"Yes, Damiano." Her tone is laden with weariness. "I will marry you."
"Good girl."
The clench of her jaw tells me she’s not in the mood for praise. I reach out to caress her face, trailing my fingers slowlydown her cheek. Violetta's shoulders sag as if releasing tension and she leans into my touch.
For a moment, as she lifts her hand, I think she's going to push me away. She doesn't. Instead, she places her hand over my arm and stares right at me When I search her eyes, I find a woman at war with herself, one who wants to accept and deny me in equal measure. I need to put an end to her doubts. And my own.
Waving Lina off as she appears in the doorway with our coffee, I rise from my seat.
"Come with me."
I could grab Violetta's arm and drag her to my bedroom, but I want her to follow me willingly. As I leave the dining room and walk along the corridor to the grand staircase, the clicking of her heels on the tiled floor assures me she's close behind.
When we reach the door to my bedroom, I open it and stand back to allow Violetta to enter. Blinking rapidly, she stares at me with the wide, startled eyes of a rabbit cornered by a wolf.
Then she summons her courage and walks into the room. She heads to the window to check the view before turning to scan her surroundings.
"It's very masculine in here," she grumbles.
The room, like the rest of the palazzo, was decorated by a designer I hired. She told me the palette of grays and black suited my aura. I didn't give it much thought at the time, but I guess she had a point.
"Did you expect me to have rainbows on the walls and unicorns on my sheets?"
Violetta arches a thin eyebrow. "No, but would it kill you to add a few splashes of color? This is so…" She waves a hand around as if trying to find the right description.
"Masculine?" I suggest.
"Depressing," she amends.
"If that's how it makes you feel, change it."
"Really?"
"I don't say things I don't mean, Violetta, but I didn't bring you here to discuss the décor."
She puts her hands on her hips, a challenging gesture.
"So, what did you bring me in here for?"
Now she's being deliberately obtuse.
"I think you know the answer to that."
Stepping closer, I cup her face in my hands. As I bend to kiss her, she sucks in a breath, but she doesn't protest as my lips claim hers. I take it slow, pushing my tongue past her soft, warm lips to explore her mouth. Violetta is stiff at first, but when I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her close, she melts against me.
As I up the intensity, ravishing her mouth until she emits desperate little moans, I reach for the tie at her waist. I'm so glad she chose this style of dress tonight. It's like she gave me a gift to unwrap. I undo the knot, then push the dress from her shoulders. Wriggling against me, she shimmies out of it.
With reluctance, I break the kiss. I need to look at her. Violetta bites her bottom lip and stares at the floor. I don't know where her sudden shyness has come from. I've seen her naked before.
"You're beautiful."
My words aren't mere flattery. Violetta is truly one of the most stunning women I've ever met.
"So are you."
She lets out a choked sound as if she didn't mean to say that. I find I’m glad she did.
My lips twitch. I've been described in many ways, but I don't recall beautiful being one of them. From her, I'll take the compliment.
