Page 102 of Bellini Born

He stepped closer. “Out for the count.”

“Both of them?” I couldn’t contain my surprise.

“Jet lag hit Bianca hard. Can’t imagine she’ll wake again before morning.”

It was only four in the afternoon here, so I had my doubts that she’d crash out hard enough to sleep for the next fourteen hours straight. It was far more likely she’d be wide awake and ready to play in the middle of the night.

“Might be a better idea to wake her around dinnertime. She’ll be cranky, but we need to get her adjusted to the time change.”

Sighing, he climbed onto the mattress, settling in beside me. “Yeah, you’re probably right, but I’d rather be held captive and subjected to enemy torture than see any of my girls upset.”

I blinked at him. “Has that ever happened before?”

He shrugged like it was no big deal. “Yeah, once or twice.”

“And you’ve been shot too?” I pressed, recalling the mention of such an event during our conversations while I was in the hospital.

Matteo grunted in the affirmative, lifting his shirt to showcase the scar just below his ribcage on his left flank. It wasn’t any wonder I hadn’t noticed the marks scattered across his smooth olive skin before now, considering we hadn’t exactly found ourselves naked during daylight hours.

Time and time again, he’d tried to impress upon me how dangerous it was to tie my life to his. But seeing the puckered star of scar tissue where a freaking bullet had entered his body was what really drove that point home.

My fingertip traced that old wound. “I don’t like this.”

With a firm grasp around my wrist, Matteo brought my hand to his mouth, where he dusted kisses over the pad of each finger. “It’s best not to think about it.”

Rolling my eyes, I muttered, “Easier said than done when a permanent reminder has been left behind.”

“I have something I want to give you.” He skillfully changed the subject.

“You do?”

“Mm-hmm.” Reaching into his pocket, he produced a velvet box. When he cracked it open, the contents were revealed, and my heart rate kicked into high gear.

Nestled against the satin pillow was a blindingly brilliant engagement ring. The main stone was a massive, circular diamond, surrounded by a dozen or more smaller ones to create the appearance of a sunburst.

A trembling hand came up to cover my mouth. “Th-that’s for me?”

Matteo plucked the ring from the box. “We didn’t really get a chance to do this properly. Summer Reynolds”—I sucked in a sharp breath, teetering on the line between my old life and the new one he offered—“will you marry me?”

Stunned speechless, I only managed a weak nod, my vision swimming with unshed tears.

With his free hand, he gripped my chin. “I need to hear you say the words,bella. Because once we do this, there’s no going back.”

“Y-yes,” I stammered.

A grin tipped up on his lips as he slid that giant rock onto my left hand. “Right answer.”

Oh wow. It was heavier than I expected.

Marveling at the glittering diamonds as they caught the light, I mused, “This is too much.”

If I had to guess, this single piece of jewelry cost Matteo as much as a brand-new car. Likely more.

Matteo’s lips found my neck, and the vibration of his chuckle buzzed against my skin. “I’m going to enjoy spoiling you.”

My head dropped back on a groan. “I’m not with you for your money.”

“Don’t I know it.” A path of kisses trailed higher toward my ear. “There aren’t many people on this planet who would outright refuse to accept the get out of jail free card I offered you.”