Chapter 27 - Maxim

This morning we are lying outside in the sunshine on the daybed next to the pool.

Stefano walks over with a huge bunch of flowers.

“Hi guys, how are you feeling today?”

“Like we got shot a few days ago.” I throw him a dark look, pulling my mouth to the side. I can’t believe he shot Chiara. He could have killed her. I”m really pissed off about it, but she doesn’t seem bothered at all.

“Here, these are for you.” He sits on the edge of the daybed and hands her a massive bouquet of flowers. “I just wanted to come by and say that I am so, so, so sorry that I shot you.” His eyes are ridden with guilt, and he can barely look at her.

“Stefano, it’s totally fine. Honestly. I mean, it hurts, but it’s really fine. I”m not mad at you at all. We are all here, the danger is gone—things are actually really good.” She throws me a glance and one of her beautifully cheeky grins.

“Still though, I feel terrible about it,” Stefano mumbles.

“You should,” I say, with heated annoyance.

Stefano’s eyes grow wide when he looks at me. I frown.

“Oh, stop it, Max. You know I’m fine.”

“Max, I also wanted to say I how grateful I am—for what you did for me. No one has ever done anything like that for me.”

“You mean getting shot?”

“You saved my life,” Stefano says softly.

“Well, let’s see if I regret it or not.”

Chiara rolls her eyes.

“I think everything worked out the way it was meant to. We”re here, healthy, happy, and life is really great. Perhaps we needed all that violence to finally get along?”

My jaw muscles tense. “He’s lucky I don’t get vengeance against him for shooting my wife.”

Chiara’s radiant smile distracts me from the annoyance I am feeling towards Stefano. I don’t dislike the guy anymore, but that doesn’t mean that I have to like him, either.

He shot Chiara, he put her life in danger, and the fear of losing her is something I never thought I would feel. It is so intense, so deeply rooted, and it will take me a while to get over it.

“Stef, I also wanted to talk to you, actually,” Chiara says, gently maneuvering her body so that she can sit closer to him. “I wanted to say sorry for what my father did to you. I mean the way he used you and manipulated you, and also for the way he turned me against you. I just want to say that even with him gone now, you are still my brother. We are still family.”

Stefano shrugs. “I guess you can’t choose your family, hey?” he laughs. “But I don’t blame you for what your father did. I know he caused you a lot of hurt as well, and we were stuck in that situation together. We just didn’t know we had each other at the time.”

“My father did a lot, to your whole family. And he deserved what happened to him in the end. I never knew him; I accept that. The person who I thought I knew never actually existed. Stef, I hope you can forgive my family for what they did to yours.”

“We are family, Chiara. I have nothing that I”m holding against you.”

“Well, at least we aren’t going to start another revenge plot as twisted at Angelo’s,” I say, listening to the two of them talk. I don’t feel so possessive over Chiara when she talks to Stefano anymore. They are healing their relationship as brother and sister. An odd situation, some sort of forced sibling bond that neither of them feels used to yet, but Stefano has been treating her with a lot more respect, so I”m not as against having him around.

But he did still shoot her.

The chef brings out a tray of cocktails for the three of us.

“Are we supposed to drink on these pain meds?” I ask Chiara.

She laughs. “It’s the perfect day for a pi?a colada, and I think we all need a little relaxation, anyway.” She picks up her cocktail and takes a sip. “Stefano, with my father out of the picture, are you going to take over his business?”

“I”m not sure. I mean, the Napoli family name isn”t exactly popular among our allies right now. I don’t know what I would be getting myself into if I started running the company again.”

“Your name was cleared in that recording I took. People know you aren’t associated with that asshole. You know the business. You”re good at it.”

“I suppose. I probably will start meeting with the clients again, rebuilding those relationships. What about you, Maxim? Are we allies again?” Stefano raises his brows towards me.

“Hm,” I huff reluctantly. “I will have to think about it. I don’t know if I can be allies with a man who shot my wife.”

Chiara laughs lightheartedly. “Maxim, I told you, you have to let that go.”

“In my own time.” My eyes are piercing into Stefano and he drops his gaze away from me.

“I had better get going. I guess I have a lot of work to do if I want the business to pick up again. Chiara, I am sorry again, and Max, thank you. Honestly.”

Stefano stands up to leave and Chiara leans back against me. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her closer to me.

“You are going to have to forgive him for shooting me, Max.” She smiles up at me with her deep chocolate gaze that pulls me into her heart.

“Perhaps, but the thought that he caused you so much pain just pisses me off.”

“Max, I”m here with you, I am happy, and the pain isn’t so bad as long as you”re next to me,” she giggles.

“I know what you mean. You”re making this all a lot easier to deal with.” I grin down at her. “I promise you, I will be nicer to him in the future. I’ll do my best. Actually, everything is going to be better from now on. We got rid of the threat, we found out who was behind it all, and the danger is gone.”

She rests her head on my chest and closes her eyes. “Things are kind of perfect,” she whispers with a soft smile on her gorgeous lips.

I gently place my hand beneath her chin and lift her face up toward mine again. “You are perfect, Chiara.” I press my lips against hers and feel the warmth of her mouth as it sends electricity bolting through my body.

My heart tugs nervously at me for a moment. There”s something I have been wanting to talk to her about for a while now, but I”ve been worried she would say no.

“Chiara?”

“Mm?” she replies, lazily, the sun heating our skin.

“I want to marry you again.”

Her eyes flutter open. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, our first wedding was forced. And I know you didn’t enjoy it. I want to marry you again with our family there, something intimate. And vows we have written for ourselves. A real marriage, one where I can tell the world how much I love you.”

“You love me?” she asks, her eyes glittering.

“You haven’t worked that out by now?” I chuckle, and the sound rumbles against her.

The smile on her face lights her eyes on fire. She presses her mouth against mine again and kisses me slowly, deeply, and with heated passion.

When she pulls away my cock is rock-hard.

“I love you too,” she whispers, running her hand over my cock. “Everything about you,” she giggles.

I pick up a towel and toss it over my cock. The house staff is walking around, and I definitely don’t need them seeing what she”s done to me.

I chuckle again. “You are a naughty one, aren’t you.”

“Only for you,” she laughs.

***

Over the next few weeks, our healing journey goes really well, because we”re there to help each other. It turns out that getting shot isn’t that bad. Well, let me rephrase that—it turns out that getting shot at the same time as the girl you love isn’t that bad.

We have been laughing at each other, both only able to use one arm for a number of weeks. We are also both healing very well, though.

I was shot in my right shoulder and Chiara was shot in her left, which means that we can still lie next to each other and cuddle perfectly. We”ve been taking it very easy for these past few weeks, relaxing at the pool, watching movies, cuddling in bed and helping each other do things that require more than one arm.

But now we are both almost back to our healthy, strong selves, and we are busy planning our real wedding.

We decided to have it outside, in the garden, and only to invite our brothers and their families. Chiara has been so excited planning everything, and I”ve really enjoyed watching her choose the colors, the flowers and how the decor will look.

This is how a wedding is supposed to be. It is supposed to be filled with happiness and laughter and love.

I have to admit, though, that I will never, ever regret the day I agreed to enter an arranged marriage with Chiara Napoli. Because that was the day my heart was stolen from me, whether I knew it or not—and whether I was ready for it or not. Chiara is my whole world, and I will never stop loving her. She is my everything.

On a beautiful summer evening, I watch her walking down the patio steps into the garden, toward where I am waiting at the end of the aisle. Her long, glittering wedding dress hugs her body and elegantly flows around her in the most beautiful way. Her dark hair is braided over her shoulder and pinned with tiny white flowers.

She is glowing with happiness, and my heart has never felt fuller.

This time she is looking directly at me, and when we exchange our vows I have to fight back the tears that are threatening to spill from my eyes.

Everything is perfect.

She is perfect.

My life is perfect.