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“Right. You were too busy snooping in my office.” I ran the pad of my thumb over her lips, doing my best not to picture her and Don Valentino together. “Anyway, he came here to tell me that Don Valentino had set a wedding date for the two of you. There’s some engagement party happening this Saturday.”
“What?” Her voice went up a few octaves. “That’s impossible. Aunt Vittoria would never do that to me. She promised.”
“The rules have changed, Donata. Now she has the chance to make an alliance with the sitting king.” I cupped her cheek. “But we can beat them at their own game. We can get married before this weekend. You’re mine. And I’m not letting that old man have you. I told you that.”
“Now who’s jealous?” She smiled.
“This is serious.” I sat up to kiss her. “Marry me, Donata.”
“Luca.” She threw her arms around my neck. “I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you. But a secret marriage? That could incite a bigger feud between our families. Even a war.”
“Uncle Jimmy will help us. To serve himself, of course, but we can use his greed to our advantage. Say yes.” I captured her mouth. “You’re not leaving this room until you agree.”
CHAPTER23
Say Yes
Donata
“Your proposal needs work.” I cocked my eyebrow. “Normally, you pop the question then give the other person time to respond. This is entrapment.” I gestured to the room at large.
I didn’t know why I felt the need to downplay the situation. To me, this was a huge deal. Luca Gallo was in love with me. And not only that, but he also wanted to marry me. Yeah, sure, his intentions were a bit misguided. He thought he was saving me from Don Valentino. Either way, the end result was the same—Luca was mine. And all I had to do to keep him was to say yes to a crazy marriage.
“Alright.” He sat up in the bed, then climbed out.
“You don’t have to go.” My smile faded when he left the bed.
“You’re right. I can do better.” He winked.
He returned a minute later with a velvet box in his hand. I raised my brows at him, mostly in surprise but also expectantly because I knew what he was about to do. He was going to propose for real. I never thought I’d be like one of those brides-to-be who got all teary-eyed and giddy over a proposal. As it turned out, I was. Maybe it was because the man of my dreams was the one doing the proposing.
“That ring was meant for me?”
“It was.” He pursed his lips. “Uncle Jimmy had me pick one out for you. When I did, I honestly didn’t think I’d be giving it to you. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I didn’t see how we could make it happen.”
My eyes welled up with tears while Luca, looking incredibly hot in nothing but his boxer briefs, pulled me off the bed, then kneeled at my feet. “Ms. Salvatore, would you do me the incredible honor of being my wife?”
I had to be dreaming. “That sounded so official and real.”
“This is as real as it gets. I promise you.” He flipped the box open to reveal a huge diamond ring, the one I thought belonged to Ava. Our gazes locked. “Say yes.”
“I was never going to say no.” I lowered myself until I was straddling him. “I never wanted anyone but you. But you already knew that.”
“I love you.” He brushed my lips with his.
“I love you too.” I laughed. “Say it again.”
“I love you.” He beamed at me. “If I remember proper wedding proposal etiquette, this is when I put the ring on your finger. Though I think for now, we should skip that part.”
“I think you’re right.”
For now, we had to keep this a secret. If Aunt Vittoria found out we were getting married, she would do anything in her power to stop it. Partly because of Don Valentino, but also, because she didn’t think Luca was a worthy candidate. He wasn’t in line to be Don for the Gallo family. He had money, but he wasn’t powerful. And that was all she ever cared for in a marriage contract—money and power.
“How about this?” I untangled myself from him and reached for the bedside table, where I had left the earrings and the gold chain I had worn Saturday night. “This way, I can still wear your ring close to my heart.”
“Okay.” He climbed to his feet and then helped me up.
I watched him while he carefully removed the ring from the box and slid it onto the gold chain. “Turn around.”
