All three wore a similar look of shock. ‘What do you mean . . .no?’ Alberto stammered.
‘This isn’t my plan. I’m sorry.’ He turned and took Sarah’s trembling hands into his.
Tommaso’s eyebrows almost hit the ceiling.
‘Ma, che dici, Matteo?!’ erupted Alberto.
‘I accept the offer of the Trust, Zio, but I am not going to be the CEO. I’m sorry.’
‘What are you doing?’ whispered Sarah as Matthew drew her closer.
‘I am making the best decision possible forus.’ He smiled at her and said, ‘You and me. We can do this. It’s always been aboutus. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but it’s something I had to work through on my own first. Then with . . . someone else.’ Matthew gave her a long, passionate kiss, then turned to Tommaso and said, ‘Where it says my name, please replace it with Alessandro Andrea D’Adamo.’
Bewildered, Tommaso made a note of the change. ‘And he is?’
‘My father.’
Sarah’s eyes beamed in admiration for the man sat beside her: humble, courageous, a gentleman. ‘Are you sure?’
Matthew dropped another kiss to her lips. ‘Absolutely. Dad and I have an agreement. We are all moving forward.Together.’
Alberto had now committed himself to pacing the rear of the study. ‘Matteo . . . what’s wrong? What happened?’
‘Nothing’s wrong, Zio. Everything, for once, is right. This year has taught me that my priorities have been wrong for many years now. And while we have had a very busy and somewhat stressful year, it’s also been a year of rest and reflection for me. I have enjoyed the slower life. I have learned more about myself these past twelve months than I have in my entire thirty-eight years. I am not ready to step into an executive role like this. I don’t have the knowledge or skills or desire, if I can be completely honest. I can’t guarantee that I’ll ever step into that role, but I will always be there to ensure the Trust is being overseen by the right person at the given time. For now, and for the foreseeable future, my father is clearly the most appropriate choice.’
‘What do you mean by “the foreseeable future”?’ Tommaso sought to clarify, furiously penning his minutes.
‘I need time.’ Then he gestured to Sarah. ‘Weneed time.’ She beamed by his side. ‘We need time to be us.Alone.’
quarantacinque
With her arms stretched wide, Sarah leaned over the balcony railing, taking in the sight before her. The warm hue of the dusk’s setting sun washed Florence with a sprinkling of iridescent light.
Matthew tucked himself behind her, wrapping one arm around her waist while his other hand rested on top of hers on the railing. He nuzzled into the side of Sarah’s neck, gently kissing her warm perfume-scented skin.
‘I could just stay like this forever,’ she sighed.
Matthew nodded, and his hand moved from her waist and turned her around to face him. ‘There you are.’
‘Where else would I be?’
‘I don’t want you anywhere else but here by my side. Stay with me.’ Her eyes darted across his face searching for meaning. ‘I can’t picture my life without you, Sarah.’
‘I’m not going anywhere. I never was.’
He took her face into his hands, and gently caressed her cheek with his thumb. His gaze flickered between her lips and her cinnamon brown eyes, which reflected the peachy haze of the setting sun. ‘This.Us. I don’t want it to end. I don’t want any of this journey to end.’
Sensing a change in him, Sarah pressed her hands to Matthew’s chest to steady him. She could feel the pounding of his heart under her palms, and the rising heat from his skin through his shirt.
His face drained of its familiar charisma and his smile was replaced with a look of hopelessness. ‘Marry me, Sarah.’
She straightened and her head gave a slight shake to find clarity. ‘I ammarried to you.’
‘Stay married to me. You. Me. Forever.’ He took her trembling hands into his and brought them to his lips. Closing his eyes, he pressed kisses to them. ‘Please say yes.’
His vulnerability caught her by surprise and she dropped her forehead so that it rested against his. ‘Only if you’ll stay married to me.’
Matthew pulled back just enough to ask, ‘Are you sure? Is this what you want, too?’
