Page 196 of Modern Romance June 2025 1-4

‘Why was Enzo so favoured over you? Why were you treated so badly?’

‘Because Enzo was his heir. I was an insurance policy in case anything happened to Enzo. Beyond that, I don’t know.’

She kissed his hand and he felt something new—treasured, comforted. He had never felt that with Gia. She had never taken care of him. He’d always been the one offering her comfort.

‘I’m sorry you went through that,’ Jasmine said. ‘Your father was a fool.’

Emilio said nothing. No words could change the past.

‘It sounds to me like he didn’t love either of you. Enzo seems more like an investment than a son, and you deserved none of that neglect.’ Jasmine turned round in the water, holding Emilio’s gaze, her green and gold eyes alight with indignation. ‘You deserved so much more.’

He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. ‘You did too,belleza.’

She smiled. ‘I know.’ She turned back round and leaned against Emilio’s chest once more. ‘Have you considered…that perhaps you want the vineyards not just for our child, or what they meant to your mother, but also to have Enzo back in your life in some way?’

‘No,’ Emilio replied instantly. There was no way that was true. Enzo had his life and Emilio had his.

But, once you have the vineyards, the two of you will be bound permanently.

No, he told himself. No, it couldn’t be. Too much had happened between them…hadn’t it?

No. He was done thinking about this.

‘I think that’s enough talking.’ He removed his hands from her hold, moving one up to her hair to turn her face towards him; the other slid down her body, his fingers parting her core. When she gasped, he kissed her. And kept kissing her until she clearly forgot all thought, became lost in pleasure. Consumed by him alone.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The next morningwhen Jasmine woke up in Emilio’s bed, she found him standing at the window, bare-chested, grey sweatpants hanging low on his hips. He was serene, the picture of tranquillity, as he surveyed the vast estate. It seemed as though the playboy, the high-handed CEO she’d seen in New York, had been cast away to reveal the real him. A little calmer, with a much purer smile than the smirks of the charmer.

Despite his mixed memories of this place, he clearly loved it here. Jasmine wished she could give him this peace all the time. But how? They lived half a world away. She wasn’t sure what this marriage was turning into. She had been the one to say she would not sleep in his bed but here she was, waking up to his scent on the sheets. She couldn’t lie to herself. There was something brewing here that was more than chemistry.

She burrowed further under the covers, Emilio’s scent enveloping her, and the movement attracted his attention.

‘Buongiorno, belleza.’He moved away from the window and walked to the bed, giving her flashbacks of the night before, when he’d prowled towards her and taken her lips in a ravishing kiss. But, still, he hadn’t pushed to sleep with her.

‘I wish I had a camera,’ she said.

He reached over, picked up his phone from the side table and handed it to her as he sat on the bed.

‘One that would do you justice,’ Jasmine amended. She saw the look of confusion on his face and continued. ‘To capture the way you looked when you stood there.’ She nodded towards the window.

‘Ah, you were watching me, were you?’ His conceited smirk made her laugh.

She ran her fingers through his hair. It was always so soft. ‘You love it here.’

‘I do.’

Jasmine thought maybe there was a way she could allow him this feeling a little while longer. ‘I have a suggestion.’

‘What’s that,mia regina?’

Jasmine barely understood two words of Italian, but she was growing to like it when he used it on her. She didn’t care about the meaning when the words fell like silk upon her.

‘Let’s stay in Italy for a few weeks more. You love it here and so do I.’

‘What about work?’ Emilio asked. Jasmine wasn’t surprised; she had made it perfectly clear that SOP and their baby wereallshe cared about. But maybe that was losing some truth.

‘The Internet is a thing, Emilio,’ she teased. ‘Besides, neither one of us has had much of a vacation in the last few years.’

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