Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 46098 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46098 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
I reach into my inside pocket and take out the ring box, opening it with a fluid movement, letting her see the diamond ring. The stone is large but elegant, with a curved surface set within a white gold band.
“Will you marry me?”
She gazes at the ring for a long moment, her mouth falling open like she can’t quite believe this.
“Yes,” she cries once the stunned seconds pass. “Yes, yes, yes.”
I slide the ring onto her finger and leap to my feet, wrapping my arms around her hips and pulling her close to me. She gasps when I crush my lips against hers, pressing solidly, letting her feel the relief, the hope, the love, and the gratitude burning in the embrace.
“I love you so much,” she whimpers, dragging her hands through my hair.
“I love you,” I growl. “It’s me and you, Lucy…”
“Forever,” she whispers.
“Forever,” I say, and kiss her again, harder.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lucy
“You’ll be fine,” Maria says, placing her hand on mine and offering me a warm smile.
I return her smile and then look out over the pond, the water glittering on the surface. Toto swims with his head raised above the water like a proper little gentleman, his mouth open in a wide grin with his tongue lolling out.
I want to claw onto Maria’s words, to believe that I can get through this without stuttering or somehow ruining the moment.
Excitement is the main emotion that rumbles through me, but despite everything, there will always be a tiny anxious voice inside of me.
But with Luca and Maria and Aldo and Toto, the voice is getting quieter and quieter. And I’m starting to think that maybe one day it will be so quiet I can ignore it entirely.
“I know. Do you think he’ll be angry at me for telling you first?”
Maria rolls her eyes and then throws her hands up dramatically. The movement is so over the top she almost tosses her hat clean off her head. “Oh yes,” she says sarcastically. “I think it’s going to send him on a warpath.”
“Okay, I get it. I’m being dramatic.”
She gives my hand a squeeze. “I’m only teasing. It’s natural to be nervous. But I’ve seen the way you two are together these past two weeks. Since he proposed. You’re like teenagers in love, the way you look at each other… honestly, it makes me jealous. It makes me think I should give the whole dating thing another try.”
“You should,” I tell her. “You deserve to be happy too.”
“There you go.” She grins. “So you admit it… you are deliriously, insanely, amazingly happy.”
“Well yeah.” I giggle. “That sort of goes without saying.”
“Then don’t worry so much. He’s going to be ecstatic.”
I mutter a silent prayer that she’s right, repeating it throughout the day as we have lunch and then I spend the afternoon in the library, at my desk, working on my designs. I’ve already hired some freelancers to help with the work, and soon I’ll start establishing myself in the city office.
I like working in the library. The walls are tall and covered in bookshelves, the smell musty and welcoming.
Toto sleeps in a ball in the sun, his tail tucked under his head, snoring contentedly.
“Lucy,” my man says from the door, his voice husky.
I turn, my aching eyes telling me I’ve been in here longer than I realized. Despite all the excitement bubbling up inside of me, my work has managed to compel my attention and make me forget… for a little while.
But now that Luca is here I can’t contain it.
I leap to my feet, causing Toto to whine and glare at me for interrupting his slumber.
“Lucy? What is it?”
My fiancé strides into the library, the sun catching his navy suit and glittering over his iron hair. He stops a few inches short of me, his smile wide and consuming, his eyes hopeful.
I think he knows what I’m going to say, but he wants to wait. He doesn’t want to take this moment from me.
I love him so much for that.
I press my hands against his chest, clawing onto the solid muscles of my man, my husband-to-be, the father to my children.
“We’re pregnant, Luca,” I whisper, and then say the words louder, with more budding confidence. “We’re pregnant.”
“What?” he roars out in delight, sliding his arms around me and lifting me off my feet.
He spins me around, both of us laughing, both of us drunk on this moment.
“Are you sure?” he says, putting me down and squeezing onto my shoulders tightly like he never wants to let me go.
“I’m sure,” I say. “I did four tests. Maria knows. I had to tell her, you know, for support.”
“It makes me so happy to see how close you two have become.” He smiles widely, not at all bothered about me telling her first. “This is amazing. This is everything I ever dreamed of. Goddamn, I love you.”