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“You will be under guard twenty-four hours a day, and will not go anywhere unaccompanied.”

“I’m sorry… what?” What the heck is he talking about?

“You will move to Lake Como with me, into my main residence.”

I raise my brows… speechless.

“You will become an Italian citizen.”

“Enrico, what are you talking about?” I whisper.

“I can’t live without you, Olivia.”

“What?”

“I have been fucking miserable since you left, and I am not giving you up. Not for my country, not for anyone.”

Has he lost his mind?

“I want you, in every sense of the word.”

“You want me to become… Italian?” I frown.

“Yes.”

“Why would I do that?”

“So that I can love you.”

Chapter 18

OLIVIA

I stare at him, lost for words, while his face is filled with hope. “This is why you wanted to see me?” I ask.

“Yes.” He reaches over and takes my hands in his and lifts one and softly kisses my fingertips.

My stomach clenches. “What makes you think we will work now, when two weeks ago, you were so sure that we had no chance?”

“You could at least act a little excited,” he whispers, half annoyed.

“Talk to me, please.” I sit back in my chair and pull my hands from his. “Last week, it was a completely different story. Help me understand this. I don’t understand your thinking.”

He rearranges the napkin on his lap. “I was thinking about what you said about our magnets and why we like each other. Our conversation last week had a deep impact on me. Our wants are what makes us special.”

“Enrico, me reminding you of your old life is not enough to build a future on,” I huff.

“Don’t call me Enrico, and it’s more than that. I can’t leave you alone. I think about you all the time. I can’t drop this, Olivia, I tried. God knows how hard I tried.” He pauses. “I’m not leaving someone I want for something I should. What good is all the money in the world if I can’t have who I truly care for? What we have is sacred…and you know it is.”

I stare at his hopeful face. Unable to help it, I smile softly.

“Olivia, I know I’m asking a lot but we can make it work; I know we can.”

“I’m not Italian, Rici.”

“You are if you’re with me.” He smiles. “Don’t you see?”

“It will take me time to learn your language.”