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‘It’s harder for you though.’

‘Not now.’ He shook his head. ‘I think I got very lucky with you, and even Donatella keeping that letter…’ He did growl a touch, but was in a forgiving mood tonight. ‘It meant I didn’t have the fear and the worry that you had. I just got handed the cutest baby ever and was told you were both doing well.’

‘True!’ Stella laughed, because she hadn’t really thought of it like that. ‘She is cute, isn’t she?’

Gabe did end up calling for a car; it was too far to walk, especially in heels, but they stood kissing under the stars, waiting for their transport.

And then headed back to the palazzo.

They peeked in on Sophia of course, and it was so lovely to stand together and admire their beautiful baby…

‘Come on,’ Gabe said.

‘We can go to mine,’ she protested. ‘I can hear her from there.’

‘Mio Signora Maria has the baby monitor. And you can hear her from mine.’

Gabe had the purple smudges under his eyes to prove it. At night, like a kitten mewing outside, he’d been able to hear Sophia’s cries.

He led her down the magnificent stairs and then they went past the rope and through to his wing.

His kiss was tender, and he removed her violet dress so slowly, and they lay together for the first time in his bed, and he explored all the changes to her body, and all the familiar aspects he knew.

‘Oh…’ His mouth wetting her breast, his kiss along her clavicle, and he didn’t need to be told to take it slowly or be gentle. Stella had never felt such tenderness and love.

Afterwards, they lay together, knowing that this was forever.

‘Contessa…’ he said. ‘It will suit you.’

‘Stop!’ She laughed.

‘I’m serious.’

She looked over. ‘You don’t believe in all that.’

‘I didn’t,’ he said, ‘but now I do.’ Then he gave her a slightly wicked smile. ‘And it will really annoy someone.’

‘Don’t be mean.’

He laughed for a moment, and it was nice to hear him easily laugh. ‘I want us here in the palazzo, I want us to sit and watch storms…’ He glanced over. ‘We can work from home.’

‘Can we?’

‘You can travel for your films, I’ll go back and forth to Milan, but…’ He thought. ‘Though I do think the palazzo should be alive again. For more people than us.’

She nodded.

‘Marry me?’ he asked.

‘Yes, please.’

‘We have to do it really soon,’ he said, ‘before the press get wind of it.’

‘They won’t get wind of it.’

‘Oh, they will, especially with all the celebrities here for the film. We’ll get married next week.’

‘We can’t! Aren’t there banns and such formalities to be completed?’