Page 83 of Mine Again
“Too soon?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t mean to push,” he says gently, his hands falling back to his sides.
“I know. But if I give in because it feels good, it might quickly turn into something physical and shallow. And that’s not what I want.”
He studies me for a beat, his expression softening. “I get that. And I respect it.”
I nod, grateful he isn’t pushing, that he’s making it easy to say no.
“Sebastian, I come from a very traditional family. I’m not sleeping with someone unless I’m serious about them.”
I add this last bit to set the right expectations. That seems to be important with someone as enigmatic as Sebastian Moretti, who could no doubt have any woman he wants.
Something flickers in his gaze, gone before I can name it. He nods.
“Fair enough. I can work with that.”
“Work with it?”
“I like you, Isabella. I don’t need shortcuts.”
His words settle somewhere warm in my chest, softening some of my doubt. But not all of it. Because no matter how easy this seems, part of me can’t stop wondering how much of what he says is real.
Could it really be this simple to find a husband outside of Mafia-arranged marriages?
I have no point of reference. Maybe it is when you make your boundaries clear.
Or maybe… this is all Sebastian Moretti.
And I wonder, not for the first time, who he really is.
He told me he works in his family’s real estate investment company and is set to take over from his father in the next few years. Everything sounds normal. Safe. Not Mafia.
Still, I will do that background check. Better safe than sorry.
A week has passed since our first date and that kiss. Today, Sebastian sends a car to take me to his estate in the countryside outside Catania. It’s peaceful here in a way only early afternoon can be, when the sun is high but soft, casting pale gold over everything and making the world feel quiet.
Despite being nervous about what I agreed to do, I’m excited to see Sebastian again. We’ve spoken every day, some days multiple times. It’s scary how quickly he seems to have become a fixture in my day. There’s a familiarity with him now that shouldn’t be there after only two weeks.
But I’m going with the flow, smothering the doubts that won’t stop churning in my gut. Because this is what I want, isn’t it? Plan NUPTIAL is progressing at lightning speed.
When I arrive at the Moretti estate, Sebastian is already waiting near the stables, two horses saddled and ready. One is sleek and alert, nostrils flaring as if challenging the world. The other is… not.
I casually close the distance between us. He opens his arms, and I don’t hesitate to step into them. His eyes find mine, warm and steady, and for a breath I forget about the horses, the ride, everything but him.
“I’m glad you came,” he says, voice low.
Before I can answer, his hand slides lightly to my cheek, and he leans in, his mouth finding mine in a kiss that lingers long enough to make my heart stumble.
There’s nothing rushed about it. Just the soft press of his lips, the warmth of him, the way the world seems to revolve around us.
When he pulls back, he doesn’t go far. His thumb brushes my jaw, and his smile holds that mix of confidence and gentleness that seems to undo me.
“Ready?” he asks.
“I can’t believe I’m really going riding with you. How did you talk me into this?”
