“Let’s all just be grateful they are fine and we found them. Now, we need to enjoy our dinner,” Rafe said as he stepped in to try to help his sister. She looked over and mouthed thank you to him.
Their parents finally allowed them all to sit down at the beautifully set table for pre-dinner drinks, and Lia’s shoulders relaxed.
“How have you been, Ari? I’ve been worried about you,” Rosabella said as she focused her attention on Ari, who was quiet as the family spoke in a mixture of English and Italian. She knew a few Italian phrases, but was pretty much lost when they spoke in the other language.
“I’m doing wonderfully, Mrs. Palazzo. Thank you.”
“I guess it has been too long if you are reverting to calling me by my last name again,” Rosabella said with a raised brow.
“I’m sorry,” Ari replied.
“No need to apologize, la mia piccola cara. We’ll just have to go out together — no men, just women — so you are comfortable around me again.”
“That sounds like a great idea, Mom. Let’s do it tomorrow before you all head out again,” said Rachel, obviously excited to have them all there, even though she’d been away from her family for only a couple of weeks.
“Your father and I have decided to stay in America for a while. I’m done with the boat ride,” Rosabella replied.
“It’s not a boat, darling. She is far too beautiful for such a simple title,” Martin said with a smile.
“Yes, dear. But, still, we are done cruising the seas. I like to have my feet on solid ground.”
“I know what you mean, Mama. I think avoiding the water would be a good idea for a while,” Lia said with a laugh.
“I’m so sorry, my sweet daughter. Here I am complaining about being out on the water after all that you just went through,” Rosabella said with a gasp.
“I really am fine, Mom. You need to quit worrying,” Lia assured her.
Shane stood up and held his hand out to Lia. “Dance with me,” he said.
“I would love to,” Lia replied. She was grateful for the soft music coming from the string quartet in the next room. Melting into Shane’s arms was the perfect relief after being grilled repeatedly by her family. She certainly didn’t want to share everything with them about her time on the island with Shane.
That was for her and her alone. Of course, she loved her family, but she’d begun to build something real with Shane and she wanted selfishly to hold it tight against her chest, and not allow anyone else into their bubble. At least not right now.
The two of them moved away from the table, and Lia sighed and fell into Shane’s arms, her stress evaporating in an instant.
“They mean well, you know.”
“Yes, I know, Shane, but after our small slice of paradise, it’s hard to come back to the real world. I want you all to myself, where I can peel off your clothes and have my wicked way with you,” she said as her hand circled his neck, her fingernails lightly grazing his skin.
“If you keep talking like that, I will have to drag you out of here and shock your family,” he warned her.
“Promises, promises,” she answered.
“You are perfect in every way, Lia. There is nothing I don’t adore about you,” he said, his eyes becoming glazed with passion as he leaned down and gently kissed her.
“Even my stubbornness?” she questioned.
“Especially your stubbornness. I wouldn’t change a thing about you, Lia. I love how alive you are, how independent, how loving. I honestly can’t imagine my life without you by my side,” he said with reverence.
“Don’t you think this is moving too quickly, Shane?”
Fear clawed her insides. This was too good to be true, so the bubble would have to burst at some point, wouldn’t it? Nothing this amazing could last for all time.
“I would say that wanting you forever but thinking you were off limits and fighting that attraction can be called moving at a snail’s pace,” he countered.
“You could have had me five years ago,” she reminded him.
“The time wasn’t right. You will always be my best friend’s sister. But I now see you also as a woman, a beautiful, talented, kind woman. I see myself as spending the rest of my life with you.”
Lia felt her heart swell. She wanted to grasp his words and clutch them to her heart, but a small part of her felt that it was too soon, rather as if they were still dealing with the honeymoon stage of being stranded together. What if he changed his mind in a week? They needed more time before making any big decisions.
“Is that a marriage proposal, Shane?” she teased.
“Not yet, Lia. I would never show you such disrespect by proposing on the spur of the moment. You are a queen and deserve to be treated like one,” he said, no hint of teasing in his tone.
“I love you, Shane. I wasn’t going to say that, I wasn’t going to let my heart run away with my mouth, but I love you. I have since I was a young teenager, and though it was infatuation then, it has grown into a strong and complete emotion now, and it has overtaken my soul. Thank you for being good to me.”
Shane slowly spun them in a slow circle, never breaking eye contact with her. The smell of his subtle cologne drifted around her, weakening her knees and making her shiver, and certainly surprising her that he still had such an overwhelming effect on her.
“Lia, there is no other woman for me. There is nothing I don’t love about you. I think fate put us together long ago, and though I was a fool for years, I won’t make that mistake any longer. The light in your eyes guides me, the rhythm of your heart keeps mine beating, and the touch of your hand awes me. I love you more than words could ever express, and I would die without you.”
Lia felt as if she couldn’t breathe. While they moved in time to the slow sound of the string band, Shane’s hand gently caressed her back, his fingers moving beneath her camisole top and scorching her skin as he rubbed the sensitive spot that dipped in before her h*ps flared out.
As he pulled her against him, she felt his clear arousal pushing against her, showing her all too clearly that he was turned on, something he always seemed to be when they touched — which made her feel womanly and seductive.
She loved him because he was a wonderful man, but even more so because he made her feel special. He made her feel priceless. Yes, her family loved her and always encouraged her, but there was a difference.
To be loved by a man, truly loved, made a woman feel as if she could burst. Of course, Lia was strong and could face the world on her own, but it involved a deeper strength, she felt, to give yourself to another. To trust someone with your heart was a gift, and it was a gift she wanted to give Shane. It was a gift that he had earned.