Page 44 of A Treasure To Keep (Leone Legacy #2)
Andrea
E l and I have been working almost non-stop and haven’t had a day off together since the night we went to the movies.
When El mentioned sitting around in our pajamas to start on wedding plans, I couldn’t think of anything better.
El’s version of pajamas usually includes some sort of lingerie, a satin short and tank top set, or naked.
To be fair, mine usually involve pajama pants or naked.
I hand a mug of coffee to El, wearing pajama pants, as El sits on the floor in tiny sleep shorts and a tank top. Fuck, she’s beautiful. I shouldn’t be surprised that she has a spread of photos, notes, and printouts from wedding websites. What I am surprised by is the massive amounts she has.
“What are the plans for our wedding, mon trésor?” El holds the mug in her hands, taking a sip while her eyes glimmer.
I love it when her eyes sparkle. After she finishes sipping on her coffee, she hands the mug back to me, since there’s no space on the coffee table.
That, and she knows there’s a high possibility that she would knock over the mug if she set it on the ground.
“It will be perfect! Hopefully. I want to get married in the fall, but we’ll wait until next year because this fall is too soon.
I’m thinking late September to early October.
That way, we can have a lavish honeymoon before the busy holiday season at work.
Let’s find somewhere with a nude beach. If I’m going to lie on the beach, I can’t come back with tan lines.
I’m open to getting married here or somewhere back home in France.
I spoke with your mom the other day, and she said she will make either place work for her favorite person.
She’ll make it work for you, too, of course.
” She hands me a pile of pictures as she keeps talking about her plans for our wedding, and I sort through the pictures.
Some of them are from the South of France, while some of them are from Paris.
All different, but all of them home, nonetheless.
A smile spreads across my face when I see this picture, one of El in a wedding dress.
This dress screams El. The champagne-colored fit and flare lace dress had skinny straps and a sweetheart neckline that hugs her curves.
It’s the definition of stylish, glamorous, and elegant. It’s El in a nutshell.
When El notices my smile, her eyes get wide, and she gasps as she swipes the picture from me.
“That wasn’t supposed to be there! By the way, that’s not my dress.
It was a close second. I went shopping with James while I video-chatted with Luci one day, when you were at work.
Alessandro has been extra protective of her lately.
Maybe it’s because she’s two weeks from her due date.
Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I tried on dresses for inspiration, but no picture you’d find on my phone, around my apartment, work locker, or car will show my wedding dress.
It’ll be my little secret until I walk down the aisle.
I’m informing you now that if you don’t cry when you see me, I’m walking back up the aisle. ”
I shouldn’t be surprised she has a dress by now. Now that we’re talking about dresses, it might be the perfect time to mention this. “Speaking of wedding outfits, I have something for you.”
El raises her eyebrows before I disappear into our bedroom, grabbing the small ornate box from the top shelf.
The last time I took this box down was the day I bought El’s ring to double-check that it went with what’s in this box.
When I come back, El is still on the ground, sitting criss-cross applesauce and facing me.
I sit beside her, opening the small box, and El gasps when she sees what’s in there.
“Ma mère had inherited beautiful pieces of jewelry from her grand-mère. No matter how poor we were or how little we had, I never would let her sell any of them. When I got cancer, she insisted on selling them to pay for my treatment. I made her promise that if I lived, she would keep them and never mention it again. When I moved to America, ma mère gave me these earrings to give to the woman I want to marry. If these don’t match your dress, I understand, but would you at least consider wearing these? ”
El gently grabs the box from my hands, pulling out the diamond earrings. “And I thought I’d have a difficult time finding my Something Old.”
She places the earrings back in the box, wrapping her arms around my neck as she kisses me. “I love you.”
“Je t'aime mon trésor.” I take the earrings and the box from her lap, placing the box on the coffee table as I bring her into my lap, deepening our kiss.
I reach for the hem of her shirt, about to lift it up and over her head, when someone pounds on the door.
El and I snap our heads in the direction of the door, my hands frozen on the hem of her shirt.
“Maybe if we stay really quiet, whoever it is will go away.” I’m convinced El has no idea what ‘quiet’ is.
El yelps when the pounding on the door reappears. I remove her from my lap and walk toward the door, opening it and freezing at who stands in front of me.
“What are you doing here?”