She turns to see what I’m referring to, and when her eyes land on the ring, she gasps, her hand going to her mouth and her gaze meeting mine.
I planned an entire speech, but the moment I go to speak, it all flies out of my brain, frustrating the hell out of me.
She stands there, waiting for me to say something, and I chuckle, stepping closer to her.
“Everything I planned to say just left my brain,” I admit.
She laughs. But it’s not deprecating. It’s sweet and understanding because Daniella Russo understands me.
“I never planned to fall in love,” I tell her, going with what’s in my heart. “I won’t get into my life story since you know it and it would kill the mood. But because of it, I didn’t want any of this.” I wave my hand around to emphasize my point. “And I definitely didn’t want you,” I admit, cringing when I realize how bad that sounded.
“Not that you’re not worth wanting, but you were always Little Russo to me. Lorenzo’s little sister. The little girl my brother was supposed to marry before he got out of it—fuck.” I chuckle humorlessly. “I really suck at this.”
“No, you don’t,” she says, placing her delicate hand on my arm. “I was off-limits.”
“Yeah,” I breathe. “But you grew up and became this amazing woman. But even then, I didn’t consider it. And then you were taken, and we started texting, getting to know each other. When you moved in with me, it was like my entire life as I had known it was all a lie. You have me wanting shit I never knew I wanted, like marriage and babies and …”
I swallow thickly and look into her bright emerald eyes. “I’ve realized that it’s not love I want. It’s you. And I’ll take you any way I can get you as long as I can have you in my life.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I love you,” she says with a playful smirk. “So, you get meandlove.”
“I want it all with you. I want you to be my wife. I want us to have a life together where we go on vacations like this. To eat meals with you and fuck you on every damn surface we come across.”
She barks out a watery laugh, and my heart fills with so much damn love.
“I know you’re planning to renew your birth control, but when you’re ready, I want to have a baby with you, if that’s what you want. I never wanted any of this shit, and I don’t know if I’ll be any good at it, but the thought of a piece of you and a piece of me growing inside you …” I shake my head and run my hand along my stubble. “The idea of a little mini us with your green eyes and patience and unconditional love …”
“And your strength and loyalty and big heart,” she adds.
“Will you marry me, Dani? Will you become my wife and spend the rest of your life with me?”
“Yes,” she says, sniffling back her tears. “I would love to marry you.”
I slide the ring onto her finger, and she snakes her arms around me. I lift her into my arms, and she wraps her legs around my waist as our mouths connect.
I walk us back inside, leaving the French doors open to let inthe evening breeze, and I spend the next God knows how long worshipping my fiancée, until her stomach rumbles, reminding me that I never called for dinner to be brought up.
“Let’s get you fed,” I tell her, handing her back her clothes.
With three orgasms, she’s lying on the bed in a sleepy daze, but because she’s hungry, she nods and sits up.
“Stay there,” I tell her, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss when there’s a knock on the door. “I’ll bring the food to you.”
“No, that’s okay,” she says. “I want to sit out on the terrace. It’s decorated so beautifully, and it’s our last night here. Plus, I want to take a few pictures of my ring out there.”
She blushes a beautiful shade of pink, and I can’t help but kiss her again, this time harder.
“Okay, I’ll meet you out there.”
Since I’m not going to risk anyone seeing her half naked, I let the bellhop know I’ll bring the food in myself, and then I wheel the cart in. I grab our dome-covered meals and carry them onto the terrace, where Dani is sitting, staring out at the water. Her hair is up in a messy bun, she’s back in her pajamas, and she’s smiling softly.
“It smells good,” she says, taking the lid off the plate.
Her engagement ring hits the light and twinkles, and I now understand where the possessiveness my brother feels toward Peyton comes from.
“I don’t want to wait.”
“Well then, sit down and eat.” She laughs, misunderstanding.
