Page 176 of Titus

She licked her lips. “I think I’m in love with you,” she said.

Everything in me stilled, and I reached for her face. “Don’t play games with me like that, cariño,” I said, my eyes searching hers for the punchline.

She simply smiled. “I wouldn’t have said that even if I were playing games. I said it because I mean it.”

I had no response to her admission. So, I pulled her back into my arms and kissed her, pouring everything I couldn’t begin to put into words into that single kiss.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

By the time we left the cottage for dinner, the sky had begun its slow transformation from gold to lavender.

I’d thoroughly enjoyed Titus being unable to keep his hands off me in the shower. What began as him insisting on lathering my entire body evolved into my back against the stone wall, with Titus buried deep inside me. Watching his head fall back under the running water as he came hard inside me was an image I wasn’t letting go of anytime soon. If ever.

We walked hand in hand through the lanterns lining the pathways. All the charming lanterns had flickered to life, casting a warm glow across the gardens as Titus reached for my waist and pulled me close to his side.

“I don’t think I ever want to leave this place,” I smiled up at him, receiving a smile and a quick kiss in response.

“You and me both, cariño,” he said, his voice lighter and happier than ever.

We stepped along the stone pathway that wound through rose gardens bursting with color. Lavender swayed gently in the evening breeze while citrus trees carried the faint scent of orange blossoms through the air.

Our serene walk was enhanced by the soft trickle of water from a hidden fountain. The entire property felt enchanted, nothing short of delivering a complete rejuvenation of one’s soul. It made sense why the upper class and celebrities chose this place to hide away from the rest of the world.

Titus glanced down at me. “I love that all you’ve done is smile since we’ve arrived.”

I squeezed him around his waist. “I’ve done more than smile,” I teased.

“Indeed,” he softly laughed, “that is an understatement. You truly are a natural vixen in the bedroom.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should, mi amor,” he said. “No one has ever dominated me and turned me on more than you have, especially after tonight.”

“That’s good to know,” I looked up, seeing his smile wider than ever.

Knowing how much I’d unraveled with him earlier, I probably should’ve been embarrassed, but I wasn’t. If anything, once I’d finally allowed myself to trust Titus—and trust what we were building together—I felt more confident than I had in years.

Although Titus had to do quite a lot to earn my trust and prove I wouldn’t be disappointed if I gave him my heart, his patient determination had completely broken through to me.

And I loved falling in love with him.

The pathway curved around a grove of ancient oak trees before opening onto a stone terrace overlooking the foothills beyond Montecito.

I stopped. “Oh wow.”

“I believed you would love this place for our first dinner here.”

The Stonehouse restaurant looked like something pulled from the European countryside and magically dropped into California. Ivy climbed the weathered stone wall, and massive fireplaces glowed through oversized windows.

I could see candlelight flickering from nearly every table, and the entire restaurant seemed bathed in a warm amber light.

The scent of wood smoke, mingling with herbs and flowers from the surrounding gardens, filled the air, welcoming us into another romantic world within this place.

I’d designed events in Monaco, planned launches overlooking the Mediterranean, and walked through private estates most people only saw in magazines. Yet none of them felt like this.

This place was more than I could describe. Everything felt intimate, romantic, and timeless.

A hostess greeted us, then led us through the restaurant and onto a private terrace tucked slightly away from the other guests.