Page 143 of Mafia Virgin (The Kings of Italy)

“I don’t know. I thought—well, I thought you might be happy to see me.”

Happy? I didn’t even know what that word meant anymore. “More curious than anything else.”

“Wow.” She gave a dry chuckle as she shook her head. “My sisters and father were right. You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”

Why would I? If she planned to stomp on my heart again, then she would’t get any fucking help from me.

When I didn’t respond, she let out a heavy sigh. “I want to work this out.”

“The annulment? I assume you have the paperwork.”

She jerked, her back straightening. “I meant our marriage.”

I nearly choked on a mouthful of water. It took a few seconds to regain my bearings. “I don’t understand. I thought . . .”

“What did you think?” She cocked her head and studied me, confusion causing her eyebrows to dip. “Did you think I came all this way to finalize the annulment?”

Yes, that was exactly what I’d assumed. “Are you saying you want to stay married?”

“I am.” She licked her lips. “Unless you’ve changed your mind.”

Hope unfurled in my chest like wings, but I beat it back. There was a lot of shit to wade through before I could allow myself to believe this was happening. “I told you how I felt, but you seemed certain we’d never suit. You said you couldn’t see how it would work.”

“I know. Sometimes I have a bad habit of relying on logic.”

“And?” I asked when she didn’t elaborate. “What does this mean?”

She flopped her hands on the counter, adorably flustered. “It means that love isn’t always logical. There are pheromones and chemistry and—”

Love.I definitely heard her say it. I hadn’t been imagining it.

Before I knew what I was doing, I stalked across the tile and went around the edge of the bar. I took her face into my hands and crushed our mouths together. She tasted like surprise and sweet innocence, and I suddenly couldn’t get close enough. Without breaking our connection, I picked her up off the stool and set her on the marble counter, then deepened the kiss until she gave me those breathy little gasps I’d been aching for these last few weeks.

Delicate fingers curled into my hair, her nails stinging my scalp, and she wrapped her legs around my waist. I licked into her mouth to find her tongue, my blood humming with relief and desire. I could stand here for hours, kissing her, soaking in the feel of having this perfect woman back in my arms.

She pulled back and sucked in gulps of air. “Holy smokes, that came out of nowhere.”

“You said love isn’t logical.” I kissed her again, nipping her bottom lip. “Do you love me, bambina?”

I could feel her smile against my mouth. “Yes, Giacomo. I do. Ti amo, amore.”

Fuck. Me. I hadn’t even allowed myself to imagine that she might return my feelings. It seemed too good to be true, but I knew she meant it. Emma wasn’t a liar. “Ti amo, mia bella moglie. Per sempre.”

“Per sempre, mio grande marito.” Her hands ran over my arms and shoulders. “You feel thinner, though.”

“Dai! You sound like Sal.” I pressed my face into her neck and inhaled her, then kissed the smooth skin under her jaw. “Are you really here? Is this happening?”

“Yes, it is. I’ve been miserable without you.”

I both hated and loved to hear it. “I’ve missed you so much. And now that I have you, I’m never letting you go again.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to.”

The words penetrated my lust-filled brain and I straightened. “No. You are mine and I’m not allowing you out of my sight.”

She put her palm on my cheek and brought me closer. “Baby, my father is dying. I want to spend time with him, too.”

“Then we’ll bring him here.”

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