He grins then breaks a deep belly laugh, and I smile as I watch him.
“I’m serious, Rici. This is petrifying. What if I do all this for you and you leave me anyway?”
He falls serious. “I won’t be leaving you. Nobody will be leaving anyone. We have to make it work, and we both know we have a very strong base to work from. Yes, it will be tough sometimes, but I adore you and you adore me. What we have is precious. You never forgot me. I know you didn’t. I never forgot you.”
I smile over at the beautiful man opposite me. He has so much hope in his eyes and pride and love and, oh God, I can feel myself caving in.
“Do you want a life with me or not, Olivia? It’s a yes or no answer.”
I stare at him, the word yes on the tip of my tongue.
“I can teach you my world, Olivia. I will show you Italy through my eyes. All you have to do is love me.”
My eyes fill with tears, because I do. I love this man, and the fact that he is so determined to talk me into this only adds another layer to that love.
I can feel myself falling off the cliff and into the Italian abyss. “Okay,” I whisper.
His eyes widen as if surprised by my agreement. “Okay?”
I nod with a smile, and he taps his lap for me to go around and sit on him. I look around us at the people in the restaurant.
“Get over here, woman,” he whispers darkly.
I giggle as excitement runs through me. He doesn’t even care who can see. I climb onto his lap, and he wraps his arms around me tightly. He kisses me, his tongue sweeping through my open lips.
“I’ve missed you, Rici Ferrara,” I whisper down at him as I brush the hair back from his forehead.
He smiles against my lips. “I’ve missed you more, my love. Don’t leave me again.”
He gifts me with the perfect kiss, full of emotion and promise. I giggle. “Everyone is looking at us.”
“Fuck them.” He smirks. “Fuck them all.”
* * *
It’s after 9:00 p. m. when we leave the restaurant. We’ve been acting like lovesick teenagers all night. I can’t wait to get him alone. All this pent-up heartbreak and back and forth love means I’m about to lose my damn mind.
Enrico looks over to a car parked, and I see a man give him a thumbs up.
“Who’s that?” I ask.
“Marley. He’s my bodyguard who, unbeknown to you, has been guarding you since we broke up.”
“What?” I look over to the car and the two men inside it who are staring at us.
Rico opens my door, and I get into the car while still looking at the two men. I’ve never seen them before in my life. He closes the door and gets into the driver’s seat. “I’ve been guarded?” I frown over at him.
“Yes.” He starts the car and pulls out onto the road. I turn in my seat and see the car pull out behind us. “I needed you safe.”
“Why wouldn’t I be safe?”
He puts his hand on my thigh. “I’m a very wealthy man, Olivia. With that comes security issues. If somebody wanted to hurt me, they would hurt you. You will have a bodyguard twenty-four-seven now. Marley will be with you. I trust him with my life.”
No words are in my head-only shock. “They’ve been following me?”
“Guarding you, not following you. How was Germany, by the way?”
“Rici.” My mouth falls open to say something nasty about my lack of privacy, but I decide to stay silent instead.
“We’ll go back to your hotel now and pack up your things. You will move into Lake Como tonight.”
“What? That’s crazy. Why tonight? What’s the rush? I want some time to sit with this.”
“I want you to move there tonight.”
“Why can’t we just go tomorrow?” I ask. Damn it, I want a whole heap of bone-shattering make-up sex first. Not to be moving frigging house.
“Olivia, I want to start our new life together in Como… tonight. Our first night together will be in our bed, not your cheap hotel room, and not in my apartment, but in our new home.”
I smile over at him.
“What?” He smirks.
“I was just horny, that’s all.”
He throws his head back and laughs out loud as if shocked by my statement. “Don’t worry, you will be well and truly fucked tonight… but in my bed, and on my terms.”
I smile as I look through the windscreen in front of us.
“What are you thinking?” he asks.
“I’m thinking that you’re very bossy, Rici Ferrara.”
“I just know what I want.”
I look over at him. “And what is it that you want?”
“You, bella.” He puts one of my fingers into his mouth and sucks it slowly as his dark eyes hold mine. My sex clenches. “Only you.”
* * *
The cavalcade of cars pulls into a driveway. Huge wrought iron gates greet us, and Enrico stops at the little security house. They open the gates and wave him through. We are at his house in Lake Como-the one he was desperate to get me to right away. At his insistence, we packed up my hotel room life into my suitcase and made our way here.
It’s late-just past 11:00 p. m.
We drive through the gates, up the long driveway, and I peer out the window like a scared child.
“This is your house?” I ask as I feel the confidence drain from me and run down into the car seats. The property is incredible, with manicured gardens and spotlights lighting up the beautiful trees.
“Yes, this is where we will live.”
“Why don’t we just live in Milan?” I frown. It took us an hour to get here.
He smiles over at me. “You’ll see.”
We turn the corner, and I see a stone pillar covered in vines with a large copper sign hanging from it.
Villa Oliviana
I turn to him. “Your house is called Oliviana?”
His eyes dance with delight. “Our house, and yes. This house was the first thing I bought when I took over the family business.”
“After we met?”
His smirk is slow to rise. “The name of the property was why I bought it. It reminded me of a beautiful woman I once met.”
I smile dreamily. Oh, man, could this guy get any swoonier if he tried? “Only a bit fancier than me,” I add. From the back of my mind a little voice whispers
Slow down.
He smiles to himself as we continue up the driveway. At the top of the hill is a gigantic cream-colored house. It’s classically Italian. Out the front is a large, circular driveway with an undercover awning. It’s so grand, it looks like a hotel.
He parks the car undercover, and two men come out. Rico gets out of the car.
“Ciao, per favore, porta i bagagli di Olivia al piano di sopra.”
“Si, signore.”
Rico opens my door and grabs my hand to help me out. I smile nervously at the men.
“Ciao, Miss Olivia.” They nod in greeting.
“Hi.”
I look around at the opulent luxury. It’s like a movie. Sandstone pillars and marble floors and gorgeous hanging lanterns line the space. Large, impressive potted plants are positioned all around. I don’t know where to look first.
This place is out of this world. Next level, fucking insane.
“Come, my love.” Rici leads me up the stairs, where two lion statues sit proudly, guarding either side of the house. Gosh, this place is like ancient Rome. We go up onto the sandstone terrace, and in through the large double doors. I look up in awe as we pass through them. They would have to stand thirty-feet tall, and they’re black with a big gold knocker on each one.
Enrico watches me, and I tighten my cardigan around my shoulders.
“You’re very quiet,” he says. He smiles softly. “Thoughts?”
I have no words in my head-none that will make sense, anyway.
This doesn’t look like a house. It looks like a national museum.