Page 67 of Veiled Yearning

The stars are out again, twinkling along the darkened ceiling. The fire is crackling, orange and crimson leaping, casting a warm, golden glow.

In front of the fireplace, there’s a layer of fluffy, white blankets, with downy pillows arranged around them.

A tray lies on the floor beside it, with glasses and five different wine bottles.

All around the room, candles are flickering—tiny tea lights, slender tapers, thick pillars—on nearly every available surface.

And then the flowers. So many flowers.

There are thousands of them—set in elegant vases, simple mason jars, rustic ceramic pitchers—all in an array of reds. Crimson roses, scarlet carnations, maroon orchids, vermillion tulips, and another dozen varieties of flower I can’t identify. Their scent wraps around me, sweet and warm, with a hint of spice.

My gaze drops to a trail of rose petals leading from my feet to the seating area beside the fireplace, and my eyes burn from the emotion overwhelming me.

“Is it okay?” Gavril asks, an undercurrent of worry in his voice. “If we didn’t have everyone here, I’d have set it up somewhere larger, gotten more flowers, more candles…”

“It’s more than okay.” My head is on a swivel, still taking everything in. “It’s beautiful, Gav. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Wrapping his arm around my waist, he leads me down the rose petal trail to the fireplace, and we settle on the cloud of blankets together. Gavril tilts his chin at the wine bottles, explaining, “It’s not that I think you want all this wine. But I heard that wine tasting is fun? I guess?”

“Wine tasting?” I turn to him, puzzled. “What gave you that idea? I mean, I like it. Well. I’ve never tried it. But in my books… it sounds like fun.”

Twin spots of pink appear on his cheeks. “Well. When Cait saw what I was doing, she suggested it. She said she did it on her first date with Frederick, and it was fun, and that you’d like it. So…” The pink deepens. “I thought since things worked out for them, maybe it wasn’t a bad idea.”

“Oh, Gavril.” My insides are a warm, gooey mess. “I love it. And I can’t wait to try it with you.”

Our eyes meet, and there’s a charged moment between us. A burst of heat. Electricity.

Love is a tidal wave, crashing over me, stealing my breath.

Can I tell him? Am I brave enough? What if he doesn’t feel the same way?

Gavril moves closer to me, taking both my hands in his. The light from the fire catches the angles of his face and sparks gold in his eyes. Emotion tightens his features. “Chiara.” He swallows. “You look so… more than beautiful. Breathtaking.”

Can I call a man beautiful? Or is that strange? I blurt out the next thing that comes to mind. “You’re like a statue.”

What? Why did I say that?

He blinks. “A statue?”

“Oh. That’s not—” I try to cover my face with my hands, but Gavril won’t let go.

Lips twitching, he says, “I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.”

“It’s good.” My cheeks are flaming as I try to explain. “You’re like… one of those statues. By Michelangelo. Carved from stone, and so beautiful. Strong. That’s what I meant. I don’t know why I said it like that.”

“Ah, gorgeous.” One hand cups my cheek. “It’s a good thing, then. And I’m so… that you see me that way. I don’t know what I did to get so lucky.”

“Lucky?”

“To find you.” He stops and takes a deep breath. His eyes close as he exhales; when they open, everything he’s feeling is right there, exposed to me. “To fall in love with you, Chiara.”

My heart stops.

“I’m not just falling,” Gavril continues as his gaze burns into mine. “I love you. I have been. Until you, I didn’t know what love felt like. I never thought it would happen to me. That I’d find someone who could love someone like me.”

“Gavril. Someone like you?” I trace the line of his brow, his jaw, his lips. “You are the greatest man I’ve ever met. By far. You’re kind. Brave. Loyal. Sensitive, though you don’t want anyone to know. And you have the biggest heart—” My voice catches. “You’re incredible. How could I not love you?”

“You love me?”

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