Read Holding Hope Word Doc NC for Free Online Page B

thought. Then she bit at her lip before asking, “And it’s Madden’s child?”
    Lucas grinned. “In a Tre Adoro coupling, the resulting child
is a combination of all three.”
    Her eyes widened.
“That’s amazing,” she paused, again thoughtful, before deciding to ask her next
question. “Do you hope for children someday?” Ella worried her lip and moved
towards the box to sort through her clothing options and avoid his gaze.
    “Someday. For now, I’m still counting my blessings that I found you. I couldn’t ask for
anything else to make me a happier man.” Lucas turned her to him again and ran
his fingertips down Ella’s cheek. “But if we don’t get moving, we’re going to
miss being at the rendezvous point on time.”
     
    * * * *
     
    As
they drove into the gated compound where his family lived, Ella’s stomach was
in knots. Yet as much as she wanted to flee, she knew where she’d most like to be
is anywhere–even here-with Lucas. She only wished they could’ve stayed hidden
from everyone.
    “This
is our home,” Lucas’s deep voice startled Ella.
    He’d
stopped the car in front of an Italian-style villa like the one she’d seen on
her visit to Italy before she’d been captured. Turning her head, there was a
larger estate in the short distance that also resembled the Italian deco-style
homes.
    “The
Santucci Casa, that’s the name of the compound, has four buildings. My parents
live in the primary estate that you see off across that field.” He pointed to
the larger home she’d seen in the distance. “Directly in front of us, is our
home and down the lane further are two others, one for each of my brothers,” Lucas
explained. “I won’t give you a tour today. I’ve sent word ahead that we will
visit with everyone tomorrow. Mama has planned a family dinner for tomorrow
night. Today is all ours.”
    Ella
beamed at her mate. He’d made those arrangements for her and she imagined with
an Italian mother who kept her children within her compound that keeping her away
had been quite a feat. “Thank you. You are so thoughtful. I don’t know what I
did to deserve you. In all of this, you’ve been my light.”
    “You,
Ella, are my salvation. With you, came hope back into my life.” Lucas smiled at
her before getting out of the car and coming around to her door.
    She
allowed him to help her up and embrace her before she looked around again.
“It’s beautiful.”
    “It’s
yours now. Everything that belongs to me now also belongs to you.” Lucas turned
Ella back to face him as he spoke. He placed one of her hands over his heart
and used his other hand to raise her chin up so their eyes could meet.
“Everything I have is yours. Everything I am is yours. Sei tutto per me .”
    Ella
couldn’t speak and she couldn’t fight the tears escaping down her cheeks this
time. She looked up at their beautiful home and imagined their life together. They
would be strong like the stone pillars that framed the huge wooden door of
their home.
    “Come
on, I’ll show you around your new home.”
    Ella
remained silent as she followed him, strolling from room to room. The décor was
obviously done by a designer. It could’ve come straight from a magazine.
Neutrals colors accented with a spectrum of blues reminded her of being by the
sea. She could already see herself happily living here. When they finally
stopped in an open sitting area at the top of a large staircase, Ella said, “It
reminds me of an ocean home.”
    “I
like blues and always wanted a home on a beach,” Lucas confessed.
    “But?”
    “But
my parents prefer to have us nearby so they purchased this large compound when
we were younger.” Lucas shrugged. “My mother brought in a designer to make this
home more suitable for a woman once I was of mating age.”
    Ella
nodded even as she continued looking around. She ran her fingers along the
wooden banister and discovered the most magnificent view of a vineyard out the
large window. For