Page 66 of Savage Roses
“You try walking up them blind.”
“I won’t let you fall—and Ididoffer to carry you.”
“My legs are numb. I need the exercise.”
“You’ll get plenty of exercise later tonight.” I grin at the expression she makes. The blindfold covers her eyes, but she’s rolling them—the way she holds her mouth, attempting to fight off her smile tells me all I need to know.
I scoop her up anyway to her shriek, walking through the door and over the threshold like I’m hauling in a sack of potatoes.
Except this is more like a groom bringing his bride home for the first time.
Delphine rips her blindfold off the moment I set her down, and attacks. Throaty laughter rings in the air as I don’t bother fending her off. She swats and shoves at my chest and scolds me for pulling so many tricks.
Then she stops and notices where we are.
I’ve got to scrub my jaw to keep from grinning.
Delphine’s shock comes in levels that rise second to second ’til the puzzle forms a full picture.
First it’s the glance around the open-spaced entryway of the villa. She moves on, rushing to the front door I’ve left ajar and stares across the grassy path and row of overgrown willow trees across from us, their long branches wilted over to show off wild violet-tinted leaves.
A choked gasp catches in her throat and her hands fly to her mouth.
She turns to me like she’s expecting me to snap my fingers and reveal it’s some simulation.
I stop holding back my grin and husk out a laugh. “What’s that look for?”
“You’ve brought me to Asbury?!”
She ambushes me at this point. I’m releasing another laugh, opening up my arms to catch her as she proceeds to wrap all four limbs around me and then kiss me all over.
We walk back inside like this, with me kicking the door shut and her lips on my jawline.
“How is it possible a Mafia crime boss who hates everyone is the best boyfriend I could ask for?” she teases, wrapping tight arms around my neck.
“I save all the good parts of me for you.”
It’s basically true.
But it’s what she deserves—Delphine is one of the few genuinely good people I’ve ever known. She could’ve easily believed everybody else when they said I was some fucked up psycho who was out to be a replica of my crime lord father.
Instead, she gave me a real chance. She saw enough good in me to date me, show me how things could be if I was willing to open up enough to let her in, though I hadn’t understood. It took me a long time before I did…
I grab her hand. “Want to tour the house? Something tells me you’ll love the window in the study.”
A beam lights up her face as she gives an eager nod.
We’re off just like that, hand-in-hand, going room-to-room in the antique villa I knew she’d find charming. It has too many special details and notes of character for her not to fall in love with the place—and she does, as she gasps at the vintage wallpaper and the many books in the study.
The window overlooks the lake with the tall willow trees and their wild violet leaves that she’s always wanted to see in person.
Now she can read by the window with a clear view of them.
The surprise becomes too much for her and she gives me a surprise of her own.
We barely make it halfway into our tour of the villa before Delphine’s fighting with my belt and sinking to her knees. For the foreseeable future, we’re on a hiatus from touring the house. It ends in the bedroom. The best outcome to a tour I ever could’ve anticipated.
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