Page 59 of Claiming His Mafia Princess

“Are you serious? I’ve always wanted to go on one of these.” She shouts, then pulls me down the hill towards the massive, colorful balloon.

We watch in awe as it inflates and grows bigger and bigger.

Finally, we climb into the basket and start rising into the air.

The balloon drifts upwards into the glowing orange and pink sky, streaks of purple splashing between the clouds. The air is icy up here.

I lean down and pick up the jackets. I had them put in the basket for us.

She shakes her head, smiling. “You thought of everything.”

We stand at the edge of the basket, looking across the sky, drift through it like we belong up here, alone - away from the rest of the world.

I wrap my arms around her as she leans her back against my chest. I can see she is smiling when I look down at her.

“Lila.”

“Mm?” she says, glancing up at me. Pulling her eyes away from the view.

“There is something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time. I just wanted to wait, until you were better, and now—well, now you are.”

I take a deep breath. She turns to look at me, the pink sky turning a touch of purple and reflecting in her eyes.

“I’m in love with you. I am so madly and deeply in love with you, I don’t even want to think of a time when you aren’t in my life.”

A wide, warm smile spreads across her face. “You love me?”

“I do, baby girl.”

She drops her eyes as her dark lashes flutter. When she looks up at me again, she looks nervous. “I love you too, Nevio. I have for a while and I didn’t want to tell you and make you feel weird about it.”

I chuckle.

“You love me?”

“More than the world, more than words, more than anything.”

I drop to my knee, pulling the ring out of my pocket.

“I know we are already married, but the first time - it wasn’t done the way I would have wanted - will you marry me - again?”

She squeals with laughter and happiness and leaps into my arms. I am knocked off my feet as she lands on me, giggling and kissing me all over my face.

“Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.” she says between each kiss.

The basket of the air balloon is swinging a little when I pull her back up to her feet.

“So, that’s a yes, then?” I ask, teasing her.

She nods. “It’s the biggest yes ever.”

I lift her hand and slip the new ring onto her finger. It fits right alongside her existing ring. I don’t want to change how we met. I don’t want to erase it or cancel it. I just want to add to it.

“So, we are going to plan our wedding together then?” I ask, wondering if she’s one of those girls that have been dreaming about what her dress will look like since she was in kindergarten.

“Everything. I want to plan everything with you.”

She snuggles against me as we continue to drift through the air.

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