Page 65 of Savage Claim

“By the power invested in me by the state of New York,” the justice of the peace said, “I now pronounce you as husband and wife. Mr. Vitali, you may kiss your bride.”

I cupped her cheek softly and leaned in, kissing her. Her arms slipped around my neck and held me close. “You’re mine now,dolcezza,” I murmured.

Isabella giggled. “I was already yours.” Her lips brushed against mine again. “Now it’s just on paper.”

When I lost Sienna, I never planned to allow a woman back into my bed again, let alone marry anyone else. But Isabella had resurrected that part of me that had been dead and buried. She made my heart race again.

I was never going to let this woman go, even if that meant locking her away from the entire world, and from the look on her face, she knew it too.

There was supposed to be a dinner and a cake to celebrate, but I needed to be alone with my wife.Fuck, even thinking the word made me hard. “Amalia,” I said without taking my eyes off of Isabella. “Make sure everyone eats well and make a toast to us and all of that.”

Elio chuckled. “Are you leaving,cugino?”

“We are,” Isabella answered for me. Her eyes left mine only to find Amalia. “Save some cake for me?”

Amalia’s laugh was delighted. “Of course.”

Our bags were already loaded in the back of the Bugatti. We hadn’t driven in it since the first time I took her to see her sister, and when she saw which car I had prepared, she smiled. “Oh, thisisspecial, isn’t it?” she asked.

I wrapped my arm around her waist. “Yes,dolcezza,” I said, simply. “It is.”

Her silly smile faded into something more serious and fond. “Are we going to the Palazzo?” she asked as I opened the passenger side door for her.

“I thought about that,” I said. “But no.”

“Then, where?”

“You’ll see,” I told her. “Be patient.”

We took our time driving into the city, stopping at a little hole-in-the-wall Chinese spot for beef and broccoli and wonton soup because that was what Isabella had a taste for. The sky wasturning a dusky pink when I pulled the Bugatti into a parking garage.

“A condo?” Isabella asked.

“Real estate is always a great investment,” I said. “I’ll go over all of the places we own someday.” I pulled into my parking spot near the penthouse elevator. “Let me take you upstairs, and then I’ll come get our bags. You need to get off your feet.”

Isabella wanted to argue, I could tell, but ultimately, she nodded because of the exhaustion that was beginning to pull at her.

We rode the elevator to the penthouse, and I watched her eyes go a touch wide when we stepped off. There was a wall of windows in front of us that looked over the city skyline. It was an impressive view, even for me.

“Do you want the tour?” I asked her. “Or do you want to explore while I go get our bags?”

“I’ll look around myself,” she said and leaned up to press a kiss to my cheek. “Hurry back.”

Isabella

Once I was alone in this massive penthouse, I started to poke around. The kitchen was immaculate and modern, the exact opposite of the charming farmhouse aesthetic from the estate. The living space was large and sprawling, and down a hallway, I found the master suite.

The bedroom was similar to the one at the estate: dark woods and luxurious linens. The bathroom, however, was a showstopper. Where Lorenzo had a massive shower at the estate, a marble tub dominated this bathroom. On a shelf beside the tub, there was a collection of bath salts and crumbles. Immediately, I knew what I wanted: I crossed the room, turned on the faucet, and then picked out a soft vanilla bath oil from the assortment on the shelf. The tub was filling up fast—was that some kind of feature they paid for when the tub was installed?—so I poured in the oil and filled the air with the sweet scent.

On the counter, I found some hair ties and quickly pulled my hair up. Then, I slipped out of my dress and dropped my panties to the floor before sliding into the hot water. Sighing, I sank down, and I was happy to realize just how deep the tub was. I stretched out and let myself relax.

I knew it the moment Lorenzo found me. The vibe of the room seemed to shift, and I glanced over my shoulder. “Hi,” I chirped at him. “I found the tub.”

Lorenzo’s smile was predatory. “I see that.”

I tipped my head back. “Care to join me?”

Without saying a word, he stripped out of his clothes and climbed into the tub behind me. I shifted forward to accommodate him, making a contented noise when I rested my back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me to keep me that close.

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