Page 150 of Ache for You (Slow Burn 3)
The rest of the afternoon is a blur of dancing, speeches, food, and champagne. At one point, late into the evening when everyone is soused and the band is playing a slow song, I see Dominic and the marchesa quietly conferring in a corner. I nudge Matteo with my elbow and lift my chin in their direction.
“You’re a better person than I am,” says Matteo, watching Dominic with narrowed eyes. “I never would’ve forgiven him for taking money from your father.”
I lean against his shoulder, and he drapes his arm around me. “Though it’s my personal specialty, grudges aren’t something Papa believed in. I know he would’ve wanted me to work it out. And Dominic did apologize and offer to pay the money back, so he got credit for making an effort.”
Matteo says stiffly, “Until he apologizes to my mother for the way he’s treated her, he’ll always be on my shit list.”
I smile at the man I love. “Why do you think I invited him, Count?”
He slants me a sour look. “What is it you have against my title?”
My smile is brilliant. I turn and wind my arms around his waist. “Nothing at all. I just love how much it annoys you when I call you Count.”
“So it’s not that you’d rather be a countess than Marchesa Moretti.” Wrapping his arms around my back, he gazes down at me with love shining in his gorgeous blue eyes.
I laugh, glancing over at his mother. “I think someone already has dibs on that title.”
“And I think it’s time we had another marchesa in the family,” he says softly.
Startled, I look at him. His lips curve up as I stare at him in shock. Is he saying what I think he’s saying?
“Uh . . . I, uh . . .”
“You ‘uh’ what?” he teases, brushing his lips against my cheek. “You ‘uh’ want to see the ring before you decide?”
“The ring?” I say breathlessly. My heart is pounding so hard I can barely hear my own voice over it. My knees are made of rubber.
Matteo turns nonchalant. “Unless you’d rather not. I know you’re not that keen about matrimony.” He pauses. “It’s pretty nice, though. Big.”
His lips press together as he watches my expression. He’s trying not to laugh, the bastard.
Oh, it’s on.
I compose myself, thoughtfully pursing my lips as I fiddle with his lapel. “How big?”
“Massive.” He pretends to be thoughtful. “Now that I think about it, it’s completely gaudy. You wouldn’t want to wear it anyway. Diamonds that large only attract the wrong kind of attention. People will think you’re showing off.”
He sighs, looking away. “You’d probably be a target for muggers. You wouldn’t be able to wear it in public, that’s for sure. Just around the house. No, maybe not even there—the servants would talk, someone would plan a theft. I suppose you’d have to keep the thing locked up in a safe where the light of all those flawless carats can shine without the threat of being stolen. Hey, should we dance?”
“Where is this horrible, gaudy ring?” I shout, breaking. I take him by his lapels and shake him. “Show it to me now or I’ll kill you!”
He starts to laugh, loudly, grabbing me and pulling me against his chest so hard I lose my breath.
“It’s in my pocket, bella.”
I start to laugh, too. “And here I thought all this time you were just happy to see me.” I shove my hand into the left pocket of his trousers and come up with a small black velvet box. I stare at it, my hands shaking, my lungs constricting, all the blood draining from my head.
Matteo gently takes it from me and cracks it open.
He has to catch me before I fall.
“Jesus,” I say, clinging to him as he laughs. “That is gaudy. Tell me it’s cubic zirconia, I don’t want to think you had to put the castle in hock to buy that awful thing.”
“I love you,” he says, sliding the ring onto my finger. “Will you marry me?”
It is very, very hard to breathe. “I can hardly say no after you bought me the world’s biggest diamond.”
“My plan exactly,” he says, nodding. “But that wasn’t officially a yes.”
