“Don’t sound so surprised,” I banter. “This cold-as-stone mafia boss has got some romance in him.”
“I know,” she says passionately. “I hope I never stop being surprised though. I love how you can show those parts of yourself to me…”
She trails off, flinching, and it takes me a moment to realize it’s the word love that’s making her question herself.
Love.
The word has hovered between us for what feels like weeks, even if it’s only been days, an unsaid declaration that desperately needs to be brought out into the open.
Well, that’s what this helicopter ride is for.
I spend the short journey drinking in the sight of my woman. After a few minutes she builds up the courage to peep out the window, and then immediately snaps her head back against the headrest, laughing.
“Nah uh, that’s ridiculous. I’ll be brave on the way back, I promise.”
“I like you scared,” I smirk, my lust rising like the surging helicopter. “It makes me want to protect you even more than I already do.”
Finally, we begin the descent to the skyscraper’s helipad.
Lucy closes her eyes the whole way down, fighting the feeling of inertia. It gives me ample time to study her, to cement this moment in my memory. I know we’ll laugh about this in the years to come, the helicopter ride that started the first great epoch of our life.
Once we’ve come to a complete stop and the helicopter’s blades have stopped chugging, I unstrap myself and reach over and grab Lucy’s straps.
My hand grazes her breast and I focus hard on her harness, willing myself to savor the love of this moment and not let myself maul her in a lust-fueled explosion.
I jump down from the helicopter and then offer her my hand.
She takes it, trembling slightly.
I grin.
“Come here.”
I reach up and scoop her into my arms, cradling her to my chest. She laughs intoxicatingly and cuddles close to me, the same way she did on the garden path when I carried her out to our date… the same way she will when I carry her across the threshold.
“I’ll never get used to this,” she whispers, resting her cheek against my chest as I carry her away from the helipad, toward the private elevator at the edge of the roof.
I put her down and she claws onto my hand, smiling up at me for a moment.
“Are you going to tell me yet?”
“Nope.”
I wrap my arms around her during the elevator ride down. It’s only a couple of floors and then the doors open onto a wide open office space, currently empty except for the rose petal path that leads to an elegant table and chairs in the center of the room.
The floor to ceiling windows let in big swathes of sunlight, making the whole room glitter invitingly.
“What is this place?” she asks, as she walks into the room. She looks down at the rose petals and then over at the table. “Luca, what’s going on?”
I can hear the fear-tinged hope in her voice, like part of her knows why I’ve brought her here but another part is too full of fear to accept it.
I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her body, resting my chin on her head.
“These are your offices if you want them,” I tell her. “I’ve bought the space especially for your business, but I can find somewhere else if you don’t like it. I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“This is… mine?”
“Yes,” I growl passionately. “You deserve it. This is where you’ll chase your dreams, where you’ll make your mark on the world.”
“Oh my God! I love it. Thank you so much.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I love you. It’s the least I could do.”
“Yeah but still… Wait.”
She turns and stares up at me.
Or she tries to stare up at me.
But I’m not standing over her anymore.
I kneel before her, staring up at her, reaching up to clasp her hands.
“You heard me right,” I tell her. “I love you, Lucy Scott. I loved you from the first moment I saw you. I know how crazy that sounds. I know people will find it difficult to believe. But I don’t give a damn. Because I know you’ll believe me, and that’s all that matters. I love you.”
“I love you too.” She gasps, reaching down to touch my face, as though she can’t stand there being space between us. “I love you so much. I’m so glad you feel the same.”
“Of course, I do,” I say. “I love you more than I could ever explain. I need to be with you forever, and I need the whole world to know who you belong to. I need to wake up to you every morning and fall asleep next to you every night. I need – need, you Lucy – to raise a family with you, and support you as you follow your dreams. I love you, Lucy Scott…”