Page 49 of Amadeo
“Ya think?” I teased her. “Like I feared you would start to throw stuff at me after a bit. Like, that vase of flowers Zia put in Deacon’s room.”
Laughing, she nodded. “I did think about that a time or two.”
“I knew it!” I grinned at her.
Gia now gazed into my eyes and told me softly, “I’ve never been so good as just putting it out there, telling people how I feel. Nooo. I kept that under lock and fucking key. Holding onto it all so tightly that…” She let out a long breath and went on, “It became a part of me and not a good part either. Then after that, I didn’t know how to be happy. How to let go of it all. I was sure I didn’t deserve happiness anyway. Then with you, for the first time ever in my life, I experienced complete euphoria, Deo. You showed me what I’d been missing. I think it changed me too. I don’t feel that coldness anymore. I don’t feel a seething anger like I’d held onto for two years now. I also trust someone with my well-being. I trust you with my heart and my whole world.”
Listening to this declaration, my chest nearly constricted with some feeling. Some emotion I’d never felt before and it squeezed my heart. I couldn't define it. Her trusting me to that degree surprised even me. I hoped I could live up to this. Be the man she needed. My father would be my first obstacle. I would step in and get him to release Gia from any deal they had made. She was my woman now, so he needed to back off.
“Deo?”
Her voice broke in through my shock. I focused on her face and again raised her hand to kiss her knuckles. “I promise to always protect you. I’m not perfect, Gia. I can make mistakes.” I shook my head. “Hell, I probably will make mistakes. But I willnever let anyone hurt you. We will stand together through the rest of whatever happens here. Then…” my voice trailed away.
At my declaration, tears filled her eyes. “Then?” she prompted.
I kissed her hand once again. “We can get married, have some babies, build that white picket fence and live happily ever after.” I raised my brows at her. “Whatdaya think?”
She shook her head. “I never met a man who believed in romantic concepts.”
“Romantic…” I scoffed. “Well, right now, this romance hero…” I rose up from the bed and then turned to scoop her up. “...Needs to get cleaned up and my princess needs a good loofahing.”
“Loofahing?” she asked in confusion.
Heading to her bathroom as I carried her in my arms, I tried to explain, “Yeah, you know, that like… nylon scrubber thing? They come in different colors and have a little string on them so you can hang them up to dry?”
She laughed and nodded at me. “Yes, there is one in my shower.”
“I knew it! It’s like they just gravitate to wherever people bathe. Always there within reach even if you don’t remember buying one. And you know what? The other day Zia said she has a bag of them delivered here every two weeks! Can you believe it?”
Gia kept laughing as I carried her over to the large shower.
“I also don’t know why they are called a loofah,” I went on. “I mean what the hell kind of language is that anyway?”
“It sounds Hawaiian, maybe?” Gia took a guess. “But you’re right. They have become really popular now.”
“Open the shower door, Gia,” I prompted.
Reaching out, she did so.
I stepped on through, then set her down and shut the door. “This will officially be our very first shower together.” I turned and stepped over to the panel on the wall and tapped a few buttons.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when I first came in here,” Gia told me. “Most people’s whole bedrooms aren’t as large as this shower.”
I agreed, “Yes, I admit we are all spoiled here. I’m away for days at a time. Luca and I spend days at Descalia Corp sometimes. Then when I come back, I look at my shower and feel like it is excessive. But who has one that fits five people? Like is it so whole villages can shower together? They are just normal back in the offices.”
“Why are you there so much? At Descalia Corp, I mean.”
“For different reasons, but mainly because Luca is a workaholic. That man doesn’t know that there is more to life than the company. Besides, it is already hugely successful. He could have a main manager and the Board of Directors run it. Anyway, this last time, we had been there a whole month. It had been because of having to lock everything…” My voice faded away as I turned to face her.
“Yes, I heard a lockdown being mentioned.” Gia nodded. “For my father’s part in that, I am sorry.”
“I cannot apologize for my father, so do not apologize for yours.”
“At least, you all don’t have to worry about that anymore or about Deacon.”
A change of subject was needed here. I couldn’t help it, I wanted this temporary get away to be longer. I moved her over to the shower spray then looked around. “So where is that loofah thing?”
“Right here.”
