Page 121 of Chasing Caine
“Maybe your life, but mine’s been pretty boring.”
I laughed and pulled her to me. “This from the woman who was in the FBI, has climbed El Capitan more than once, and has jumped out of how many airplanes?”
“I guess it’s just as well we have four months of video calls and texts ahead of us.”
She smiled, and our lips met. We kissed, slowly, the love pouring from me to her and back again. I lent her all the courage and faith I could muster. When we separated, she held up a shaking hand, and I slid the ring onto her finger.
“Samantha Caine, I promise I will continue to love you, admire you, be faithful to you, and be proud that you are the woman in my life. And I promise honesty.”
“And I promise…” Her voice trembled as much as her hand, her eyes glistening in the early sunlight. “I promise to earn all that, Antonio Ferraro. To wait for you. To talk to you as often as possible and share all the minor details of our lives. And to do my best to stop running.”
“Another good choice.” Before the emotions overwhelmed her, I lightened the mood and pulled her on top of me. “That was not so hard, was it?”
She chuckled, sitting up. “Not very hard at all.” She grinned, inching her hips backward to re-awaken my lower half.
“Do you like the ring?”
She held it up in front of herself, grimacing slightly. “It’s gorgeous.”
“But simple enough to be Samantha Caine’s ring?”
Tight-lipped, she continued staring at it, at me, and back again. Something churned in her brain, but this time, her thoughts were not coming out.
“Enough.” Grabbing her by the ribcage, I rolled her to the bed next to me, careful of her injuries, and we tangled in the light sheets. I leaned down to plant a peck on her nose.
Her mischievous grin was the only warning she gave before wedging her good leg under me and using it to shove me off her. She gracefully followed the movement, so she was straddling me once more.
“Be careful! You’ll hurt yourself!”
She rubbed her hands across my stomach, saying, “I’m fine.”
Alwaysfinewith this woman. “We only have two hours left, bella, and you still must pack. Come down here and kiss me.”
She didn’t move, just stared at me. Her firm breasts heaved with a deep sigh. “Thanks for not giving up on me, Antonio. Right from day one.”
“I told you already. I’m stubborn.” Taking her hands, I kissed them both, then kissed her ring. “Almost as stubborn as you.”
She squeezed me hard with her remarkably strong thighs.
“Ow!” I winked as she let go. “Alright, I’m nowhere near as stubborn as you!”
She squeezed again, but I pulled her forward onto me, my flesh aching for hers. Our mouths met and we kissed, long and slow, savoring our last morning together.
Samantha was my anchor. My miracle. It had taken us eleven years to find each other, but after less than six weeks, she was already my whole heart. My project in Napoli would pass in the blink of an eye. Then I would come home to her.
To the love I’d finally found.
To the woman I was meant to be with.
Epilogue
Antonio
Ismoothedmyblacksuit jacket and tie, inspecting myself in the video preview on my laptop. Perfetto. Three minutes until midnight. A small plate of lamb and roasted vegetables sat between the computer and me. It was a late meal, even by Italian standards, but it was date night. I’d turned off all the lights, other than the one on the bedside table. It was dark, but just bright enough I could be seen.
The screen flickered, and Samantha appeared. I placed a hand on my chest to hold my heart in, it leaped so hard against my rib cage.
She was breathtaking, wearing the ice blue silk dress from the gala in August. Her hair was down in loose cascades, the way I liked it best. And she wore make-up, although not so much that it hid the scar at her hairline.