Page 11 of Days Of Valentino

“Pfft, only if you want to see them in a shallow grave.” I shift closer and pull her body up against mine.

“Where have you been?”

“I had a thing to do,” I say before kissing her forehead. I avoid telling her the gritty details of the family business. Not because I don’t trust her or because I think it’ll make her see me differently. I know Cassidy is end game. It’s for her. I don’t want her haunted by the images that are locked inside my head. I don’t want her tainted by them.

“You know I’m your ride or die, right? I don’t care what you’ve been doing. I wouldn’t ever judge you, Alessandro,” she says, rolling over and straddling my waist.

I reach up and tuck her hair behind her ear. “I know that. And I love you. Some things you’re better off not knowing. I’m not going to spend our life together burdening you with shit you don’t need to be burdened with.”

“As long as you’re not keeping it in because you think I can’t handle it. I don’t want you keeping shit in if it’s going to affect you either. If you need to talk about something, you talk to me.” Cassidy leans forward and captures my lips with hers. “Promise me you’ll always come to me,” she says.

“Marry me?”

Her eyes widen. “W-what?”

I stretch an arm off the bed, pick up my jeans from the floor, and pull the diamond out of my pocket. Probably not the best place to leave a seven hundred-thousand-dollar stone. But here we are. I hold the diamond up to Cassidy and repeat, “Marry me?”

Her brows pull down. “Um, Alessandro, usually the diamond is set in a ring for situations like this,” she says instead of answering me.

“I know, and it will be. We can design the ring together,” I tell her.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yes.” She smiles as her eyes flick from the stone back to me. “I will marry you, because I can’t think of a single reason not to.”

“Well, thank fuck for that.” Taking hold of her head, I pull Cassidy’s face down and slam my lips on hers. “I love you.”

“I love you.” Then, all of a sudden, Cassidy jumps out of the bed. “Oh my god! I have to call my mom. We have to callyourmom. Oh shit, is your dad going to be okay with this? Like, does he have to vet me or something before I become a Valentino?”

I can’t help but laugh.

“It’s not funny, Alessandro. I’m serious.” She scowls at me.

“I can tell,” I say while trying to hide my amusement. “Pops loves you, Cassidy. Both of my parents love you. They’ll be thrilled. And as for being vetted, I did that the first week I met you, babe.”

“You did? How?”

“You know, the normal way. Running background checks, pulling financials, all that.”

“Find anything interesting?” She lifts a challenging brow.

“Yeah, I did. The most amazing, stunningly beautiful woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.”

“Smooth.” She laughs while swiping her phone off the nightstand—guess we’re making those calls right now.

“You know we could tell everyone in the morning, when people are awake,” I suggest.

“Shit, you’re right.” Cassidy drops her phone back down. “Sorry. I just… got excited.”

“I’m glad.” I pull her onto the bed and roll my body on top of hers. “I think we need to practice the whole consummating part of the marriage.” I smirk.

“We’re probably going to need to practice that a whole lot,” Cassidy agrees, wrapping her legs around my waist.

As I look down at this woman, I thank God for sending her to me. I could not think of a single person I’d rather spend my life with.

My lips trace along her jawline until a buzzing from the nightstand has Cassidy reaching over for her phone. “It’s for you,” she says.

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