Keelin forced herself to be strong. ‘So if you’ve just come here to—’
‘I love you.’
Keelin’s mouth was still open. ‘You what?’
The pained look was leaving Gianni’s face. ‘I love you, Keelin O’Connor. I fell in love with you the day I saw the photo of you in your father’s office.’
He went on. ‘What you described in Umbria, it was exactly the same for me. So when I heard the news that your father’s business had been falling apart for months, I used blaming you as an excuse to avoid admitting that I was falling for you.’
He shook his head. ‘I’m so sorry.’
Keelin was in shock. Her brain wasn’t processing properly. ‘Did you just say that you love me?’
He nodded. ‘You’ve shown me how blinkered I’d become. I was so obsessed with ridding my family of the Delucca Mafia heritage and restoring my grandfather’s good name, and then you left and I realised that it’s all for nothing without you. I couldn’t care less what happens to me or what people say as long as you’re with me. I always used my grandfather as inspiration when I needed to be spurred on to succeed, but he loved the simple things, and appreciated love and family above everything, in spite of his son.
‘He was so in love with my grandmother that when she died young, he had to leave Sicily because he couldn’t bear to be where she wasn’t. That’s why they moved to Rome, not because he was so ambitious. And I’d forgotten about that. I’d blocked that out, because after seeing my father and mother, I didn’t think it existed.’
Keelin’s throat was tight with repressed emotion.
‘There’s something else you should know. As of today my company has a new name.’
‘It does?’ She almost couldn’t get the words past the lump in her throat and chest.
Gianni nodded. ‘It’s called Delucca & O’Connor Limited. I hope you approve, because you’re on the board of directors and we took the vote without you.’
Tears filled Keelin’s eyes and she blinked them back furiously. ‘Are you sure that—’
He put a finger to her mouth, stopping her words, and said softly, ‘I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. But there’s something else I need to do.’
He pulled a velvet box out of the inside pocket of his jacket and opened it. In the white satin folds nestled the emerald ring from the shop in Montefalco. Keelin had forgotten about it and her eyes widened to see it now, glittering brilliantly.
Gianni took it out of the box and said with a touch of nervousness that made her melt inside, ‘I know we’re doing this all wrong, but I’d like to ask you something.’
Euphoria was starting to snake through Keelin’s blood and hitting her heart, making it pound unevenly. ‘What?’
His gaze was intense, burning. ‘Keelin O’Connor, would you please consider not going through with the divorce and continuing to be my wife?’
Time felt as if it was suspended. She looked at him for a long moment and saw only the purest form of love in his dark gaze. And even better, love that was requited. With no conditions attached.
She nodded. ‘Yes.’
He smiled and took her hand, sliding the ring onto her finger, and then he reached into his pocket again and took out another ring, her wedding band, and tears stung her eyes.
He looked at her as he put it on to join her new engagement ring, saying huskily, ‘With this ring I thee re-wed, Keelin O’Connor Delucca.’
She took her hand from his and leaned forward, lacing them behind his neck. She half laughed and smiled, feeling giddy. ‘I now pronounce us man and wife. You may kiss the bride.’
Gianni spread her legs with his hands and came between them as much as her skirt would allow and then, pressing her back into the seat, he wrapped both arms around his wife and kissed her so thoroughly that only a persistent clearing of a throat finally brought them up for air.
Keelin was dizzy. Heart pounding. Euphoric.
‘Em, excuse me? If you wouldn’t mind, this is a public place and you’re making the other guests uncomfortable.’
Gianni drew back and Keelin blushed to the roots of her hair when she saw the array of faces staring at them. They looked anything but embarrassed. One couple had even started kissing passionately in another corner and Keelin had to fight back a giggle, feeling truly light for the first time in her life.
Gianni stood up and took her hands, pulling her up. He looked at her mock sternly. ‘I am not taking you to bed in a hostel.’
Keelin shook her head and just said with emotion high in her voice, ‘Take me home, Gianni.’