So I just nodded, furiously, over and over, hoping he understood.
A smile broke across his face, crooked and boyish with a glimmer in his eyes that made my knees weak. “So, what do you say, Lucia DeLuca?” he asked, his tone lighter now, teasing, as his hand slid down to intertwine with mine. “Want to be my girlfriend?”
All I could do was nod again, this time with a watery laugh escaping my lips. “Yes,” I finally managed to whisper, my voice breaking. “Very much.”
And when he leaned down to kiss me, his lips capturing mine with a tenderness that made my chest ache, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.
“About damn time,” Nicola said as we broke apart. We glanced over to see Matteo with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face, Nicola next to him, hands on her hips and a smirk.
Then, without missing a beat, Matteo smirks again. “So I booked us all on a flight in an hour to Italy.”
Because, of course he did.
34
ALEXANDER
The drive to the Italian seaside resort was peaceful, the kind of quiet that felt like a deep exhale after weeks of chaos. The sun kissed the coastline as we arrived, golden light glittering off the waves. Gianna talked excitedly in the backseat, her tiny hands gripping her favorite stuffed bunny as she stared out the window.
Lucia’s smile was soft, content, as she looked over at me. It was a rare sight—her shoulders relaxed, her hair loose around her face. Moments like this, when she wasn’t carrying the weight of the world, made me fall for her even more.
When we pulled up to the resort, the concierge greeted us with a warm smile and a quiet assurance of privacy. That was the whole reason I’d okayed this place when Matteo mentioned a last-minute vacation. No prying eyes, no cameras, just a chance for the four of us to breathe.
That was until we got to the check-in desk.
“Ah, Mr. Wright,” the attendant began apologetically. “We’ve had a slight issue with the room allocations. Unfortunately, only two suites are available, and each has just one king-sized bed.”
Lucia’s eyes widened, her lips parting as if to protest, but I was already suppressing a grin.
“That’s fine,” I said easily, my hand brushing hers. “We’ll make it work.”
Nicola, standing beside Matteo, didn’t look nearly as thrilled. “Excuse me?” she said sharply.
Matteo smirked, the picture of smugness. “Guess we’re bunking together, Nic.”
Her glare could have melted steel. “Don’t call me that, and no, we’renotsharing a bed.”
“Well, there’s always the floor,” he said, shrugging. “But I’d hate for you to hurt your back.”
Nicola groaned, muttering something under her breath about unbearable idiots, while Matteo only grinned wider.
Meanwhile, Lucia’s gaze flicked nervously to me. “Alex…are you sure?” she whispered. “About us? What about Gianna? She’s not great at sleeping through the night sometimes, and I don’t want to keep you up or?—”
“Hey,” I interrupted gently, lowering my voice so only she could hear. “It’s fine, Lucia. I’ll help. If she wakes up, I’ll get up with her, okay? We’re a team.”
Her eyes softened, her lips pressing together as she nodded. “Okay.” Gianna, oblivious to the logistics, tugged on Lucia’s hand. “Mama, can we go see the water now?”
“Soon, baby,” Lucia said, brushing a kiss over her daughter’s head.
The suites were beautiful, each with a balcony overlooking the turquoise sea. Lucia and I settled in, unpacking our things while Gianna explored every corner of the room. I felt a littlethrum thrumin my chest at the sight. The three of us in our own hotel room. Sure, we were constantly in each other’s rooms with our friends or each other, but this felt different. This felt real. When it came time to discuss the sleeping arrangements, Lucia was hesitant again.
“Sometimes when she can’t sleep the only way I can get her back down is by sleeping next to me,” she said, glancing at the king-sized bed. “What if she won’t settle?”
I crouched down beside Gianna, who was busy arranging her bunny and blanket on the pillows. “Hey, kid,” I said with a smile. “Think you can share the bed with Mama and me tonight?”
She nodded eagerly. “Like a big sleepover?”
“Exactly.”
