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“Yes, Mr Banks, I’m enough,” I replied.
His eyes darkened.
“And always remember that,” he said and then winked at me, before he walked away, leaving me with my own thoughts.
I sighed loudly, feeling grateful and lucky that somehow, the universe had my back.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Spencer
I was nervous and I wasn’t sure why. I was squeezing Laura’s hand as Lorenzo drove through the long Sicilian roads. We had one more agent in the front and a few others were following us in the van. It had been a few days since our conversation in the kitchen, and this was my only opportunity to take Laura out on a real date. Of course, I didn’t tell her where we were going and what I had planned for us to do. I just wanted to surprise her, so this was a perfect opportunity. I was also motivated by the fact that my daughter had already accepted Laura as my partner, maybe not literally, but figuratively.
After Maja had told Laura that she wished she was her mother, I’d called Cath back in the UK and asked her to arrange something really special for this evening. Cath was a good assistant, and she didn’t ask many questions, although I could tell by her tone she was surprised by what I’d asked her to do.
I’d doubted myself in the past, and I was worried how my relationship with Laura could impact Maja, but now my daughter had reassured me that Laura was right for our little family. I truly wanted Laura to fall for me and I knew I had to show her the real Spencer Banks.
Rupert had already given me the heads-up; he was planning to leave soon for Europe. Apparently, a few of his mates were meeting in Greece, and he needed a little break from us, which I understood, although I was sure he was bullshitting me about meeting his mates. He was probably seeing a woman, and I didn’t understand all the secrecy.
“Are you going to tell me where we are going?” Laura asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
I didn’t know what was happening to me, but she was in my head all the time. The sex was mind-blowing, and there was no denying that we were crazy about each other, but I wanted more.
This scared the hell out of me, but everything about Laura Watkins felt right, and tonight I wanted to make sure I was making the correct decision.
“No, it’s a surprise, and you will love it, right, Lorenzo?” I asked the diver.
“Si … si, it will be fantastic, Bella,” the driver shouted back, making a typical Italian gesture in the air.
Laura narrowed her eyes at me and then glanced at our entwined hands. Even if she was concerned, she didn’t say anything, and we stayed like that until we arrived at the private car park that was situated by a hotel on the outskirts of San Vito La Copo. I hoped Cath had managed to pull everything together as I’d asked, because I needed it to be perfect.
I took Laura’s hand, and we strolled inside the hotel lobby. The Italian woman at the reception nodded at me as we passed, and I quickly turned around. Giovani, the head of security on the island, understood the signal.
“What was that about?” Laura asked.
We walked through the stylish lobby, then the restaurant, heading towards the exit. By this point, she’d probably figured it out that my security detail wasn’t following us anymore.
“Nothing for you to worry about, my dearest,” I replied. “It’s all part of the surprise for this evening.”
Then another hotel employee directed us through a set of double doors. We stepped outside and moved down the steps. The view from this hotel was absolutely mesmerising, and Laura gasped when she saw it, standing still and looking all around us. The tiny voice of angry Spencer whispered that this was too much, over-the-top romantic, but I tried to block him out.
My security would be fairly close by, I couldn’t make them go away, but they would watch us from as much of a distance as they could give us. Finally, after several long minutes of walking, we stepped into a private garden. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over the private garden nestled on the cliff of the hotel. I led Laura through an archway of entwined vines, guiding her into a secluded haven of beauty. The scent of blooming flowers filled the air, while a gentle sea breeze whispered through the leaves of ancient olive trees. A wrought-iron gate opened to reveal a small, elegantly set table adorned with crisp white linen, delicate china, and polished silverware. Laura was speechless, trying to take all this in, her eyes darting around until I nudged her, pulling her chair out for her.
She finally took her seat with a view that stretched beyond the cliff’s edge, unveiling the breathtaking expanse of the Mediterranean Sea. The table was adorned with flickering candles, their warm light dancing on the polished surface and casting a soft, intimate glow. We settled in, and I gestured towards the musicians discreetly arranged in a corner. A trio of talented men, dressed in refined attire, tuned their instruments under the dappled light of a strategically placed lamppost. The sound of a violin, a cello, and a piano filled the air with a melodic anticipation, promising an evening of enchantment.
The musicians themselves were seated on ornate wrought-iron chairs, positioned in a semi-circle to allow for a harmonious blend of their classical instruments. Their faces were veiled in the shadow of night, creating an air of mystery as their fingers delicately traced the strings and keys. This whole setup was absolutely spot-on; I couldn’t have asked for more.
“Spencer, I … I don’t know what to say, this whole thing is simply perfect,” Laura said, her voice a little wobbly.
I smiled at her and then poured us both a glass of Sicilian wine, the rich aroma mingling with the fragrances of the garden. The distant murmur of the waves crashing against the cliffs made me feel a little nostalgic. Sicily was my second home, and I hoped that one day it would be for Laura, too.
“It’s only perfect because I'm here with you. We both know that we needed this,” I said. “I hope you don’t mind that I ordered for you. We have squid as a starter and then the best pasta in Sicily. This restaurant is Michelin star, and I know the chef personally.”
“No, that’s wonderful, thank you,” she replied.
A moment later, the waiter showed up with our starters, asking me if everything was all right, then he drifted off again.
“I wanted to do something special for you, Laura. Besides, we haven’t even been on a real date yet, so I thought I’d quickly rectify that,” I told her, and maybe I was acting crazy for thinking this, but I needed to tell her that she was mine. I was done fucking around, acting like this was just sex and nothing else. Laura had turned my views and life upside down.
