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“Thank god,” I panted and held up the ring. “Here. Read the inscription.”
He took the band from my fingers and put it near the light, turning it as he read. “This is the real one.” Then he threw back his head and laughed. “Tu sei perfetta, mia diavoletta.”
“I know. You’re very lucky to have me.”
“Yes, I am.”
Just as his mouth lowered to mine, the upstairs door clanged shut. Vito paused, just millimeters from my face. “Shouldn’t they leave us alone to celebrate?”
“Wait,” I said, resting my palm on his chest. “One last surprise.”
Massimo came around the corner, a bottle of sparkling wine in one hand and three glasses in the other. “Congratulazioni!” he said loudly.
Vito eased back, but wrapped one arm around my waist. The two brothers kissed cheeks. “I should have known,” my man said. “No one makes chicken piccata like you.”
Massimo slapped Vito on the back—and I caught Mikey, Bruce and Celeste coming around the corner. Then Val and Sam emerged. Now it was my turn to be surprised. “Oh, my god! What are you all doing here?”
“We couldn’t let this go by without celebrating,” my brother said.
“But what if he’d said no.” I kissed Val’s cheek, then Sam’s.
When I finished my brother hugged me. “There was no chance of that.”
“Yeah,” Val added. “He’s literally been asking you for months.”
“He’s beenhintingfor months,” I said. “There was no official ask, FYI.”
Vito squinted at me. Then he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a white box. A ring box. I covered my mouth and gawked at him. “Is that . . . ? Have you been carrying that around? Or did you know?”
Carefully, he lowered to one knee. “Maybe I planned to propose tonight.”
I cast a quick glance at Mikey and Massimo. “Did you tell him?”
“No!” my brother said, while Maz shook his head.
Clasping my hands under my chin, I watched as Vito peeled open the ring box. A flash of brilliant fire caught my eye before I returned to his serious gaze. “Margaret Anne Fiorentino, I love you more than my own life. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
“Yes, Vittore D’Agostino, I will marry you.”
Everyone cheered, and then I was in Vito’s arms, kissing him through my smile.
Mikey went behind the bar to get more glasses and soon we were all toasting. Vito and I put our rings on and then held them up to admire them. I kissed his cheek, my body nestled firmly into his side. “You’re never allowed to take that one off,” I whispered. “I want every woman who sees you to know you’re taken.”
“The same goes for yours,” he murmured. “No more picking up strange men in casino bars.”
“The only man I have any interest in picking up is you, amore.”
Vito handed Massimo his flute, then bent down and quickly hefted me over his shoulder. “Ciao, amici,” he told the room. “We have a date with a glass window.”