Page 104 of Dangerous King
I tug gently, guiding her to me.
"You don't have to say yes right now," I murmur just for her. "But I need you to know this isn't a show. This isn't about legacy or duty." My fingers graze her cheek. "It's about you. And the way I can't imagine my life without hearing your laugh every day. Without feeling your skin against mine every night. Without watching you take over the world with that soft fire in you."
She blinks, lips parted, and something wavers in her gaze—then steadies.
"What if I'm not ready?" She whispers.
"Then I'll wait," I say simply. "But I'm not going anywhere."
Her fingers curl around mine slowly, like she's testing if this is real. If I'm real.
"And what if I say yes?" She asks next.
I step closer, brushing my mouth against her temple.
"Then I'll spend the rest of my life proving I'm worthy of you."
She lets out a breath, shaky and soft. Then her whole face shifts, like the clouds parting after a storm. Her eyes widen, glistening, and her lips curve slowly into a smile that lights up the entire room. Pure, unfiltered happiness takes over her expression. It's so bright, so open, it steals the breath right from my lungs.
Still, I can't help but feel I'm missing something. Then it hits me.
"I should've asked you first," I say, stepping closer. "I should have been prepared, taken you somewhere private. Lit a thousand candles. Given you the moment you deserve and the biggest rin?—"
But before I can say more, she laughs through her tears, grabs the front of my shirt, and pulls me down into her arms.
"Yes," she whispers, fierce and trembling. "Yes, Enrico. Yes."
The room explodes. Applause, cheers, laughter, crying, all over again, I hear it all like I'm underwater. Background noise to the only thing that matters: her.
And the way she kisses me, unabashed, happy.
Izzy squeals and hugs her a second time, and Mamma's already pulling out her phone to call someone, probably Nonna. Champagne appears from out of nowhere as if the servants had been on standby with it. I keep Cat's hand in mine, thumb tracing the inside of her wrist. Her pulse flutters like a bird against my skin.
Izzy lets out a dramatic gasp, "Wait—oh my god. When do you want to get married?"
Cat blinks. "I—what?"
"There's so much to do," Mamma says, already smoothing down her skirt like she's about to enter a boardroom. "The dress, the venue, the guest list?—"
"It'll take at least a year," Izzy declares, pointing toward Mamma. "You'll need fittings, and tastings, and?—"
"No," I interrupt firmly.
Everyone goes silent, staring at me. "You have three months," I declare, calm but absolute.
The room explodes again, only this time, with a different kind of energy.
"Three months?" Mamma demands, raising an elegant brow. "What, are we eloping in a snowstorm?"
"Three months isn't a wedding," Izzy says. "It's a party with vows and chaos."
Mamma clutches her pearls. "Darling, we need at least six for the cathedral alone?—"
I hold up a hand. "You have three. That's the deadline."
Mamma narrows her eyes at me, those sharp mamma eyes that used to intimidate the hell out of me when I was a kid. "That's not up to you," she says sharply. "That's up to the bride."
All heads swivel to Cat, who turns scarlet.
