“You’re insane.” She shakes her head, letting me lead her into the elevator.
“Only for you.” I hold her amused gaze before pulling her flush against me and kissing her on her cheeks.
“When did you become so cheesy?” She giggles and I can’t help a smile of my own as her head falls back, pushing stray tendrils into her face.
Something in me flutters, but it barely lasts as nervousness creeps up my spine. I bite back a laugh at the irony of the situation.
The last two weeks have no doubt been the best in a while, and with her, I have no doubt that each day would be better than the last. I enjoy her company, her fire…her snark. The very things I once hated.
When the elevator opens to the rooftop terrace, my eyes briefly scan the surroundings, making sure every single detail has been tailored to perfection. The center we’re walking toward is lit as opposed to the dark edges. Streaks of light coil around iron pergola beams wrapped in white silk and roses, illuminating a white satin-clothed table that holds a bouquet of roses in the center.
There’s no food on the table just yet, but there are two crystal flutes, and a bottle of premium sparkling white grape juice sits in the center.
As I guide her to the table, the violinist starts playing a soft, classical tune in a corner. Bella gasps as I draw the chair out for her, her brows furrowing in what I think is an attempt to find the violinist. He’s playing from the shadows just like I wanted.
A gentle breeze blows, carrying the warm scent of her perfume, and I feel her shiver beneath my fingers as she gasps again at the view from here. The city stretches out beneath us in glittering lights, cars blaring in the distance.
“So you cleared the whole building just to have dinner with me…on the rooftop,” she says with a raised brow as I take my seat.
My heart skips a beat. “Not just dinner.”
Matteo had asked me to do it after or during the food, but fuck it, I can’t hold it back anymore. Maybe it’s the childish grin on her lips or the way her eyes glint with adoration. But I clear my throat and stand.
Her brows slant toward me. “What’s wrong?”
“I used to think that I was undeserving of certain things until you came into my life,” I say, my voice rougher than I intended it to be. “You loved me even when I didn’t deserve it…”
She has a look of disbelief as I sink to one knee, drawing the small box from the pocket of my pants. Somehow, my hands that never once trembled in battle are trembling now as I open the box to reveal a diamond ring.
“You made me want more than violence. You made me want a life. A life with love. So I choose you. Again and again. And for every lifetime after this one. Bella, will you be my wife?”
Tears spill down her cheeks, but she’s smiling, shaking her head as if she can’t believe it.
“Yes! Yes!” she squeals.
My chest explodes with joy. I slip the ring onto her finger and pull her stomach in for a kiss first before gracing her lips in a tender kiss.
As the gentle melody of the live music grows louder, I wrap my arms around her, shielding her from the rest of the world. For the next few minutes, time stops. I just hold her, basking in the heat of her body, realizing that for the first time in my life, I’m not just surviving—I’m happy.
***
We eventually had dinner and are now on our way home, but there’s only one thing on my mind. I’ve had it in mind since I captured her lips at the rooftop terrace.
I want to fuck her all night. Mark her. Until it becomes clear that she’s mine in any lifetime.
My dick strains against my pants as she draws small circles on my bare chest. Somehow, she managed to undo the first three buttons of my suit and slip her hand inside.
I growl and slip my hand under her dress to knead her breasts. She jerks slightly and peers up at me with a look that makes my breath ragged.
“Fuck, Princess. I wanted to be honorable and wait till we get home,” I murmur into her ear, dragging my lips around her earlobe.
She shivers against me and manages a small smirk. “I didn’t ask for that.”
That’s all I need to hear. In one swift motion, I lift her and position her so that her knees are on either side of my legs.
“What do you want?” I rumble, my fingers finding her thong and tracing it.
She grinds down on my hips, biting her bottom lip as she undoes my belt. “I want you to fuck me, Dominic. Hard!”
