Page 42 of Innocent's Wedding Day with the Italian

The room was empty but the French doors were ajar.

Tears pouring like a waterfall down her face, she sprinted across the room and dived out into the garden. Craning her neck in all directions, she sucked in all the air she could and then screamed his name.‘Enzo!’

Far in the distance, past the swimming pool and tennis court, a shadow appeared.

Rebecca didn’t hesitate. Arms and legs pumping, running faster than she’d ever run in her life, her heart pounding with exertion, tears almost blinding her, she hurtled herself to the statue-like figure and then, before she could even think of what she was doing, leapt at him.

If not for Enzo’s innate strength she would have sent them both sprawling. Instead, he caught her, and when her arms flew around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist, strong hands gripped her tightly to him. Sobbing incoherently, she only realised he’d carried her to the egg seat when he’d sat them both on it.

Straddled over his lap, she disentangled her arms, unburrowed her face from his neck and gazed into bloodshot eyes that were staring at her with complete disbelief.

‘Either I did drink too much or this really is you,’ he muttered shakily.

‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. ‘So sorry.’

His lips pulled together and, a sheen appearing in his eyes, he shook his head. ‘Don’t. You’re here. That is enough.’

She caught his hand with both of her own and pressed it against her chest, right in the place her swollen heart was thumping. ‘I love you.’

His chest rose. His throat moved as he swallowed. ‘And I love you. More than anything.’

‘I know.’

His eyes narrowed searchingly. ‘Do you?’

Still keeping his hand tight against her chest with one hand, she brushed his cheek with the other. The usually smooth skin prickled with thick, dark stubble.

‘You’ve proved it in so many ways...’ Her throat caught as she remembered the teabags she’d found in the cupboard that morning. So many little things. They meant more than all the big things put together. ‘What you did was... Well, you know what it was.’

Pain spasmed over his haggard face. ‘Unconscionable.’

She squeezed his hand. ‘Yes. And I want to blame you for making the last five months one big lie but that’s not fair. Some of the blame is on me too.’

His head jerked vehemently. ‘None of this is on you. None of it. It is all me.’

‘Don’t be so egotistical.’

Now his head jerked with surprise.

The pain that had come close to crippling her was abating at the rate of knots, her lungs opening to allow her to breathe. Smiling, she rubbed the back of her fingers over his stubble. ‘We were both frightened, Enzo. You called it right when you blamed my insecurities for making me doubt your love but there were other factors at play too. I had doubts from the beginning. Some of that was insecurity but some of it was because you were justtooperfect. This gorgeous, charming, generous, rich man was pursing me and he was perfect. Honestly, you were so perfect Zeus would have admitted you on Mount Olympus.’

His forehead crinkled and he croaked a laugh. ‘Have you not read what those gods got up to?’

She sniggered. Oh, Zeus, but laughter felt good. Wonderful. ‘You were perfect and that frightened me because it was a perfection I could never live up to.’

‘You are perfect for me.’

She pressed a finger to his lips. ‘Shh. Let me speak. Let me get this out and then you can tell me how perfect I am for you.’

His dimples appeared and her heart almost smashed its way out of her. She hadn’t realised how desperately she’d been longing to see his dimples again.

‘You hid your early years from me because you didn’t want me to think you anything less than perfect but I opened up to you about everything, and learning what you’d hidden hurt me until I realised I hadn’t bared my soul to you. Not as much as I thought I had. I held things back too, not deliberately, but because I hardly understood them. You did.’

‘You mean your parents?’

She nodded. ‘I wish you could’ve met them.’

‘I wish I could have met them too.’

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