Cane

After my drinking incident, I steered clear of booze.

It was too soon to trust myself around it.

When I went out with those guys in Florence, I’d just wanted a distraction so I would stop thinking about Adelina. If a woman flirted with me and wanted sex, I was going to do it so I could drown my sorrow in someone else.

But when the women came up to me, I didn’t take the bait.

I didn’t want them.

Women used to cure my other sicknesses, but now it wasn’t effective. So I turned to alcohol instead and drank way too much. I got so drunk that I still don’t remember most of that night. I didn’t even remember getting behind the wheel to drive home. I didn’t remember getting pulled over. I didn’t remember my brother taking me home.

It was pathetic.

I didn’t see Crow for a week because I knew he wasn’t joking.

He didn’t want to look at my face.

I completely understood. I didn’t want to look at my face much either.

When I walked into the winery that day, I felt weak and hopeless. I’d just spoken to Adelina, but that didn’t uplift me. It hurt that she was unhappy. It hurt me that people treated her like a victim rather than the badass woman she was. It bothered me that she didn’t feel like she belonged there anymore.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want her to give up and come back.

But I also wanted her to be happy.

It was the first unselfish moment I’d ever had, and that made me feel worse. It made me realize I truly loved this woman from the bottom of my heart. My love for her was selfless, real, and deep. I treated her the way Crow treated Pearl—like she was the only thing that mattered.

The realization created a powerful wave of sadness.

I walked into the warehouse and struggled to focus on what I was supposed to do. My mind kept flicking back to Adelina, imagining her lying in her bed all alone. She was doing that right now, probably still thinking about me.

I told her I loved her and didn’t care if she wouldn’t say it back.

I wanted her to know I still loved her just as much—even if the rest of the world just saw her as entertainment.

Crow walked inside a few minutes later, wearing a black suit. The atmosphere around his body was still slightly hostile, and I knew it would be that way for a while until he truly forgave me for what I did.

Right now, I didn’t really care.

Crow talked about the shipments going out that afternoon, giving me a refresher even though I hadn’t forgotten anything. It’d only been a week. All I’d been doing during that time was thinking about Adelina and the fact that I wasn’t working because my brother didn’t want to see my face.

I nodded along without really caring.

Crow eyed me suspiciously, knowing my mind was elsewhere. “What’s up?”

“Adelina just called me when I pulled up.” I grabbed the shipping information from the clipboard then checked the serial numbers against the barrels.

“She did?” Crow came to my side and grabbed the clipboard from my hand. “What did she say?”

“It’s been hard for her to adjust. People see her as entertainment.”

“Because her story was all over the news?”

I nodded.

“She’s not loving it. Feels a little lost.”

“Did she say she wants to come back?” he asked.

“No…” I’d been hoping to hear that, but it never came. I wasn’t going to push her in any direction. If she wanted to come back, she had to make that decision on her own.

“But she hates it there?”

“She didn’t say she hated it. She just doesn’t love it.”

Crow set the clipboard off to the side. “You need to go get her, Cane.”

“What?”

“Go get her,” he repeated. “You let her go because that’s what she wanted. But now she told you it’s not working out like she thought. That means you need to go there and remind why she needs to come back. That’s your woman—so go get her.”

“That’s the exact opposite of what you told me to do in the first place.”

“It’s not,” he said. “She wanted to leave, and you had to let her go. Holding her hostage wasn’t the answer. But now, she’s lost. Now, she’s unhappy. She’s living in a world where people make her feel like she’s dirty. Go talk to her.”

There was nothing I wanted more. I was only partially living in this miserable existence. Time passed slowly because my life had no meaning. I was heartbroken, but it was a kind of broken that couldn’t be fixed.

“I’m serious,” Crow said. “Go.”

“That’s what you would do if this were Pearl?”

He shook his head. “I’d be halfway to the airport right now.”

---

I hopped on the plane and landed in America an eternity later. Due to the time change, connections, and the long flights, it was nighttime there. I wanted to rush to her house and knock on her front door, but it was too late for that.

I’d have to wait until tomorrow.

I checked into the same hotel I stayed at with her the last time I was there.

Crow called me after I’d been there for an hour. “Hey, you’re on the ground, right?”

“You sound worried,” I teased.

“Just want to make sure. Your flight info isn’t popping up on the website.”

It seemed like he wasn’t mad at me anymore. “Did you get that information for me?”

“Yeah. I got her address. Wasn’t hard to find. Are you going now?”

“No. It’s almost eleven here. She might be asleep already.”

“You have the patience to wait until tomorrow?” he asked incredulously.

“I want to do this right.”

“And what exactly are you going to do?” he asked.

“I’ll swing by and ask her to dinner.”

“Not a bad idea.”

“I want to show her that I couldn’t care less about what she went through. While everyone else stares at her like some kind of freak, I see her as the beautiful woman she really is. I want her in my bed for the rest of my life. I’m man enough to erase every memory she has of the others. It’ll be like they were never there at all.”

Crow paused over the line. “You should tell her that.”

“I will.”

“Let me know how it goes. Pearl and I both hope she comes back with you.”

“That makes three of us.”

---

I waited until the evening before I pulled up to the front of her house. It was a petite little place, positioned between two bigger houses. It was much smaller than the mansion she shared with me, but it somehow reminded me of her.

It fit her perfectly.

The sun had just set, and the night deepened. I stared at the front door for a moment and studied the windows. I noticed the gentle blue light that was shifting, obviously the light projected from a TV screen.

She was home.

I got out of the car and walked up the sidewalk until I reached her front porch. I hadn’t seen her in six weeks. She might look different. Her hair could be longer. She could be thinner or heavier. She could look sad or happy. I really didn’t know what to expect.

I stood there as I tried to gather my thoughts. She would be shocked to see me on the other side of her door. I just hoped happiness would linger behind once the surprise faded away. My knuckles rested against the wood, and I took a long pause before I finally knocked.

It was happening.

There was no going back now.

I heard her footsteps from inside the house. She came closer and closer until she stopped right in the entryway.

I knew she was looking through the peephole first.

Good girl.

I wondered what her expression was once she realized it was me. Her eyes probably snapped wide open, and her lips parted with the deep breath she took. Her heart was slamming against her ribs as it raced.

The lock clicked, and she opened the door.

When I got a glimpse of her, I lost my breath. She was as beautiful as I remembered, with long brown hair and mocha eyes. She wore a long-sleeved shirt and black jeans with bare feet. She was over a foot shorter than me, but she made up for her petiteness with her presence. She was curvy, sexy, and absolutely perfect.

I missed her more now than I had before.

She held on to the door for balance as she processed what she was witnessing. Her eyes shifted back and forth as she looked into my expression, seeing the man she would recognize anywhere. She could pick out my voice in a crowded room with a blindfold over her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

“Want to have dinner with me?” I had a speech prepared about being in town on business, but I thought it was a pointless thing to say. She would see right through that. The obvious reason I was there was just to see her.

She let go of the door as a smile replaced her surprise.

Exactly as I hoped.

“Yes…I’d love to.”

---

I took her by the hand and guided her to the table the hostess was leading us to. We took our seats, got our menus, and then we were alone together again.

It was the first time we’d eaten together in public.

It was basically our first date—our first real date.

She held her menu open between her hands, but she kept sneaking glances at me.

I didn’t look at my menu at all, far more interested in looking at her. She didn’t look different at all. Not a single thing had changed. I expected to spot the melancholy in her eyes, but that didn’t exist. Perhaps when she was with me, she actually felt some form of happiness.

At least I hoped.

She looked down at her menu again, a smile on her lips.

I missed that smile. “You’re just as beautiful as I remember.”

A blush filled her cheeks. “Thanks…”

I glanced at my menu, picked something decent, and set my menu aside. I rested my elbows on the table and leaned close to her, wanting there to be as little distance as possible.

She closed her menu and set it to the side.

“What are you having?”

“Some pasta. I just picked something.”

“Me too.” I felt the corners of my lips pull into a smile.

The waiter came over, and judging by the way he stared at Adelina so intently, he recognized her. “Uh, what can I get for you?”

We ordered and handed our menus over.

The waiter stared again, his eyes narrowing as he remembered exactly where he’d seen her face before.

“Is there a problem?” I kept my voice low, but my coldness was unmistakable.

“No…not at all.” He walked away, leaving us alone again.

Adelina dropped her smile at the encounter.

I reached my hand across the table, and I held hers. I should keep my affection to a minimum, but I couldn’t. Now that I had her so close, I couldn’t restrain myself. I missed her like crazy. I missed her even more now that I was directly across from her.

Her hand latched on to mine immediately, like she’d been hoping for the affection.

We ignored the basket of bread on the table and stared at each other. Just like the silent conversations we had over the phone, we were doing the same now. It was full of the same intensity, the same longing.

She never asked why I was there.

I didn’t feel the need to explain.

We just savored each other’s company in the crowded room, ignoring the inappropriate stares directed our way. People were casting judgments on both of us. She was holding hands with a man at least five years older than her. She was already seeing someone after what she’d been through? I wanted to be with a woman that had been trafficked? A million thoughts were going through their minds.

But they didn’t know us. No one did.

The only two people who truly understood were she and I.

---

We walked into her little house, and she showed me the living room and small kitchen. “It’s not much, but it’s perfect for me.”

“I like it.” It had a single sofa, a small TV, and a tiny bathroom. For a woman like Adelina, someone who didn’t need much, it was perfect. “Very nice.” I stood with my hands in my pockets so I wouldn’t immediately reach out and grab her by the hips. So far, it seemed to be going well. She smiled when she looked at me, held my hand on the car ride home, and now she gave me the same look of longing I gave her.

Just like in the restaurant, it was tense all over again.

She still hadn’t asked me why I was there. It made me wonder if she didn’t care. Maybe she was just so happy to see me that it didn’t matter.

I stepped closer to her until I’d officially crossed an invisible line into her private space. My hands left my pockets, and my neck craned toward her. I looked down at her lips, desperate to kiss her.

Her lips parted slightly.

That was the invitation I needed. My hand slid into her hair, and I leaned in, moving until I felt her lips against mine. I kissed her with purposeful slowness, doing my best to keep it soft. I couldn’t devour her immediately. This had to be gentle, not rushed.

She kissed me back immediately, her arm wrapped around my neck. She rose on her tiptoes to get better access to my mouth. She kissed me harder, a moan of desperation escaping her lips. Her hand wrapped around my wrist as my hand remained buried in her hair.

She was the one who kissed me harder.

Deeper.

Faster.

I couldn’t set the pace anymore. I wanted to keep it slow and soft, but she wanted a lot more than that. So I let it be…and kissed her exactly the way she wanted to be kissed.

My hands explored her body, feeling the delicious curves of her waist and stomach. My hands shook as I felt her, excitement burning me from the inside out. My desperation grew, and I couldn’t believe what was happening.

I was kissing her.

Just last week, I was drowning myself in enough alcohol to put me in a coma.

But now, my woman was in my arms.

She pulled on the front of my shirt and guided me down the short hallway to her bedroom. She had a full-size bed in the small room, a mattress hardly big enough to hold a man like me. But that wasn’t going to stop either of us from getting what we wanted.

Her shirt was gone.

My shoes were kicked across the room.

Her bra dropped onto the floor.

My jeans were yanked down.

One by one, every article of clothing hit the carpet until we were both buck naked.

I squeezed her tits and kissed her neck, her smell making me high. I kissed her hard, nibbled on her earlobe, and guided her back to the bed. My cock was harder than it’d ever been in my life. I’d never seen a woman look so beautiful, so undeniably perfect.

She was on her back underneath me, her legs already spread in urgency. She pulled me on top of her and hooked her arms around my shoulders.

I slipped inside, moaning when I felt how soaked she was. She was wetter than she’d ever been before, tight and slick. I pushed completely inside her and watched her face light up in pleasure.

She wanted me badly.

One hand dug into my hair, and she stared up at me as I began to thrust. I thought we would take this slow, but she didn’t want slow. She wanted all of me, as much as she could get. She pulled on my hair and kissed me, moaning between breaths. “Cane…”

“Bellissima…” There was nothing better than this. There was nothing that would ever make me as happy as this woman. I’d lost her before, and it was a depressing experience. Now that I was with her again, even without saying much, I felt whole again.

This felt right.

It always felt right.

I hadn’t been with anyone else in the last six weeks, so I thought I would come quicker than I wanted. But being connected to her like this stopped that from happening. I focused on her, focused on the way she moved her lips with mine. My cock was buried inside her, but the satisfaction I received was beyond physical.

It was spiritual.

She moved with me, taking my length as much as I gave it to her. Sweat collected on her breasts, and she moaned into my mouth as we made love on her small bed. She dug her nails into my back, and she pulled me deeper and harder.

Sweat trickled down my back, but the heat didn’t slow me down. I wanted to do this forever. If I could, I would.

She cupped the back of my neck with both of her hands and used her abs to grind with me. “Cane…I love you.” She looked me in the eye as she said it, the passion in her eyes and the promise on her face.

I shoved myself completely inside her and paused as I stared down at her. I’d told her how I felt many times, but she never said it back. All I could do was imagine how it would feel, but reality was so much better than fantasy. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard. It made me the happiest man on the planet. “I love you too.”

---

I woke up to her body plastered against mine. One leg was hooked between my thighs, while her arm draped across my torso. She used my shoulder as a pillow for her head, and she slept nearly on top of me. It was the same position she used to take before, and the second I was with her again, she was back to her old ways.

Instead of stirring, I remained absolutely still so I could watch her. I loved her thick eyelashes. I loved the way her lips slightly parted while she was asleep. Her fair skin contrasted against those ruby lips even when she didn’t wear lipstick. She was right beside me, but I could hardly believe she was real.

She was perfect.

I wanted to lean down and kiss her, but she was too beautiful to interrupt. I wanted her to be wide awake so I could look into those pretty eyes, but I wanted her to rest as long as she needed. When I came to her doorstep, I hadn’t expected for this to happen.

But I’d hoped it would.

She’d said the most beautiful words to me. The world outside hadn’t changed, but mine certainly did. Now this cold and dark place blossomed with extraordinary beauty. My body was filled with unrestrained vitality. My attitude was positive, my smile was infectious.

I was happy.

A few minutes later, her eyes fluttered open. She looked right at me, the same smile coming over her lips. “Just like it used to be…”

I usually woke up first, and I spent my morning staring at her until she was ready to wake up. My body wanted to roll her to her back and thrust between her legs, but my heart was content just being like this. “But better.”

She ran her hand up my chest, her eyes still sleepy. She released a sigh of contentment, enjoying my presence as much as I enjoyed hers.

I was so glad I got on that plane.

“I forgot to thank you for dinner.”

“You showed your appreciation, Bellissima.” My hand brought hers to my mouth. I kissed her small fingers gently before I returned them to my chest.

“Sex gets me food?” she teased.

“It can get you whatever you want.”

Her alarm went off on her nightstand, and she sighed before she turned over and switched it off. Her bare back was exposed, smooth skin with the exception of a few scars. “I have class.”

I forgot about the real world whenever we were together. “Are you going to go?”

She shook her head before she came back to me. “I doubt I’ll ever get out of this bed.”

“Because I’m in it?” I moved underneath the sheets until I was on top of her. My legs parted hers until I was nestled perfectly between her thighs. My hands sank into the mattress on either side of her tits. With a quick tilt of my hips, I pressed my cock against her entrance.

Her arms circled my neck, and she locked her ankles against my lower back. “I miss morning sex…”

I slid the rest of the way inside her until I was buried to the hilt. I closed my eyes as I treasured the feel of her wet tightness. I used to do this every single day of my life. I’d never take it for granted again. There was nowhere I’d rather be than right here. “I miss this pussy.”

“She missed you too.”

I thrust into her gradually, making love a lot slower than we did last night. My eyes were locked on hers, and she looked stunning in the morning light. Her skin was glowing from a great night of sleep, and her eyes sparkled in a special way. Her nails teased me gently as her feet dragged me back toward her. “Bellissima…”

“I miss hearing you call me that.”

I sealed my mouth over hers and kissed her as I continued to rock deeply inside her. I pushed myself as far as I could go without hurting her then pulled out again. Her mattress was soft like a cloud, and her pussy was like a slice of heaven.

I couldn’t think straight. All I could do was feel—feel all of her.

She came quicker than usual, squeezing my dick and digging her nails into my muscles.

I wanted to keep going, but after her little performance, I wouldn’t be able to sustain this passion without needing a release. I came shortly after she did, filling her pussy with all of the seed I could fit inside.

I stayed on top of her because I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay right there, between her legs where I belonged. No amount of hunger could get me into the kitchen. I’d rather just eat her.

The sleepiness was gone from her eyes. A small smile was on her lips, just for me.

We still hadn’t said anything of substance to one another. The second I was back in her life, it was exactly what it used to be before. The house wasn’t the same, the town was foreign, and her world was nothing like mine.

But that didn’t change us.

Her nails dragged down my arms as her hands moved to the mattress. “Why are you here?”

My hand slid into her hair, and I cradled her head in my palm. “You know why.”

Her eyes softened. “I tried not to think about you…but it was impossible.”

“I never stopped thinking about you. Every day.”

She brushed her nose against mine. “Your bed hasn’t been filled with others?”

“Just you.”

Her eyes softened again.

I didn’t ask her the same because I already knew the answer. “We can spend the rest of the day like this, but let’s leave in the morning. I want to get you home where you belong.”

It was the first time she’d shown sadness since I arrived. Her eyes fell, and her smile disappeared. “Leave?”

I’d assumed that’s what would happen. “Are you saying you want to stay?” I’d do anything for this woman, but I didn’t belong in a place like this. The population was too dense. There wasn’t enough privacy. I had a business back home. There was nothing for me—except her.

“I just…I can’t leave.”

“Why not?”

“My parents. After everything they’ve been through, I can’t just take off again. They’re so happy having me here. It’s like a massive boulder has been lifted off their shoulders. I can’t hurt them again… I can’t.”

“They know you’ll be safe, so it’ll be different.”

“I’ll be in a different time zone on the other side of the world. I’ll never see them. After I was captured, it made me appreciate what I have. I don’t want to take them for granted again. I don’t want them to suffer again.”

She was the only child of these two people. She’d already suffered enough, and she shouldn’t suffer anymore. But I didn’t know how to fix the problem. “I can’t stay here, even for you.” My eyes held their determination despite my sorrow. “I don’t belong here. There’s nothing for me to do here. It makes more sense for you to come back with me. We have the winery, a beautiful home overlooking the fields, and we have millions. I can’t just bring that money here. Your country has very different laws from mine.”

“I know…”

“So we need to make it work, Bellissima. I’ve spent the last six weeks without you, and I don’t want to do it anymore. You’re coming back with me—even if I have to make you.”

She smiled because she thought I was joking. “Back to being bossy, huh?”

“I’m just telling you how it is.” Now that she told me she loved me, there was no going back. She was my possession, my everything. I owned her, even if the law didn’t recognize it. If she had any hope of slipping out of my grasp, she shouldn’t have said those three little words.

“I don’t know what to do, Cane. I’ve only been back for a few weeks.”

“Your parents will understand. Children get married and move away all the time.”

“It’s different, and you know it is.”

I did know. I sighed as my softening cock remained buried inside her. When the mood picked up, I’d be ready to go again.

She stared at me with a pleading gaze, as if she was asking me to help her.

“What do you want me to say?” I whispered.

“I don’t know…”

“I can’t move here.” I repeated it because I knew she would ask me. “I have Crow, Pearl, and my future niece or nephew. Crow won’t admit it, but he needs me nearby. I’m all he has left, and he’s all I have left. You know I would do anything for you, Bellissima, but I can’t do that.”

When she released a deep breath, all of her hope vanished with it. “I understand.”

Even now, I wanted to give her what she wanted. But this was one compromise I couldn’t make. “Let’s talk to your parents. I’m sure they’ll understand when they see us together.”

“I don’t know…”

“What other choice do we have?” I wasn’t returning to Tuscany without her, and she couldn’t continue this lonely existence in a world where she no longer belonged. “This isn’t your home anymore. You tried, but it wouldn’t stick. You know you belong with me in the Tuscan sun and in the fields of gold.”

Her eyes shifted back and forth as she looked into my gaze. She pressed her lips tightly together, thought it through, and then finally nodded. “Okay…let’s talk to them.”

---

I turned off the engine, and we sat in front of her parents’ house. It was after five, so they were both home from work. I stayed behind the wheel while she looked out the window of the passenger seat. We’d spent the afternoon making love all over her small house. Her shower was tiny, but we somehow made it work. We didn’t eat much because we were too absorbed in each other.

Now those moments of happiness were gone. Dread had replaced them. Adelina didn’t want to do this, but she didn’t have any other option.

“We can always visit them whenever you want,” I whispered. “It’s not like it’s forever. I see Crow and Pearl every day. We can spend every holiday with your family. That’s a fair compromise.”

“I know…but we’re so close.”

My hand glided up her shoulder, and I massaged her gently. “It’ll be alright, Bellissima.” Her mother had thanked me for getting Adelina back home, but that didn’t necessarily mean they liked me. She was my prisoner at one point. I did business with the man who did this to her. I wasn’t the knight in shining armor they’d been hoping for for their daughter. I was dark, brooding, and dangerous.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Adelina finally got out.

We walked to the front door, knocked, and then we were face-to-face with her parents.

They both recognized me. They definitely remembered me.

Her mother stared at me, not smiling or frowning. She just looked.

Her father didn’t know how to react either.

“Can we come in?” Adelina asked.

“Of course.” Her mother backed inside, still looking at me. “I’m sorry…you just startled us.”

We stepped into the living room, the smell of dinner in the air.

“Everything okay?” her father asked.

“Yeah,” Adelina said, hardly convincing. “If you guys aren’t busy, we wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Sure,” her mother said. “Would you like to join us for dinner?”

“Yeah,” Adelina said.

I hadn’t said anything up until that point, and I knew I needed to show some manners. “We’d love to.”

We sat down in the dining room, and her mom served baked chicken, green beans, and potatoes.

I didn’t have much of an appetite, but I ate anyway. It was pretty good.

Adelina ate and talked to her parents about school, even though that wasn’t why we were there.

“So, are you here for a visit?” her mother asked.

I swallowed my tap water before I turned to her. “I just wanted to make sure Adelina was doing alright…adjusting back to her old life.”

“Oh,” her mother said. “That was nice of you.”

“She’s gotten back on her feet,” her father said. “Has her own place now and is back in school.” The pride was heavy in his voice, as it should be. Adelina was a strong woman who didn’t let the past define her. She never gave up on herself—not once.

“I noticed that,” I said. “I’m happy for her.”

Adelina looked up at me, the sadness in her eyes. She didn’t want to say the words, to break their hearts with her news.

My hand moved to her thigh under the table, and I gave it a gentle squeeze, telling her I would take care of it. “I came back here because I wanted to know Adelina was doing okay…but also because I love her.”

Her mother didn’t react in the slightest, as if she already expected my feelings.

Her father looked down at his food.

“I stayed away from her because she said she wanted to come back here and start over…but she told me she’s been having a hard time. She misses me, I miss her…and she loves me.” I watched Adelina’s emotional expression, waiting for the final blow. “We talked about it, and we decided that we want to be together…in Italy.”

Her mother dropped her silverware onto the plate, unable to contain her surprise.

Her father looked up, tensing all over his body. Even his jaw was hard.

Tears immediately welled up in her mother’s eyes. “Adelina, is this true?”

Adelina finally looked at her mother. “Yes…I want to be with him. I know he and I didn’t meet under the best of circumstances, but…I don’t want to be with anyone else. He’s the only one who really understands me. Everyone else looks at me like I’m a freak, but Cane never does. He makes me feel beautiful when the rest of the world makes me feel scared. I’ve tried moving on, but this place doesn’t feel the way it used to…”

“I see,” her father whispered.

Her mother dabbed her eyes with a napkin.

I felt like shit watching this scene, so I could only imagine how Adelina felt.

“I’m sorry,” Adelina whispered. “I don’t want to leave you guys again, but I can’t stay. Cane has his business and properties in Tuscany. He can’t just walk away from that.”

Her mother started to cry. “We just got you back…”

“I know, Mama.” Now Adelina started to cry.

Even her father was choked up.

I didn’t want to rip apart a family. I wanted Adelina so much, but I didn’t want to cause her pain. Her parents had been nice to me even when I didn’t deserve it, and I didn’t want to do this to them. “I have another idea.”

Adelina wiped the corner of her eye with her fingers. “What?”

Her mother’s eyes were puffy and red. She had the same eyes as Adelina, and she possessed the same beauty Adelina had inherited.

I grabbed Adelina’s hand under the table. “Come with us.”

“What?” her father blurted.

“We have jobs and a mortgage,” her mother said. “We can’t just drop everything for a vacation.”

“I’ll take care of everything,” I said. “I’ll buy you a house and some land nearby. You can see Adelina every day while I’m at work.”

Adelina gave me the biggest look of surprise I’d ever seen. Her mouth was open, and her eyes were filled with shock. “Really…?”

“Are you being serious?” her mother asked. “You would do that?”

Adelina kept staring at me. “Cane? Are you sure about this?”

I squeezed her hand. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” If I was going to take Adelina back with me, she was bound to become my wife. And if I had a wife, I knew I would do anything in my power to give her whatever she wanted. If she needed her parents, I would give that to her. It was a small investment to make this woman happy.

Adelina’s eyes filled with tears but for a different reason than before. “I love you.”

I smiled at the affection in her eyes. “I know you do, Bellissima.”

“You would do that for us?” her mother pressed. “That’s very generous…”

“Extremely generous,” her father said.

“Does that mean you’re saying yes?” I asked. “It would solve all of our problems. And trust me, you’re going to love Tuscany. I’ve never seen a more beautiful place.”

“Uh…” Her mother stared at her father, the disbelief on her face.

He stared back, rubbing the side of his face.

“This is the only way I can keep all of us together,” I said. “I’ll buy you a beautiful home with plenty of privacy. You’ll never have to worry about anything. If you say no, then we’re going to live on opposites sides of the world for the rest of our lives.”

Adelina turned back to her parents, waiting for the answer she was hoping for.

Her mother and father whispered to each other on their side of the table, keeping their voices low so we couldn’t overhear. After a few minutes, they turned back to us.

Her mother gave us the answer. “We’d love to.”

Adelina exploded out of her chair and moved into my lap. She sat right down on me and wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me hard like no one else was in the room. “Thank you…”

I squeezed her back and rested my chin on the top of her head. “I’d do anything for you.”

“I’m sorry I stayed away for so long… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I loved you.”

“It’s okay, Bellissima.” It had hurt feeling her rejection, but now that I had her, it didn’t matter anymore. Now, we were together, and nothing would keep us apart. “Forget about it.”

“I don’t doubt you love my daughter,” her mother said. “But I hope we aren’t changing all of our lives for something that isn’t concrete.” Her meaning was unmistakable, probably because she intended it that way.

I wasn’t bringing Adelina all the way across the world so she could be my prisoner again. I wanted her to be something more important than that. If she hadn’t left, I would have asked her already. I didn’t have a ring, but my intent had been living in my heart for a long time. “Bellissima, will you marry me?”

Adelina gripped my arm for balance and lost her breath. As if she couldn’t believe what she’d heard, she stared at my expression for confirmation.

“I didn’t mean right this second,” her mother said. “I just meant…”

“I don’t have a ring,” I whispered. “But I’ll get you whatever ring you want. I don’t want a big wedding because I don’t have a big family or many friends. But I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I never want to be apart from you again, and I promise I’ll always take care of you. You never have to worry about anything as long as you live.”

“Cane…” Her hand cupped my cheek, and the tears streamed down her face. “Yes.”

I smiled, seeing this woman love me as much as I loved her. I should have known how she felt when I dropped her off at the airport. I should have known she was trying to fight the same feelings I had embraced.

“Yes,” she repeated. “Now take me home.”