Page 164 of The One
Mariella
As I ask the question, my voice pitches higher than I intended.
This hascompletelybackfired.
Teo grins wickedly but doesn’t reply. He slides off the bed, utterly unfazed by his nakedness, and picks up my robe that’s still draped across the bed.
He holds it open for me, his eyes twinkling. “Signorina Accardi,” he says, wiggling the robe enticingly.
I arch an eyebrow but comply, slipping off the bed and letting him help me into it. It’s unusual, almost comical, Teo dressing me instead of taking off my clothes.
Still silent, he takes my hand and guides me to the balcony connected to our bedroom. The cool night air is invigorating as he nudges me toward the large wicker swinging chair. It’s the one we’ve cuddled in the previous nights, watching the stars in comfortable silence.
“Close your eyes and wait right here,” Teo instructs, his grin giving away that he’s up to something.
“What?” I ask, my curiosity piqued too much to want to follow orders.
“You heard me. Now be a good girl and do it.”
His mock stern expression makes me laugh, but I relent, letting my eyelids flutter shut.
Perhaps he’s proposing after all?
“Stay here. Don’t move a muscle,” he says, his tone firm but playful.
“Alright, alright. I’ll behave,” I reply with a giggle.
“Good girl,” he murmurs, leaning down to press a kiss to my temple.
The moment his footsteps fade, though, I can’t resist. I crack one eye open, then the other, making sure he’s not here anymore. There’s no way I’m missing this view.
From here, the entire valley stretches out before me, bathed in the silvery glow of the moon. The Mediterranean glimmers in the distance. Puffy clouds drift lazily across the sky, casting faint shadows over the shimmering water.
As beautiful as this view is, my thoughts won’t settle, though. They race wildly, skipping between a thousand questions.
What is Mateo doing inside?
Is he getting us an orange juice or is he rummaging for a ring box?
My stomach flips. No, that’s wishful thinking.
We’ve been inseparable since we got together, what, five days ago? He wouldn’t have had time to buy a ring. Knowing Teo, he’s probably just teasing me, dragging this out to watch me squirm. And it’s working.
Still, nervous energy flutters in my chest, impossible to ignore. I try to push it down, but it’s no use. Every second is unbearably long.
It’s not like there’s any doubt about what my answer would be. Of course I’d marry him. Who wouldn’t?
But five days? How has it only been five days? This is all moving impossibly fast, yet it feels like the most natural thing in the world.
I glance down at my bare ring finger, already imagining what it would look like with the symbol of his possession, his love.
If we were to get married tomorrow, what about wedding bands? I’m not materialistic, but I want a tangible, irrefutable symbol of our commitment.
More than that, I want Mateo to wear one, marking him as mine. Not that it would stop the women who throw themselves at him, but still, it’s the principle.
The thought of him slipping a ring onto my finger, sealing us together, makes my heart pound wildly. The longer I wait, the more I’m swept up in this storm of excitement.
But how would we pull off a wedding in mere hours?
