Rico took her hand. “Come.” A lift took them smoothly and quickly to the second floor. The door opened directly into a large, bright living area. She exclaimed in delight as they stepped inside.
“The previous owner knocked down walls and opened up the space,” he told her.
“I love it,” she said.
He turned her into his arms and kissed her, softly at first, but then the heat built and the kiss deepened until they were both breathing heavily. Rico leaned back, his arms still around her and lifted a brow. “I can’t believe you blocked me.” The edge of his mouth quirked slightly.
She fought a smile. “I needed time to think.”
He tugged her closer. “So have you had enough time?”
She nodded.
“Good.” He dropped to one knee and Angelina covered her parted lips with trembling fingers. “This ring has never felt right on my hand since you gave it back to me.” He tugged it off his finger and held it up for her to see. “Lovely Angelina. You are my soul mate. The love of my life. Will you marry me?”
Happy tears welled in her eyes as he repeated the words he’d said to her on the hillside above Tuscora. This time, instead of a sunrise, a brilliant sunset shone through the bank of windows behind Rico. “Yes, Rico. I love you so much. I will marry you and together we’ll find a way to build a life together.”
Rico slipped the ring on her finger and got to his feet. “If you prefer a more traditional engagement ring, we can get one. I know how you like to shop.”
She clutched the ring to her chest, right over her heart. “I love this ring. I love the way it feels on my hand.” She kissed him hard. “But we probably should get it sized. I was always afraid I was going to lose it like Rosa did.”
He showed her around the rest of the space, the large updated kitchen which opened into a dining area with a long table and chairs similar to the ones in the apartment in Tuscora. The huge master bedroom with a steam shower in the ensuite bath. A smaller bedroom and another bath completed the apartment.
“Can you be happy living here?” he asked. “I know it’s not what you’re used to.”
“It’s perfect,” she replied. A home outside the palace walls. A place where she could breathe. A man she could love. “We don’t need any more space. At least not now.” She glanced at the beautiful kitchen with the lovely appliances she had no idea how to use. “I’m going to have to ask your mother to teach me how to cook.”
“She’ll love that.”
“What are your plans for the third floor?” she asked.
“It’s empty now but I think it may be the perfect space for someone who wants to start their own wedding planning business.”
Her heart was overflowing. “Who told you about that? Wait. Mia, right?”
“She may have mentioned it.”
Angelina walked into Rico’s arms. What would he say if she asked him to bend her over that sturdy table in the dining area? She smiled. She’d find out soon enough.
“I never thought I could be so happy,” she told him. “I finally know how I want to spend my life. With you, Rico. The man I trust with my body and my heart. My bodyguard.”
