Page 90 of To Have and To Hold

She leaned against the wall in the hallway and looked up at me. “I told my mother if she and my papà didn’t accept you, they’d lose me.”

“I’ll talk to Dario. After all, he’s my brother-in-law. He and Cat and Dante and Camila will come. He’ll make sure your family is here too.”

Isabella shook her head. “No.” She reached her hand to my cheek as her gaze met mine. “I love that you want to make me happy, Em.” She dropped her hand. “But I don’t want my parents to be forced to attend their daughter’s wedding. When my call with Mom ended, I made peace with the possibility of stepping away from them for good.” A tear teetered on her eyelid. “It’s Noemi and Tony that make me sad. They won’t have their own choice. It will be whatever Papà decrees.”

I lifted both arms to the wall above her shoulders, caging this gorgeous creature. It wasn’t a move to contain her, more of my burning desire to shield her from the unhappiness in the world around us. I kissed her nose. “We are a family now.” I kissed her lips. “You and I.” I trailed my lips down her slender neck. “Together, we will move mountains.” She leaned her head, allowing me to take my kisses lower, over her collarbone. “I love you, Izzy.”

Her breathing was labored as her breasts heaved against her blouse.

My low timbre and kisses had goose bumps scattered over her beautiful skin. I reached for her chin. “Tell me what you want.”

She looked up, opening her eyes. “I don’t know. After yesterday, I want to feel safe and loved.”

Isabella shrieked as I swept her into my arms. “You are safe, and you are loved.”

She brought her arms around my neck as I opened the door to my bedroom suite. I flipped on the light and set her feet back on the floor. She turned a complete circle, taking in my suite.

A bouquet of flowers sat on the table near the balcony with a bottle of champagne and slender crystal glasses. My quick scan confirmed that my suite appeared cleaner than usual, no clothes strewn around. That meant that Mom had spoken to our house manager, Lola. The linens on the large bed were fresh with the blankets pulled down, revealing black satin sheets.

There wouldn’t be discussion of blood like the famiglia did after Cat’s wedding.

“This is your room?”

“No. It’s nowoursuntil we have a home of our own.”

She walked from one piece of furniture to the next, running her fingers over the surfaces. Isabella stopped at the glass French doors. “There’s a balcony. At Mia’s I had a window that looked out to the ocean.”

I walked up behind her and opened the door. The salty sea breeze tousled her long locks. We both took a step out onto the concrete. Isabella held tight to the iron railing and lifted her face to the wind.

“I’ve lived my entire life in Missouri. The ocean fascinates me.”

I wrapped my arms around her waist, bringing her back to my front. “You fascinate me.”

She spun in my arms. With our proximity, there was no way she couldn’t feel the erection pinned beneath my jeans. Isabella lifted her chin and stared upward. “You fascinate me, Em. You’re such a contradiction. You’re the fierce man who scared me at the birthday party. At the same time, you’re gentle and caring.”

“Tell me again what you want.”

“I want you.”

I tugged her into the bedroom, leaving the balcony door open. With the house’s placement over the cliff, leaving it open wasn’t a danger. Once inside, I removed the holster from my waistband, my boots, and the two ankle holsters, laying the weapons on the table near the flowers.

“Any more?” Isabella asked.

“Earlier I had a shoulder holster, but I didn’t put it back on after I showered.” I walked to the bed, sat on the edge with my legs spread and motioned with my finger for her to follow.

With only a millisecond of hesitation, she came closer until she was standing between my legs. I tugged her across my lap with her round ass on one leg and her legs over the other. I reached for her shoes, removing them one by one.

This was far from my first sexual encounter—about fifteen years far. However, it was the first encounter with my wife, the first first-encounter that I truly wanted to make perfect. I stroked her gorgeous golden hair away from her beautiful face. “You’re mine.”

With a smile curling her lips, she nodded. “I am. Forever.” She looked down at the ring on her left hand. “This is beautiful.” Her eyes came to mine. “What was your mother’s grandmother like?”

“I don’t know. She passed before I was born.”

“Her husband, your great-grandfather?”

I shook my head and lifted her hand. “I heard Mom telling you the story. It sounds like they loved one another their entire lives.”

Isabella nodded. “I don’t want another wedding ring.”

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