Page 63 of The Kiss that Captured a Billionaire
When she finally asked how he and Nikos had found her so quickly, he told her about the trail of traffic camera photos, Nikos’ ridiculous agreement to go on a blind date, and Kerry’s pointed hospitality offer involving ‘a pot of boiling water’.
Rose giggled, her eyes bright with amusement.
“And then there were the air tags Nikos hid on both of us. Without them, I’d still be choking down that sludge from the service station,” he added with amusement.
Her eyes widened and then narrowed. “Clearly your friends are far too used to putting the digital version of a child’s leash on you,” she joked.
His rueful, aggrieved expression had her cracking up, and by the time he finished eating, her eyes were dancing and her shoulders had relaxed in a way that made him feel like—for the first time in days—they were both breathing easier.
The laughter between them faded into a comfortable quiet. The steam from their mugs curled upward and disappeared into the pale morning light as she refilled them. Theo set his coffee down, his gaze lingering on her face until her smile softened with curiosity.
“What?” she asked, tilting her head.
He exhaled slowly, bracing his forearm on the picnic table. “I owe you an apology, Rose. A real one. And I think… it’s past time you heard the truth.”
Her expression stilled, but she didn’t look away.
He took a breath. “Months ago, I had a meeting with Lorenzo Alliata. Business, mostly, but also… personal. He told me he was looking for someone—his granddaughter. Livia’s daughter. He didn’t have a name, only fragments of where she might be. I agreed to help, but I had no idea it was you. Not until…” His lips curved faintly. “Not until I saw your birthmark.”
She tried for a wry smile, but her eyes searched his. “And my locket? Why did you take it?”
He hesitated only a moment. “I meant to give it back before you woke. I wanted to show Nikos because it proved what I already suspected. I recognized the photos of Livia and your father from the one Lorenzo showed me…. I knew your mother when she was younger. It was wrong, and I’m sorry. It seems like I’m always screwing things up when it comes to you.” He sighed and shook his head. “Lorenzo isn’t just my friend; he’s my godfather. When I realized you were Livia’s daughter, it should have changed things. I had crossed an invisible line. But it didn’t matter. I still wanted you—like I’ve never wanted anyone in my life. And I know Lorenzo and Sophia… they’re old-school Sicilians.” He sighed, glancing toward the river before continuing. “They are fiercely protective of their family. They wouldn’t approve of my seduction of their granddaughter.”
Her brow furrowed deeper. “That’s not what my grandmother told me. She told me they wanted nothing to do with me after I was born.”
His gaze softened, his voice low. “That’s something only Lorenzo and Sophia can explain. I’m asking you to please give them a chance. They are good people. Your mother had a twin sister—Lucinda—and a younger brother, Raff. He’s my age.
“I should have told you the truth as soon as I recognized who you were. Not because of Lorenzo, not because of your family—but because you deserved honesty from the man who claimed to care about you,” he continued quietly. “You captivated me the moment I laid eyes on you. Completely. There was just… something about you. And then you kissed me, and I swear to God, it knocked me sideways. I’ve closed billion-dollar deals with more composure.”
Her face turned a rosy color that had nothing to do with the chill in the air. She studied him with a gaze that was a mixture of longing and uncertainty before asking, “And calling Mimi?”
His mouth curved, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I was being selfish. I wanted you all to myself. I didn’t want to travel overseas and leave you behind.”
Her gaze didn’t waver. “And the marriage?”
Something in his jaw flexed. “The condom broke,” he said simply. “In my—overly zealous—rush to have you.”
He twisted and clasped her hands as emotion surged through him. “There’s a chance you might be pregnant. And if you are…” his eyes locked on hers, the words warm and certain, “I’d be thrilled, Rose. More than thrilled. I never thought I’d want children—not until I met you. The idea of a little girl with your laugh…”
She swallowed. “And if I’m not?”
A slow, deliberate smile curved his lips as he leaned in, his voice dropping to a husky murmur. “Then it gives me more time to learn how to do things right.”
Her breath caught as he brushed his mouth over hers—light, reverent—pulling back just enough to see her flush.
Rose turned, her mind swirling with everything he had told her. She cradled her mug between her palms, letting the warmth seep into her fingers as she watched a pair of dragonflies skimming over the river’s surface.
It would be so easy to imagine mornings like this—coffee, damp earth, Theo beside her. Permanent. Too easy. If she stepped into that picture, she’d never want to leave. What scared her the most was that she wasn’t sure she could survive watching it shatter if things between them fell apart.
He was watching her now, those dark eyes studying her as if he could read every thought running through her head. It made her feel both seen and bare.
She set her mug down slowly and turned to eat her oatmeal. “You make it hard to keep my guard up,” she murmured.
His mouth curved, but there was a question in his gaze. “Let me in. Give us a chance to see where this will go, Rose. That’s all I ask.”
Her chest tightened at the simplicity of it—because he said it like it was possible. The only thing keeping them apart was a choice she hadn’t yet found the courage to make.
She dropped her gaze to her hands, turning the spoon in her oatmeal, telling herself she was just buying time. But the truth was… she was already leaning toward him.
