Page 111 of Of Grief And Gratitude

“You ready to head back?” Romeo asked, pulling me to my feet and wrapping his arm around my waist.

I smiled up at him, kissing his jaw. “Yes, please.”

“Fuck, woman.” His fingers tightened. “You know how much I like it when you beg.”

I smirked and rubbed my ass against him, feeling his erection grow. “And here I thought you’d do the begging tonight.”

“Deal.” He guided me quickly toward the exit, Dario scrambling to get in front of us to open the car where Vito sat. “I’ll even get on my knees.”

I liked the sound of that. The ride was torture, having Romeo so close but maintaining respectability around the others. I wanted to climb on his lap and get what I’d been missing for the last week. My pussy was already wet from his teasing promises.

We rushed from the car up to his place, but instead of guiding me straight to the bedroom, Romeo roamed to the kitchen, pulling a fancy box from Angelo’s from the refrigerator.

“I thought we could have dessert,” he explained when he caught me watching. “Why don’t you freshen up and meet me on the balcony?”

“Sure.” I quickly trotted to the bathroom and took care of business, swishing water in my mouth to get rid of the lingering taste of bacon. That was better.

Romeo left the balcony door open, and I walked out to find him standing by the table and chairs, slices of Angelo’s torta pistocchi on our plates and glasses of wine next to them.

“This is incredible!” I exclaimed, suddenly hungry again, my mouth watering at the sight of the chocolate dessert.

“I figured you might enjoy it,” he chuckled, helping me sit.

Picking up my fork, I took a bite of the dessert and moaned at the rich, dark chocolate flavor. “It’s just as good as I remember.”

“Mhm,” Romeo agreed, eating his.

I sipped on the sweet red dessert wine, caught up in our little slice of heaven on the balcony, the last of the sunset painting the skyline red and orange as dusk took over. Romeo said something, but I missed it. As I turned to ask him to repeat himself, I noticed the tripod.

“Is that a camera?” I asked warily.

He nodded. “I thought we might make a little video.”

“Romeo.” I downed the last of the wine and stared at the little blinking red light. He was already recording. “It hasn’t gone so well the times we’ve done that.”

“I promise it’ll be okay this time,” he said.

My protest died on my lips when I whipped around and found him down on bended knee. His name was barely audible as my breath hitched. “Romeo.”

“I promised to get on my knees,” he said with a smirk, opening a little black velvet box and revealing a gorgeous round-cut solitaire diamond ring set in gold. “Riona. I don’t deserve you, and I never will. But I love you. You are everything I didn’t know I needed. Sweet, headstrong, independent, and a perfect partner. You loved me when nobody else was willing to give me a chance. I always want you by my side because I can’t imagine living without you. Will you marry me?”

My jaw dropped, and I knew I was supposed to say something, but I couldn’t force the obvious answer past my lips. I was overwhelmed, my heart pounding and stomach flipping with shock and glee. Fuck, was I going to panic over a proposal? My eyes widened as I opened and closed my mouth like a fish. Just talk, Riona. Say something, for fuck’s sake!

“Did you want me to beg now?” Romeo asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice as he pulled the ring from the box and took my left hand in his. “Please marry me, Riona O’Neill.”

“Yes!” I blurted. Finally.

He beamed, his eyes crinkling as he slipped the ring on my finger. It fit perfectly.

“I can’t believe it.”

Romeo chuckled and stood in front of me. “That doesn’t bode well for me if you didn’t think I wanted to marry you. Don’t worry. I’ll make up for it… for the rest of our lives.”

“I love you. So much, Romeo.” I jumped, knocking him back onto the couch behind us, practically attacking his lips with mine.

“I love you, too, Juliet.” His fingers threaded through my hair, drawing me back to him so he could kiss me gently. My entire body felt electric and hot, even with the cool evening breeze playing with the tendrils of my hair.

I could have stayed like that, locked away in our little world of joy. But then Romeo’s mouth wandered from my lips to my chin and down my neck.

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