He said something in Italian.
“‘I wear the blood of my heart’s enemy,’” she said, her eyes on him while his eyes were on me. “‘An enemy that came to rip my heart from my chest. My heart that has a name. Estella.’”
He hit his chest and spoke in his language again.
“‘I have killed in your honor. I will always kill in your honor. I will never allow anyone to hurt Estella, if I have it in my power to do so.’” Mia repeated the words, and then, maybe, sensing her part had come to an end, squeezed his shoulder and left, quietly shutting the door behind her.
The room was suddenly moody feeling. Not entirely dark, but not entirely bright either. I was in the bright light, though, and he was in the dark part. I understood my place in his life like never before in that second. I burned for him in his darkest moments. I wasn’t sure what to do, though, when he came in looking that way. The words he couldn’t say in any language but his… I was overwhelmed and paralyzed by emotions too deep for me to breathe through.
He said something in Italian again, and then cleared his throat. “Benediction is yours alone to give me.”
He took the few steps toward me, and when he dropped to his knees, all I could do was reach out and let my fingers graze his hair before I set my hands there.
He looked up at me, and I looked down at him. His eyes were so honest, yes honest, and maybe troubled. Something inside of me yearned to save him, and for the first time in my life, I felt the need to take a man in my arms and rock him, kiss him, make it all better.
“I refuse to wait,” he whispered. “I call you my heart, but I need to call you my wife, or I might die.”
“You want to get married before the year?”
“As soon as we can. A year is a life sentence for me.”
“Me too,” I whispered, then sighed. “What if we have something small, as soon as possible, then have the wedding we planned in December?”
“You’re saying yes.”
“Yes, Matteo Fausti, I’m sayingyes. Fate saidyeseven before I knew you, I’m coming to learn. I’m sayingyesnow. And my future is sayingyesto forever.”
“To always.”
“Always,” I whispered.
He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me in so hard, I had to use his wide shoulders to keep on my feet. He breathed me in, placed a kiss on my stomach, then stood, towering over me. Our eyes locked, and I wasn’t sure why, but I wanted him to carry me. I opened my arms, and he came into them, picking me up. He carried me to the bathroom, where I washed all the blood from his skin, making him clean again.
Chapter 24
Stella
It was the soft motion that made me open my eyes. The warm Tuscan sun rested on my face as the feel of a butterfly drifted across my stomach. The sun was getting hot as it stilled on my skin, but the caresses felt even better the more aware I was to it. I blinked against the heat and turned my face.
I smiled, not able to control it. “Buongiorno,” I whispered to the beautiful man lying next to me.
Even with the stunning views all around, he would always be the view I’d ache to see. I didn’t know much, but I knew that—as well as I knew I had a heart in my chest. There was not an ounce of doubt making me question it. It didn’t matter where I’d lay my head. If Matteo Fausti was next to me…wherever we were together would be my home.
His fingers barely grazed my skin as he gave me a smile so perfect, it blazed like the sun. He was all dark and brooding features, but his teeth were white and perfect, only made more stunning by his tan face. He lifted my hand and brought it close to his mouth. His breath was cool and smelled like mint.
“Buongiorno,la mia stella.” His lips rested on my pulse, like he was taking it, and then moved up, up, up my arm until he came to my lips. The kiss was gentle and slow and warm. He saida few more words in Italian that I didn’t recognize. “I missed you.”
“Why?” I breathed out. “Did I go somewhere in my sleep?”
His smile melted and his eyes hardened some. “Tell me, did you?”
“No. I’ve been right here—next to you.”
“Bene.” He breathed in the scent of my skin. He whispered words in Italian that sounded so romantic, I shivered. “When you’re asleep, you’re too far from me.”
“Do you think we could meet in dreams?”
His face turned even more serious. He nodded. “We met in heaven, and one day, we will reunite there again, never to part.”
