A wry thought tugged at him. I might need a whole room for her punishments, he mused. He'd never kept a woman before. Women had come and gone. But Vee was different. Vee was a storm. She rooted herself in his life whether she meant to or not, and he couldn't decide if he hated it or loved it more.
He carried the box downstairs to Nonnina, who was quietly humming as she moved about the kitchen. "Have her ready and in my room in thirty minutes," he said.
Nonnina tilted her head, ever the wise observer. "How about your dinner, Diavolino?" There was a teasing note in her voice.
"I will have it. You can prepare the table," he replied, already heading back up the stairs, the tension in his chest buzzing.
