Page 78 of Sasha’s Secret

His chest lifted on a silent sigh. “Are you ready to go home?”

Anyone else would have thought his tone neutral, but to Sasha, it held sadness and maybe even a tinge of regret. She reached up to lay her palm against his cheek, her gaze locked with his. “That’s the last thing on my mind. I still feel as if we’ve only just arrived. It’s awesome here. I love your father, and Nonna, and meeting all your family’s been amazing. I don’t want to go home.”

“Yet.”

So much resignation and acceptance in one word, but at the same time, it had the effect of clarifying her mental dilemma. “I don’t want to go home… period.”

Rocco’s eyes narrowed beneath a puzzled frown. “Sasha?”

She took a deep breath. In the course of her career, she’d faced some of the worst criminals and terrorists in the world, but baring her soul to the man she loved was suddenly infinitely more terrifying. “I know we haven’t really talked about the future, but what we have is something I don’t want to let go—ever. I’ve been hoping you might feel the same way. And if you do, I was wondering how you might feel about moving back here.”

Rocco went still, almost frighteningly so. “If we were to stay, what about your parents? We’d be thousands of miles away from them.”

His thoughtfulness made her heart ache. She had to lighten his mood somehow. “There are these things called planes, you know. You may recall we came here on one. These days, they even fly in both directions.”

Her attempt at humor seemed to work. He gave a gentle laugh. “How about that. You learn something new every day.”

“Then here’s tomorrow’s teachable moment a day early. When Mom was showing you those awful photos of me as a teenager, Dad took me into the garden and told me that, although I didn’t need his blessing, if I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, I had it.”

Rocco nodded. “That’s good to know.”

“You okay with that?” she asked cautiously.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Sasha took a deep breath. The next part, though, had the potential for disaster. “That’s fine, but… it gets worse.”

“Worse? Wait—let me guess. It was when your dad was entertaining me with a glass of his favorite bourbon and stories about you skinning your knees, while you were in the kitchen with your mom?”

Sasha clamped her lower lip between her teeth. “First of all, she approves.”

“Good. That’s always a bonus. And…?”

“And she also said she was looking forward to us producing some beautiful grandbabies for her to show off to her friends when we go visit. She’s quite taken with your eyes and hopes you’ll pass them on to our kids.”

It sounded amusing now, but at the time, it had been an excruciating conversation. Sasha had even tried to point out to her mom that she and Rocco had known each other for mere weeks, only to have her argument dismissed as a minor detail.

Rocco shook again, this time with laughter. “You were right, you can never accuse her of being subtle.” Then he frowned and added, “Although… that’s not a bad idea. And if your parents fancied a European vacation, we could always fly them over here.”

He lapsed into silent contemplation. With each passing second, Sasha felt more and more apprehensive. Why had she brought this up now? They could have had this conversation back in Texas, where she could have sloped off and licked her wounds once he decided she was asking too much. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she barely noticed him shift slightly.

Rocco ended his silence suddenly and decisively. “This isn’t exactly how I planned to do this. I was thinking dinner at the best restaurant in town, a bottle of champagne, roses, the works, but sometimes, an opportunity presents itself, and when it does, you have to run with it.”

He detached himself from both her and the chair. She watched him walk around to her side, and as he drew level with her, he dropped to one knee and brought up the hand he’d been careful to keep out of her sight. He opened the small jeweler’s box and presented it to her. The flash and sparkle of a diamond solitaire set in a yellow gold band—elegant and classic—caught her eye, but her focus was on Rocco, gazing at her with those deep, dark eyes she loved so much.

“Ti amo, Sasha. Vuoi sposarmi? Will you marry me?”

Sasha didn’t need a translation. She swung her legs off the lounger, framed his face with her palms, and kissed him, hoping her improving Italian would be up to the job. “Sì,” she whispered. “Mille volte, sì. Ti amo anch’io.”

The ring wasn’t a perfect fit but that didn’t matter—what it represented was a million times more important. She kissed him over and over, scarcely aware of sliding off the lounger and into his arms. She’d never known happiness could soar like this. Her eyes stung—it was the stupidest thing ever, but she didn’t care.

Rocco carried her into the house. They passed Dario on the way, and when Rocco informed his father they were going to get married, the elder Equizi whooped and hollered as if he’d won the lottery, before hurrying away to find Nonna. Sasha blushed and buried her face in her fiancé’s neck—embarrassed, but at the same time… not.

“Where are you doing, Rocco?”

“Where do you think? As a newly-engaged man, I’d be failing in my duty if I didn’t make love to my fiancée for the rest of the day—and the night.”

As Rocco shouldered his way into their room, Sasha threw back her head and laughed for the sheer joy if it. The conversation she wanted to have with her man was no longer such a daunting prospect, and as he lay beside her on the bed, images of building a life with him here, of making a home with him and filling it with children, set her imagination ablaze with a future full of wonderful possibilities.