“For fuck’s sake,” Caspian muttered. “Can we take this conversation elsewhere and get back to business? And Arko, if it helps, Bea’s all yours. We’re kind of tired of her drama anyway.”
Heat rushed to my face as I realized how intimate things had gotten in front of my family. My brothers were now giggling, and they positively laughed as I playfully flicked an eraser at Caspian.
I looked over at Arko, at the light in his eyes, the utter disbelief and joy on his face, and whispered, “I’d like to believe you’re thinking straight again. Can we go home now?”
He took my hand in his and smiled. “Be careful, Bea. Once we leave here, I might never let you go again.”
Dante gagged just as I leaned close and whispered in his ear, “Deal.”
***
When Caspian and I got home that night, Caspian insisted on pouring us drinks so we could talk. He handed me the glass, and when our fingers grazed, the spark that went shooting up my arm was one more thing to solidify why this felt right.
For a moment, we just stared at each other, and then Caspian sighed and nestled into the couch beside me.
He reached over to take my hand in his, twining his fingers through mine.
“I thought I was going to lose my mind when I couldn’t find you after the explosion,” he said. “And when I realized you were in the fire…” His voice broke. “I’ve never been that scared in my life.”
I reached up to touch his face, my fingers tracing the lines of worry. “I need you to know something.”
“What’s that?” A startled look crossed over his already worried face.
“Back at the distillery, I wasn’t scared at all.”
“You weren’t?” He furrowed his brows.
I reached into the pocket of my jeans, and his eyes traced the movement of my hand. When I pulled out the lighter, his eyes widened with surprise.
“How could I have been,” I asked softly, twisting the lighter in my hand, “when I had this all along? Arko, you didn’t fail me. You’ve made me stronger in ways you don’t even realize.You’ve made me feel powerful, strong, and heard. You’ve made me feel bigger than anyone’s ever made me.”
“Do you mean it?” he asked, his voice catching in his throat.
“Every. Damn. Word.” I put aside my drink and turned to face him fully, looking into his eyes. “Don’t you get it, Arko Pavlov, that I love you with my whole damn heart. I’d rather be nowhere else but here, by your side.”
His fingers closed around my hand, which he clasped shut over the lighter. When he looked up at me, his eyes were full of fire and love and heat. Then, with loving gentleness, he cupped my face in his hands.
“I love you so much, Bea,” he said, choking on his words. “More than I thought possible. That’s why I wanted to let you go, because I love you too much to risk losing you.”
“Then don’t let me go,” I whispered. “Keep me close enough that you never have to worry about losing me again.”
He inched closer, until the heat of his body and mine were one and only. I felt a tear slide down my cheek as his lips grazed mine in a soft, sweet kiss.
“Remind me never to make such a fool of myself again, like I did today,” he laughed against my mouth when he pulled away from the kiss. “God, I love you.”
“Oh, trust me. You so much as think of letting me go, and I’ll haunt you to the death,” I teased back. “Only because I love you too.”
Chapter 25 - Arko
I poured Bea another glass of mulled wine and walked over to where she sat perched on the edge of a couch, gossiping with Alena and Anja.
“And then, we got lost in the streets of Cinque Terre because Arko refused to use a map!” she was telling my sisters. “He claimed he’d been to Cinque Terre before, so he knew the routes.”
“You’re joking!” Anja encouraged her further. “He went like a decade ago!”
“Complaining about me again, while I slave away to bring you wine?” I teased, kissing the top of her head as I passed her the glass.
“I was simply stating facts,” she smiled, looking up at me, and I swear the wind knocked the breath out of my lungs. She looked beautiful, radiant even, with that post-vacation tan glowing on her skin. Just then, Caspian, Kate, Giovanni, and Larissa walked in.
