Page 34 of The Sins of Saint (The Sins of Saint 3)

Her eyes narrowed. “Sly move, Mr. Russo.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, Mrs. Russo.” God, I loved calling her that. I loved how it sounded as it rolled off my tongue.

I took her hand, and she followed me up the stairs. As we stepped onto the deck, Mila slipped in next to me. “You seem to have a talent for creating romantic rendezvous wherever you are.”

The memory of the night we shared on the yacht, the food, the champagne, the epic fuckery with her sitting on the rail while angry waves crashed against The Empress below her. I still struggled to fathom the amount of trust she must have had in me. Trust I obliterated the night before.

Her eyes beamed under the clear night sky. “Are you going to make me eat Italian cuisine again?”

“No.” I smiled. “I have something else on the menu for tonight.”

“Intrigued.”

I tightened my grip on her hand, and we walked across the wooden pathway that led all around the garden. I probably could have paid attention to the hundreds of fairy lights creating the illusion of stars throughout the vines and shrubs. And I probably could have admired the dozens of floating candles in crystal vases placed in a circle around the large pillows and blankets on the gazebo’s floor. But I was too busy looking at her, witnessing the look of awe on her beautiful face. God, it felt good to know the look of wonder on her face was because of something I had done for her. It made my heart swell inside my chest, and I knew this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Make my wife happy.

“Saint,” she started, her gaze slipping from one side to the other, “this is just…wow.”

And then she saw it.

“Oh, my God. Is that—?”

“It sure is.” I smiled and picked up the brown paper bag, compliments of Burger King.

Mila seemed stunned. “I never would have guessed the uptight and sophisticated Marcello Saint Russo would eat Burger King.”

“Well, since I made you eat Italian cuisine, I thought it only fair I do the same.”

“Are you referring to Burger King as American cuisine?”

“It’s not?” I feigned a look of confusion, and Mila let out a laugh. It was such a beautiful sound—a sound I wanted to hear every goddamn day.

“Come on. Sit.”

While Mila sat down on one of the pillows, I brought the wine cooler closer. Only it wasn’t cooling wine.

I pulled out two ice-cold beers and smirked. “I thought beer would be the perfect drink to compliment the cholesterol we’ll consuming. Plus,” I held out a beer to her, “yours is non-alcoholic.”

“Well, well, well, you sure did think of everything.” Mila took the beer, and I sat down across from her.

“Fair warning, though,” I started as I handed her a burger and fries, “enjoy your meal, because for the rest of the pregnancy it’s only healthy eating for you.”

Our eyes met, and something passed between us. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it was fucking powerful. The way she looked at me was as if she could see inside me, and whatever it was she saw…she liked it. She liked what she saw. How was that possible if I’d only ever been a monster to her? God, this woman was everything. An angel sent to Earth to save my demonized soul.

I broke eye contact first, trying my best not to get lost within the moment and lose sight of what tonight was for. “So, you’ll probably be surprised to know that I’ve never had a…what do you call it?”

She snickered. “A Whopper? You’ve never had a Whopper?”

“Nope.” I stared at the paper wrapped burger. “I could never quite understand the fascination with beef on a bun, crammed with garnish. I’m not quite sure what it’s made of.”

“Sometimes it’s good not to know what’s in it. It might just ruin the perfect burger.”

“Knowledge isn’t always power.”

Her eyes locked on mine, our breaths the only rhythm of time that passed. I knew what she wanted from me. She wanted my secrets. She wanted to know the story behind my scars, and I wanted to tell her. But, by God, I couldn’t even find the words to start.

Mila removed the burger from the wrapper. “I have to warn you, there is nothing sexy about a woman eating a burger.”

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