“You want the exact translation?”
“You know I do.”
“He said, ‘All right—there’s only one way I can see this working. You need your freedom, so do her the biggest favor of her life and yours. You’ve got a year before the wedding. Let her know before you’re married that you plan to be your own person and continue doing the mining work you love while you help her father govern. It’ll mean you’ll be apart from her for long periods. Give her time to adjust to that fact, know what I mean?’”
Lanza burst into laughter first. “I love Enzo. When he drove me to the airport, he was surprised that I was flying to Rome. I told him you and I had to give up our dreams when we were forced to marry, but we worked out a solution that gives both of us as much freedom as possible to do our own thing without question. To think that little monkey was the architect of your rules of engagement.”
“In a manner of speaking.” Stefano grinned before kissing the hollow in her throat.
She kissed him back. “I also told him our circumstances could have spelled the end of happiness for both of us, but we found the perfect solution through freedom and I couldn’t be happier. Enzo must be laughing his head off about now.”
Stefano pulled her on top of him and looked into her eyes. “I talked to him the other day. He told me he thinks I’m the luckiest man on the planet and I better be good to you. What he didn’t know was that I already wanted you beyond reason.”
So saying, he covered her mouth with his own and gave her another long, passionate kiss that went on and on. When he finally lifted his head he whispered, “You have no idea how much I missed you. Every night when I went to bed, I dreamed of you. The next time I have to leave, I’m taking you with me.”
“Darling—”
“Just promise me one thing.”
“What is it?”
“That you’ll forget that letter I sent you and the things I said to you on our first morning at the chalet. I’m in love with you and plan to be so good to you, you’ll love me forever.”
Her eyes shone like hot blue stars. “Is that your way of saying you believe in forever?”
“You’ve convinced me there’s something to it because I can’t imagine life without you. When you went to the other bedroom last night, it felt like death. I never want to experience that feeling again.”
“I know because I felt it, too. That’s why I came flying back into you. Thank you for forgiving me.”
She burrowed her face in his neck. “I love you, love you.”
“Enough to have my baby?”
“Oh, Stefano—I can’t wait to get pregnant.”
“We’ll have beautiful royal babies because you’ll be their mother.” He bit her earlobe gently. “Do you think they’ll hate us for bringing them into the world?”
“They’ll get over it.”
“How do you know?”
She gave him an illuminating smile. “We did.”
* * *