“If you fall asleep, you won’t see what’s in those boxes.”

She bites her lip and raises her head and looks at me.

“You didn’t have to do this.”

“Yes, I did. Open them.”

First, she examines the shoes, her eyes bright with feminine lust for such things, which makes me laugh.

“I kind of like looking at them like this,” she confesses. “I mean, the blue looks so pretty in these pink shoes.”

I raise a brow and wait for her to finish admiring the shoes, and finally she can’t resist any longer. She tugs one box out of a shoe.

“Oh my,” she breathes when she opens the box. “There’s a lot of pink happening around here tonight.”

She’s quiet for a long minute, her lip gripped in her teeth as she simply stares at the white and pink diamond necklace nestled in the blue box. Her brown gaze shoots up to mine as she reaches for the other box.

“Lots of pink,” she says again, when she sees the matching bracelet.

“They match the pink shoes,” I whisper, and continue to knead the muscles in her calves. “Your calves are tight.”

“I was walking in heels for roughly fourteen hours today.”

Finally, without another word, she simply climbs over to me, into my lap, and wraps herself around me, clinging on tightly.

“I don’t know what to say,” she whispers.

“You don’t have to say anything.”

“They’re so beautiful. Thank you so much.”

“They’re going to look amazing against your skin, cara. That’s why I chose pink. You wear pink so well.”

She buries her face in my neck and kisses me gently. Now is the time to tell her how much I love her.

But instead, I stay quiet, plucking pins from her hair until it’s falling around her shoulders and plunge my fingers in it, pulling it to my nose.

“You smell amazing.”

“You smell amazing,” she replies, her nose still pressed to my skin.

“You were remarkable to watch today. You were so in control, so focused.”

“That’s my job.”

“You’re excellent at it.”

She smiles against my neck.

“Are you going to let me lay you down and help you get more comfortable?”

“I’ll let you lay me down and make love to me,” she says with a small voice.

You don’t ever have to ask me twice.

I tip her onto her back and hover over her, helping her shimmy out of her beautiful blue dress and matching underwear, until she’s spread out under me, the pink tulip petals around her, her golden blonde hair fanned around her head, looking like nothing short of an angel.

“You take my breath away,” I whisper.

She grins as she works on the buttons of my shirt, shoving it over my shoulders and tossing it aside, then making quick work of my pants. When I’m naked at last, I settle over her, bracing myself on my elbows, my heavy cock nestled in her slick, hot folds.

I brush imaginary tendrils of hair off her forehead and cheeks with my fingertips, sweep my nose over hers, anything to touch her.

I’ll never get enough of feeling her skin with mine.

“Dominic,” she whispers, then gasps as I move my hips, just a bit, sliding through her wetness.

“Yes, my treasure.”

Her eyes flare at the term of endearment.

“Are you more comfortable hearing it in Italian, tesoro?”

“I guess I’m surprised to hear it at all,” she replies truthfully.

“You are my treasure.” I kiss her cheek, then drag my lips down to that sensitive spot by her ear. “You are the best part of my life.”

Her hands glide up and down my back, then her fingertips follow the same path, making me even harder. I rear back and sink slowly inside her waiting heat, watching her gorgeous eyes as I press in as far as I can, then rest there, watching her.

“So proud of you, Alecia.”

“Thank you.” Tears fill her eyes and she closes them.

“Don’t close your eyes,” I whisper and brush a tear aside. “You don’t ever have to hide from me.”

“I’m not.” She shakes her head lightly, then looks back up at me, with her heart wide open for the first time.

It’s magnificent.

“Do you know how much you scare me?” she asks, her voice barely a whisper.

I begin to move, filling her, then pulling out, in long, smooth, sure strokes. Her breath hitches, her fingers dig into my back, and she clenches around my cock in the most delicious of ways.

“You are everything,” I say into her ear, as I make gentle love to her. “And yes, tesoro, it scares me too, but not having you scares me even more.”

“Me too.”

I grip her hand in mine, lacing our fingers, and press it down into the bed as I begin to ride her harder, but not faster. I press the base of my cock against her clit and grind down, and that’s all it takes for her to fall over the edge, coming hard, taking me with her.

I love you.

Chapter Fifteen

~Alecia~

I’ve been waking up to his handsome face for more than two weeks now, and it never fails to take my breath away.

Or make me squirm in pure, unadulterated lust.

I mean, look at him. He’s all dark skin and hair against my white sheets, gathered at his waist, giving me a prime view of his defined abs, sculpted arms, and magical hands with long fingers.

He’s shown me what my body was made for. In the week since the wedding, he’s spent every night here in my bed with me, leaving each morning to go back to the vineyard, but he always returns every evening for dinner, wine, conversation, and the best sex of my life.

I can’t resist dragging my fingertips down his rough cheek, enjoying the way the scruff feels on my skin.

With his eyes still closed, he grins, flashing that dimple, and captures my hand in his, bringing it to his lips.

“Good morning,” he whispers against my palm.

“’Morning,” I reply and lean in to kiss his shoulder. “We need to get up soon. Baseball game today, remember?”

“I remember.” He pulls me into his arms, into what I consider my spot, cozied up against his side, my head on his chest and arm wrapped around his ribs, where I simply fit just right. “But we should do this for a little while first.”

“Do what?” I nuzzle my nose into his neck and take a deep breath, enjoying him.

“Just be,” he says, and kisses my head.

“This is nice,” I whisper.