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"So, did he bargain with you, he’d help you get custody of your daughter if you agreed to marry him?"
"Does it matter? The important thing is, he’s going to ensure I don’t lose my daughter."
Aurora grimaces. "Damn these Sovranos. Couldn’t, at least, one of them go about trying to woo their woman in a more conventional fashion?"
"And where would the fun be in that? You have to admit, half the appeal is they’re unconventional in the way they go about showing their love," Theresa murmurs.
"Love?" I shake my head, "No, no, no, this has nothing to do with love; it’s merely a marriage of convenience."
"Do you actually believe that?" Karma laughs.
I stare at her.
"You reallydobelieve that." Her face grows serious.
"No one knows the true nature of any relationship." Theresa tilts her head. "But if Karma’s experience, then Aurora’s, and now mine are any indication, the Sovranos marry for keeps and when they do, it’s because there is an affair of the heart involved. Except, they’re too damn pig-headed to admit otherwise."
I snort. "Next, you’ll be telling me it was aColpo di Fulminefor him." I refer to the Italian translation of love-at-first-sight which means, literally, being struck by a bolt of lightning.
That’s when Seb’s voice rings out from behind me, "It was."
"What?" I turn to find him walking toward me.
Theresa releases my arm as he draws abreast.
"You dumped a pint of beer on me the first time we met, and while it may not have literally been a bolt of lightning, it was definitely a shock that roused me out of my stupor and made me notice you."
"Wait, what? You dumped beer on him when you first met?" Karma chortles.
"Well, he made me so mad." My cheeks heat as he pulls me close to him. I direct my attention toward him. "Anyway, you deserved it." I try to pull away, but he doesn’t release me.
"I don’t know if I deserve you, but if you marry me, I promise to put your interests before my own. I promise to cherish you, and protect you, and ensure you’re always happy."
I stare up into those golden eyes of his which haunt my dreams. Damn, but he is a fine actor. I almost believe him, and this is despite knowing the reality of our situation.
"What are you doing? You don’t have to lie, you know," I whisper under my breath.
"I’m not lying. I wouldn’t have proposed to you if I didn’t mean it."
I open my mouth to protest, but he pulls a velvet box from his pocket.
What the—?My jaw drops as he goes down on one knee.
"Marry me, Elsa."
Why the hell is he making such a big deal about it? I already agreed to this arrangement, didn’t I? So why is he rubbing it in, in front of his family? And to think, I wanted to keep the entire affair discreet, maybe even pretend it wasn’t happening. But he’s dashed all of those hopes into the ground with this gesture.
"Marry me, else I’ll call you Frozen, and you know how much you hate that."
A chuckle spills from my lips. "Very funny," I say in a voice that indicates the exact opposite sentiment.
He stays there on bended knee, with his chin tipped up and a very intent expression on his features. Goddamn, he deserves an Oscar for his performance. The silence in the room stretches. Every person there is watching me, waiting for my reaction. My skin prickles and my scalp feels too tight. Heat flushes my skin, and bloody hell, what choice do I have? Besides, I already 'agreed' to this earlier, so what’s stopping me from replying in the affirmative right now? Maybe because this feels too real? Because after Fabio, I swore I'd never get married again, only to agree to Seb’s plan because it ensures the future of my daughter.
But this… romantic proposal, in front of his family and on the day of his Nonna’s funeral? Goddamnit, it doesn’t get more serious than this. A pressure grows behind my eyes.Wh-a-t?Why do I want to cry? It’s all an act, probably to convince his family we’re for real. Don’t want them thinking we’re sullying Nonna’s memory, do we? Especially considering he’s only marrying me because of the promise he made to his nonna, after all.
I draw in a breath, then hold out my hand. "Yes, I’ll marry you."
He slips the ring, the one I left sitting on my dining table, onto my finger and kisses my hand. A shiver runs up my arm. My entire body seems like it’s on alert. He rises to his feet, pinches my chin and tips my face up. Then he lowers his lips to mine.
