Page 105 of Dangerous King
"I don't want to be a bother," she murmurs, eyes downcast. "It doesn't have to be anything huge. We can just… do something small?—"
"Small wedding? Hell no," Izzy cuts in like a lightning bolt. "You're marrying a Sartori, and also—me, which means big dress, big flowers, big party. End of discussion."
Mamma hums, already flipping into planning mode again. "Three months…" She taps her chin, then nods once, a spark lighting in her eyes. "Fine. Challenge accepted."
She turns, almost like an afterthought, to include Sabine and Cat's mother. "Ladies, we're going to need a full planning committee. Sabine, I'm going to need your eye on dress styles.Loredana, I need a list of colors, flowers, anything your daughter has ever dreamed of. We need to sit together, tomorrow morning?" At Cat's mother's nod, Mamma let out a sigh.
Cat's eyes go wide. "I—uh—wow."
"You'll thank me later," Izzy says with a grin, then raises her glass. "To the bride!"
"To the warpath," Sabine mutters with an edge to her tone I can't quite pinpoint, but then Cat looks at me, dazed and still pink in the cheeks, and I forget everything but her. I wrap my arm around her and murmur against her hair, "Three months, Piccolina. I'm not waiting longer."
I didn't say why, but there is a very real possibility that sheiscarrying my child—if not yet, she will be soon— and there's no way in hell she walks down that aisle with a baby bump. Not while the world is watching.
The moon hangs low over the garden, casting silver across the lawn and making the fountain shimmer like a pool of stars. Crickets chirp in the hedges, and somewhere in the trees, an owl calls once before falling quiet again.
I lean back against Enrico's chest, tucked between his legs on a stone bench that's still faintly warm from the day. The night air is cool, but not cold; it's actually kind of perfect. Shadow lies at our feet, stretched long and twitching in his sleep, his paws jerking now and then like he's chasing something in his dreams.
I'm happy.
That realization still hits in waves. It's a pure, overwhelming happiness that catches me off guard and holds me still, like now. His arms around me. The quiet hum of the night. The way themoonlight paints silver into his dark hair and softens the sharp lines of his face.
Earlier, we wandered the garden paths with Shadow sniffing ahead of us, and Enrico teased me about tripping over roots because I kept watching the stars instead of where I was going. He reached for my hand every time I strayed too close to the edge as if even gravity couldn't be trusted to take care of me the way he would.
Now we sit, wrapped in silence, but it's the kind that speaks volumes. Every breath between us saysyou're safe, you're wanted, you're mine.
"I'm sorry," he murmurs suddenly, low and rough against my ear. "I should've had a ring when I asked you."
I turn just enough to look at him. The moonlight is catching the glint in his dark eyes. "You're really apologizing for that?"
He lifts one shoulder, almost sheepish, nothing like my big, strong mafia boss. "You deserve something beautiful."
"You'll give me something beautiful," I say softly, squeezing the arms wrapped around me. "You'll give me your name."
His breath catches.
"And for the record," I add, smirking, "I don't need a ring to know I'm yours."
He exhales slowly, like something inside him just let go. "For the record, I do, though. I want every man in the world to know that you're mine. And mine alone. So you'll get one," he mutters. "I'll make sure of it. Something big enough to blind anyone who looks at you too long."
I laugh, even as my heart stutters. "Possessive much?"
His lips graze the curve of my jaw. "You have no idea."
Shadow lets out a little huff, flipping to his other side, probably complaining that we're being too loud and are disturbing his sleep. I giggle and stroke his back.
"I don't think he approves of all the moonlight romance," I tease.
"He'll survive," Enrico murmurs. "You're mine, and I'm not sharing. Not even with the dog."
I tilt my head back until our eyes meet. The moon reflects in his, and I think, not for the first time, that this man will ruin me in all the right ways.
"You know you won't see me much for the next three months, right?" I tease.
"I'm aware that my sister has full proprietary rights over you, or thinks she does, at least." He concedes. I laugh, having no idea what I did to deserve this much happiness.
"There will be a lot of shopping," I add, feeling rueful about it. I don't have any money. None.
