Page 80 of The Wedding Crush

My desperation heightens as I study her beautiful features. Her dark, sweeping eyelashes over warm brown eyes. Her smooth golden-brown skin, and those lips.

Inching closer, I reach out and glide the pad of my thumb over her lower lip, drawing her eyes.

I want to kiss her so bad.

“I’m sorry.” My heart rams against my ribs. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am for letting even a moment go by without reaching out to you. I should’ve called. You should be sick of me texting and emailing, and doing everything in my power to let you know I miss you.”

She shakes her head. “Just stop. You really don’t have to say anything, Stefano. We never said this was serious. Remember,fun until it isn’t anymore?” She shrugs. “I get it. It stopped being fun for you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard you with Victoria…”

I bark out a laugh.

“You think I’m going to tell my mother how I feel about you, right now? Fresh off my divorce? As eager as she is to grow her family?” I snicker. “Avery, you do remember she was the mastermind behind the whole selling-the-vineyard hoax, right? The woman knows no boundaries when it comes to her kids. Of course, I said there was no one special.”

She grins, and her shoulders relax.

“You know as well as I do, Victoria Fortemani would be so quick to orchestrate a shotgun wedding. Another son down the aisle, plus a grandson as great as Ace…”

We both laugh.

Although, I can’t deny how much I love the idea, myself.

“So…”

“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’m sorry. I miss you. My fear got the best of me, and I let too many days go by, but I still want to try. If you’re willing.” I blow out a soft breath. “We can take our time becauseyouare special to me.”

Avery blinks slowly, like she’s still turning over everything I’ve said. Then she asks, “What are your fears?”

I drape my sweater over Avery’s trembling shoulders, training my focus on her eyes.Andnotthe way my abdomen aches at the sight of her dress riding up her slick, smooth thighs.

One by one, I tell her every concern I shared with Dante at the tux fitting—her, losing her husband; me, unaware how to move on while my ex seems to be an expert; whether I’m father material; my uncertainty around doing the work to get to know her, and it turns out to be all for naught; the risk of building a connection with Ace, and hurting him if it doesn’t work out.Whether I deserve the woman I’m falling for…

Before I can get the rest out, I bend down, pulling a cardboard box from underneath the table.

“I know you come as a package deal, so I’d love to spend some real time with Ace, if that’s okay with you,” I say. “This is for him.”

Avery’s gaze flutters disbelievingly at me before she glances at the name on the box.

“Is this?”

“Junior is my son’s name. He would’ve been Stefano Elias Fortemani, Jr.”

She swallows, her expression softening with unspoken empathy. “I can’t take this.”

“It would mean so much to see Ace play with them. There are trucks, robots, balls, and a tiny baseball mitt.” Emotion lodges in my throat. “I may have stocked up on a bunch of Hot Wheels andCars-themed merch, too. Lightning McQueen is cool.”

A laugh sputters from Avery.

“I can’t believe you did all this. Are you kidding me? I’d love for you to hang out with us. He’s going to go out of his mind when he sees this box full of toys.”

“You know…” I let my eyes sweep over her body. “I also got you a toy.”

Avery’s mouth falls open.

But then her eyes darken.

---