Page 6 of Isabella

4

NICCOLÒ

“More than I know?” Isabella raises a brow, causing me to chuckle.

What Isabella doesn’t know is that when I turned fourteen, I had Leo’s cousin give me my first tattoo. It’s on the inside of my forearm, the one I have wrapped tightly around her. A partially blown dandelion with a few of its little fuzzies floating up in the air and “Mom” written in the stem. It’s in honor of my mom, but it also serves as a reminder that dark times will always pass.

I toss around the idea of telling her about my tattoo. I haven’t been hiding it, but I also haven’t given her the chance to notice it. Even if I held out my arm, she would have to focus because of the ink that surrounds it.

“What’s so funny?” she asks, peering up at me from behind long lashes, a twinkle in her eye as the light from the bakery reflects off it. She’s so close that the smell of roses mixed with vanilla fills my nostrils. The combination is intoxicating.

“There’s something I want to show you,” I say, lifting my arm from its home around her.

Isabella’s shoulders slouch, and it warms my fucking heart knowing she has that reaction to losing my touch.

I turn my hand over so my palm is face up and extend my right arm out to her, revealing the dark ink that fills the space, then nod down to my arm for her to look.

She furrows her brow, then drops her gaze and slowly scans my arm from the top down. I see when the recognition hits her.

She reaches out, grabbing hold of my wrist with one hand while running her silklike fingers over the marked skin.

“A dandelion.” She whispers so softly that if I wasn’t just a few inches away from her, I wouldn’t have heard it. “Did you get this because…”

She doesn’t finish her question, but I answer it anyway. “Yes.”

Isabella brings her gaze up to mine, and I see the questions and emotions running through her eyes before she drops them to my forearm again. She runs the soft pad of her finger over the stem of the dandelion, tracing the word mom.

“I understand getting ‘Mom’ tattooed on your arm, but the dandelion…”

“That dandelion I got because of you and what you did for me back then. I’ll always see them as so much more than just little weeds, Isabella. It was the moment I realized I’d be okay. The moment I knew I’d be able to get through anything.” I look deep into Isabella’s unwavering eyes. “It was the moment I knew that there’s more to life than being exactly what my dad had set out for me.”

5

ISABELLA

SOPHOMORE YEAR AT CENTENNIAL UNIVERSITY

“So are you going to tell me where you’re taking me tonight, or are you really keeping this a surprise until we get there?” I ask Nicco as I sit at my vanity, already knowing the answer to my question.

I’ve spent all week trying to persuade him to give me even the slightest hint as to where he’s taking me, and trust me when I say I’ve beenpretty persuasive. But this man has stayed ferociously tight-lipped.

I push the diamond stud through my earlobe, adding the final piece to my outfit for the night, and slide my gaze to Nicco’s reflection in the mirror. He rises from the edge of my bed in those perfectly tailored black slacks and that navy-blue button-up that stretches across his broad chest and showcases his well-defined arms. His eyes are locked on mine as he stalks toward me.

Today is our one-year anniversary. Nicco told me a month ago to make sure I kept tonight open because he was planning on taking me somewhere special to celebrate. I’ve spent the entire month trying to get him to tell me where he’s taking me but have failed miserably.

Nicco stops right behind my chair, never letting our eye contact falter, and places his hands on my shoulders. I lean back into them. “You think I’d give up now and tell you where we’re going?” he asks, and I detect the playfulness in his tone immediately.

“You could say I was hoping.”

The tips of his fingers brush along my skin as he moves my long dark waves to one side, exposing my neck to him. It sends a shiver down my spine and a wave of anticipation through me.

“I was curious to see whatpower of persuasionyou have up your sleeve as one final attempt to spoil your surprise.” He gives me one of those sexy half smiles of his and leans down to place a gentle kiss on my exposed skin.

I melt into his warmth, closing my eyes as he trails a few more pecks along the curve of my neck before pulling away.

My eyes flutter open, and I turn to look up at him, raising my brow in a challenging way. “Well, if we have enough time, I think there’s one more thing I could do to try to convince you,” I say.

He returns the challenging look, cocking his brow as he licks his lip. “And what did you have in mind, my sweet Isabella?”

---