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The scent of old paper and leather filled the air as I ran my fingers over the spines of the books lining the shelves. The joy bubbling within me couldn’t be contained any longer.
I turned to Gabe, my heart full of love and happiness deep within every ounce of my being. “Gabe, I love you.”
I could see the impact those words had on him for a split second before he contained himself.
“Fuck,” he chuckled, then scraped his hand through his hair. “If I’d known books have that effect on you, I’d have bought you some sooner.”
I stepped up to him, cupped his face in my hands, looked into those soulful blue eyes that had captivated me from the beginning. And with my voice trembling with emotion, I said, “It’s not the books, Gabe. It’s you. You have that effect on me. I love you.”
He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. For the first time since we’d met, I saw a glimmer of tears in his eyes, accompanied by a joy so absolute it made me laugh in return.
Our love would be enough to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
And as we stood there, the warmth and strength of his embrace enveloping me like a protective cocoon, surrounded by the stories of countless lives lived and loves found, it was impossible not to believe that our love was destined to be just as powerful, just as enduring.
“Are you sure you will be happy?” he murmured, his breath tickling my ear.
“More than anything,” I replied, my heart pounding against my chest. “I can’t wait to be your wife and spend the rest of my life by your side.” I cupped his cheek. “Now I know you’ll always put my…our well-being and happiness before everything else.”
A soft smile played at the corners of his lips as he pressed them against my forehead, sealing the promise of a future together.
At that moment, surrounded by the comforting presence of books and the man I loved more than anything, all my doubts and fears vanished like wisps of fog chased away by the warmth of the sun, leaving only certainty and anticipation for our future.
I felt a sense of belonging and freedom I’d never experienced before.
No matter how much darkness and violence would threaten our lives, together, we would face it with courage and the power of our unwavering love.
And then the bell above the door rang and announced my first clients.
And my heart stopped.
CHAPTERFIFTY
Ilocked eyes with Craig Donnelly as my private jet began its descent through the clouds, bringing us back home to Calabria.
I was running out of time.
Donnelly wasn’t showing a wink of emotion—and neither was I.
Staring at Craig, I could feel the tension between us like a thick fog.
We hadn’t spoken for the last hour, and I didn’t intend to break the silence.
Not this time.
This was a battle of wills—and if I had any hope of keeping a modicum of respect, I needed to stand my ground.
I’d done the first step by asking him, begging him to come to the wedding—for Sophie’s sake, but I wouldn’t grovel in front of my soon-to-be wife.
No fucking way.
I stole a glance at Sophie and her sisters, whose laughter filled the cabin with happiness—a stark contrast to the ice age between Donnelly and myself.
Sophie’s cousin Fiona spoke animatedly, and the sound of Sophie’s laughter warmed me right up.
Not as much as when she sighed in my arms or whispered,“It’s you. You have that effect on me. I love you.”into my ear, but enough to keep me warmed up.
I sighed.
