“I’m very happy,” I finally replied.
“Good.” He moved his hand up and down my back, matching the smoky rhythm of the song. “I’m finally seeing the light, Beatrice. We’ll have more nights like this and fewer of you falling asleep while I work next to you.”
“I’ll be patient for as long as it takes.”
“Because you love me.”
“Yeah.” I tipped my head back so he could see my smile. “And you love me. Like, a lot.”
“More than a lot,” he agreed.
“Say it.”
He smiled. “I love you, beautiful blue.”
Later, when the music came to a stop and our feet were all danced out, Salvatore and I returned to his car. We were driven through the city and down sleepy streets lined by houses with dark, yawning windows.
Salvatore frowned when he finally pulled his mouth from mine and glanced outside. “Igor’s taken a wrong turn. We’re nowhere near the hotel.”
“No, this is right.” I bit down on my lip, my pulse skipping a beat. “I canceled the hotel. We’re staying in a house tonight.”
A line carved between his brows. “A house?”
“Yep.” I tugged on his crooked tie. “A house with lots and lots of places to hide.”
It took him only a beat before he got it.
“Beatrice,” he growled.
“Salvatore,” I husked as the car pulled to a stop in front of an imposing house, a singular light illuminating the porch. I’d arranged for the door to be unlocked so there’d be nothing stopping us when we arrived.
I put my hand on the door, my heart thudding in my chest. “What do you think about playing a game with me?”
“Are you going to run?” The edge of danger in his voice sent a shiver down my spine.
“Yes.” I pushed open the door and put one foot on the pavement.
“Are you going to hide?”
I swung the other foot out, poised like a spring. “I am.”
His mouth ghosted over my ear. “Then, to the chase, Beatrice. To the chase.”
I ran, and he followed—just like he always did.
Epilogue
Bea
One Year Later
Salvatorecouldn’tsitstill.It wasn’t often he got overly excited, but when he did, he turned into a big kid. He was restless and twitchy, practically bouncing in his seat.
I watched him, chin resting in my hand, biting back a smile as my heart did a merry dance. “Will you be pressing your face against the glass next?”
He didn’t even blink. “I might,” he said, completely serious, his eyes shining behind his glasses.
We were flying over the Southern Ocean, but Salvatore might as well have been in heaven. After a few days in Chile, we were headed to Australia for the second leg of our honeymoon. And while I didn’t doubt this man was over the moon excited to be married to me, this flight was the thing he’d been looking forward to almost as much.
