A groan rumbles through his chest as he kisses me deeper this time, rolling me onto my back as he settles between my thighs.
What follows is slow, sweet lovemaking nothing like the raw, desperate need from yesterday. This time, he takes his time, kissing every inch of me, whispering how beautiful I am, how much he wants me, how he can’t wait to make me his wife.
I moan softly beneath him, legs wrapped around his waist as he moves inside me with deep, rolling thrusts.
We come together, quiet and intense, clinging to each other.
Afterward, we lie tangled in the sheets for a while, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my bare back.
“I could get Lea to bring up our breakfast,” he murmurs against my neck as he peppers my skin with kisses.
“I would love that, but I promised Sienna I was going to have breakfast with her.”
Nico continues to kiss every part of my exposed skin. “Alright, take a shower with me then.”
He doesn't seem the least bit offended that I'm ditching having breakfast with him in bed to spend time with my sister. And that makes my heart flutter.
“That I can do. But give me a few minutes, my legs are practically jelly right now.”
A proud smile appears on his face as he looks at me. “I got you.”
He scoops me into his arms and carries me out of bed and into the bathroom, where we spend a lot more time pressed against each other than actually showering.
When I eventually get downstairs, Sienna is already seated at the breakfast table, dressed in one of the sundresses I gave her, while Lea is serving her a plate of eggs, and toast. My sister looks pale and tired, but she’s at least trying to eat something.
Lea turns when she hears me and her eyes immediately drop to my left hand. The moment she sees the ring, her entire face lights up with genuine joy.
“Oh, my goodness!” she exclaims, clasping her hands together. “Congratulations!”
She comes over and pulls me into a warm, motherly hug.
I blush, smiling shyly. “Thank you, Lea.”
Nico walks in behind me, freshly showered and dressed. He slides an arm around my waist and presses a slow kiss to my temple.
“I have to go speak with Marco,” he murmurs against my skin. “I’ll see you later.”
I nod, leaning into his touch for a second before he leaves. When I turn back, Sienna is staring at the ring on my finger, her expression unreadable.
I walk over and sit beside her. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”
She gives a small shrug. “I’m… better actually.” Her gaze lingers on the sparkling diamond. “So, you decided to put yourself first after all.”
I smile softly. “Yeah. I took your advice.”
“I’m proud of you,” she says quietly, though for the first time since she’s here she actually looks relieved.
Part of me wonders if I’m being insensitive. Getting engaged while my sister is mourning the love of her life. She told me to choose myself, but seeing her like this makes me feel guilty anyway.
The next two days pass in a quiet, heavy rhythm.
Every morning, I wake up in Nico’s arms, steal a few moments of peace with him, then go check on Sienna. We have breakfast together, though she barely eats.
Sometimes we sit in the garden or the library, but she’s mostly withdrawn, staring into space. She cheers up a little when I share the letter Camila has sent me.
I stay close every time she cries, holding and reminding her that she’s not alone, trying my best to help her through the grief.
It’s painful watching her like this. And I so badly want to hurt Andrea and my father for putting her through this.
