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I watched her for a long time, finding her even more beautiful when she was asleep than when she was awake. She told me she needed me beside her to sleep, so I didn’t move. I opened my nightstand and grabbed the book I’d been reading and got comfortable.
She suddenly turned on her side and cuddled with me, her legs tucked between my knees and her arm across my stomach. She sighed happily, still asleep.
My fingers ran through her hair as I read my book. Her smell surrounded me, and her diamond necklace pressed against my skin. Instead of reading the words on the page, I stared down at her, seeing the tranquil expression on her face. The book wasn’t nearly as interesting as this woman, so I set it aside and stared at her instead.
And waited for her to wake up.
A few hours later, she woke up pressed into my side. She gave me a squeeze, her hands checking to make sure I was real. She gave a happy sigh before her eyes opened. Her lips kissed my chest before she lifted her gaze to look at me, her eyes less puffy now that she’d gotten some sleep. “You watched me this whole time?”
My fingers kept caressing her hair. “Yes.”
“You didn’t get bored?”
I’d never been more entertained. “No.”
She gave a slight smile before she sat up and looked at the time. “I should stay awake until bedtime. Otherwise, my sleeping pattern will be totally off.” She wiped the sleep from her eyes before she lay down again, as if her will to get up had evaporated.
I turned on my side so I could get closer to her. I pulled her into my chest and placed her leg over my hip. Our faces were close together, our eyes at the same level. She smelled like a mixture of her perfume and my cologne, and that was the perfect scent for a woman who belonged to me. “You were out right away.”
“Well, I haven’t slept in two days.”
“And what did you do all night?” Imagining Carmen touching herself while thinking about me was innately arousing.
“I drank wine and ate cheese. Probably gained a few pounds because of it.”
It wasn’t the sexy answer I was looking for, but it made me smile. “Sounds like you had a good time.”
“I did. It was nice to spend time with my family. It’s rare for all of us to be together at one time. There’s just so many of us now…” She stroked her fingers down my chiseled arm, feeling my biceps and triceps.
“The wedding was nice?”
“It was perfect. My brother is really happy. She’s turned him into a better man.”
A good woman would do that.
“And my parents are happy…but also sad. Things are changing, and watching their son get married and start his own family was a little heartbreaking. But they live right down the road, so I’m sure they’ll still see him all the time.”
Most of the Barsettis lived close to one another. Carmen was the only exception. It was impressive that all of them gathered that close to each other. Most family members needed a lot more space to stay sane. “I’m glad you had a good time since you won’t be seeing them again for a long time.”
Her eyes smiled because she knew what I meant by that. “I’m not in any hurry to leave, so don’t worry.”
Like I would ever let her go. Perhaps she thought I was joking, but I was being dead serious. Two and a half days was too long. I couldn’t spare any more time apart. She could have lunch or dinner with them, but that was it.
My eyes glanced down to the flawless diamond around her neck. “Who gave that to you?” I tried not to get jealous, to imagine some family friend working for her affection. He could be in the wine business, some wealthy restaurant owner her father adored. He got to stare at her throughout the entire wedding and show off his wealth by giving her a beautiful and thoughtful piece of jewelry. Since my men couldn’t watch her, I had no idea who was there. Carmen probably looked gorgeous in a gown with her hair done. I was sure she outshone the bride with no contest.
Her fingers gently touched the rose pendant. “My father.”
All the jealousy evaporated from my blood, the relief taking over. I tried to hide the look on my face as best as I could, but I knew Carmen could read me pretty well.
“He said he won’t be the man who can give me diamonds much longer…so he gave this to me before the wedding. I love it.” She kept fingering it for a moment before she let it go. “My father isn’t the most thoughtful man, so when he does do things like this, it’s very sweet.”
