Page 128 of Unmasking the Diamond
He took a step closer, his gaze unwavering. “I happen to like the woman beneath the control. Beneath the mask.”
Her heart gave a painful thud. “You do not mean that.”
“I do,” he said. “That is the woman I love—the woman I wish to spend my life with.”
Fearing she’d misheard him, she asked, “What are you saying?”
Luca ran a hand through his hair, visibly searching for words. “If I loved you less, I could speak more easily. But I am undone, Charlotte. You’ve left me entirely undone.”
“You… love me?” she whispered.
His lips twitched into a tender smile. “That is the one truth I am certain of. I don’t know precisely when it happened—perhaps within seconds of meeting you—but you changed everything. And I cannot go back to what my life was before you. Truth be told, I don’t know how to not be in love with you.”
Charlotte stared up at him. His words were genuine, unguarded—and they terrified her. What if he grew tired of her? What if she was not enough?
As if sensing her thoughts, Luca reached for her hand and clasped it firmly. “I can promise that with me, you will never have to wonder if you are enough.”
“But—”
“Do you love me?” he asked, his voice steady but laced with vulnerability.
She dropped her gaze. “That is not a simple question.”
“It is,” he said. “Do you love me?”
“I…”
He placed a finger beneath her chin, urging her to meet his eyes. “I would do anything for you, Charlotte, but I will not force your heart,” he said. “I love you as you are, and I would never want to control your fire. Your passion. All I need is to be near it.”
She drew in a shaky breath, knowing she had a choice to make. She could keep hiding or finally be brave.
She chose to be brave.
“I do love you, Luca,” she said. “I tried not to, but it was hopeless. Loving you feels as natural as breathing.”
His expression melted into pure joy. “Then marry me.”
Her lips parted in disbelief. “Is this a real proposal?”
Still holding her hand, he dropped to one knee right there on the veranda. “Miss Charlotte Winslow, will you do me the immeasurable honor of becoming my wife?”
Her laughter broke through her tears as she pressed a hand to her heart. “Yes, Luca. Yes, I will marry you.”
He rose and caught her in his arms, the world spinning away until there was nothing left but the warmth of his embrace and the sound of his voice.
“May I kiss you?” he asked.
Charlotte’s lips curved into a teasing smile. “Need you even ask?”
A quiet laugh escaped him, roughened by emotion. He stepped closer until the air between them grew warm, his breath mingling with hers. “Charlotte,” he murmured, his voice almost reverent, “I have waited so long to kiss you.”
She rose onto her tiptoes and, unable to bear another heartbeat of distance, pressed her lips to his.
For a fleeting instant, he seemed caught off guard—his lips tentative, searching—but then the hesitation vanished. His hand found the curve of her back, pulling her gently against him. The kiss deepened, slow and sure, a tender claiming that made the world fall away. Every doubt that had ever plagued her, every fear that whispered she was unworthy of love, melted beneath the warmth of his touch.
In that moment, she knew—utterly and without question—that Luca would guard her heart. Now and always.
When he finally drew back, his forehead came to rest against hers, both of them breathless. “I almost forgot,” he said with a crooked smile, “I have something for you.”
