Chapter 10 - Dawn on the Atlantic
Six months later, the scent of fresh ocean air and blooming garden roses drifted through the open windows of Falcone Manor.
The fortress-like chill had permanently vanished from the estate. The heavy steel shutters had been replaced by wide, open terraces; the gloomy hallways were filled with laughter, sunlight, and music.
Lily was thriving. Her latest lab results from Johns Hopkins showed her kidney function had stabilized completely, her cheeks glowing with health as she spent her afternoons studying art history on the terrace.
In the grand kitchen, the cast-iron skillet crackled on the commercial range.
Potatoes browned in butter, flecked with fresh rosemary and cracked black pepper. A tray of golden buttermilk biscuits cooled on the marble island, filling the entire ground floor with the warm, buttery aroma of home.
Footsteps sounded in the doorway.
Three sets.
I didn't turn around. I simply scooped the potatoes onto a large porcelain serving platter. “If any of you touches those biscuits before Lily sits down, you’re doing the dishes for a month.”
A pair of strong, familiar arms wrapped around my waist from behind, pulling me back against a warm, broad chest. Roman buried his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply, his lips pressing a tender, lingering kiss to the sensitive skin beneath my ear.
“Declan was trying to steal one,” Roman murmured against my skin, his deep voice sending a warm shiver through my entire body.
“Liar!” Declan shouted from the doorway, leaning against the counter in a fresh white linen shirt, his scarred face split in an easy grin. “I was merely inspecting them for quality control!”
Gabriel slipped past Declan, boldly snatching a strip of crispy bacon from the tray and winking at me as he took a bite. “Magnificent as always, Maeve. The Board of Directors sends their compliments.”
“Out of my kitchen, Gabriel,” I laughed, turning in Roman’s embrace.
Roman didn't let go. His hands rested securely on my hips, his dark eyes looking down at me with an unyielding, devoted adoration that had only grown deeper with every passing day.
On my left ring finger, a brilliant platinum band set with an emerald-cut diamond caught the morning sunlight—a ring Roman had placed there three weeks ago beneath the stars on the sea cliff, asking me to be his wife not as a mafia transaction, but as the only woman who held his heart.
“Are you happy, Maeve?” Roman whispered softly, his thumb gently caressing my cheek.
I looked at the three brothers—once the most feared, ruthless terrors of the city, now laughing together around the breakfast table like the boys my mother had once saved in a cold, dark cellar.
I looked at Lily, who bounded into the kitchen with a bright smile, kissing my cheek before sitting down beside Declan.
May you like
And finally, I looked into the eyes of the man I loved with every fiber of my being.
“I’m home, Roman,” I replied softly, tilting my head up to meet his lips in a sweet, passionate kiss that sealed the promise of our future. “I’m finally home.”
