Page 74 of Desire and Revenge

“Please let me say this.” I brush my mouth against hers, featherlight and reverent.

“Okay.”

“When you told me you loved me, I should’ve said it back. Hell, I should’ve said it first. But I didn’t, because I didn’t want to be selfish with you.” I sigh. “Or maybe I was lying to myself, pretending I was being selfless when, deep down, I was just a coward, and I was trying to tell myself I wasn’t in love with you.”

She makes a choking sound. “You’re in love with me?”

“Yes, Princess, I’m in love with you,” I confirm. “I confess. “I don’t know when it started, and I don’t even know if this is what love’s supposed to feel like. I just know that... I’m undeniably incapable of being away from you, and—” I trail off, swallowing.

“I’ve always prided myself on being a man with a plan, knowing all the answers. But with you, the more questions I answer, the more there seem to arise. I know every inch of you, and yet it feels like I don’t know anything at all. I’ll never stop marveling at how extraordinary you are. And I want to spend the rest of my life finding those answers.”

“We’ll find them together,” she whispers against my lips. “We’ll figure everything out together.”

“And what if we don’t?” I ask, the fear gnawing at me. “What if you’re just caught up in the chaos, and your feelings for me are... because I was there when?—”

She presses a finger to my lips, silencing me. “Sh.”

“Sofia—”

“Just stop,” her voice is firmer now. “I know what I want, Nero, and what I want is you. You are the first real decision I’ve ever gotten to make on my own. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’m messing this all up and I should run as fast as I can towards my freedom with my arms wide open, but this is exactly where I want to be. With you.” Her eyes are steady on mine. “I’ve spent my whole life craving freedom, thinking it was running off into the sunset. But now I see that it can be a person. Someone who gives you the space and support to achieve and explore everything you want.”

“I’ll never cage you, baby girl,” I say, lifting her chin so she can see the truth in my eyes. “You deserve the world, and I’ll give it to you—or stand back and watch you take it.”

She flings her arms around my neck, laughing with delight. “Can we get another cat? And a dog? Maybe a rabbit. I’ve always liked rabbits.”

I can already see a future with our house overrun by animals.Our. That word feels so right. Something inside my chest settles, and I smile.

“Okay.”

“You should at least put up a bit of a fight, Nero. You can’t just give me everything I want.”

“I’ll stop you when you start asking for a pet crocodile,” I assure her, nipping at her neck. She trembles in my arms, and a soft sigh slips out of her mouth.

“What do you think of snakes?”

“No reptiles,” I warn.

“You’re being discriminatory,” she chides.

“We need to get you to the hospital, or I’ll have Davide get you a doctor. You need your head looked at.”

“Who’s Davide?” She blinks at me, then her gaze shifts down to my bruised face. “You need a doctor more than me. You look terrible.”

I grin, pressing my lips to hers. “Is that any way to talk to your—” I pause, realizing I don’t know what to call myself. Boyfriend feels too small, too simple for what we are.

“We can figure it out later,” her voice breaks into my reverie, and then one side of her mouth pulls up. “I have a list of places I want to visit.”

“Anywhere but the U.S.,” I grumble.

She pulls away, pouting. “But that was first on my list! What’s your problem with the U.S.?”

I can’t help but kiss her again, this time I making sure to lick into that sweet mouth and dragging out a moan or two from her. She tastes divine as usual, and I can never get tired of kissing her.

“They’re uncultured,” I say when we pull apart.

“Uncultured?” She laughs, slapping my chest playfully. “You wore jeans and boots to my wedding.”

“I’ll wear a suit to the next one,” I promise.

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