And in that dusty little square, in that nondescript, one-horse town where the fountain coughed and spluttered and the cars passed by without a second glance, he sank to one knee.
“Carolina Maria Venzi: I love you, and I want to spend my life with you. Will you marry me?”
Chapter 11
I stared down in amazement as Sebastian knelt before me, his beautiful face torn with anxiety.
I could think of a thousand reasons why marrying him was sheer lunacy, and only one reason why it wasn’t.
I took a deep breath, willing all my doubts and fears away.
“I love you, too, Sebastian. And the answer is yes.”
He let out a shout of delight and leapt to his feet, pulling me into his arms, and holding me tightly as if he’d never let me go. I laid my head on his chest, listening to the pounding of his heart through his thin T-shirt.
“I’ll do everything to make you happy, I promise, Caro,” he whispered. “Everything, baby. You are my life.”
“And you are mine, tesoro. We’ll find a way; we always do.”
He sat back down on the hard, wooden seat and pulled me onto his lap, nuzzling my neck.
“Oh, fuck!” he said, angrily.
“What? What’s the matter?” I said, nervously.
Had he changed his mind already?
“I forgot to give you the fucking ring,” he snarled. “Fuck it! I wanted this to be so smooth. Jeez, I said it enough times in my head.”
“You did? You practiced this?”
I loved that he’d practiced.
He smiled, slightly abashed. “Yeah, once or twice. Maybe a few times more… Maybe a lot of times more… Ah, fuck it, Caro. See if the damn thing fits.”
I couldn’t help laughing out loud from sheer happiness – plus, he was so damn funny.
“You’re in danger of sweeping me off my feet again, Sebastian. How can I resist such sweet words: I’ll treasure your proposal forever, ‘See if the damn thing fits’.”
He grinned at me, then pulled a small ring box out of his back pocket, opened it, and laid it on the table.
Nestled in the dark blue satin was a small but breathtaking blue-white diamond solitaire, simply mounted on a gold band.
I gasped, as the diamond blazed in the sun, scattering tiny rainbows across the table.
“Sebastian, it’s beautiful! Where on earth did you get it… and when?”
“Try it on.”
He lifted the ring out of the box and slid it onto the third finger of my left hand.
“Perfect.”
“Yes, it is. Thank you, tesoro.”
I twisted around and kissed him softly, leaning down to enjoy the feel of his lips on mine.
Sebastian looked as if he’d just climbed Mount Everest or defeated the Mongol hordes single-handedly.
“So, fiancé,” I said, “what shall we do now?”
My new name took him by surprise.
“Wow, fiancé, huh? I didn’t think it could sound so cool.”
“I disagree, Sebastian. I think it sounds hot. Maybe we can agree to disagree, or just accept that it’s an all-temperature sort of title.”
He laughed loudly, the sound filled with a ridiculous and infectious joy that I couldn’t help sharing.
“Well, fiancée, I thought we could check out those gnarly bends on the Amalfi coast. What do you think?”
“I think you’re crazy, probably certifiable, and I’m horribly afraid it’s contagious.”
He grinned at me and stood up, tucking my hand under his arm, as we floated back down to Salerno.
The sun was blazing in the sky, the air warm, and the feeling that filled me, indescribable. I felt both calm and fizzing with joy; happy and anxious; loved and terrifyingly in love. I was falling off a cliff, one I’d thrown myself from willingly, hoping I’d fly. Crazy in love.
When we reached the villa, Signora Carello was standing in her garden, watering the bougainvillea.
“Did you have any luck finding your family, my dear?” she asked kindly.
“Yes, I did,” I said, gazing stupidly at Sebastian.
Sigora Carello gasped as she saw my ring flashing in the sunshine.