Page 32 of Vengeful Vows
He moves on from his comment by saying, “It likely pairs well with chocolate.”
I’m certain he’s right. But I won’t be finding out tonight.
After another tiny sip, I sit back and gaze out the window once more before his deeply resonant voice breaks through my musings.
“What are you thinking?”
“Maybe I should get away more often.”
“All you have to do is say so.”
Intrigued, I ask, “What does that mean?”
“As my wife, you’ll have access to the plane.”
There’s no way he can actually mean that, and Amelia’s warning not to get married while I’m in Sin City echoes in the back of my mind. I force the words to the forefront and wrap my determination around them as if they’re a lifeline.
“Like you, I like to travel,” Marcello goes on, unaware of my inner turmoil. “I can work in the sky or remotely.”
“Unfortunately, my job doesn’t come with that luxury.”
“Then quit.”
I exhale. “It’s not that easy.”
His lips quirk into an adorable smile. I’m sure he won’t appreciate it if I mention that. “I love my work.” My independence. “I have bills. And my work at the foundation. At some point, I’ll be expected to take over running that.”
“No one says you have to.”
I frown.
“You have an executive director now.”
He says that with supreme confidence, as if he knows.
“At least I presume so?” he adds.
“Yes,” I agree.
“There’s no reason that you can’t continue as you are currently and hire a CEO, if you enjoy what you’re doing.”
My life would be much easier if I had as much money as Marcello seems to. The truth is, if I were to leave my job, I’d need a paid position at the foundation. I don’t have a trust fund, like maybe he did.
Believing that each generation should learn the value of hard work, my grandparents left the vast majority of their money to the foundation.
My father worked hard, and we didn’t have a luxurious life by any means. And the funds they did accumulate went to the Moretti family after Alessandro’s accident. Of course, the stress took its toll. Dad could no longer work, and Mom was devastated. By the time they died, not much was left.
Mars and I might as well be from different planets.
“There’s no need for you to have a job at all, little flower.”
Even if things had worked out with Brad, he was planning to become an engineer. If we wanted a home, to save for retirement, and to put any of our kids through college, it would take both of us working together. Because of that, I’d known early on that I’d have no chance of being a stay-at-home mom.
Now Marcello is offering me something I’ve never even dared dream of.
“As long as you’re happy and fulfilled, that’s the only thing that matters.”
I frown. “You don’t have expectations of your spouse? Cooking, laundry?”