Page 113 of Always: A Legacy Novel

A Marcello principessa.

For a second, Cross just hid back in the line of people, and watched. It was only when Catherine’s father patted her shoulder, and nodded toward the entryway, that she finally left her parents’ sides.

Cross darted in and out of people, following behind Catherine until he was close enough to her that he could grab her wrist and stop her in a hallway between rooms. Only a few people milled about there, and they weren’t paying any attention to them.

Catherine smiled widely when she turned to face him. “When did you get here?”

“An hour ago,” he said, laughing. “This house is full.”

“Yeah, it is.”

Cross jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Come with me for a minute while nobody will notice you’re gone.”

“For what?”

“Just come on, babe.”

He grabbed her hand, and tugged her down the hallway, further away from the people and deeper into the back of the house. It seemed the Marcellos had rules about parties, and the back of the house where the pool and deck was situated was almost always off limits.

Cross didn’t let go of Catherine’s hand until they stepped out onto the back deck. Snaking an arm around her waist, he pulled her down to sit on his lap while he sat on the steps.

“Close your eyes,” he demanded.

Catherine made a face. “Why?”

“Because I said so.”

“When do I ever do anything because you tell me to?”

“Just do it,” he said.

Catherine fake sighed and closed her eyes, but not before giving him a wink. He pulled the white velvet box from the inner pocket of his leather jacket, and wrapped his arms around her waist to hold it in front of her.

“I didn’t want you opening my gift in front of everybody else because—”

“It isn’t any of their business what you got me?”

Cross barely held back his laugh, and rested his chin on her shoulder. “Well, that, too. But, mostly because they wouldn’t understand, and I couldn’t tell you why I had this made in front of them. Because yeah, it’s none of their business. Open your eyes, and open it up.”

Catherine reached for the white box, and quickly flipped open the lid keeping her gift covered. Her quiet gasp made him smile. Inside, rested handcrafted white-gold knuckles made up of four rings that had been formed together to make the main piece. On the top of each ring was a diamond, sparkling and sharp, ready to be pretty or dangerous.

He felt that kind of fit Catherine well.

She was so very pretty.

And so very dangerous for him.

The knuckles certainly weren’t actually meant to be a weapon—one good hit and it would likely ruin the diamonds, or the setting of the connected rings.

But even still …

“I might not always be around to punch the assholes that seem to follow you everywhere,” Cross murmured over her shoulder. “So, just in case.”

Catherine tipped her head back to rest in the crook of his neck. Her laughter shook them both, making his silent happiness grow. He kissed her cheek before she straightened in his lap again. “This is perfect. You know that right? This is perfect, Cross.”

“I thought you would like it.”

“I love it. Thank you. Where did you find it?”