant something. What he gave me was the gift of an everlasting reminder of our time on the island. When I looked at the gems, I could clearly see the rush of the tide, smell the salt in the air, and feel our love as though it was a burning fire.
I’d hate myself if he ever traded his pride for the money Luca used as bait, just to give me something he thought I’d love. I had him—nothing else mattered.
“I gave you my word,” he said softly.
I opened my eyes and rushed into his arms. “I love them, Brando. I do. I—”
“I know.” He kissed the top of my head. “I had Rocco invest some of our money.”Our money. His.“The gamble turned out to be successful, and some of the payoff came in. The rest will take time.” He moved my hair from my shoulder, barely touching the earring. “I enlisted O’Malley to find exactly what I was looking for. What he found was a small chunk of the stone. The green in them reminds me of your eyes.”
“I’d never want you to take anything from Luca Fausti. Not a damn thing. I’d rather go broke.”
“You’d stay with me. Even if I was broke.”
“You should know me better than that, Fausti.”
“I do. It’s still nice to hear sometimes, Fausti.”
“Ilovefish for dinner.”
He laughed, shaking us both. “I can always promise you fish, as long as they’re still in the sea.”
“That should’ve been one of your vows on our wedding day.” I looked up at him, putting a hand on his arm. “Grazie,mio angelo. That’s what I should’ve said. I can’t imagine anything more beautiful.”
“They’ll do.” He glanced at my eyes before he touched one of the earrings. It trembled in response to his touch.
We left thebure, me tucked underneath his arm, my arms wrapped around his waist.
Our private beach was crowded with people, most of them men. Uncle Tito stood by a crackling fire, one of two that had been erected, chatting with an older man. Aunt Lola sat on a log close by, already sucking on a crab leg. Noticing that we had materialized, she waved us over, using the shell carcass as a flag.
“Look at you!” she said, plopping the empty shell on her plate, reaching for another. “You look like a new woman. Ah! Those earrings.Sbalorditivo!”Stunning!
I took a seat next to her on the log, enjoying the warmth of the fire and the delicious smells floating in the air.
A man uncovered the mud that had been piled over thelovowith a shovel, Agwe overseeing this task with a cook’s narrow eye. Scented smoke billowed out, thin clouds purling toward the sky and catching on the wind. The pit had been topped with long strips of what seemed like old sacks underneath the soil, covering wilted palm fronds. Once those were removed, braided coconut leaves atop a metal rack were opened, revealing a bounty of meats wrapped in foil. The white stones beneath still glowed with heat.
“Grazie!”I said, smiling at Lola. I touched the earrings, feeling like a very lucky girl.“My husband gave them to me.”
He leaned in and gave me a swift kiss, but before he could rise, I pointed to my lips and told him I needed another—ancora.
“You’re hungry,” he said, licking his lips.
I nodded and, right on cue, my stomach growled in agreement.
“I’ll get our food.” He glanced at the rainforest, where the open spaces were being consumed by stretching dark shadows. “Stay here. I want you closer to the water, not the woods.”
I pushed closer to Aunt Lola when he was far enough for me to feel his absence. Every so often he stopped to shake a hand or have a word. The men seemed drawn to him. One even brought him a beer.
“Gem!” Captain O’Malley touched me lightly on the shoulder. He offered me a beer. “In exchange for an old sailor to sit next to such a gorgeous lady.”
“Certainly,” Aunt Lola said, moving her floppy hat to make room for him.
Captain and I grinned at each other. I took the offered drink with thanks. We clanked our two bottles together before he sat with a gruff noise.
“So, what do you think about my island here?”
