Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 126060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
“Geno, you’re so sweet. Thank you for caring so much.”
He turned to wrap his arm around her and drag her even closer. “You amaze me, Amaranthe. You did all this for me. Arranging the entire evening. Do you have any idea how it makes me feel to know you did this for me?”
“I hope it makes you feel very loved, because you are.”
He took a deep breath. “It does make me feel loved, baby. I need us to be together like this all the time. I don’t want you to feel as if I’m pushing you too hard into marrying me right away, Amaranthe,” Geno ventured carefully. “But the truth is, I am. As soon as this is over, I want us to get married. Immediately.”
Her gaze jumped to his. “We talked about this briefly, but we did talk about it. We have the license. I said yes. Are you worried I’m going to back out—because I’m not. I’m absolutely certain I want to be your wife, Geno.”
“There’s uncertainty, Amaranthe, I feel it when our shadows are connected and when we’re speaking mind to mind.”
The pads of her fingers slid along his jaw as if she could smooth the shadow of bristles there. “If you feel any hesitation on my part, it isn’t about being your wife. I think it’s more the wedding. I don’t have family. You have so many. It’s awkward enough knowing the headlines are going to be all about speculating that I’m a gold digger, but if we have a wedding and the entire side of a church is filled with your family, and no one is on my side, and no one is walking me down the aisle, I’d just feel . . .” She trailed off.
Geno would always feel as if his parents abandoned him and his brothers, but he had a huge family. Stefano and his siblings in Chicago. Severino and his siblings in LA. Lorenzo and his siblings in San Francisco. The cousins were all very close and they backed one another without question. He had family. Amaranthe had no one. He couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to be completely alone. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel isolated at her own wedding.
She didn’t have friends to be bridesmaids or a maid of honor. His female cousins hadn’t had the time with her to make her feel part of the family yet, so she wouldn’t feel comfortable asking any of them. He understood.
“Amara, I want to marry you as soon as possible. Planning a wedding in our family takes months. As soon as this is over, we’ll not tell anyone, other than a judge I know. He’ll make us legal. Unless you want to go to Vegas.”
Amaranthe smiled up at him, settling her head against the pillow. Her dark hair spilled around her, giving her that otherworldly look. “I think getting married right here in New York will be perfect. Should we ask your brothers to come? I don’t want them to be hurt.”
“The two of them seem like they’re trustworthy, don’t they?” Geno said. “But don’t let their charm fool you. Those smiles are deceitful.”
Amaranthe turned her face into the pillow to muffle her giggle. “Geno. They’re sweet boys, although never tell them I called them boys.”
“They’re older than you are, but half the time they act like sneaky teens defying me.” He tried his best to sound annoyed, just to get another musical laugh out of her. He loved when she laughed. She didn’t let him down. Again, her soft little giggle floated up to him from where she had turned her head into the pillow.
“You make them sound like they’re ten.”
He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat as a million memories washed over him. Was this the way parents felt at times? He’d been a parent as well as a brother to Salvatore and Lucca. He’d never once resented them. He’d been angry with his parents for the hurt they caused the two boys. He’d gotten upset at his brothers for their behavior occasionally, but never once had he resented having to take care of them.
Geno knew he would forever feel as if at any moment he could be abandoned, that he wasn’t lovable. His parents had done that to him after being amazing parents for thirteen years. They’d done the same to his brothers. Salvatore was very sensitive and compassionate. In his younger years, he’d been very close to his mother. When she’d turned cold and turned away from him, he’d been devastated. Something inside Geno had become so protective of his youngest brother that he felt almost murderous. That was when the rage had begun to form in his gut, and it never quite went away when it came to anything hurting either of his brothers.