Page 119 of Effortless

It was just a kiss, but it was everything else, too.

And that’s when she knew for sure …

That’s when all the things she had been wondering and waiting for slipped into place. All the answers she thought needed words and explanations actually only needed a kiss.

Because that was when she knew.

Camilla loved this man.

She almost wished she could stay like that—forever lost to the moment when she fell in love with Tommaso. She knew she would love him until the end of time, but this would be the one and only time when she first really knew it.

Tommaso smiled against her lips when Camilla stroked his cheek.

He knew.

She could see it in his eyes.

Camilla still told him.

“I love you, Tom.”

“I know—I love you.”

“It’s not so hard to say, I guess. Not so scary.”

“See,” he told her, “love is effortless, Cam.”

It was.

That, and perfect.

Like him.

The ruckus of laughter by men inside the warehouse quieted damn near the second Camilla stepped foot inside the building. A dozen pairs of eyes turned on her, and she let out a little laugh.

“What, have they never seen a girl before?”

Tommaso chuckled at her side. “Not in here, babe. Ignore them.”

Camilla followed behind Tommaso as he headed for the far end of the warehouse. There, an office door was open, and inside were two more men. One, Camilla recognized as Adriano—apparently, Tommaso’s uncle. He had been at the dinner the evening before.

“Camilla.”

She smiled at Adriano’s greeting.

The other guy pushed off the desk, and shot Tommaso a questioning look. “Camilla?”

Tommaso shrugged. “Yeah, Camilla.”

“This is … a little weird. Mostly because I don’t understand what’s happening.”

Adriano waved the other two men’s conversation off as he stood from the chair behind the desk. “Don’t mind them. I hope my nephew is showing you around Chicago properly.”

Camilla cocked an eyebrow at Tommaso. “Not yet.”

“Working on it, actually.”

“You better,” Adriano said, grinning. “It’s hard to sell a New Yorker on Chicago.”