“Don’t start with that.” He tucked his bag under his arm.
“I just want to repay the favor, beloved cousin. Your meddling was successful with my husband. I want to help you. Perhaps pay Merissa another visit?” My voice followed as Paolo turned on his heel and scuttled back into the house, pointedly ignoring what I was saying.
I pursed my lips. He would have to listen, eventually.
“Are you truly encouraging that line of thinking?” Romeo crossed his ankle over his knee.
I wet my lips with my lukewarm tea and shrugged.
Merissa had come to my door two months ago. She had inherited Lanton’s estate, but money was a poor shield when you’d been violated to your core. Lanton had controlled every aspect of her life, played out every fantasy on her he’d wanted to do with Rosetta, and she found herself adrift.
Considering another husband, just for the surety of protection. But it came with risks, ones she had already experienced.Men were mercurial, and they weren’t afraid to show their displeasure.
She wanted what I had. Strength and independence in my own right.
I’d agreed to make her an apprentice of sorts, packaging the wares and learning some of my business.
Merissa approached me with a healthy dose of fear and awe, so I knew she would keep my secret safe. I also enjoyed the thrill of tormenting her.
She was becoming stronger by the day. There was no jealousy, not anymore.
Merissa liaised with Paolo. I watched my oblivious cousin miss all Merissa’s obvious overtures. I thought he was immune until I saw them share a kiss outside the greenhouse. When they thought me occupied.
“Paolo needs to settle down. It would be beneficial to have someone who understood his loyalties. By all accounts, she’s beautiful and talented in the bedroom. He could do worse.” I leveled a sharp slash of a smile at my husband, and his amused expression dropped.
“You will not goad me into commenting on Merissa. If you believe her worthy of your cousin, I defer to your wisdom.” Romeo frowned as I pointed at the half-eaten shortbread.
“That is a good choice. Now, eat,” I ordered. We were sitting outside, underneath the gazebo. There was something about the scent of indoors that was more pungent, and it made my tumultuous stomach riot.
“This isn’t what I had in mind when you asked to have a private moment with me.” He shoved the biscuit in his mouth and chewed it. A light pink dusted my cheeks as I remembered last night when Romeo had pinned me down and dripped hot wax over my nipples.
It had been surprising to discover I enjoyed a little pain with my pleasure.
Romeo was insatiable, and I found I was, too. Who wouldn’t be when their husband was like mine? His legs were wide, and his slacks pulled tight across thick, muscular thighs.
“Or perhaps this is a prelude?” Romeo smirked, following my eyeline.
“No, this is important. The Donatos won’t stop until they destroy us. And I refuse to lose you.”
Romeo perked up, leaning forward in readiness. He did this each time, eyes lighting up. Waiting to see if I would add three little words. I still struggled to verbalize my emotions, preferring to show them through actions. Like carefully building my husband’s immunity to the most common poisons. Rarely did I say it out loud.
I love you.
Some days were a fever dream. It was hard to comprehend that we were here. But I couldn’t imagine my life without Romeo.
“I spoke to my mom the other day.” I changed the subject. Romeo shook his head with a smile, settling back. I noted he had no outward effects. It meant he’d improved since the last time we’d done this.
“And did she behave?”
“She was beside herself initially. Quite impressed about my ‘transformation,’ as she called it, and waxed lyrical about how wonderful you were,” I said, and Romeo smirked. “But I got the answers I wanted. She might even visit the greenhouse.”
I’d transformed the plot of land my father had bought over the last few months. The shack was demolished and replaced with a large new greenhouse. I didn’t keep all my plants there, but I had outgrown the one in the backyard. There was no headstone for my father. I didn’t need one. My chest hummed every time Isank my hands into the dirt of our plot. I shared the land with him. I grew the plants in his memory. My hand coasted over my stomach. He was never far from my mind.
“That is promising.” Romeo’s eyebrows raised upwards.
My relationship with my mom was still contentious. It was impossible to wipe years of enmity away in a few months. But she’d buried her husband, kept his death a secret because that was what he wanted. I’d treated her as an enemy for the crime of not being my father. With all the revelations, I still needed to hear her side of the story. My heart didn’t beat for her like it did for Romeo and Paolo. It probably never would, but I wanted more of my father, and she was the bridge between us. It wasn’t forgiveness. She’d abandoned me, been cruel. The emotions were complicated. But it was a growth of a different kind. I also got a thrill out of the look in her eye when I invited her to afternoon tea.
“What about your mom? Did you discover anything new?”
