His Stolen Bride - MINK Page 0,25

emotions. I always had a plan. I always knew what my next step would be.

“Okay.” He pulls me closer. Okay? That’s all he has to say? “Did you think about a nursery when you were doing the remodeling plans?”

“I..” He’s completely knocked me off kilter.

“Okay. Your trust. I’ll earn it.” He’s always saying the right things. Ones that make me want to bare my soul to him.

“She can’t go back to my father.” I finally let the truth free. “She’s pregnant.”

“Leo, I take it?”

I don’t respond. There’s nothing he can do about Gianna, but Leo he could hurt.

“You’re protective of him, too. I have to warn you that I’m finding I’m the jealous type when it comes to you.”

My nipples tighten at the possessive look in his eyes. As much as I like the look on his face, I don’t need him going after Leo.

“I trust him.” It’s the wrong thing to say. Santino’s jaw ticks. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around him being jealous. “He’s my best friend. He’s always been there for me. He’s like a brother to me.”

“This could start a war.”

“You almost started one yourself,” I point out. He was ready to pull the trigger when he thought my father was going to take my sister from me. This man keeps doing one thing after another to keep me and my sister safe. All of these things have me quickly heading toward trusting him. Still, I fear it might be all a ploy to him. Some twisted plot for him and my father to gain some sort of advantage over me.

“You said you’d be a good wife.”

I lick my lips, his eyes dropping there. He’s really not going to let that go. His hand takes mine as he leads us back to the kitchen. Everyone turns to look at us when we enter. My face warms. They know. They so know.

Santino leads me over to the table and pulls out a chair for me so I can sit next to Gianna. When I glance over at her, she’s wearing a huge smile on her face.

“How was your talk?” she tries to whisper to me. I elbow her.

Apollonia snorts a laugh, because that was so not a whisper at all.

“My beautiful wife forgot about a nursery.” Santino smirks. “I was just reminding her.”

If I wasn't already blushing, I would be now. Santino sits down next to me. He hooks his foot under my chair and drags me closer so he can drape his arm across the back as everyone starts adding in ideas.

“We could do it yellow or green? Maybe with a big crescent moon on the wall?” Gianna smiles.

“Or the ceiling.” Leo shrugs.

“That would be beautiful.” Apollonia leans against Cato.

I relax into Santino. He’s making my surrender all too easy.

17

Santino

Plaster falls from the ceiling with a crash as I stride past. The sound reverberates through the villa right along with the noise of hammers and saws.

Bella is speaking with the craftsman and pointing at what she wants changed. Everything. I don’t mind at all. I want to wipe every spec of Giuseppe clean from this entire place and remake it in whatever form Bella chooses.

“Red?” I ask and wrap my arm around her waist.

She smiles up at me.

“I think it’ll look stunning.”

“Yes, you do.” I kiss her. For the past two nights, I’ve done nothing except worship her body. I intend to do the same again tonight. Though, of course, I may have already had a taste this morning in the shower, then another with her bent over my desk. I can’t get enough.

Gianna smiles at us as she walks into the room, one tell-tale hand at her stomach. Leo is right behind her, as always.

She looks up at the new base coat on the ceiling. “Red?”

Bella laughs against my lips. “Yes. Problem?”

“No.” Gianna shakes her head. “I think it’ll be amazing, especially once you get that chandelier we ordered.”

“Right?” Bella reaches out and hooks her arm through her sister’s, and I reluctantly let her go.

“Keep up the good work, ladies.” I turn to Leo. “Come. We have some things to discuss.” I walk down the hall that’s been stripped of all finery and decoration. It already looks better now that it’s down to the centuries-old brick and stone.

Leo follows, and Lucenzo raises a brow as I walk past him and into my office.

“Close the door,” I tell Leo.

He does as I sit behind my desk. For two days I’ve been trying to figure