And I wanted my lady to be comfortable at all times.
Except when I wanted to keep her on edge, waiting, ready for me. Making her beg had been the best thing in my life. The girl who I had thought hated me, had loved me all along.
I had no intention of letting either one of us forget that.
“Yes. The judge will be waiting. Unless you prefer a religious ceremony?”
“I… what?” She blinked at me like a pretty little owl.
“We can have another ceremony when we get to Italy,” I decided, pressing a kiss to her forehead before standing to get dressed, I buttoned my fresh shirt, sipping coffee and holding my tie out of the way.
“Italy? I have class next week.”
“Your professor is being extremely generous with notes and videos. You can attend from the estate.”
“You know Italy is not safe for me, right?”
I turned to look at her.
“What?”
“No one told you?”
“Told me what,” I said dangerously. It wasn’t a question. It was a demand.
“The Pollelli family. They claim my father owes them a debt.”
“A debt?”
“A life for a life.”
“And what was their demand?” I held perfectly still, terrified of the answer.
“They wanted… me,” she said, eyes wide. “Dead or alive.”
I cursed a blue streak. This was unacceptable. No one had a claim to my bride.
I would settle this, once and for all.
“They won’t dare try to take you from me.”
“I don’t know what they would dare. I know Vincenzio and Antonio more than doubled security when I was staying there.”
Of course. She hadn’t just come to the United States for the opportunity. She had come to escape an old family feud. Her father was a lesser member of another crime family, and had done a favor for the Margarellis in the early days of reopening the estate and vineyard.
How could I have forgotten? How could I have been so foolish?
“No one will touch you. Get dressed. I need to call my cousins.”
“What have you done now, Cousin?” Antonios voice drawled, sounding amused and pleased with himself. I didn’t blame him. He was happier than a pig in shit.
And I was certain he knew everything that had happened in San Francisco. He and his brother had headed the family for years before semi-retirement in Italy. Nothing got past him or Vincent.
“Get Vincent. We need to talk.”
He told me to hold on. A few moments later I heard Vince’s deep rumbling.
“What has he done now?”
I shook my head. Those two fuckers were always giving me a hard time. But this time, I deserved it.
“Theresa is mine. We are about to be wed.”
A shocked silence. Then laughter and overlapping congratulations.
“She’s a sweet girl. Don’t hurt her.”
“I know, I know, or you will both kill me. Twice.”
“Not us. Francesca and Evie will do it for us.”
That gave me pause. My cousin-in-laws were both beautiful and deadly. Particularly Frankie.
“I won’t hurt her. I fucking love her.”
A pause, and then more laughter.
“This I gotta see,” snickered Antonio.
“You will. We are coming tonight. But I need to keep her safe.”
“She will be safe but keeping her safe forever is not going to be that simple.”
“Yeah, that’s a nasty knot to untangle.”
“Surely if she is with me…”
“They will think twice, but they are medieval about this, Mikey. They think they own her. They are furious that we have her.”
“They think she’s still there?”
“I fucking hope so. We hired a nanny that looks like her from a distance to keep up the illusion.”
“Well, fuck.”
“Yeah.”
“What will they take instead? Money?”
“I doubt it. They want her. God knows what they had planned for the poor girl before we found out about it.”
I closed my eyes. I could imagine. But it hadn’t happened, thanks to my cousins.
“I don’t blame them for wanting her. But they cannot have her. Set up a meeting.”
“Done.”
I hung up and went to collect my bride.
She was in the bathroom just off the master bedroom when I came looking for her. I saw the curve of her back and the graceful lines of her legs as she leaned over the counter, putting her earrings in.
I stepped into the bathroom and resisted the urge to kiss her senseless. I didn’t want to mess up her neatly done chignon. I wondered if European women were just born knowing how to do their hair that particular way. I loved the way it showed off the sexy, soft skin of her neck.
I slid my arms around her in her white sheath dress, unable to resist kissing the nape of her neck. She smiled at me in the mirror, looking nervous, but not resistant.
She loves you. She wants to marry you, I reminded myself. She just hadn’t anticipated it happening so soon.
“Wait, I have something for you,” I said, remembering the things Auntie had urged me to bring. “I will be right back,” I added needlessly as I went back to the hidden safe in the dining area of the suite.