Conway ordered a bottle of wine for the table and ordered our entrees, speaking Italian for the entire conversation.
It was sexy to listen to.
The waiter disappeared with the menus, and we were alone together, sitting under the white lights of the patio while the other customers were inside.
“I’m surprised no one else wants to sit out here.”
“I booked the patio.” He grabbed his glass of wine that had been delivered and took a drink.
“You booked it all for yourself?”
“And you.”
“You didn’t have to do that, Conway.”
“I did,” he said quietly. “I don’t like people.”
His words immediately made me smile. “So, you don’t like me?”
“You aren’t people.”
“Because I’m your property?” I teased.
“No.” He rested his forearms on the table with his hands held together. “Because you’re my muse. You exist on a pedestal. Everyone else is beneath you.”
My smile faded away as my heart absorbed those words. It was sweet because he was honest. He had said some of the cruelest things to me, but that meant he was being honest when he said everything else—even a compliment.
I knew I should tell him about Andrew Lexington, but I’d officially chickened out. Tonight was going so well, and the last thing I wanted to do was ruin it by mentioning that his main competitor wanted to take away his biggest inspiration. It was best to wait for a better time.
The basket of bread in between us was untouched, and the nighttime breeze was filled with a nice warmth. It moved through my hair and glided down my bare back. The dress I wore was backless, black, and beautiful. He’d given me a diamond bracelet to wear, along with a necklace to match. What I was wearing was worth more money than I’d ever had in my bank account.
His fingers rested on the stem of the wineglass as he stared at me from across the table. He sat there in silence, having a conversation with me that wasn’t audible. There was a constant intensity that surrounded him. Whether he was in a good mood or a bad mood, it didn’t change. That was how he was—and I knew he’d inherited that from his father.
“So, how was your day?”
He didn’t answer, and judging by his expression, he wasn’t going to. “There’s something I want to say to you. I’m not sure how to say it, so it may come out wrong.”
“Alright…” Now I knew this dinner wasn’t just a random decision. It had a purpose.
“I had a conversation with my father, and I had to look him in the eye and lie to him. It made me feel like shit, made me feel worse than I ever have. And then my mother told me how proud she was of me and the man I’ve become.”
I had no idea where this was going, but I held my breath as I listened. My fingers gripped the stem of my glass, but I hadn’t taken a single drink yet. Now my appetite was curbed, and despite the dryness of my throat, I didn’t want to take a drink. I just wanted to sit there and absorb every single word.
“If they knew what I did to you, they would never look at me the same. I never want to be a disappointment to my parents. Their opinion means too much to me, means the world to me. I can’t go back and change what’s already happened. All I can do is move forward and try to make it better.”
I saw the deep connection between his family every single time I was around them. They loved each other fiercely and weren’t afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves. As rigid and stern as Mr. Barsetti was, he always showed affection toward his children.
“So, I spoke with the American authorities and paid your debts.”
I stiffened at his words and almost knocked over the glass I was holding. “What…?”
“I paid back the loan you defaulted on. The bank still owns the property, but at least your credit is clear now. I also paid the property taxes you neglected. I saw that you had some student loans, so I took care of those as well.”
Speechless, I stared at him with the strongest feeling of shock I’d ever known. “Conway… My loans aren’t your problem. You didn’t need to do that—”
“Let me finish.”
I shut my mouth, but I had so much more to say.
“I also took care of Knuckles.”
My eyes expanded. “What does that mean?” Did Conway kill the psychopath that murdered my brother?
“I paid back the money your brother owed him. That’s where I was the other night, meeting him in Milan. I put the cash in a briefcase and left it on the table. Now he has no reason to ever bother you again. Your debt is repaid. You’re free.”
This was an even bigger shock than the first thing he said. “Conway…” I felt moisture build up in my eyes instantaneously. I’ve been running for so long that I didn’t know how it felt to be safe. I’d needed Conway for protection, but now I could do whatever I wanted. I could even return to New York if that was what I wanted.