lips,” he murmured. “Please, tell me what you expected when you were working in that restaurant as a waitress.”
For a few moments, I remained silent as Alessandro rocked me in his arms. Then, I relented and opened up. “I wanted the little things. Even when you stopped coming, I fantasized you would show up in Mangiare and ask me out on a date. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get you out of my mind. I kept imagining what it would be like to be your girlfriend. I dreamt that our relationship would develop with time.” I inhaled a chunk of air. “I thought you would be kind and gentle...”
Alessandro tensed, then tightened his embrace around me and kissed the top of my head. “I wish I gave you everything you wanted then. If I collected the courage to approach you before you’d fallen victim to that cartel, it might have been different, but it is what it is. We both know we cannot influence the past. We can only move forward.”
“But what if it's too late?” I choked out.
“It's not too late. It's never too late,” he insisted, and then his voice softened. “I already told you I can be that man. It took me a while, cara, but I can be all those things you wanted...and even more than that. I'm prepared to give my all,” he murmured into my ear. “I know you need some time to learn to trust me, and I will give it to you. I will not make any demands until you’re ready to meet them. There is nothing to fear. All I care about is your happiness.”
“I don't know, Alessandro,” I confessed my doubts. “We’re still miles away from a normal relationship.”
“But we’re heading in the right direction,” he stressed with a glimmer of hope. “That's all that matters for now, right?”
“Right,” I breathed, encouraged by the sad glistening look in Alessandro's dark eyes.
This man who had always been the embodiment of power was figuratively on his knees. I had never seen him express so much emotion like on this trip to Italy. As we ended our conversation and returned to admiring the sea and the sparkling night sky, I wondered if he would be this same loving person once we returned to New York.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
The Present
Our flight back home went by in relative silence. Alessandro was attentive to my needs, but wasn't in the mood to start a conversation. The glimpse of vulnerability he demonstrated the previous night had all but disappeared, and he was back to being his immaculate, controlled self. Every now and then, he grinned or caressed me in a passing gesture, but not a word crossed his lips. And yet, he resembled the very personification of charm and beauty.
Even after all of these years, something as simple as his smile could make me weak in the knees. But that was just chemistry. If we wanted to make this marriage work, we needed much more than mutual attraction. My secrets were out in the open and Alessandro reacted with understanding and support, but we still had a long way to go. I needed to learn how to trust him, and he needed to be a lot less controlling and possessive.
By the time we arrived in New York, Alessandro’s mood had lightened. The drive to the mansion went by in a relaxed atmosphere. He suggested we could watch a movie together or take a walk around the estate. He claimed he wanted to make up for cutting our trip to Italy short, but I got the impression it was just an excuse for us to spend more time together. I had no reason to complain, so I smiled and told him we could watch a movie, as long as it was a romantic comedy. He actually burst out laughing, telling me I was the most cunning blackmailer he had ever had the pleasure to meet.
The fun ended, and tension ensued as soon as the car pulled into the driveway. I peered out the window. Several other cars sat parked in front of the mansion. I recognized one of them belonged to Lorenzo. The house was bathed in too much light. Something about this whole scene didn’t sit well with me.
A soft curse crossed Alessandro’s lips and his expression turned grim. My uneasiness multiplied by a hundred. The driver opened the door for us and Alessandro helped me out of the car. That charming grin was glued to