Page 135 of Dancing with the Devil

Smiling, I broke the kiss. “Are you sure you really love me?” I hesitantly asked, feeling my stomach do somersaults. “Maybe you’re just as nervous as I am, and now you’re just saying a bunch of words—yes that makes much more sense,” I nodded, swallowing a lump in my throat.

“Nirah Joy Valentino,” he held me tighter. “I don’t get nervous,” he reminded me, and I dropped my shoulders, letting out a quick breath.

Lowering my eyes, I removed my hands from his neck as my heart ached in my chest. “Hey, look at me,” he said, lifting my chin. “I never understood what love was until you. You are the one who’s going to give me smile lines before thirty because only you can put a fucking smile on my face. How can I not love you when your face is the only one I see when I close my eyes, and when you’re my first and last thought every day and every night.”

Feeling my eyes swell with tears, I sadly smiled up at him.I’m capable of being loved?

“I’ve never met a woman who I’ve caught shamelessly checking out my ass one minute and calling it fat the next—it’s beyond belief but here we are,” he said and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You do have a really nice ass,” I shrugged my shoulders and he opened his mouth to protest but shut it immediately.

“You aretrulyincredible, Nirah Joy,” he gently held my waist. “I can’t even remember what life was like without you and I don’t want to, because any life without you must be torturous.”

I playfully hit his chest, glancing away for a second. “Oh, I love you too, De Luca,” I giggled, jumping to wrap my armsaround his neck and with a firm grip on me, he squeezed me in his arms as he lifted me off the ground. I couldn’t contain my happiness as I kicked my feet in excitement and his chest vibrated with a chuckle.

Steadily, he lowered me back down and stole a kiss before I broke the hug. “You’re ruining my makeup,” I said gently, tapping my face here and there with the back of my hand.

He walked me over to my vanity mirror and I sat down. After touching up my make-up he put his arm out for me and I held onto it with both of my hands.

“If you feel too overwhelmed, scared, oranything,we can leave for a little while, okay?” he said and I nodded. “And, if you still don’t feel completely fine I’ll kick them all out and make you feel better,” he added.

We walked out and he closed the door behind both of us. “And how would you do that?” I asked and he stopped walking.

“I could show you right now what you’ll be in for,” he answered and I pretended to think as I tapped my chin with my finger.

We both share ear-to-ear smiles as we continued walking. I heard multiple voices downstairs and my stomach churned. I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous.

We reached the top of the stairs and he placed a soothing kiss to my temple. “My mother loves you,tesoro,” he assured me as we descended and my head snapped to him.

“How?”

“I’ve already told her about you,” he explained, looking at me and my heart dropped to the floor. “And she’s been keen to meet you ever since.”

“What if I’m not what she expected?”

“You won’t be. You’ll be even better because words aren’t enough to describe how incredible you are.”

“You’re going soft on me De Luca,” I murmured, tapping the back of my hand against the corner of my eye to wipe tears that started brimming.Why am I so emotional tonight?

We reached the bottom of the stairs and thankfully not all—but most—eyes were on us now. Onme.

Looking around the room, I spotted beautiful women accompanied by men in fancy suits. A few children were running around too, and my heart raced in my chest.

My eyes landed on Amelia and she smiled, waving at me dramatically. I couldn’t help but smile at her excitement. The man with his arm around her waist—Ivan—showed me a timid smile before lowering his wife’s arm.

“She looks beautiful,” I whispered over to Antonio, but when I looked at him, he was staring at me with wondrous eyes.

It was as though he held every single star in his eyes tonight. The chandelier lights bounced gently off his skin, making it glow.

“You’re going to make me fall in love with you if you keep looking at me like that,” I whispered up at him and the corner of his mouth lifted into a smile.

“That’s all a man ever truly needs,” he whispered back and I felt a huge blush coat my cheeks. “Stop blushing. You’re turning me on,” he lowered his voice and I snapped my head away from him, looking out at everyone while tryingnotto smile like an idiot.Here we go.

“Nirah dear.”

My heart raced as their mother—I’m guessing because the resemblance between her and Amelia was uncanny—approached us.

She had black hair that was pushed back into a sleek ponytail. Her eyes were an olive green, and her cheeks were coated in a light shade of pink. She was dressed beautifully in a black dress that was floor-length as well.