42. I WILL
EIGHT MONTHS LATER
KALANI SIGHS THOUGHTFULLY as she watches Giovanni from a distance. He was stood with Mario in the courtyard. The sound of jackhammers and drills being used evades her thinking.
They're back at the castle ━ hence the construction.
The past few days, she'd been feeling a bit sick. She coughed it up to food poisoning like what happened to her in middle school, but some part of her knows that she's just making excuses.
Noticing that Giovanni shifts his gaze to her, she sends him a sweet smile. He winks at her.
The relationship had been going great ━ whenever Giovanni was here. He'd been trying to pick up the pieces of all his business affairs following the whole mess and so he would leave early in the morning and not get back until the late hours of the night.
Kalani didn't mind too much. Instead, she distracted herself by writing songs. It had been a while since she sang or wrote anything in general and picking it back up seemed to take her mind off her dead brother too.
Apparently, Giovanni did take care of it. He, considering he has a great influence in the law enforcement in Italy, let it be known that Kellan died in war, his body ripped to pieces so Damien Reed was forced to bury an empty casket.
Kalani went back to North Carolina for the funeral, by herself. Needless to say, she didn't stop crying for a couple of days after realizing the severity of what she'd done.
There was a period of hating herself.
Giovanni changed that. He did everything in his power to let her know just how worthy she is. He didn't let a moment pass where he wasn't touching her or kissing her or holding her hand or even whispering sweet nothings into her ear.
She appreciates him. She loves him. And he loves her. He doesn't hesitate to tell her that whenever he's about to leave in the morning or whenever he gets home to see her fast asleep in their bed, cuddling up in one of his shirts.
Her thoughts are interrupted when she sees Giovanni approaching her, a wide smile on his face. He'd been doing that a lot more recently ━ smiling. He stops in front of her, leaning in to peck her lips.
She smiles happily and leans in towards him, savoring in his taste. The kiss deepens, now involving tongue when Kalani pulls away, her fingers running through the hair on the nape of his neck.
"Hi," She says, dreamily as she looks up at him with doe-eyes. Giovanni chuckles before brushing her cheek with the back of his hand, "How are you?"
"I missed you this morning," Giovanni says, his eyes not leaving hers, "I'm sorry for leaving you so early."
She rolls her eyes, playfully, "A man's gotta work, I guess. I'm not mad about it or anything..."
Giovanni narrows his eyes at the woman, "You look pretty mad about it, principessa."
Kalani shrugs and turns away, crossing her arms over her chest, "Nope. I'm not mad."
Her Italian man chuckles before wrapping his arms around her and pressing his chest against her back, "If you say so, but, just to be sure, I have a surprise for you tonight."
"Oh, really?" Kalani smirks, moving her hands to hold his, "What is it?"
"It's a surprise, bambina. I'm not going to tell you." He kisses her neck, chuckling as she tilts her neck to give him more space.
She groans when he pulls away, "Okay, fine, you asshole."
KALANI BRUSHES HER HANDS OVER the material of her dress, taking in her reflection. The dress fits her beautifully, accentuating her curves which seemed to only get curvier in the last eight months.
She coughs it up to good dick and a healthy relationship.
With a sigh, she takes one last glance at herself before leaving the room, only to be met with rose petals scattered over the floor, forming a path in the hallway.
A smile grows on her face as she follows it, her mind racing with what Giovanni has in store for her.
She pushes a tendril of her straightened hair behind her ear, butterflies now invading her stomach as she approaches the back door that leads to the pool. It's already slid open so she steps over the threshold, her heels barely making a sound as she walks down the stone path towards where the petals lead.
She turns the corner to be met with the most beautiful set up she's ever seen. Lights illuminate a circular table, a white table cloth covering it and rose petals highlighting the romance behind the decorations.
Kalani's eyes hone in on her man, standing behind his chair, one hand stuffed in his pocket, confidently. He looks her up and down, his eyes darkening in lust.
"You look stunning, principessa," He smirks when she reaches him, "Absolutely beautiful. Sono così felice di averti nella mia vita." I'm so happy to have you in my life.
Kalani picks out bits and pieces of his sentence, having learnt some Italian words over the months.
He meets her at her chair and pulls it out, allowing her to sit before pushing her seat in.
"Thank you, baby." The chocolate-skinned woman looks up at him through her eyelashes, putting her seductive skills on, "You look very handsome, if I do say so myself..."
Giovanni smirks as he takes his seat, knowing the angle she's playing at, "Ten months and you still play games."
She gasps, sarcastically, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
He rubs his beard with a shake of his head, "Of course you don't."
Dinner goes on, the two speaking of the most miniscule yet intimate things. You would imagine after ten months together, the two would've known any and everything about each other but everyday they learn something new.
Everyday is an adventure.
They spend their time indulging in their delightful meals and carrying interesting conversations before Giovanni calls the chef to remove the plates. When they have nothing left in front of them, he casts his loving glance to Kalani who had shifted her gaze out to the pool.
"That first night I saw you, I didn't realize just how much you would change my life. You're my princess, Kalani and you know the old tale ━ a king needs his queen by his side," He stands, her eyes shifting to follow his every move. Giovanni stops beside her and leans into her ear, "I want you by my side. I want you to be my queen."
His words leave Kalani breathless, her eyes widening as Giovanni gets on one knee. She slaps a hand over her mouth in shock.
He watches as her eyes begin to water and pulls a black velvet box from the inside of his jacket. He opens it, revealing a diamond ring, the many lights surrounding them reflecting off of it, giving it a sparkling effect.
"Kalani Paige Reed, though we met under bad circumstances on my part, I want to make you completely aware that you own my heart. I'm yours as you are mine. I love you," Tears flow down Kalani's cheeks at this point, the love in her eyes swelling, "Così fottutamente. So fucking much. Will you do the honor of making me the happiest man in the world and marry me?"
The deep silence that passes after Giovanni's declaration gives Kalani enough time to recover from her initial reaction of shock and awe.
Before she knows it, she pulls her shaky hands away from her face and instead runs them through her hair. With a sniffle she gives him his answer.
"I will."
AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the end of CRIMINAL DESIRE.
i had to rewrite the end of the chapter and i must say, im just disappointed in the man this book was initially made for but 🤷🏾♀️ what can ya do?
ive never completed a book before, am i supposed to like give a speech or something...?
I LOVE AND THANK YOU ALL FOR supporting me in the month and four days it took to write this book (that's insane to think about) ❤️❤️
(also, it lowkey feels weird to end on such an odd ━ even though it's an even number ━ number but oh well)