“But we have to go away to get it.”
I frown, puzzled. “Well, that’s probably a good idea anyway. I don’t want to be around for the circus that’s about to erupt.”
He picks up my hand and kisses my fingertips. “I love you.”
My heart swells and I smile through tears, and there it is.
My reason.
“And I love you, my darling,” I whisper. “So much.”
“After all we’ve been through to be together.” He smiles softly. “Our new life starts today, baby.”
Hope runs through my veins, everything is finally falling into place. We won’t have to hide anymore. “I know.”
Six hours later we drive into the night, and Giuliano shuffles around in his pocket and pulls out an eye mask. “Put this on.”
I frown. “What?”
“Put this on, I told you it was a surprise.”
I giggle. “Now?” I look around at our surroundings. “We’re on the freeway, my surprise is on the freeway?”
“Don’t ask questions, just do it.” He smiles and raises his eyebrow, I can tell he’s excited to give me whatever this is.
“Okay. Okay.” I slip the mask on and am brought into darkness. “Now what?”
“Now you reach over and take my dick in your hand….”
I burst out laughing. “This is my surprise?”
He laughs too. “This is my surprise.”
“Because I can’t see your dick?”
“Precisely.”
We laugh and he brings my fingers to his lips and kisses them tenderly, this isn’t about his dick at all.
Oh…I love this man.
We drive in silence and I hear the car phone ring, Bruno from the car behind us answers. “Hey, boss.”
“Hi, when we get there you all stay out on the road, please.”
“Okay. Got you.” He hangs up.
I put my hands up and feel the mask over my eyes. “Do they know about us?”
“They have their suspicions.”
“How do you know?”
“Because the rumor mill has been circulating for weeks.”
I frown, shit. I didn’t even realize.
“Don’t worry, in about two hours they’re about to find out that we’re not brother and sister. That you are Lorenzo’s daughter.”
“How do you think that’s going to go down?”
“A lot better than if I wasn’t a Ferrara, that’s for sure.”
I smile goofily under my mask and feel the car turn off the road. “Where are we?” I ask as we seem to drive down a second road
“Somewhere I hope that you like.”
“What happens if I don’t?” I tease.
“Then this was a really fucking expensive mistake.”
I giggle, excitement bubbles in my stomach and I bounce in my seat. “Hurry up.”
We keep driving and driving and then finally he stops the car. “Stay there.”
“Hurry,” I gasp. “The suspense is killing me.”
He comes around and opens my door and helps me out of the car, he turns me away from him and I hear him let out a deep breath as if nervous.
What is this?
“Okay, you can take the mask off.”
I slowly slide the mask off and frown, we are at a house. Scratch that, a mansion. There’s a huge red bow on the door and I frown as I look around. The house is huge with large sandstone steps leading up to the double front doors. It looks like a library or something stately. Perfectly manicured gardens, huge trees lit up with fairy lights, my eyes roam around the surroundings and then meet Giuliano’s.
“Where are we?” I ask.
“Do you remember when we were kids, you used to tell me all about the pink house that you loved.”
I frown as I look around.
“Well, it’s not pink anymore.”
My eyes widen. “This is the pink house?”
He gives me a breathtaking broad smile.
“You bought the pink house?” I gasp as my hands fly over my mouth.
This can’t be happening?’
The pink house was near Enrico’s on Lake Como, it’s incredible and Anna and I used to dream about coming here one day.
“I bought you the pink house.” He takes me into his arms. “Welcome to our new home, baby.”
I squeal in excitement. “You can’t be serious?”
He laughs out loud, excited by my reaction, and holds me tight as my feet dangle off the ground. “Do you know how much I love this house?” I cry.
“I do. That’s why I paid a ridiculous amount of money for it.” He laughs.
“Oh my God. Oh my God…oh my fucking God,” I cry.
He leads me up the front steps and I look around in wonder, it’s the most luxurious place I’ve ever seen, which is saying something because I am well used to luxury.
He opens the front door with a key while I bounce behind him. “Hurry up, hurry up.”
He opens the door and steps back. “Ladies first.”
I walk in and my jaw hits the floor, the living room is dark but lit with hundreds of candles, there are flowers everywhere. “What the….” I turn back to Giuliano to see him down on one knee, holding a ring box open.
“Marry me.” He smiles hopefully up at me.
I smile through tears and drop to my knees beside him, I take his beautiful face in my hands. “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.”
We giggle as we kiss and this is perfect.
He takes the ring out, it’s a single solitaire diamond. Huge, so beautiful, and my mouth drops open in awe as he slides it onto my finger.
It’s heavy on my finger.
“Now there’s no getting out of it.” He smiles. “I’ve locked it in.”
I hold my hand out and stare at my finger, is this real?
My eyes shoot up and look around the romantic candles and flowers. “But how did you…”
“Anna and Giovanna helped.”
My eyes widen. “They know about us?”
“They do now.” He smiles.
“Oh.” Panic runs through me; I should have told Anna. “I have to call them.”
“Why don’t you just go see them?” He gestures to the back of the house.
I frown.
He takes my hand and leads me to the glass doors that lead out into the back garden.
Down on the water’s edge on the wharf I can see that there is a large dining table adorned with candles, fairy lights hang overhead. I can see people are sitting there and I can hear laughter but I can’t really make out who as it’s far away. “They’re here?” I gasp.
“I thought you’d want to celebrate with Anna.”
Oh my God, this man is the living end. I jump into Giuliano’s arms once more. “And I do, I do.”
He opens the door and I go running out, I run down across the grass as everyone laughs and cheers, there is Carlo and Anna, Valentino and Giovanna and Alex. Anna stands and I nearly knock her off her feet as we hug.
“Anna,” I half laugh and half cry.
“There is a God after all.” She hugs me tight. “Everything is how it should be.”
“I know.” I squeeze her tighter.