Page 134 of Marry Me Not
“Come sit down,” I said, gently steering her toward the sofa. “A lot happened in Italy.”
She lowered herself directly beside Dominic. For the briefest second, he seemed to stiffen.
Interesting.
“What’s your name, surprise visitor?” he asked.
“I’m not a visitor,” Nina said. “I’m family.”
“Family?”
“Cosimo, Rom, and Alessio are my cousins. My mom is Vita Ferraro’s sister.” She paused. “But don’t hold that against me. And who are you, exactly?”
“Dominic Santoro.”
“Cosimo’s half brother,” I added with a smile. “Let me fill you in.”
“Wow,” she said after I’d briefed her. “A lotdidhappen in Italy.” She glanced at the time. “I have a lot of questions, but I’ll have to save them for later. I’ve really got to go. Talk to you next week?”
“Sure.” I walked her out, and when I came back, Rafe and Cosimo had reappeared in the living room. I made a beeline to my husband, my curiosity eating at me.
“How did it all go with your brothers?” I asked.
He wrapped an arm around my waist. “Smooth. We didn’t even raise our voices.”
“And with Rafe?”
“He took it in stride. His support didn’t waver for a moment.”
I nodded. “Good. We’re family. And family backs each other.”
“I have to admit this marriage tied us together in a way that no straightforward incentive ever could have.”
The marriage.
I rolled my lips. We still hadn’t discussed explicitly what would happen at the end of the six months we’d previously agreed to. Had this become a real marriage for Cosimo? Or was he still leaving an exit door open for himself?
Things had been good between us since Italy. More than good. But loving me now didn’t necessarily mean he was ready to choose me for the rest of his life.
And was I ready to choose him?
My heart answered before the rest of me could.
Yes.
But it was the kind of commitment we had to make together with our eyes wide open. And we hadn’t talked about it yet. Not outright.
Cosimo tugged me against him, his palm warm and solid on my hip. The room hummed around us, filled with our friends and family, and it was easy to relax into the moment.
It felt warm. And cozy. Andright.
It hit me then, straight in the chest. I belonged here. Not some version of myself that I presented, hoping it would be the right one, but the real me.
There was nothing to prove, nothing to explain to the people around me. And for the first time in longer than I could remember, I felt at home.
I looked up at Cosimo only to catch him already looking down at me, his gaze flickering with something so possessive it sent a rush of heat through me.
He leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear. “Have I ever told you how much I love the way you fit against me?”
