Page 117 of His Son's Ex

His brows shoot up. “You and my mother…what?”

I fight back a grin. “We’ve hammered out the details. She’s all in. If a Petrov marries a Bellacino, it will seal the peace deal nicely between the Italians and the Russians. She wants her future grandchild to have a stable patronage. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I’ve decided I want the father of my baby in a more official capacity.”

Isabella lets out a half cough, half laugh from the corner. Dante gives her a sideways glare before returning his gaze to me, amusement warring with disbelief shadowing his face.

“You two made a deal,” he repeats. “Without telling me.”

“Don’t look so horrified,” I tease. “You do get me out of it, after all.”

He stares at me for a second, then breaks into a deep belly laugh. “You’re unbelievable.”

I tilt my head and smile. “I know.”

For a moment, neither of us moves. My heart thuds, remembering the last time I saw him, the silent ride in the back of the SUV, the few quiet moments in Chappaqua before he quietly closed the door.

“With everything that happened, I wasn’t sure if you’d even want to see me again.”

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure,” I admit. “But I’ve had a lot of time to think, and Isabella and I were able to come to an understanding. Though I can’t forget everything your family put mine through, I do want to move forward. I want to raise this baby with you. I want to be with you, to be a family.”

He closes the distance between us, his chest nearly brushing mine. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear you say that. You know, it’s actually kind of funny you brought up marriage.”

“How so?”

He gives me a mischievous grin and says, “Wait here,” before leaving the room and coming back with a small velvet box. I nearly choke when I see it.“I’ve wanted to give this to you for weeks now.”

He lifts his hand and cups my cheek gently, brushing his thumb over my skin. “Eva, you’re the bravest, most incredible woman I’ve ever met. I don’t deserve you, especially after everything that’s happened. But if you’ll have me, I promise to spend the rest of my life making you the happiest woman in the world. Will you marry me?”

My eyes sting with tears. A million words dance on my tongue, but I let the moment settle. Finally, I whisper, “We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?”

“So that’s a yes?”

“It’s a yes.” I press a quick kiss to his mouth, aware of Isabella sitting just mere feet away. “Now shut up and put that ring on my finger before I change my mind.”

He smiles as he slowly slides the ring onto my left hand. It’s a perfect fit.

Isabella clears her throat and we both glance her way. She’s standing now, hands clasped, a faint smile on her face.

“I’ll leave you two to talk,” she says. “Congratulations, both of you.” She closes the door softly behind her, granting us privacy.

We look at one another, a thousand unspoken words between us. I lift my newly ringed hand, admiring the gorgeous piece of hardware. “So, what now?”

He sweeps his gaze over me, heat flaring in his beautiful hazel eyes. “Now?” His voice drops, a sensual note creeping in. “Now, I kiss my future wife.”

I arch a brow. “Just kiss?”

He smirks, slipping his arms around my waist, pulling me flush against him.

“We’ll start there.”

Back at the house in Chappaqua, we barely make it through the door before Dante’s hands are all over me, his mouth covering mine in a deep, claiming kiss that sends heat racing down my spine.

“I’ve been dying to do this. No guns or drama involved.”

I laugh. “We must be addicted to it, though, because look at our life.”

“True,” he concedes. “But tonight, no drama. Only you, me, and the promise of a better tomorrow.” He slides off his jacket, tossing it on a nearby chair. “Care to help me with the rest?”

A wicked grin spreads across my face. “If you insist.”

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