Page 166 of Ruin Me Gently

He just smirked, flipping a page.

I shot him a look, but my gaze flicked back to the book, the well-worn spine, the delicate pages.

Fuck it.

“Read it to me.”

“What?”

“Read. It. To. Me.”

His eyes locked onto mine, something subtle shifting behind them. “In English or Italian?”

I grinned. “Italian, obviously.”

He let out a long-suffering sigh but flipped back to the beginning of the book.

“Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita mi ritrovai per una selva oscura, ché la diritta via era smarrita.”

I grinned, nestling in, letting my head rest more comfortably against his thigh.

“Ahi quanto adir qual era è cosa dura esta selva selvaggia es aspra e forte che nel pensier rinova la paura!”

His fingers absentmindedly brushed through my hair, toying with the strands as he continued.

“Io non so ben ridir com’io v’intrai, tant’era pien di sonno a quel punto che la verace via abbandonai.”

I let my eyes drift shut, listening, warmth fluttering deep in my stomach.

A slow hum left me. “I have no idea what you’re saying, but it sounds really nice.”

“Good. Then I can say whatever I want.”

My eyes snapped back open. “Hey—no, I take it back. Translate.”

He smirked, flipping another page. “Not a chance. Now shut your eyes so I can carry on.”

I huffed, but did as I was told, settling deeper into him, letting his voice wrap around me like silk.

“Sei la donna più bella che io abbia mai visto. Non hai idea di quanto mi senta privilegiato a far parta della tua vita. Ti prometto che ti proteggerò sempre, che ti terrò al sicuro, che non permetterò mai che ti accada nulla di male. Non merito questo. Non merito te. Sei davvero incredibile.”

CHAPTER FORTY

“Open,” I said, holdingup a forkful of eggs to her mouth.

“Are you serious?” She squinted at me like I’d just suggested a murder-suicide pact.

“Very.”

She sighed, plucking the fork right out of my hand. “Stop it. One time was enough. Do I look like a baby bird to you?”

My lips twitched. “Noted.”

“Good.” She took a slow, exaggerated bite, making a show of chewing at a deliberate, obnoxious pace.

I shook my head, grabbing my own plate and settling onto the stool beside her.

The kitchen was bathed in warm morning light, spilling through the massive windows, highlighting the steam curling from our mugs.

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