Page 63 of Saved by the CEO

“What made you change your mind?” he asked.

Of course, her staying didn’t mean she wanted him back in her life. He tried to remind himself not to get his hopes up. She’d never even said she loved him.

But she was smiling. They both were.

“For starters? A good long look at where I was.” Her lip trembled, breaking the spell between them. She looked down at her pastry. “I realized I’d been stuck in the past. Not so much regarding what happened—although I was stuck about those things, too—but more like frozen in time. In my head, I saw myself as that same impressionable twenty-one-year-old girl. I forgot how much time had passed.’

Afraid she was about to beat herself up, he cut in. “Not so much time.”

“Enough that I should know better,” she told him.

She wasn’t making sense. Confused, he waited as she got up from the table. Her high heels tapped out her paces on the terra-cotta.

“I should have known that the person I am today isn’t the same as the person I was back then. At least I shouldn’t be, if I let myself grow up.

“I’m not making much sense, am I?” she said, looking at him.

“No.”

“I was afraid of that.” Her small smile quickly faded away. “What I’m trying to say is that you were right. I was afraid of repeating the past. For so long I thought I was trapped in my marriage. Then the trial happened, and suddenly I had a second chance. Throughout the entire trial, I swore to myself I would never let myself become trapped again.”

And along came Nico charging in to make everything better. Exactly what she didn’t need. He’d heard enough. “It’s all right, Louisa. I understand.”

“No, you don’t,” she said, walking to him. “I should have realized that I can’t make the same mistake, because I’m not the same person. I can make new mistakes, but I can’t make the same ones.”

Through her speech, Nico had been fighting the kernel of hope that wanted to take root in his chest. All of her rambling sounded suspiciously like it was leading to a declaration. Until he heard the words, however, he was too afraid to believe. “Are you saying...?”

“I’m saying I’ve fallen in love with you, Nico Amatucci. I started falling the day I arrived in Monte Calanetti, and I haven’t stopped.”

She loved him. “You know that I’m still going to want to rush in and fix things.”

“And I’ll probably get mad and accuse you of trying to take over.”

“I’d expect no less.”

The eyes that found his this time were shining with moisture. “Because no one said love had to be perfect.”

“Just perfect for us.” After days of separation, Nico couldn’t hold himself back a moment longer. Jumping to his feet, he rushed to take her in his arms. Immediately, he felt a hand against his chest.

“I still have scars,” she said. “You’re going to have to be patient with me.”

“I’ll wait for as long as it takes,” he promised. “There’s no rushing the harvest. A long story,” he added when she frowned. “I’ll tell you about it later. Right now, I’d much rather kiss you.”

Her arms were around his neck before he finished the sentence. “Bella mia,” he whispered against her lips. Thank you, he prayed to himself. All his dreams, everything he’d ever wanted, he was holding in his arms right now. Nothing else mattered.

As his lips touched hers, one last thought flashed across his mind.

No sweeter wine...

EPILOGUE

February 14, Valentine’s Day

IF YOU ASKED LOUISA, the palazzo had never looked lovelier, not even when the place had hosted the royal wedding party. Standing in the ballroom doorway, she couldn’t stop smiling at the crowd of people who were there to celebrate the opening of her hotel.

This weekend, the palazzo would only host a handful of overnight guests, mostly friends who had agreed to be guinea pigs and test the service. They would open to the general public on a limited basis next weekend, and she hoped to be fully operational by summer.

The crowd was here for the first annual St. Valentine’s Ball. Billed as an opportunity to experience medieval romance and pageantry, the idea was the tourist development committee’s first official success.

A flash of red sequins caught her eye. “Lindsay’s outdone herself this time, hasn’t she?” Marianna said, appearing by her side. “No wonder she does so many A-list weddings.”

“No kidding.” The room was a gorgeous display of roses and red tapestry. “We were lucky she offered to help, what with her schedule.” But then, the woman had a soft spot for the village since it was where she’d met her husband. He was here with her tonight. A quick look across the dance floor found the two of them stealing a kiss in the corner. They were caught by Connor and Isabella, who’d apparently had a similar idea. Yet another couple who had found love here.

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