Page 107 of The Proposal

When he places me back down on my feet, he cups my face in his hands and leans in, pressing his lips against mine, giving me the most devastating kiss.

The kind that steals every breath, every ounce of doubt.

We are both panting when he draws back, and I’m left speechless as he rests his forehead against mine and whispers, “I love you, Arabella Mancini.”

He loves me?

I let those words swim around in my head for a moment before replying, “You do?”

He releases me, retreats a step, and for a moment, I think I’ve upset him. But then he shoves his hand into the pocket of his trousers and gets down on one knee. I gasp when I see the ring box in his hand.

“This has been burning a hole in my pocket for weeks. I was just waiting for the right time, and this moment seems perfect. Will you marry me, Arabella?”

“We are already married.”

“I know, but this time, I’m hoping you say yes because you want to, not because you’re being forced to.”

I don’t even hesitate with my answer. “Yes!”

He opens the box to reveal the stunning, cushion-cut diamond solitaire ring. The stone is huge; I’m guessing at least eight or nine carrots.

“It’s beautiful,” I say as he slips it onto my finger, alongside the gold band I’ve been wearing since he first told me we would be married by the end of that week.

“I know the wedding band used to belong to your mother, but I wanted you to have something from me?—”

I cut him off the second his words register. “This gold band was my mother’s?”

“Yes, you didn’t know that?”

“How did you get it?”

“Your father gave it to me.”

I wrap my hand around the two rings that now adorn myfinger, clutching them to my chest. Mamma must’ve removed the gold band before leaving the house that fateful day. And to think I almost flushed her ring down the toilet after Dante shoved it on my finger, to spite him. I’m so grateful now that I didn’t.

I’ll always have a piece of my mamma with me, a small, constant reminder of her love and strength.

Chapter 25

Dante

I’m anxiously sitting on the side of the bed as I wait for my pregnant bride to exit the bathroom. I’ve been on a high all evening. After learning the news, we ditched our fishing expedition and headed to one of the local wineries for dinner to celebrate. All five of us.

It felt like everything in my life just clicked into place at that moment, and it was a lot to take in.I’m going to be a dad.I’ve been trying to wrap my head around that knowledge all night, and I don’t think I’ve quite succeeded yet.

I’ve been dying to get Arabella alone ever since I got the news, but when my brother forced the truth out of Chloe the second we left the bathroom, he was waiting to pounce as soon as we exited our room. He was happy for me, for us both, so I couldn’t fault him for that.

This revelation changes everything. It adds an extra layer of concern that I hadn’t anticipated. The risks and power of this life I’ve built for us all take on a different weight when I think about the future of my wife and child … their health and well-being. It sets off a wave of uncertainty inside me.

When I took on the role of Don, I never imagined that I’d have to worry about how I’m going to protect my wife and childfrom all the darkness I’ve created. My enemies are now theirs.

Standing, I take a step towards the bathroom. What is taking her so long? I need to see her, hold her … lose myself in her so I don’t let my mind get away with me.

Are we even allowed to have sex?

Will it hurt the baby if we do?

I turn and reach for my phone to look for the answers, but I decide to pull up my brother’s number instead. He’s going through the same thing.

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