Saturnino brushed his thumb across her bottom lip. “Marry me, Ravenna.”
She blinked down at him.
“Marry me,” he echoed softly. “Please.” He cupped the back of her neck, massaging her gently, bringing her closer, her legs straddling his lap. “I want to protect you, I want to provide for you when I’m gone.”
“No,” she said, anguished. “Don’t say things like that—”
He brought his lips to her ear, held her tight against him. “Listen to me, love. I have money and properties across the whole of this peninsula, I have chests filled with jewels and gold. Take my name, and all of it will be yours. Everything I have will belong to you. Let me take care of you,please.”
“Saturnino—”
“Say yes,” he demanded. “Please, please, please.”
Ravenna closed her eyes, nodded once, her body shaking.
Saturnino pulled away slightly. “Was that a yes?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “But how will we marry? No church in Florence will accept me.”
Saturnino reached for her hand, slowly, lacing his fingers with hers. No longer cool to the touch, but warm. “Io ti prendo come mia moglie.”
I take you as my wife.
Goose bumps danced down her spine as she stared at him, green eyes bright, blue-rimmed, watery. He was breathing heavy, trembling beneath her.
Ravenna’s voice was a breathless whisper. “Io ti prendo come mio marito.”
I take you as my husband.
Their vows filled the scant space between them, sacred words that bound them together. She had never felt as holy and as loved as she did then. “Is it done?” Ravenna asked, incredulous, happy.
“Yes, I’ll take care of the rest,” Saturnino murmured. “Come here.”
He brought her down to meet him, kissing her hard, impatient, demanding, turning her blood into wisps of smoke. They kissed until they ran out of breath, and then they pressed their foreheads together,breathed the same air between them. Outside, the world burned, the city hunted, his family raged.
And they were running out of time.
Ravenna sensed it, like the inevitable close of the day. The night would come for them both. She inhaled deeply, breathing him in, and whispered, “I can’t save you.”
He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I know, amore mio. I know.”
“What are we going to do?” she asked, panic edging into her voice.
He straightened her, enough so that he could look into her eyes. “I have existed for nearly one hundred years, but it wasn’t until I met you that I finally learned to live. I know now, how to be human.” He threaded his fingers through hers. “We’re alive right now, Ravenna. Be here with me.”
She traced the slope of his cheek with her finger, the soft edge of his mouth, the strong line of his jaw. He brushed his palm over the smooth line of her back, gliding down until he met the curve of her bottom, bringing her closer to him as the desire he had for her took over his body. Need flared between them, and his pupils dilated as she swooped down to kiss him again. He nipped, sucked, tasted her, his hands exploring every inch of her, cupping her breasts, holding the weight of them in his palms, brushing his fingers across the sensitive buds.
Saturnino sat up against her, gently moving her aside so that he could stand next to the bed. His black hair swooped across his brow as he stared down at her, the hint of mischief gleaming in his eyes, glittering in the soft firelight. She looked up at him questioningly, unsure.
“Come closer.”
She scooted to the edge, her heart pounding at the look on his face; aroused, intent on her, studying every line of her, drinking her in.
“Wrap your legs around my hips,” he murmured. Ravenna leaned back, lifted her legs. He held on to one hip while his other hand drifted down, down, down her inner thighs. He locked eyes with her, his brow arching in a silent question.
Ravenna nodded, breathless.
His smile was one she’d never seen before. Loving, slightly smug, tender. A unique blend for her alone. He slipped into her with a soft moan and began moving, slowly at first, letting her become accustomed to him.
