Page 104 of Silence and Surrender

“I love you,” he whispered as he kissed me, and for once the lawyer in him had no other words.

The celebration afterwards transformed the villa’s courtyard into something magical. Lanterns cast golden light over long tables laden with Allegra’s finest cooking. Cooper’s wine flowed freely, each bottle specially chosen from the cellar. The girls danced with abandon, teaching Steele steps that made him laugh.

Cooper’s best man speech, which was really just a toast, managed to be both touching and slightly inappropriate, telling stories of their childhood that made Colton groan and me laugh. But there was real emotion in his voice when he welcomed me to the family.

“My brother,” he had said, raising his glass, “has always been the careful one. The precise one. The one who needed documentation for everything.” He smiled at Colton. “Then Isabella walked into his life and proved that the most important things can’t be contained in contracts. Love doesn’t need paperwork. Sometimes it just needs courage to be real.”

As the sun set, casting long shadows across the courtyard, Colton pulled me close for our first dance. No carefully choreographed steps, just us moving together to music that seemed to come from the villa itself.

Later, after the children had been put to bed and the adults had retired, Colton led me to our room. Someone—probably Allegra—had scattered rose petals on the bed and lit candles that filled the air with soft light. The Tuscan night spilled through our open windows, bringing with it the scent of jasmine and the distant sound of mole crickets.

He pulled me close, his kiss deeper now that we were alone. All the control he’d maintained during the ceremony slipped as his hands found bare skin under silk.

“My wife,” he murmured against my throat, and the words sent shivers through me.

“My husband,” I replied, working the buttons of his shirt. “The lawyer who finally let love breach his defenses.”

He laughed softly, the sound rough with desire. “Only for you.”

In the candlelight, every touch felt heightened. His hands traced paths they’d memorized months ago, but tonight each caress carried new meaning. New promises. When his fingers found the zipper of my dress, I felt him pause.

“What?”

“Just...memorizing,” he said softly. “How you look right now. How this feels. I want to remember every detail.”

The dress slid to the floor, leaving me in delicate lace chosen for this night. His deep intake of breath made me smile.

“Like what you see, counselor?”

His eyes darkened. “You know I do.” His hands skimmed my sides. “You’re beautiful. Carrying our child. Wearing my ring. Mine.”

I stepped closer, helping him out of his jacket, then his shirt. Even now, months into our relationship, the sight of him made my breath catch. The perfect suits had always hidden a warrior’s body, and tonight that body was mine. All mine.

“I love seeing you like this,” I murmured, tracing the deep grooves on his chest. “No fake façade. No careful walls. Just you.”

His hands tangled in my hair, tilting my face up. “Just yours.”

We took our time, exploring each other with new reverence. Every touch felt weighted with promise. His mouth traced paths down my throat, across my collarbone. When he finally moved inside me, I felt complete.

“I love you,” he breathed against my mouth. “God, Isabella, I love you.”

I wrapped myself around him, taking him deeper. I repeated back his catch phrase to him, demanding he make good on his promise. “Show me.”

He did, with exquisite care and burning passion. When I came apart in his arms, he swallowed my cries with his kiss. His own release followed moments later, my name a prayer on his lips.

Afterward, we lay tangled in sheets that smelled of roses and love. His hand rested protectively over our child while I traced patterns on his chest, memorizing how he looked in this moment—utterly relaxed, and completely mine.

“What are you thinking?” he asked softly, catching my wandering hand and bringing it to his lips.

“That I love you.” I propped myself up to look at him. “That whatever comes in London, whatever battles we have to fight, this is real. This is true.”

His kiss was gentle. “No documentation required.”

We made love again as night gave way to dawn, slower this time, savoring every touch. When sleep finally claimed us, we were still tangled together, his arm curved protectively around my waist, my head on his chest where I could hear his heart beating steady and strong.

Chapter Forty-One

Isabella

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