Page 68 of His Angel

Tears break free, the weight of his words sinking into me like a tide I can’t fight.

I look down at him, this man who’s been unbreakable, demanding, strong, a force of nature in a world of chaos, and I see the vulnerability in his brown irises, the pure hope that strips him bare.

The lights glow around us, the candles flickering like tiny heartbeats, and it’s like every moment spent with him flashes in front of me—the good, the bad, and the worst—but as my mind flickers through our history, there’s only one word my soul wants to scream.

“Yes.” I smother a sob with my hand. “Yes, Isaia. A thousand times, yes.”

His face lights up, carving deep lines of relief through the intensity. He slips the ring onto my trembling finger, a perfect fit, and rises to his feet.

“Fuck, baby girl.” Our bodies collide, and he kisses me like I’m the air he breathes, his lips pressing urgently against mine, consuming me with a passion that leaves me breathless.

His hands find their way into my hair, stroking and twisting the strands as though trying to capture every single sensation of this moment.

His kiss deepens, turns desperate, and I let him. I let him take everything and give all of myself in return. It’s like there’s magic, around us, in us, enveloping us, bottling this moment in something impenetrable, something no one can ever take away from us.

I’m breathless when he breaks the kiss and gently eases a strand of hair behind my ear. “There’s no time like the present.”

“What?”

“Priest?” he calls without taking his eyes off me, and I’m so confused, heart beating fast, and I stop breathing the moment a priest walks up on the deck. “This is Father Tobias. He can marry us right now.”

“Right now?” My gaze flicks between Isaia and the blue-eyed priest with dark hair and looks that seem more fitting for a sinner.

“You up for it, baby girl?”

“Isaia,” I try to steady my breathing, “you’re going at like a thousand miles a minute here.”

He chuckles and places his forehead against mine, his dark eyes twinkling with mischief and an unspoken desire.

His hands, rough yet gentle, cradle my face as he whispers, “That's because every minute I’m not married to you feels like wasted time.”

I frown at him, a thought popping into my head. “You’re doing this to protect me.”

“I’m doing this because I love you.”

“You think they won’t come after me if I'm your wife?”

The priest inches back, but Isaia merely lifts a finger at him. “Stay.” The priest pauses. “I’m not going to lie to you, baby girl,” Isaia continues. “Yes, giving you the Del Rossa name will add a layer of protection, which is partly why I want to do this right now.”

“Partly?”

He places a kiss on the top of my hand. “I love you. I’m spending the rest of my life with you, no question. So why wait? Like you said earlier, we don’t know what will happen tomorrow, in a week, a month, or a year from now. All we know is now, this very moment. And right now, I want to marry you. I want to make you my wife. I don’t care what the future brings. I just want now.”

I waver, staring into his eyes, which are filled with determination and love. The intensity of his emotions is overwhelming, almost tangible in the cool sea air.

I swallow hard, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I love him, too; there’s no doubt in my heart about that. But what if?—

“Don’t overthink it, baby girl.”

My heart stammers in my chest.

“Let’s live tonight like there’s no tomorrow.”

I look over at Father Tobias, who waits patiently, shifting from foot to foot but keeping a kindly gaze on us.

My pulse is racing, confusion mixed with excitement fluttering in my stomach, and when I turn back to Isaia, his gaze is steady on mine. Isn’t this what I’ve always wanted? To never bury myself in a predictable life? To never settle just because I have to?

Marrying him now is not me settling simply because it’s the next step in a predictable relationship. Marrying Isaia right here, right now, not knowing what will come next…that’s living. It’s the start of a life that’s guaranteed to be as unpredictable as the man standing before me. And God knows, that should scare me…but it doesn’t. It excites me.

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