Page 217 of Modern Romance Collection May 2024 Books 1-4

‘You’re meant to be on a plane on your way to New York right now,’ he managed, his voice hoarse.

‘I know, but the thing is, Domenico, I don’t want to go to New York.’

His heart stuttered.She didn’t want to go?

‘But the job with the bridal store—it’s a huge...’

‘It’s a huge opportunity, I know,’ she sighed, as though she was tired of hearing those words. ‘But I’m not sure it’s the right one, not if it means leaving you.’ Words failed him, especially as she pressed herself out of his chair and moved around the desk towards him, her footsteps sure, her eyes fixed steadily on him. ‘I love you, Domenico. I love you with every breath that I take and I want to be your wife now even more than I did when you first asked me to marry you. Knowing exactly who you are has only made everything I feel for you stronger and I want spend the rest of my life with you.’

The sparkle of her eyes intensified, the truth of her words easy to see, and his heart quivered, threatening to burst open with the delight streaming into it. ‘The only reason I even set that meeting for New York was because I was scared of everything that I was feeling, scared of the fear that comes with loving you so much, and when you told merepeatedlyto go, I thought, okay, maybe it’s better this way. This way, I won’t have to live with that fear of making the same mistakes as my mum. But I realised that I was only making a different one. Because, by trying so hard to not be like her, I was going to the other extreme—a life without love, a life controlled by fear. And that’s not what I want either. Because a life without you just isn’t a life.’

She moved closer, hope brimming in her face. ‘What I do want is to stay here and be your wife. Not just for a few months, but for ever. And I know it won’t be easy, making our marriage work with both of our careers, it will take a lot of work, but I believe in us enough to know that we can.’

He moved like a bullet, darting towards her and taking her face in his hands, kissing her long and slow and stopping only because there were some words he needed to say. ‘I want you to stay too, Rae,’ he murmured breathlessly, the words in a rush to get out. ‘I only told you to go because I didn’t want to stand in your way again. I didn’t want to be the reason you would one day wake up unhappy. But telling you to leave nearly killed me. I’ve been in a fog ever since.’

‘That is the most selfless, sexy and stupid thing you’ve ever done for me. And I forbid you to ever do something like that again,’ she said strictly, but with a dazzling smile up at him. ‘We need to be honest with each other if we’re going to make this work, Domenico. We have to always tell each other what we’re thinking and feeling, however hard it is, however scared we are that the other won’t like what they have to hear.’

‘I’m scared that I can’t be enough for you,’ he admitted roughly, not wanting to hold anything back from her. ‘That, however hard I try, I won’t ever be the man you deserve.’

She reached up her hand to his face and cupped his jaw with her warm palm, empathy shining out of her eyes because she knew exactly why he thought that without him having to say anything more. ‘You’re already everything I want, Domenico. I’ll tell you that every day if you need me to. And as for you standing in my way—you’re not. I’m making a considered decision about what I do and don’t want. That’s different to how it was last time. And New York is just one opportunity. Hopefully, there will be others and when they come we’ll talk about them. If we can make it work and how we do that.’

‘I actually already have a thought about that,’ Domenico said, detaching from her reluctantly and moving to his desk, withdrawing a file from his top drawer. ‘For you,’ he said, placing it in her hands and watching as she opened it and withdrew the sheets of paper inside, a puzzled look racing over her expression.

‘You bought me a building?’

‘A three-storey building on the corner of Salizada San Moisè, so lots of windows, lots of beautiful natural light. I thought, to start with, it would be a good studio. You could bring brides there for consultations and fittings and then, eventually, the ground floor could be a store. Your first store.’

She looked overcome, her eyes moving from him to the paper and back to him. ‘I... I can’t believe you did this.’

‘I had Nico start looking after our conversation on the plane to Majorca. I wanted to do something for you, to make everything up to you. And to show you how much I believe in you and support you.’ He slid his arms around her waist, drawing her against him. ‘I didn’t always in the past, but I do now and I will every day going forward. Because I love you. More than anything.’

He rested his forehead against hers, contentment sinking down the length of his body. ‘You’re my home, Rae. You are where I belong. And we will make this work. I will not allow anything to come between us ever again.’

She smiled up at him, the words bringing palpable relief to her body. ‘And I won’t run any more, I promise. Whatever problem or fear I have, I will come to you.’

‘And I will always make time to listen and be there for you and whatever it is that you need, I’ll make sure you have it.’

‘Right now—’ she smiled, sliding her hands up his chest and around his neck ‘—I think I already have everything I need.’

‘As do I, Signora Ricci,’ he said, smiling that long, slow, devastating smile. ‘As long as I have you, I am complete.’

EPILOGUE

Three years later

THERICCIBALLWASin full swing. It had become one of the biggest nights in Venice’s social calendar and the gilded ballroom was packed with guests. The chandelier high above glittered in splendour, rare jewels sparkled at every table, but as far as Domenico was concerned, nothing and no one shone as brightly as his wife. As his eyes found her among the throng, he cut an eager path towards her.

‘Are you having a good time?’ he whispered, slipping his hands around her stomach and resting them on her protruding bump, which even her cleverly designed dress couldn’t completely hide.

‘Yes. But it’s even better now that you’re back at my side,’ she murmured, stroking a hand across his jaw.

‘Would you like to dance?’

‘As if you need to ask. I told you I want to make the most of tonight before I’m too big to do anything...’

‘You’ll still be ravishing,’ Domenico cut in.

‘And before these babies get here and drastically upend our lives.’

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