Page 84 of Ciao, Amore

“No,amore. You had to be sure about me. As much as it kills my ass to agree with her, my mom isn’t wrong about needing to earn trust. If you need me to show you, that’s what I need to do. But do you need more time to be on your own and figure out your life?” His question was posed softly, without demand, with an open heart.

“I thought I’d find myself out here, but I’m drifting. I’m lost. The only thing I’ve figured out is that I’m lonely for you. Wherever you want to be, I’m there.” She caressed his face and gazed deeply into his eyes. No more hiding. “Besides, I need a dude who can do my hair for me for free. Someone to read me their terrible poems every day.”

His smile beamed bright despite his wet eyes. “You wouldn’t care if we lived in the Bronx?”

“Don’t push it.”

More laughter. “Alright. Now that we’ve talked it out, I wouldn’t mind if you took me indoors.Indoors. We can go to your hotel,” she whispered. “I’d feel weird fucking on my cousin’s couch.”

“The bed I’ve got waiting for you at the hotel is gonna be much more comfortable than that couch, trust me,” Nico replied with a wicked grin.

His hotel was on the outskirts of the city. It was big and not much to look at on the outside, but inside was a real treat for the eyes. She admired the stately wood reception desk and the comfy lounge chairs scattered around tables in the lobby.

It reminded her of the villa in Posillipo, only this place had understated luxury with soft golden drapes and lush settees. There was a working fireplace, and tasteful yet evocative paintings on the walls. A swift elevator ride, and they were up in Nico’s suite. He closed the door behind her, peeling off his coat and sliding hers from her shoulders. After he put them in the closet, he wasted no time winding his arms around her and running his hands up and down her back to warm her.

“Finally, alone at last,” she murmured, reaching up for his kiss.

Instead of taking her right then and there as she was dying for him to do, he walked her inside the softly lit suite, guiding her with his strong hands. And she saw them. Scattered rose petals on the floor lead through the living room to the bedroom, with its king-sized bed and the bathroom. There were petals inside the tub.

“I thought we’d have a nice bath,” Nico said, his breath fanning her earlobe.

Chills everywhere. Warmth everywhere. The magic was back, not because of the sentimentality of the roses or because his lips on her temple and his body against hers promised pleasure. It wasn’t because of where they were or who they’d promised to be. It was magical again because she was with Nico.

Nico mattered to her. And she mattered to him.

Hardly able to speak, she managed to get the words out softly, with their brand of shared humor. “Thank you for this. But I guess this means you assumed I was coming back here? You think highly of yourself.”

“Nah. I think highly ofyou.If you said you didn’t want anything to do with me ever again, at least I’d have a bubble bath full of flowers to cry in. Maybe have some ice cream, cut off an ear like van Gogh. You know, really make a night of my suffering.”

Dani turned in the circle of his arms and pressed herself against him, chest to chest, hips to hips. Nico kissed her, but not with the same fervor as when they were in Amber’s apartment. He was holding back, his eyes sparkling.

“Not yet. I want to do something first.”

“Not cutting off that ear, I hope.”

He took her back to the living room, past the comfortable sofa, coffee table, and dinette set. Large glass windows overlooked the glittering dark waters of the canal. The sparkling city was caught between the energy of the Christmas festivities and the oncoming celebration of New Year. A new year, full of new hope.

“This belongs to you.” Nico reached into his pocket and pulled out the familiar little box. The same box she’d packaged with duct tape and more than a few spilled tears, as if creating a spell to bring him back. It had returned, and so had he. His voice was husky when he said, “Time to do this the right way. The way you deserved.”

Then he sank to one knee. “Before you tell me this is crazy because we’ve only known each other for a few months, and we didn’t even physically see each other for most of those months because I’m an asshole,” he opened with a brief laugh. “Let me say that, yes, it is crazy. It’s crazy that we found each other right when we’d both given up on having something like this. But it turns out there wasn’t anything wrong with either of us. We just hadn’t found each other yet. I think we’re right on time.”

She pressed her hands over her heart, and his eyes watered when he saw the welling tears in hers. Nico opened the velvet box. This time, the hinges opened smoothly.

“I love you, more than I could ever put into words. I want to marry you because I can’t live without you. Daniela Grace Martina, will you marry me?”

“Nico, you just got finished saying you weren’t going to push me into anything. Now look at you,” she chided, almost breathless with how much she wanted to say yes.

“Okay, so I’m an assholeanda liar. I need to lock this down as soon as possible.” Dani was openly crying and laughing. She was a total mess, but Nico didn’t seem to mind. Grabbing her arm and shaking it, he grinned again. “Please say yes or whatever you’re gonna say, because this floor is fucking killing my knee right now.”

“Get up, then,” she exclaimed. When he stood, wincing and shaking his leg out, she wiped away a tear. “You know, it’s just like you to complain at a time like this.”

“Alright, alright. So…do I get an answer now or are you gonna run back to your cousin’s house crying to pack up your things and leave for London in a panic?” he asked with a squint.

“I do not run crying—except for that one time,” she conceded. She waved her hand impatiently. “It’s whatever. But what about—”

“No. No ‘what about.’ This is about you and me. That’s all that matters. All the rest, we can figure out together. And I mean together.Wemake the plans. If this still feels too fast for you, seriously, you can say no, and I won’t freak out. I’m not going anywhere, Dani. London, Dublin, Mars…you can live anywhere you want, but you’re not getting rid of me.”

“Then…” Dani slid her arms around his neck and reached up to kiss him, slowly. Her voice was anything but steady when she finally said the words he was waiting to hear. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

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