Page 38 of Temptation
He speaks into the intercom by the door.
“Pietro, bring champagne and breakfast for three. You will stay and eat with us,” he says to Hans.
My big brother bristles. He’s not used to being told what to do, and I see a future with the two of them butting heads. It makes me smile. I’ve got two protectors, the two men I love most in the world.
Hans will always be there when I need him, but I choose to stay with my dark prince in the woods.
EPILOGUE
GREATA
Six months later…
Lorenzo rolls out the architecture plans on the table and uses a pewter vase to weigh down one end.
“This is the updated plan, coniglietto. I hope you find it satisfactory.”
He gives me a sardonic smile and raises one eyebrow. When Lorenzo said I had free rein to renovate the house, he didn’t expect me to throw myself into it quite so enthusiastically. We’ve been through several stages of plans, and I’ve driven the architect mad with changing my mind and adding extras.
In my defense, I’ve never had a home to renovate before, and I want it to be perfect. There were two goals when I started. To purge the place of the sex den rooms and turn that entire side of the house into a homely living space, and to make it the forever home for me and Lorenzo and our future family.
I was shy at first about anything too extravagant, but as the extent of Lorenzo’s wealth became known to me, he encouraged me to be extravagant, to build the home I want.
So I added a library, a music room, a sunroom, a wine cellar, a playroom for our future kids, and I extended the basement.
We’re keeping the shell of the house and most of the upstairs, but gutting the lower level and extending it further so the glass walled library will sit nestled amongst the trees. The perfect spot to get lost in a dark tale.
I study the plans, scrutinizing the updated lines the architect has drawn since the last round of reviews.
Lorenzo watches me patiently. He’s said he doesn’t care what the house looks like as long as I’m happy. I’ve thrown myself into the project, and I’ve learned a lot in the last few months about structural integrity, building materials, and soundproofing.
Along with the shotgun wedding and honeymooning in Europe, the last few months have been a blur.
True to his word, Lorenzo got out of the family business. Everything he does is legit now. At least that’s what he tells me, and I choose to believe him. If he disappears some nights after a call from his brothers, then I don’t ask any questions.
“What do you think, coniglietto?”
I nod my head slowly and trace my finger down the lines on the plans.
“Good.”
“Just good? Then we’ll send it back. I want nothing but extraordinary for my coniglietto.”
I smile at my husband as a wave of warmth washes over my chest. I lean against him, and his arm goes around my waist.
My hand caresses his arm, and heat flares inside me at the touch.
“It’s perfect,” I say. “I’m ready to proceed to the next stage.”
The next stage is the build. We’ll move into The Lodge while it’s happening.
“How long until it’s ready?”
Lorenzo’s lips brush my hair and creep down to my ear, the heat tickling my skin.
“It will take about seven months to complete.”
“Seven months.” I do the calculations in my head. “They’ve got one month of contingency.”
