Page 53 of Secret Match
“Please just let me speak.” She gave him a gentle smile like she needed to calmhimdown.
He ignored the burst of excitement in his veins and reined it in. He patted her arm. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
She took a deep breath and he swore she was nervous. “I ran yesterday because I was so scared that you only wanted to marry me because of our baby. And I wasn’t listening to my heart, which I’m quite good at ignoring. Emotions were never clear to me.”
Right now he needed to find the right words for how he felt. “That’s not true.”
“Yeah, it is. I never had a father and I thought I had to be strong, not sweet.”
“You’re sweeter than gelato.” His phone beeped. His fingers itched to pick it up immediately. If he needed to fix something, he had to be fast.
Kiwi said, “I want to be sweet and always just believe you. I have to. Otherwise I’m not being true to my heart.” Her gaze narrowed on his arm that had reached behind him to get his phone. She took her hand back, pushed a wayward hair out of her face, and asked, “Gio, what’s going on?”
This time he needed to explain. “I’m sorry for the interruptions.” He quickly approved the seating arrangement without reading it for his fifty guests. “I’m setting up a surprise for you and want to make sure everything is ready.”
“Surprise?” She crossed her arms.
“Yeah. Sorry.” He tucked the phone back in his pocket. “You were saying.”
Without moving a muscle, she asked, “Youarepaying attention this time?”
He reached for her elbow and massaged it and she dropped her hands to her sides as he leaned closer and said, “Absolutely. I have something important I need to say to you, Kiwi.”
She nodded and folded her hand in his again. “Let me finish.”
As soon as she finished, he’d ask her to marry him. He swallowed and ignored the racing beat of his heart. “You have my full attention.”
“Good.” She focused her gaze on him in a way that made his heart almost stop. “I need to believe you because I’m so in love with you that I don’t want to think about raising our baby on my own anymore and I don’t want to think about you raising Tom without me. I hope you can forgive me for being such a fool and hurting you like I did.”
For a moment he couldn’t think or breathe. He just stared at her. If she loved him, then she’s say yes to his proposal. He finally blinked and smiled in relief. “That’s good to hear.”
Her brow furrowed. “That’s all you have to say?”
Angry wasn’t good. He squeezed her hand and shook his head. “No, not at all. I’m waiting for my turn to talk.”
She let out a sigh and said, “Go. I’m waiting for you now.”
Gio stood and held her hand, tugging her to her feet. He held her palm to his heart as he said, “Kiwi Washington, the moment I met you I knew my life was over.”
“That’s not good.” Her lips pursed and she started to pull back.
He held her and used a little resistance hoping she’d stay. She stopped as he said, “Just listen as I did for you.”
“Okay.” She lowered her lashes to half-mast as she stared at him.
He leaned closer. “My mother said when you meet your soulmate, you instantly die.”
Her lip curled in confusion. “What? Wait, wasn’t your father someone you hate?”
Clearly he wasn’t making much sense. “Yes, but then Mom met Benedetto, who drove you here yesterday.”
She covered her mouth like she’d made a mistake and asked, “Benedetto?”
“In my store.” He remembered the last few years of his mother’s life, and how she lit up like she was still a teenager whenever Benedetto came over—and how she’d dumped his father when Gio was sixteen, banning him from ever seeing her again. He’d been so happy for his mother. “He tends it, with his daughter, Martina, who is like a sister to me.”
She lowered her hand so he could see her rosy mouth again but sucked in her lips for a moment. Finally she shook her head and said, “I had no idea. I’m so sorry. I didn’t even ask their names or introduce myself.”
“You wouldn’t know.” He kissed the tip of her fingers. “He and my mother never married but he made her happy and he’s here today.”
