I did.
I melted into him, and he swallowed my sigh, deepening the kiss, pulling me against his solid chest.
By the time we got to his car, I suddenly remembered something. “Wait… did you change my shift?”
He smirked. “I didn’t change it. I wanted you to myself today, so I moved people around.”
I rolled my eyes, but my lips betrayed me with a smile.
When we got to his house, I headed inside and immediately pressed a kiss to his mother’s cheek.
“Ciao, cara,14” Lucia Romano greeted warmly, brushing a hand through my hair. She had freckles dotting her sun-kissed skin and wore a simple white blouse that made her blue eyes pop. Her smile was soft, the kind that always made me feel at home.
“Grazie, signora Romano,” I said, smiling.
“Mamma!” Ronan exclaimed, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
She smiled. “Il mio bel figlio.15”
The three of us spoke briefly before Ronan tugged me toward his room, shutting the door behind us.
I spun to face him, arms crossed. “Ronan, you bought the store I work in.”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“I answered that already.”
“Because I was being underpaid and treated badly?”
“Yes.” His gaze darkened. “Among other things.”
I tilted my head. “What?”
His hands gripped my waist, and in one swift motion, he pulled me onto his lap.
Then he looked at me, his voice dropping to something deeper, something softer.
“Eight words.”
I blinked. “Huh?”
He smirked before whispering, “I…”—then he kissed me.
“… am…”—another kiss.
“… in…”—my breathing stuttered.
“… love…”—my chest tightened.
“… with…”—his hands tightened around my waist.
“… you…”—my eyes burned.
“… Nina…”—my heart skipped.
“…Moretti.”
