Page 55 of Deceptive Desires (The Syndicate #2)

Cecilia

I’m watering the plants around the penthouse wondering how Roman kept them alive before I got here. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know the care routine for a single one. I’ve never seen him tend to them.

“Hey, sunshine,” a sweet voice whispers from behind me, and I jump in surprise.

“Héroe, you scared me!” I tell him as I lightly swat his chest.

He grabs my hand quicker than I can track and presses it against his heart.

“Thank you for taking such great care of these plants. I was wondering if you wanted to pick out some for the balcony?” he offers.

“I’d love that!” I perk up at the idea.

This penthouse is beautiful. Practically my dream home. But I haven’t picked anything out or decorated it at all. I’d love to get some plants that I choose to decorate with. And when Gracie gets back, we’ll have to go thrifting and to some estate sales to get things to decorate with.

I told her about the apartment, and even though she was upset, she was happy I was okay.

Roman’s been fixing up the apartment. I refused his offer to pay someone to do it, so now on weekends or when he’s free, he’ll work on it. Sometimes I go with him. He’s banned me from using power tools after an incident, but I still make myself useful.

We haven’t made plans for what we’re doing when she comes back. I think she knows that as much as I love living with her, I don’t want to move out of Roman’s place. I love living with him. But I also don’t want to abandon her.

We’ll just have to see what happens.

“Why don’t you get dressed, sunshine, then we’ll go to the greenhouse,” he tells me as he wraps his arms around me from behind and pulls me into him.

I bask in his warmth for a beat, then make my way to our bedroom.

I stare at my closet, unsure what to wear. I’m fingering through my outfits when a hand stops on one and pulls it out.

“Why don’t you wear this one?” Roman whispers in my ear.

I look at the white maxi dress perfect for the summer with its breathable sleeves, empire waist, and loose bottom that falls to the ground. It even has small flower decals on it.

“Sure,” I tell him, giddy that he cares what I wear.

***

An hour later, I look out of the car window, unsure as to where we are.

Roman turns down a gravel road and continues on to what must be private property. We finally find a driveway that leads up to the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen. No, not a house. A mansion.

It’s Tudor revival style. The outside is stone with many windows.

The two chimneys give it a warm, homey feeling.

There’s a balcony above the patio full of plants.

The gray roofing somehow perfectly matches the warm stone walls.

There are lanterns all over, and to the side, a pond. It’s beyond beautiful.

“I don’t understand. I thought we were shopping for plants,” I tell him while staring out of the window, still mesmerized by the mansion.

“We are… sort of. There’s a greenhouse in the back.”

Roman gets out of the car, walks around, opens my door for me, and helps me out.

“Thank you.” I flash him a sweet smile.

When his hand meets mine, it’s damp with sweat. I’ve never known Roman to sweat.

He takes a shaky breath as he leads me on a path around the house. I’m too caught up in wondering what has him worried to take in the view.

Until we get to the ‘greenhouse.’

It’s not a greenhouse at all. It’s an outdoor courtyard garden. Every beautiful flower, herb, bush, and tree that can be grown in Boston is here. And they meld together so perfectly.

In the middle of the ground is a mosaic, but I can’t make out what it is with the brown blanket strewn over half of it. On the blanket is a picnic basket, the one we use when we go to the park.

And all around the courtyard, there are hundreds of candles. All lit, casting a warm glow.

It’s ethereal. I feel like I’m standing in a garden from a Greek mythology tale. I certainly don’t feel like I’m in Boston.

I turn in circles trying to take it in. Roman gently leads me by the small of my back through the garden. I slowly walk taking in every plant. They’re gorgeous.

“Pick out the ones you like, and we’ll get them.” His soft voice flows in my ear.

I look at him and notice he’s not taking in the beautiful sight, no, he’s taking in the sight of me.

I blush and let him guide me to the picnic blanket.

“Before we start dinner, there’s something I need to ask you,” he says.

Then he coughs, clearing his throat. He shifts his weight from each leg, and I can feel the nerves radiating off of him.

I grab his hands in mine to stop the trembling.

“Deep breaths with me. We’re going to do a box breathing technique. In, one… two… three… four. Hold, one… two… three… four. Out, one… two… three… four. Hold, one… two… three… four,” I talk him through the meditation sequence.

We do it four more times until he’s back to a normal shade and isn’t trembling. Then he steps back.

He gets down on one knee.

Grabs my hands.

And my heart freezes.

“Cecilia María, sabía que te quería desde el primer momento en que te vi,” he starts, then pinches his face in concentration, reaches into his back pocket, and pulls out a sheet of paper.

Cecilia María, I knew I wanted you from the first moment I laid eyes on you.

“No me distraigo ni paro mi trabajo para ayudar a desconocidos. Pero me llamaste tu héroe, y nada pudo detenerme,” he continues, butchering every beautiful Spanish word that falls from his lips.

I don’t get distracted or stop work to help strangers. But you called me your hero, and nothing could stop me.

“Seguiste diciéndome héroe, y cuanto más lo escuchaba, más quería ser eso para ti.”

You continued calling me hero, and the more I heard it, the more I wanted to be that for you.

Tears well in my eyes.

“Nadie me ha visto nunca como tú. Nadie me ha hecho querer ser mejor hombre.”

No one's ever seen me the way you do. No one's ever made me want to be a better man.

He clears his throat.

“Estaba tan perdido hasta que te conocí. No me di cuenta de lo frío y vacío que era mi vida. No me di cuenta de qué no sabía lo qué era el amor. Hasta tú.”

I was so lost until I met you. I didn't realize how cold and empty my life was. I didn't realize I didn't know what love was. Until you.

“Chocaste conmigo y todo mi mundo se puso patas arriba.”

You knocked into me, and my whole world flipped.

“Me diste mi sol. No conozco la felicidad verdadera si no es contigo.”

You've given me my sunshine. I don't know true happiness if it's not with you.

“Tu sonrisa ilumina mi día, tu risa es música para mis oídos. Eres mi corazón, viviendo fuera de mi cuerpo.”

Your smile lights up my day, your laugh is music to my ears. You are my heart, living outside my body.

“Eres todo lo que puedo desear en una pareja. Eres todo lo que siempre voy a necesitar.”

You're everything I could ever want in a partner. You're everything I could ever need.

“Tu optimismo me salva de mi pesimismo. Eres la calma de mi ansiedad. El color de mi oscuridad. El bien de mi mal.”

Your optimism saves me from my pessimism. You're the calm to my anxiety. The color to my darkness. The good to my bad.

I open my mouth to contradict him. To tell him he’s not bad. But he shushes me and continues.

“Por favor, déjame ser tu héroe por el resto de nuestras vidas.”

Please, let me be your hero for the rest of our lives.

He pauses.

“Por favor, pasa el resto de tu vida conmigo.”

Please, spend the rest of your life with me.

His voice cracks.

“Sé mi esposa,” he all but begs.

Be my wife.