uncomfortable.”
She smiled. “You have such a way with
words.”
He grunted.
“ I have one final request. And I
will accept your terms, though I admit it’s hard.” Mira sat
upright. “My company is a legitimate business. I don’t question you
on what you do illegally, but I’m no fool. I don’t want you to run
any illegal activities through my business.”
Giovanni chuckled.
“ Agreed?”
He arched an eyebrow.
“ I’ll take that as a yes!” Mira
clapped her hands together and laughed. “So we’ll do it? We’ll get
my company back?”
“ Do I have a choice?”
She hurried around his desk and nearly jumped
into his lap. Giovanni nearly toppled over. She gave him a long
sexy kiss. She grabbed both sides of his face. “ Tante Grazie! You’ve made me so happy.”
“ Prego. Can we please just
get married now?”
“ Yes! I have so much work to do.
I’ll be working on the dress today so dinner will be
late.”
“ Slow down,” he pulled her back to
him. She waited for his comment. “I know you’re talented and
capable. I’m a bit old-fashioned about this, Bella. Don’t make me
regret my decision.”
“ I promise sweetie, you
won’t.”
Chapter Two
Famiglia – Family
Giovanni stared out at the torrential rains,
captivated by the storms might as it crushed the tallest of cypress
trees, forcing flapping branches to bend. It would be a great
blessing if nature’s wrath continued to rage away from the
coast.
A faint smile crossed his lips when he thought
of his bride. If his mother had lived, she would be pleased with
his choice. The way his Bella handled negotiations today impressed
and worried him. She agreed to his terms but did she accept them?
He saw the wheels turning in her pretty head. She never played her
hand with him too early. She was clever to not let her emotions
overrule or betray her goals. He knew they’d be revisiting
negotiations again, soon.
Flavio warned him against his father’s curse.
Unlike Tomosino’s treatment of his mother, he wouldn’t crush Mira’s
spirit to control her. He had to find another way to help her
understand the order of things, or as she would say—balance. Would
he ever be able to deny her anything and stick to it? The answer
didn’t matter. After seeing his dark side and hearing his
expectations of her, she never wavered in her decision to become
his wife. Mirabella was his woman, body and soul. And for her
sacrifice, she would never know the shame and scorn his mother
endured for the sake of her children.
Their dash to the altar so soon after
reuniting was largely due to unplanned and unforeseen
circumstances. Now she wielded more power and influence with him
than any other living person. She had become the marrow in his
bones, the air that he breathes, and the sole source of the sweet
sparks of happiness in his heart on a dreary rainy day. He would
honor Mirabella, the black American fashion designer, all his days
for what she has brought into his life. Cherish her as his wife. No
matter what happened, he would never forsake his vows.
“ Gio?” Catalina’s soft almost
child-like voice spoke behind him.
“ Have a seat,” he said.
Catalina propped her umbrella near the door
and lowered the hood to her slick raincoat, which dripped a small
puddle on his carpeted floor. She was the last to arrive. Now they
were all gathered. Dominic and Lorenzo waited patiently as she hung
up her raincoat and took a seat between them. The only sound in the
room was the clinking ice in Lorenzo’s glass.
Giovanni had decided to tend to this business
and be done with the subject of their betrayal. The problem was he
still couldn’t bring himself to say the words. Damn them all for
failing him.
He cleared his throat.
“ My Bella believes in this family
enough to become my wife and your donna . In fact, she thinks
we can change.” He shrugged. “She thinks our family should be a
democracy. She’s learning differently.” Giovanni turned
She smiled. “You have such a way with
words.”
He grunted.
“ I have one final request. And I
will accept your terms, though I admit it’s hard.” Mira sat
upright. “My company is a legitimate business. I don’t question you
on what you do illegally, but I’m no fool. I don’t want you to run
any illegal activities through my business.”
Giovanni chuckled.
“ Agreed?”
He arched an eyebrow.
“ I’ll take that as a yes!” Mira
clapped her hands together and laughed. “So we’ll do it? We’ll get
my company back?”
“ Do I have a choice?”
She hurried around his desk and nearly jumped
into his lap. Giovanni nearly toppled over. She gave him a long
sexy kiss. She grabbed both sides of his face. “ Tante Grazie! You’ve made me so happy.”
“ Prego. Can we please just
get married now?”
“ Yes! I have so much work to do.
I’ll be working on the dress today so dinner will be
late.”
“ Slow down,” he pulled her back to
him. She waited for his comment. “I know you’re talented and
capable. I’m a bit old-fashioned about this, Bella. Don’t make me
regret my decision.”
“ I promise sweetie, you
won’t.”
Chapter Two
Famiglia – Family
Giovanni stared out at the torrential rains,
captivated by the storms might as it crushed the tallest of cypress
trees, forcing flapping branches to bend. It would be a great
blessing if nature’s wrath continued to rage away from the
coast.
A faint smile crossed his lips when he thought
of his bride. If his mother had lived, she would be pleased with
his choice. The way his Bella handled negotiations today impressed
and worried him. She agreed to his terms but did she accept them?
He saw the wheels turning in her pretty head. She never played her
hand with him too early. She was clever to not let her emotions
overrule or betray her goals. He knew they’d be revisiting
negotiations again, soon.
Flavio warned him against his father’s curse.
Unlike Tomosino’s treatment of his mother, he wouldn’t crush Mira’s
spirit to control her. He had to find another way to help her
understand the order of things, or as she would say—balance. Would
he ever be able to deny her anything and stick to it? The answer
didn’t matter. After seeing his dark side and hearing his
expectations of her, she never wavered in her decision to become
his wife. Mirabella was his woman, body and soul. And for her
sacrifice, she would never know the shame and scorn his mother
endured for the sake of her children.
Their dash to the altar so soon after
reuniting was largely due to unplanned and unforeseen
circumstances. Now she wielded more power and influence with him
than any other living person. She had become the marrow in his
bones, the air that he breathes, and the sole source of the sweet
sparks of happiness in his heart on a dreary rainy day. He would
honor Mirabella, the black American fashion designer, all his days
for what she has brought into his life. Cherish her as his wife. No
matter what happened, he would never forsake his vows.
“ Gio?” Catalina’s soft almost
child-like voice spoke behind him.
“ Have a seat,” he said.
Catalina propped her umbrella near the door
and lowered the hood to her slick raincoat, which dripped a small
puddle on his carpeted floor. She was the last to arrive. Now they
were all gathered. Dominic and Lorenzo waited patiently as she hung
up her raincoat and took a seat between them. The only sound in the
room was the clinking ice in Lorenzo’s glass.
Giovanni had decided to tend to this business
and be done with the subject of their betrayal. The problem was he
still couldn’t bring himself to say the words. Damn them all for
failing him.
He cleared his throat.
“ My Bella believes in this family
enough to become my wife and your donna . In fact, she thinks
we can change.” He shrugged. “She thinks our family should be a
democracy. She’s learning differently.” Giovanni turned
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