by Henry, Jane
“And did you tell him?” I asked, my voice breathless now, part of me hoping that she'd said no and part of me hoping that she said yes .
Please, please tell me that you told him where I was .
“I did. And I'm not sorry that I did. I think that you're being stupid and foolish not getting back together with him. He needs you, and you need him. We know that you’re not going to bring anybody down. You couldn't, any more than the sun could set at noon or rise at midday. It's not going to happen .”
“Well,” I said. “I suppose that depends on if you were in Antarctica or Alaska. I don't know, I have to look up my geography or something, but I'm pretty sure — ”
“Gabriella!” she interrupted .
Right then, I heard it the distance. The rumble of a motorcycle, and not just any rumble. I knew from the moment I heard it, it belonged to him. My heartbeat kicked up. I looked around wildly for a place to hide which didn't even make sense. I saw nothing, though. I didn't know where to go or what to do so I stood there looking around me, and Ruby said, “He's coming, Gabriella, and so help me God you’d better be there when he does .”
She ended the call. My hands shook. The sky rolled with thunder and I felt it in my bones, something incredible was going to happen .
For a split second, I fretted that maybe the motorcycle belonged to somebody else, but soon as the rider came into my vision, I knew that it was him . My Dante .
And he was coming for me .
He pulled over to the side of the road, took off his helmet, and it was him in all his beautiful, badass glory. He smiled at me, and his eyes held sad secrets, but something else now. Hope ?
I knew then that I had to talk, that I had to say something brilliant, but I had nothing. I frowned at him. “What took you so long? My flip flop broke.” He looked down at my sneakers and shook his head. “And do you happen to have a space on the back of your bike for me ?”
He grinned. “Only if you promise not to get off .”
Placing the kickstand down, he made his way over to where I stood, shaking in anticipation, my throat clogged with tears. “I won’t get off,” I whispered in a shaky breath .
When he reached me, he bent down, put both arms around me, and lifted me straight into the air. I wrapped my legs around his strong back as he cupped my ass and kissed me—a deep, possessive, heated kiss that told me he missed me. I let myself go. I could, now that I was with him. He held me and we kissed like people who love each other should—as if nothing would come between us again. A kiss that said I love you, and I miss you, and Don’t ever leave me again .
Finally, our lips parted and I put my head on his shoulder as he held me close, the tears still flowing. “I missed you so much, Dante. I waited for you. And I know after all that waiting that I love you.” I cried freely now. It felt good to say it. “I love you, Dante.” He patted my back and rocked me a little .
When he spoke, the familiar rasp made me feel warm inside, like someone had just lit a fire in a chilled room, the warmth spreading from my belly to the rest of my body. “I love you, too, Gabriella. And no matter what, I won’t let anyone or anything come between us. You’re mine, and you always will be. I love you.” “Time to get you alone, babe. It’s been too long.” And he helped me on the back of his bike. I hugged him from behind, my little arms barely reaching around his huge body, but I had to hold him tight .
It was him. My Dante. He’d come for me .
D ante wrote the last month's check for my apartment, and slid it into my landlord’s snail mail box with a Post-It note that said, “This is the last month's rent. I'm moving .”
He called movers to come just like that .
Then we got a hotel. We'd spent so many nights at hotels it seemed like it was our thing. He got the swankiest hotel at a place I'd never been. But he said that it would be the last one for a very, very long time. I liked that. I didn't much care where we moved now as long as I was with him .
“Let's go far away,” he said. “Forget about the West Coast. Let's go get a cabin in Maine.” I laughed outright at that. It seemed so random, and yet so perfect. It was exactly what I wanted, a remote location far away from the memories that we had in Vegas. Someplace new where we would make our home. Someplace where we could... God willing… raise children. Make a family .
“I'd like that,” I said. “I could do things, like, you know, can tomatoes and make my own soap and hang out laundry on lines and make bread and stuff .”
“Just because you live in Maine you don't have to be a homesteader or something,” he said. “But that's okay if you really want to. I don't really give a damn what you do as long as you're with me .”
“Well, princess,” he said, sitting me on a chair as he removed a shoe from a shelf. “If the shoe fits…” As he drew closer, sparkles glinted in the light. They were my shoes from the ball, the very ones decorated in diamonds and silver, tiny enough to fit my feet .
My mouth fell open in shock. “Oh my God,” I laughed. “It fits perfectly. Do you have the other one somewhere ?”
He nodded, his eyes twinkling. “I do .”
“Well, I bet these are worth a mint,” I said, but he shook his head .
“Likely, but we keep the shoes. I don’t ever want to forget this moment, okay?” he asked, as he pulled something else out of his pocket .
I stopped breathing as he opened the black velvet box and took out a large oval-shaped diamond set in gold. “Will you marry me, Gabriella? Make my dreams come true? Let me be your Prince Charming ?”
I grabbed him around the neck and squeezed so hard he wheezed a little. “Oh my God. Of course! Yes, yes, yes !”
He took me in his arms then and held me close, breathing into my ear before he kissed me, “And they lived happily ever after .”
* * *
THE END
A note from the author
T hank you for reading Mafia Daddy: A Cinderella Adult Fairy Tale !
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About the Author
J ane is a bestselling erotic romance author in multiple genres, including contemporary, historical, sci-fi, and fantasy. She pens stern but loving alpha heroes, feisty heroines, and emotion-driven happily ever afters. Jane is a hopeless romantic who loves the ocean, her houseful of children, her awesome husband, chocolate, coffee, and sexy romance .
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