As I passed by my cousin, Gian, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into a quick embrace. “I bet your dad you wouldn’t go along with this whole marriage thing, but I guess he was right and I was wrong.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“He thought you’d accept it without fighting too hard, and judging by that kiss, he was right. I still believe you’re too young to get married though.”
I rolled my eyes. “It was a kiss. It didn’t mean anything. The odds are still in your favor.”
His golden eyes sparkled with humor. “It didn’t look that way to me.”
“Yeah, well, Marcello made it clear he wasn’t a man who liked to be crossed. I’m playing along for now.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I shrugged. “Nothing you need to worry about. Go back to your date or whoever you brought with you.”
“Are you kidding? I’m not dumb enough to bring anyone within ten feet of a family event. My mom would be discussing china patterns and the benefits of a summer or winter wedding within ten minutes. And unlike you, I have no intention of settling down until I’m forty.”
“Yeah, right. Your parents will ride your ass until you find some nice Italian girl who bows and scrapes anytime you enter in the room. It’ll be hilarious. She’ll follow you around like a puppy. Yes, Gian. Whatever you say, Gian. Dinner’s in the frig, Gian, and please wipe the lipstick off your cheek before you come to bed.”
Even sheltered, I’d heard the rumors about Gian. He had women chasing after him wherever he went, and they all believed they’d be the one to change him. I pitied the woman who ended up married to him. Too bad I wouldn’t be here to watch it all play out.
Gian burst out laughing. “Madone, you make me sound like an asshole.”
“Aren’t you?”
“You love me anyway, right little cousin?”
“That’s right. You and Carmela are my favorite cousins.”
“We’re your only cousins.”
“Exactly my point.”
He hugged me again. “I know we don’t spend much time together, but we’re going to miss you when you move to Chicago. You’ll come back to visit, right?”
A lump of emotion clogged my throat at the thought of everything I’d be giving up in a month. I’d never see my cousins, Alessandro, or my father ever again. And while my feelings for them were complex to say the least, they were all I knew. “I’ll do what I can.”
“Yeah.” The corners of his lips jutted downward. “Lettie’s looking for you.”
“Gah. Can’t she leave me alone?”
“Can’t who leave you alone?” Marcello’s hand slid around my waist, and he smiled down at me like we were a real couple and something inside of me unfurled.
“No one.”
He studied me for a second. “My sister Mila wants to meet you.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll talk to you later, Gian.”
CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE
Humming softly, I padded down the hall to my bedroom, studying the ring Marcello gave me. Tonight wasn’t half bad. In another time, another place, I would probably be smitten with him, happy to get away from my father and start a new life in Chicago. His stories of his home, meeting his sister, simultaneously disarmed and charmed me. Our conversations progressed naturally and effortlessly.
When he kissed me after we toasted our engagement in front of a room full of people, I didn’t feel repulsed. His lips felt…well, nice. Better than nice. At first, I panicked, questioning the strength of my feelings for Sal. As the night wore on, I chalked it up as the normal response of a woman who’d only kissed one man. It’d never happen again so I wouldn’t beat myself up over it. He’d go back to Chicago in a couple of days, and shortly after that I’d fade away, never to be seen again. Tonight would be a small blip on my life’s radar, soon forgotten by everyone, including me.
The thing that did concern me was that Sal left the party immediately after the toast, and I couldn’t blame him. I wouldn’t want to watch him parade around with another woman pretending they had a future together. Thinking about Sal with someone else made my hands ball into fists and my stomach knot. I flipped on the lamp next to my bed.
“Did you like kissing him?” Sal stepped out of the shadows, his leather loafers striking the hardwood floor with brutal thuds. Unease trickled through me.
“Holy shit. You scared me, Sal. What are you doing in here? I thought you went home.”
“I drove around for an hour then I climbed into your window to wait for you.”