With the shake of his head, he laughs. “Your insubordination will not go unpunished. But for now, I have something else that’ll warm you up.”
He pulls out a bottle of my favorite wine, sets it on the ground. “Let it chill a bit.” Then he’s rummaging through his bag again. I stare at the wine, mind far away.
“Gina, don’t tell me you have a new favorite?”
“I just remembered something,” my voice trails off. “I was so mad at you, Santino, when I saw Gabriella’s video—”
“I’m over that.”
“Trust me, this isn’t about that. I was livid, like murder-youlivid. Santi, you aren’t the first person who was unfaithful to me. Granted, you had no intention of cheating. I had an entire silver cart of food in a suite, and I rationalized how madly . . .”
I start to backpedal.Dayum, Gina!Last night while watching an action flick, I was obsessed with how to express my love in words. This is worse!
Santino rubs his square jaw. “Bella, are you saying, madly as in . . .”
“Yes,madly.” I gulp, incapable of saying the forbidden four-letter word. “When I wasn’t sleeping, I was shoving food in my mouth like a little piggy. All because you had once calmed my restless soul and made my flesh stir-crazy. Even with you here, I can’t figure out how to not touch you. Can’t determine hownotto crave being in your arms every second because I’m mad about you.”
Santino’s eyes lock onto mine. Every inch of my body is terrified,electrified. Though he’s wearing leather gloves, I imagine his fingertips as his gloved hand trails along my cheek. Suddenly, my breathing is erratic, like it did when adjusting to the thinning air.
His breath warms along my face as I relish in the kiss he drops on the tip of my nose. The ice-blue walls reflect in his deep, dark eyes. Santino murmurs, “Tell me you love me, Gina.”
I loop around my shoulders, pulling his body to mine. His mouth hovers over mine, lingering inches away. His eyes silently repeat what his mouth already craved.
Looking up at Santino, I find my voice. “I’m in love with your hugs, arguing with you. Santi, your love for your ma—that’s a real biggie for me. I’m in love with how gentle you are with me.I am beyond in love with you, Santino Morelli.Even when I tried to doubt it, I love you soooo much.”
His warm breath feels amazing along my skin. “Oh, baby, never doubt your love for me. It’s the one thing I’m sure if.”
He’s all over me, kissing, clutching, and hugging. We kiss until our bodies stir, begging for oxygen. Then I’m glancing at the chilled wine. “Oh, crap. I forgot what I had to tell you.”
Kneading my shoulders, Santino replies, “Baby, you’ve said all I’ve needed for a while now.”
I walk away from his intense stare, stopping before an icicle. “But when I admitted to loving you and also wanting to kill you.”
“That hurt a little, Bella.”
“Sorry,” I say, glancing at him over my shoulder. “Anyway, I was supposed to say my threat to your life was love or purely hormonal.” I mollify the truth with a weak smile. “Like a ‘bun in the oven’ hormonal.”
“Are you serious, Gina?”
“Well, I’m not certain. Still waiting for—”
In a quick stride, Santino’s hoisting me off my feet. “Bella, we need to go check. Now. You were drinking like a fucking madman last week.”
“I was,” I murmur, cringing. “Maybe I’m not.”
“Maybe you are.”
* * *
We can’t getdown the hill quickly enough. While I’m in the truck with sunglasses on, Santino went into a corner pharmacy store. He comes out, taking purposeful steps. Instead of getting into the truck, he comes to my window. I press a button. The glass zips down, letting in the chilly air.
“Bella, come use the restroom.”
“Sorry, I can’t just urinate on demand or at some public toilet. I’m still a Galloway.”
Rolling his eyes, and with half a smile on his face, he walks around the truck. Santino climbs into the driver’s side. Ten minutes later, he’s at the center divider, at a red arrow prepared to turn left into the entrance of the inn.
“Santi,” I mumble, gripping his arm. He follows my gaze. In the parking lot are a swarm of police cruisers. “Do you think . . .”