There was silence for a moment and Molly actually thought that her heartbeat had grown audible—until she realised that the silver clock was thumping out the hour.
‘I said I was in love with my wife,’ he said simply. ‘Only I’d been too stupid to show her how much.’
She shook her head, not believing him. Not believing he would ever admit to love or stupidity. ‘I don’t believe you,’ she whispered.
‘I know you don’t and maybe I deserve that.’ He hesitated, like someone who was learning the words of a new language. ‘I know that at times I’ve been cold and difficult.’
‘It isn’t that, Salvio! It’s the fact that you’re completely backtracking on everything you said. You told me you didn’t do love. Not any more. Remember? That you’d loved Lauren and after you broke up, you’d closed off your heart. And if that was true—if you really did love her like you claim—then how come it has all just died? Is love only a temporary thing, Salvio—which changes like the moon?’
Deeply admiring of her logic at such an intense moment, Salvio took a deep breath. He felt as if he were on a platform in front of a thousand people, about to make the most important speech of his life. And he was. But not to a thousand people. To one. To Molly. The only one who really mattered.
And his whole future hinged on it.
‘I thought I loved Lauren because that’s how I felt at the time,’ he said, in a low voice. ‘And surely it is a kind of treachery to deny the feelings we once had? That would be like trying to rewrite history.’ There was a pause. ‘But I see now it wasn’t real love—it was a complex mixture of other stuff which I was too immature to understand.’
‘What kind of stuff?’ she questioned, as his voice tailed off.
‘It was more to do with a young man who wanted to conquer the elusive,’ he admitted. ‘A man who for a while became someone he wasn’t. Someone blinded by an ideal, rather than a real person—and Lauren was that ideal. And then I met you, Molly. The most real person in the world. You charmed me. Disarmed me. You crept beneath my defences before I even realised what was happening. You made me feel good—you still do—and not just in the obvious way. It’s like I’m the best version of myself whenever you’re around. Like I can achieve anything—even if my instinct is to fight against it every inch of the way, because there’s a part of me which doesn’t really believe that I deserve to be this happy.’
‘Salvio—’
‘No. Please. Let me finish,’ he said and his voice was shaking now. ‘You need to understand that all this is true, because there is no way I would say it if it wasn’t.’ His black eyes raked over her. ‘Do you believe me, Molly? That I would walk to the ends of the earth for you and further, if that’s what you wanted? And that I love you in a way I’ve never loved before?’
Molly stared into the molten darkness of his eyes, but she didn’t have to give it a lot of thought, because she did believe him. She could read it in the tender curve of his lips, even if he hadn’t uttered those quietly fervent words which had rung so true. But if they were shining a spotlight on their relationship then they couldn’t allow any more shadows to lurk in unexplored corners, and she needed the courage to confront what was still troubling her.
‘But what about the baby?’ she whispered.
‘What baby?’ he said gently. ‘Are you trying to tell me you’re pregnant?’
‘I don’t know. I don’t think so. But that’s the whole point. What if...?’ She swallowed. ‘What if, for some reason, I can’t give you the child you long for?’
‘Then we will go to the best doctors to find out why, or we will adopt. It’s not a deal-breaker, Molly. Not even a deal-maker. Not any more. I want you. You. That’s all.’
That’s all? Molly blinked as for the first time she realised that Salvio De Gennaro was truly captivated by her. Her! A flush of pleasure heated her skin and maybe someone else in her position might have briefly revelled in her newly discovered power. But this wasn’t about power. It was about love and equality. About consideration and respect. About loyalty and truth.
It was about them.
She smiled, the happiness swelling up in her heart making it feel as if it were about to burst open. ‘I believe you,’ she said softly. ‘And I love you. So much. I think I’ve always loved you, Salvio De Gennaro, and I know I always will.’
‘Then you’d better come here and kiss me,’ he said, in a voice which sounded pretty close to breaking. ‘And convince me that this is for real.’
EPILOGUE
SALVIO STARED AT the lights as he lay back contentedly. Rainbow-coloured lights which jostled for space among all the glittering baubles which hung from the Christmas tree. Behind the tree glittered the Bay of Naples and, inside the main reception room of their newly purchased home, he lay naked next to his beautiful Molly on a vast velvet sofa which had been chosen for precisely this kind of activity.
‘Happy?’ he murmured, one hand idly teasing her bare nipple while his lips lazily caressed the soft silk of her hair.
‘Happy?’ She nuzzled into his neck. ‘So happy I can’t even put it into words.’
‘Well, try.’
Molly traced her finger over the loud rhythm of her husband’s heart. Next door their ten-month-old son Marco lay sleeping—getting as much rest as possible in preparation for the excitement of his first Christmas. And this year, everyone was coming to them. Salvio’s parents would be arriving later for the traditional Eve of Christmas feast. And so would Robbie, who was currently meeting the parents of Salvio’s cousin, who he had recently started dating. Molly prayed he wouldn’t let anyone down—most of all himself—but she was hopeful that her brother had finally sorted himself out. Much of it was down to Salvio and the well-intentioned but stern advice he had delivered. He’d told Robbie he would support him through college, but only if he kicked his gambling habit for good.
And he seemed to have done just that. Molly had never seen her brother looking so bright-eyed or hopeful. It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his strong, young shoulders. Was it the presence of a powerful male role model which had been the making of him?
In the very early days of her pregnancy, she’d persuaded Salvio that his London penthouse apartment was no place for a baby and he had surprised her by agreeing. So they’d moved into his sprawling Cotswold manor house where she had fun envisaging Marco and his siblings playing in those vast and beautiful gardens. Salvio had also bought this sea-view home in Naples where they tried to spend as much time as possible.
She sighed against the warmth of his skin. ‘You make me so happy,’ she whispered. ‘I never thought I could feel this way.’