Page 116 of Crazed

The water's the perfect temperature. It's refreshing but not too warm. I swim as far out under the water as I can, until my lungs need fresh air, before popping above the surface. I lean back, run my hands over my hair, and lick the salty water off my lips.

Massimo pops up next to me. "Didn't know you were a swimmer."

Nostalgia runs through me. I admit, "My father used to take me to the ocean once a year in the summer. It wasn't clear like this—well, you know how the water is at the Jersey shore. But he taught me to swim. He said it was an important skill everyone should have."

Massimo grabs my waist.

I wrap my legs around his hips and ask, "Are you standing?"

"Yep." He pecks me on the lips then states, "Your father was right. Glad to see you aren't afraid to get your hair wet."

I scoff. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm pretty simple."

Massimo shakes his head and pushes my wet locks behind my ear. "There's nothing simple about you, dolce."

Whenever he looks at me like he is right now, the zings I always get return. It's as if he can somehow see right through to my soul. My heart grows so big, it's like it might explode from the love I feel for him.

He wants to marry me.

How is this possible?

He wants me to have his babies.

A mix of fear from the unknown and happiness fills me. My expression must change because he asks, "What's going on in that head of yours?"

I blurt out, "Why are you so good to me? You shouldn't be. After everything I admitted, you should want nothing to do with me."

Darkness weaves through his features. He stares at me for a moment then slowly exhales, replying, "Maybe it's because deep down, I always knew."

My pulse races faster. I gape at him until I can muster, "What do you mean you knew?"

He glances behind him then back at me. Lowering his voice, he confesses, "I knew your ties to Leo and Ludis. The story about how you won your freedom from Leo was far-fetched." He clenches his jaw then swallows.

"You didn't believe me?" I ask, shocked, since he seemed to never doubt me.

He shakes his head. "No, I believed you. None of my brothers or Papà would have ever fallen for it."

Confusion fills me. I question, "Then why did you?"

The vulnerability I see so often on his face appears. He reveals, "I think I wanted to."

"Why?"

He tightens his hold around me. "Have I not made it clear?"

My butterflies spread their wings. I reply, "You love me."

He shakes his head. "No."

"No? You don't?"

"Of course I love you. But I meant I'm crazy about you. Once I met you, I couldn't see straight. I thought about nothing until you agreed to go out with me. The thought of you working for that bastard wasn't something I could believe," he divulges.

"I'm sorry. I'm so—"

He puts his finger over my lips. "Shh. We aren't going to talk about this again. Right now, we're in paradise. Tomorrow, we're getting married."

"Tomorrow?" I gape.

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