“I do, baby, I do,” he said. “Oh, did you get my gift?”
“I haven’t been home all day, so I haven’t gotten it yet. What did you send?”
“You’ll see,” he said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
“What am I gonna do with you?”
“Only good things, I hope,” he teased.
“Always good things,” he said, then added, “By the way, how come you never mentioned you spoke with my mom?”
“I didn’t do it for self-praise or for you to magically choose to be with me again. I did it because of my morals. I know how much you love your mom, and I thought it best. I plan to spendmy whole life with you, as long as I’m allowed,” he said.
My eyes welled with tears. “My heart will always beat for you, Ronan.”
“Always?”
“Always.”
Before he could respond, Rachel’s voice came through, telling him it was time for his pre-op.
“I hate to cut this short, baby, but—”
“No worries,amore mio.Duty calls. But what kind of surgery are you doing?” I asked, intrigued.
I never imagined it would be this sexy, having a billionaire boyfriend who was not only a businessman but also a doctor.
“Tumor removal from a breast cancer patient,” he replied.
“Good luck, baby,” I said, feeling a lump in my throat.
“I’ll call you after. Goodbye, gorgeous,” he said, before the call ended.
Fuck, I missed him already.
Chapter Fifty-four
RONAN
Present Day
NEW YORK CITY
I’ve been back in the city for two long weeks, and every second away from her has been a nightmare. FaceTimes and texts were mere lifelines, barely scratching the surface of what I truly craved. There was no substitute for coming home and sinking into the warmth of her embrace, the way her body fit against mine like it was always meant to.
Damn, I missed her.
Her face, with its captivating beauty that could light up the darkest room, haunted my thoughts every night.
Her body, so perfectly molded to mine, the way it felt beneathmy fingertips.
I longed for the sound of her voice, that soothing melody that could chase away any shadow of doubt or weariness.
My jet was prepped and ready to go, waiting only for the final nod from my schedule to whisk me back to Florence.
I refocused my attention on the patient before me, grounding myself in the present. She had undergone surgery two weeks ago and was here for her post-operative check-up. Her recovery was progressing well, and the relief in her eyes was a small but meaningful comfort amidst the turmoil of recent days. After addressing her concerns and finalizing her treatment plan, I felt a surge of satisfaction knowing I could make a difference, even in these trying times.
“What a surprise,” I said, turning to see Azzaria seated as I entered my office.
