Page 44 of Forbidden War (Forbidden 2)
Marco’s mood is noticeably lifted on the drive back to the house as well. Donovan takes the long way around the property and drops us off in an area of the vineyard I don’t recognize, though there is something familiar about it. As I look around, I feel a slight breeze that brings the heady scent of flowers with it. The sound of water splashing echoes from somewhere nearby.
“Do you know where we are?”
Threading his fingers through mine, Marco leads me away from the vehicle. Our guards stand nearby, but they don’t follow us.
“It’s familiar…”
“It was dark the last time you were here,” he hints.
The water sound gets louder as we crest a small hill. On the other side, a beautiful fountain rises from a perfectly manicured patch of garden, water gently spilling into the pool at the bottom. Putting a hand to my chest, I smile at the memory of our first time here. The night we’d snuck away from the Bellantis’ party to have a clandestine picnic in the darkened vineyard. Candi had led me through the vines a different way, and I was guided only by landscaping lights and the moon, so everything looked different then.
A checkered picnic blanket sits on the grass before the fountain with a large wicker basket, a bottle of prosecco sitting in an ice bucket, and tableware neatly laid out for us. There are two plush cushions for sitting and a sun umbrella shading the setup. It’s perfect.
“Marco, this is amazing.”
“I thought we deserved a little quiet time up here after the week we’ve had.”
He guides me to a cushion and promptly fills our wineglasses. The fountain rises gracefully behind us, lulling me into a state of relaxation as the water splashes soothingly.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in a vineyard before,” I say. “Is it Italian marble?”
“Yes. My father had the Statuario marble imported from Carrara. It’s actually a memorial for our mother and sister,” Marco says as he opens the picnic basket. “A local artist carved it.”
“It’s beautiful,” I murmur, my heart breaking at its significance.
He glances at it, his gaze lingering before he returns to the basket. “It is.”
We eat our picnic in comfortable silence. As usual, Alain has outdone himself preparing the perfect dishes. Asparagus salad, green and black olives, grilled polenta, stromboli, plus these mouthwatering appetizer toasts with ricotta and prosciutto and honey. The breeze ruffles Marco’s hair as he looks into the distance and makes slow work of his food. I’ve never seen him take his time this much to enjoy something, except when we’re in bed. Almost dying will do that to a person, I suppose. Make you appreciate a little more what’s right in front of you.
I know I do.
I can’t stop looking at him, studying him, drinking him up. Trying to imprint his image on my brain in case, God forbid, I ever lose him for real.
“What’s wrong?” Marco asks suddenly.
“Nothing. I’m fine. It’s nothing.”
Marco sets his plate down and moves closer so he can take my hand.
“Hey. I know we haven’t spent a lot of time together lately, but I do know you, Karina. I know how your forehead wrinkles when you’re lost in your own head, the look you get in your eyes when you’re reliving something from your past. Talk to me. Don’t shut yourself off.”
I huff a laugh. I can’t believe he can read me so easily. “I’m just worried about things. Everything that’s happened. Our own issues. The shooting. Livvie. Where do we go from here?”
That’s not exactly what I intended to say, but it’s what comes out of my mouth. And more importantly, it’s the truth.
Marco kisses my forehead and then refills my glass. “We just take things one day at a time. Try to live our lives as normally as we can—starting with more freedom for you. You deserve to be able to come and go as you please—with guards to keep you safe, obviously—so you can be independent and do what you want to do, and not feel so caged up. I hate the way your family treated you, and I hate that you’ve gotten more of the same from me.”
“Okay.” I nod. “I like that. Not that I have a million places to go and people to see, but it’s nice to know I’m not forbidden from leaving the property anymore. What else? This isn’t just about me. It’s about us.”
“I know,” Marco says, stroking my palm. “I think we just…we need to talk more. And make an effort to keep open lines of communication. We have to stop hiding things, even if we think it’s for a good reason. Even if it seems easier to keep the peace by not saying what’s on our minds. We’re not always going to agree, sure, but I think the silence was killing both of us.”
“Staying away from you was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” I tell him. “I hated it.”
“So did I.” His gaze locks with mine and my chest swells with emotion. His lips turn down and he sighs. “As for Livvie? All I know is that we won’t stop looking for her. And Armani is still gathering intel about the shooting, but this is one case where his paranoia about the security team and the guards and the cameras is actually a good thing.”
“I hope everyone can be together again soon,” I say. “And that we’ll all feel safe again.”
“Yeah. That’s the dream.” Marco sighs again, leaning back to rest on his elbows as he takes in the view.
I move our empty plates into the basket and then snuggle up next to him.
“It’s funny,” he says. “Normally when I need to get away from my family or my crazy life, I get in my car and drive faster and faster until I somehow just…mentally go someplace else. I completely check out. There’s just the road and the engine and my breath, and that’s it. It doesn’t matter if I’m angry or upset or whatever. My escape has always been driving. But right now? I wouldn’t want to be anywhere but with you.”
He tilts my chin up so we’re looking into each other’s eyes.
“How’s that for good cheese?” he asks.
“I love it.”
Climbing on top of him, I take his mouth with mine. Marco wraps his arms around me and rolls me onto my back, both of us laughing, our smiles warming the kiss even more.
“I have a surprise for you this weekend,” he tells me between kisses.
“Oh really? Is it a sexy surprise?”
“Just you wait, Mrs. Bellanti. Just you wait.”
