But it had been more than that. From the very beginning I'd been willing to trust him, something that I'd found extremely difficult to do after the incident. There was something about him. Maybe it was his slightly sad eyes, or the way he looked at me as if he couldn't quite believe I was real. Or maybe it was the fact that he'd been kind to me when no one else had.
He made me feel cherished—probably for the first time.
I watch as his eyes crinkle around the corners, amusement and affection reflected in his gaze as Claudia painstakingly explains her ideal princess dress.
Maybe this is what I needed to accept him wholly inside my heart. To know that he would be just as kind to my daughter as he is to me.
A smile plays at my lips as I continue to watch the two of them.
And that's when I decide to tell him how I feel. I'm aware he might not feel the same, but maybe in time... Yes, I will not give up. Whoever he loved before has no claim on him now. He's married to me, and so he's mine. I blush at the direction of my thoughts, but I know that I'd never let another woman take him from me.
A while later, Claudia leaves to complete her homework, and Marcello pulls Amelia aside to ask about Sisi.
"They were just talking, sir. I made sure there was nothing improper going on." He nods thoughtfully and thanks Amelia for her time.
"You think they like each other?" He takes my hand and brings it to his lips for a soft kiss.
"Maybe. That would be nice, wouldn't it?"
"I don't know. I don't trust Guerra, and Sisi's barely had time to get used to life outside Sacre Coeur. It might be too fast." Marcello frowns, and I get the urge to kiss his worries away.
"She's old enough to decide for herself. Besides, she's extremely strong willed. No one could pressure her into doing anything she didn't want. That's why I think there might be something between them."
"We'll see." It's all he says.
"You called her Sisi." I stifle a smile. "That's a first."
"That I did. I must be getting more familiar with her." A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.
I finally give in. Raising myself on my tiptoes, I place a kiss on his lips. Given our height differences, I have to almost jump.
"You shouldn't start what you can't finish, Lina." There's a seductive quality to his voice as he wounds his arm around my waist and pulls me into him.
"Who says I can't?" I raise an eyebrow at him. I can't very well scream RAVISH ME; it wouldn't be quite proper.
"You have one second to change your mind before I throw you over my shoulder and take you to my lair to have my way with you." His words always have the ability to make me blush to my roots.
"Hmm, that doesn't sound bad at all." I flutter my eyelashes at him suggestively.
"That's it!" He says a second before he scoops me up and actually throws me over his shoulder.
"Marcello!" I gasp, shocked he'd do that in the open. His hand comes down on my butt and he pats my dress so it stays in place. He doesn't waste any time as he takes a few steps at a time, quickly reaching my room and depositing me in the middle of the bed.
There's something different about this Marcello. He's more carefree, more playful. It's like an entire weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
I'm leaning back on my elbows, and I peer at him from beneath my lashes, waiting to see what's next.
His hands go to his shirt, and he unbuttons it slowly, all the while focusing on me. Eyes glazed with desire, he throws his shirt on the floor and stalks towards me. My heart lurches in my chest, the anticipation building and making me shiver slightly.
One night he'd been away from me, and I'd felt the separation sear through me. I don't know if I slept a wink, worrying about him. In the short time we'd been together, things had evolved to such a degree that I constantly think of him, wanting to touch him.
His knees hit the bed, his body coming towards me. Instinctively I wet my lips, and taking his hand I place it on my chest, over my heart. I want him to feel what I feel, this need that builds and builds. The way he's utterly and completely engraved himself in my soul.
My back may be forever ruined with the remnants of that night, the initials of the man who made me fear the darkness. But my very being is imprinted by the man in front of me, the one who made me rediscover the light. The one who made me hope again.
My fingers brush against his stubble, and this might be the first time I've seen Marcello less than perfectly groomed. Maybe he had just as much as a hard time as I did?
He turns my palm over, kissing the center before fitting it over his cheek and closing his eyes.
"It's over... It's finally over." He whispers, nuzzling my hand.
"What is it?" I ask, but he just shakes his head.
"Sometimes I can't believe you're here." He gives a sad smile.
"Me neither." I draw him closer, my dress still a barrier between us. I look up in his eyes, trying to memorize his features, the way his eyes light up when they gaze upon me.
"When I'm with you, I feel like I can be a good man. Someone worthy of you." His words are a mixture of pain and reverence, his thumb tracing my cheekbone.
"You are. You are." I repeat, seeking his lips with mine.
They say it takes only a moment to fall in love. But I can't possibly choose just one moment. If there's anything like predestination, then I think this is it, because everything led me to here and now. Every moment in his presence sparked a little flame inside of me until it reached the size of an inferno.
But that's just the thing. I'd gladly burn for him.
His other hand glides up my leg, taking the hem of my dress with it, until he's tugging it off me. I'm left in a simple white bra and a pair of cotton underwear. I know he's already seen me before, but I can't help the heat traveling up my face as Marcello leans back and stares at me, his eyes travelling all over my body.
"Stop it." I playfully swat him, embarrassed to be his focal point. Almost instinctively, I cross my arms and turn my head to the side.
"Lina, don't hide from me." Softly, he disentangles my arms, his lips laying a kiss in the middle of my chest, right between my breasts.
"You're the loveliest thing I've ever seen. If I could sear this image in my mind forever, I would." I feel his breath on my skin as he speaks, and then he slowly moves upward, towards my neck, his touch tickling and delighting me at the same time.
"You too," I add shyly. "You're really handsome, that is." I say the only thing I can think of. It's like my brain short circuited from his proximity.
His chest rumbles with laughter, his mouth coming to my ear. He nibbles the area before taking the lobe between his lips. "I'm happy you think so."
Reaching under me, he unclasps my bra and slides it off my arms, all the while whispering soothing words in my ear. My eyes close and I enjoy the feel of his skin on top of mine. My underwear soon follows.
Spurned by an urgency I'd never felt before, I tug at his belt, seeking to get even closer to him. He helps me unzip his pants and I use my feet to pull them down. When he's finally as naked as I am, I wrap my legs around him, wanting that part of him to touch me where I need him the most.