Chapter Twenty Nine - Awaited Second Date

Judah's P.O.V.

"Mace, wake up."

She opens her eyes and looks around dazedly until they meet my amused ones. I chuckle and lean down to kiss her cheek before pulling her onto my lap. A big yawn escapes her as she rubs her eyes before looking around again in confusion. We've been on the jet for a while now and Macy probably thinks we're about to land in London.

"We're home?"

"Not quite." I smile secretively and hold her tight. "Remember how I promised you a second date?"

That wakes her up and she stares at me with wide eyes. "Where are we?"

"Italy." I grin as I pull up the window cover.

"No way!" She gasps and pushes closer to look at the scenery down below.

"Roman and Elena have a property at Lake Como here in Lombardy that we'll be staying at." I explain and she turns back to me with excitement.

"So, how long are we here for?"

"Two nights. I have some more surprises for you tomorrow." I wink and she hugs me tightly with a squeal.

"This is so cool!" She exclaims before kissing me softly. "Thank you Judah. You didn't have to do this. We could've had a date back home."

"I did say that you deserve everything I can offer and more remember?" I recall and she nods in agreement. "Now, it's better during Summer but it still holds its charm during the colder months so we'll have a great time regardless."

"That's alright, I'm not a big fan of hot weather anyways so this is perfect." A stunning smile blooms across her lips as she stares at the runway in the distance.

"You're something else dove." I chuckle which makes her frown in confusion. "How about you go freshen up? We're about to land in a few minutes and our date starts as soon as we're off the plane."

"Any dress code?" She teases as she stands.

"Casual. It's warmer today but it's probably going to be freezing by this evening." I grab her hand to kiss it as she walks past.

I check up on work and reply to some emails while I wait for her. I'm nervous as fuck because I want this date to be perfect, nothing hectic or adventurous just like she wants. I can do that. Eventually, Macy returns with her hair now in a ponytail and some light makeup on. I kind of miss her longer hair but her new hair cut makes her look cute.

"Okay?" She asks worriedly as she gives me a twirl.

"Perfect as always." I grin boyishly which causes her to roll her eyes in response.

We finish watching the rest of a show before the plane lands in Milan. I watch as Macy looks around in awe as we drive towards our first stop and laugh when her eyes bug out over seeing the iconic landmarks once we arrive. We spend a few hours here walking around, eating some snacks and shopping before driving to Lombardy. But the driver stops just as we're near the house.

"What's going on?" Macy asks with a confused frown as I thank the driver and help her out of the car.

"I thought it was time to change to a more fun mode of transport." I point to the two Vespas waiting for us at the side.

"I've always wanted to drive one of these!" She gasps before rushing over to the man waiting for us.

I help her with her helmet and point to the house at the bottom of the hill we're on so that she knows where we're going. Thanking the man, we drive off and I smile widely at the sound of her carefree laughter as she rides beside me. A few chuckles escape me here and there whenever I spot her excited grin through the mirror of my Vespa and I feel relief that she's enjoying herself.

I decide to take her through the longer route before we arrive at the house. She throws herself at me in a hug as soon as she's off and our helmets knocking against each other's makes us laugh. A soft squeal leaves her lips when I pick her up and carry her inside. She looks around in wonder at the beautiful property Elena and Roman managed to secure before spotting the access to the lake outside.

"There's a boat out there." Macy states as she walks backwards.

"Yes there is." I nod and follow her with my hands in my pockets.

She runs off and I step outside to watch her make her way down to the dock. I catch up to her and wrap my arms around her waist before resting my chin on her shoulder. Although Macy's quite close to my height she always feels small in my arms which makes me even more protective over her. I close my eyes contently to the sound of her sigh as she leans her head back against my chest while taking in our peaceful surroundings.

"It's so beautiful here. I love it!"

"You're more beautiful." I hum as I press a kiss to her neck.

"That's just not true!" She giggles before turning around and winding her arms around my neck.

"You'll never be able to convince me otherwise dove." I smirk before nodding towards the boat. "Hungry?"

"Are we going to have dinner on the boat? You know how to drive one?" She blinks up at me with wide eyes.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing Macy surprised. I plan on ticking every little thing off her bucket list to make her happy. She's been through so much and I'll be damned if I let her feel sad ever again.

"I sure do!" I grin as I help her on before starting it up. "Apologies, I was thinking of putting on a captain's outfit to make you want to jump my bones but I didn't have time."

"Bummer! I'm sure everyone would have loved to see two lunatics doing it in public." She plays along and tries to act serious. "Maybe next time."

"Well, we can still –"

"Let's get moving please!" She orders softly but her cheeks flare up in embarrassment like always.

I laugh loudly and she chucks a cushion at my back before crossing her arms with a huff. I gesture for her to come to me with my arm outstretched and hold her close as I steer the boat out onto the middle of the lake. We eat our dinner as the sun sets and the twinkling stars come out to play.

I make sure to stop the boat at a few pretty towns after that so we can explore further, taste testing different cheese and wine pairings as we go. Macy intertwines our hands just as we step out of a small store and I smile down at her tenderly. As the sky becomes darker and the clock strikes ten we start making our way back to the boat. But the sound of music playing brings forth an idea that I think she might like.

"Would you care for a dance milady?"

"Why, of course kind sir!" She giggles before I twirl her around.

"Did you have fun today?" I ask, purely to give my poor heart some rest.

"I did. I loved it, thank you." She murmurs sweetly before staring at me with a mixture of disbelief and love flickering in her eyes. "Sometimes I think this is all a dream."

"What do you mean?"

"I just...a part of me was always hopeful that me and Cam would escape that life but a bigger part of me felt like I'd never be able to leave. And I always thought that nobody would ever want me...that I wouldn't find someone who would make me happy and love me despite what I've done." She explains before looking up at me with a big smile. "That I wouldn't ever find someone like you Judah."

"I'm glad I make you happy my sweet little dove." I whisper before pecking her softly.

"I'm not good at conveying my love for you...maybe because of the way I was brought up but know that you mean everything to me Jude. You're my whole world and my life would be meaningless without you. I adore you." She says sweetly and I find myself falling harder for her than I thought possible.

"I know Mace. I adore you just as much if not more." I smile and it widens when she stops our dancing to push up and pin her lips on mine.

I kiss her passionately under the stars before we continue down to the dock where our boat waits. She yawns a few times during the ride back and I know she's going to be out like a light before we reach back home. I happily let her cling onto me as I carry her inside the house before changing her and getting into bed.

"Goodnight my love." I whisper as I tug her closer, smiling when she mutters something incomprehensible.

***

"I'm so unfit!" Macy groans as we step back into the house.

I chuckle as she throws herself onto the couch with an overdramatic cry of relief. We woke up early this morning so I suggested a hike before we got a cable car up to see the views over Lake Como. It's only been a few months since Quintana got caught so she's still healing from it and is slowly getting back to exercising.

"Don't worry, after breakfast we're going to be relaxing for the day." I kiss her cheek before making my way to the bathroom for a shower. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"I'm not sure. Whatever you're in the mood for is fine!" She shouts back which makes me run back and pick her up, throwing her over my shoulder as she yelps in shock.

"Judah?! What the hell are you doing?!"

"I want you for breakfast." I shrug as I undress her and myself before backing her into the shower.

"You have got to stop using that line." She moans and tangles her fingers in my hair as I pepper kisses to her skin.

After pampering her in the shower in more ways than one we make it back to the kitchen. I steal glances at her when she's not looking as we move around the space cooking breakfast together. Her skin is still flushed both from the warmth of the water and our activities, dark hair scraped back as she walks around in one of my shirts. I don't know how but she takes my breath away every day.

I pull her close and wrap my arms around her as we wait for the pancakes to cook. "Want to watch that show we started while we eat breakfast?"

"Sure!" She shrugs as she plates up before we head to the sitting room.

We end up watching two episodes before I tell her to get ready. I make my way upstairs and grab the bag I had packed before she woke up this morning then wait for her by the front door. She glances at it quizzically but thankfully doesn't ask anything as we make our way out to the car. We arrive in town and do some more sightseeing and shopping, picking up souvenirs for Kenzo and Aiden who had all but begged me to bring back something.

"Jude..." Macy trails off uneasily once we arrive at the spa.

"Relax dove. I booked out the entire place for an hour."

"You what?!" She squeaks as her jaw drops. "Why?!"

"Because I know you're not comfortable showing skin after what happened." I explain before gesturing to the building. "Besides...you wanted something relaxing and a spa is exactly that!"

"But that probably cost you so much money!"

I stare at her with an incredulous look before shaking my head. "Get out of the car."

"Judah!" She whines but steps out regardless. "What if someone walks in or something and –"

"I've asked them not to and they're very accommodating." I assure her before kissing her deeply. "Trust me Mace, you'll love it."

She stares at me skeptically before sighing. "Fine, let's go."

With a triumphant grin I guide her inside and up to the infinity pool surrounded by lush greenery and mountains speckled with snow in the distance. I change into my shorts before stepping outside and Macy follows with a gasp minutes later. Turning, I see her staring around with wonder before she smiles happily.

"This is like a slice of heaven." She murmurs as she steps closer to me.

"I beg to differ." I reply distractedly as my gaze roams her figure clad in a white bikini that makes her caramel skin pop.

"Cheesy!" She swats my shoulder playfully as her cheeks tint with a pink hue. I grow concerned though when she bites her lip anxiously and looks down at herself. "Do I look...I mean...my scars –"

"You look hot. How about we forget the whole relaxing thing and you let me take you in the changing room?"

"J-Judah! No, w-we can't do that!" She stammers adorably and steps back.

"But you look so sexy Mace! How am I supposed to resist you?" I whine as I back her up against the wall.

She blushes bright pink this time and I can't stop myself from kissing her hungrily. We make out until air becomes a priority but as always I feel like I haven't had my fill yet. I pepper kisses across her neck and shoulders before taking her hand and twirling her around. She whimpers when my lips trail across her scarred back that she's most insecure about and I do my best in reassuring her that she's still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.

"Judah..."

"I know it's hard but you don't ever have to be self-conscious around me or around anyone for that matter. These scars don't take away from your beauty. In fact, you look badass." I wink as she turns around to face me.

"You think so?" She mutters as she fiddles with her rings.

"Fuck yeah. And I'm the lucky man who gets to call you mine." I whisper before tilting her chin up so that I can pin my lips on hers. "Now come on, we've only got an hour to ourselves. I would prefer if you jumped in naked but that's just me."

"Of course." She rolls her pretty hazel eyes before shoving me into the pool.

I resurface to the sound of her light giggles and narrow my eyes at her playfully. "Oh, you're so getting it!"

"No!" She screams when I hop out and chase her before picking her up. "Judah! Don't!"

"Should've thought about that before you shoved me Mace!" I yell before jumping into the pool.

We both laugh once we come up and I pull her close. Wading towards the edge we marvel at the sight before us before taking our time in swimming. At some point I grab food and drinks for us before we make our way to one of the thermal springs. I smile when Macy releases a satisfied hum as she slips in and rests her head back.

After our hour is up we thank the staff before making our way outside. But halfway to our car Macy spots a sign stating that the town also does skiing and snowboarding. I'm surprised when she asks if we can do it but when she explains that she's never experienced it I'm on board immediately.

"Have you done it before? Can you teach me?"

"Of course! I'm a pro Mace." I snort as we drive through town.

"Sure." She shakes her head at me with an amused smile. "There's probably hot Italian instructors there to show me the ropes anyways. I wouldn't want a pro like you to waste your time training me when you can hit the slopes."

"I meant that I'm a pro in knowing the basic stuff. You misunderstood love." I grin cheekily to which she just rolls her eyes in response. "What I am a pro in is knocking a guy out if they get close to my girl. Sorry to say it Mace but you won't see any hot Italian guys today...or ever."

"Bummer."

"You know...maybe there's a sexy Italian female instructor –"

"I wouldn't mind if you wanted a woman to teach you." Macy shrugs and I glance at her incredulously.

"You wouldn't get jealous?"

"Not at all." She replies breezily.

"Yeah right!" I scoff as we arrive at our destination. "We'll see about that!"

We head in and buy some gear before walking outside to where everyone's skiing and snowboarding. By that point I forget all about our teasing until Macy nudges me with her elbow.

"Look...there's one." Macy points out a brunette and I stare at the love of my life who has lost her goddamn mind.

"She looks busy."

"I'm sure she'll make time for you Jude. You're a catch remember?" She snickers and I find myself glaring at her for pushing it.

"Alright fine! You go ahead to your stupid unattractive instructor over there and I'll go to that woman." I huff before marching away with my skis.

I hear her chuckle as she walks off and it only makes me angrier. I quickly circle around the brunette and rush to intercept Macy before she can even breathe the same air as some guy called Tommaso. She stares between me and the brunette in confusion and I shrug with a breathless laugh.

"She had no more slots available so looks like I can teach you! Let's go!" I grab her hand and pull her towards some free space.

I busy myself with our gear but she grabs my chin suddenly and gives me a soft, gentle kiss. She pulls away and murmurs that she loves me with the sweetest smile. My heart races away at a frightening pace and I find myself wondering how I haven't passed out yet. Seeming to have lost the ability to speak I only nod in response before helping her put her skis on and getting on the cable car.

We spend most of the day on the slopes and Macy gets the hang of it very quickly. Soon, she's trying out snowboarding too and having a blast. Her nose and cheeks are bright pink but every time I look at her she has the biggest smile so I refrain from suggesting that we should take a break and get a hot drink.

Eventually, we decide to leave and I follow my girlfriend's figure all but skipping to the car. I make a stop in town to grab some ingredients for dinner before getting back to the house. We take a much-needed hot shower together before I tell her we're going to be making pizzas from scratch.

"We should just move here for a little while. The pizzas in London don't even compare to the real deal. We're missing out big time!" She mumbles as we make the dough.

"I mean, we could."

"But what about your work? Isn't the London office the headquarters for your company?" She frowns in confusion as I cut up the toppings.

"Yeah but I've already told them I'm going to be working remotely or even out of the country for the next few months while we travel."

"Wait! Back up there! What do you mean travel?" She asks and her eyes widen comically when I hand her an envelope with pre-booked tickets to a few countries alongside the full itinerary until the end of March.

"Cameron and Ale are coming with?!" She jumps up and down before hugging me fiercely. "Are you serious?! Am I dreaming?!"

"You're not dreaming." I chuckle as she reads over everything while I finish off our pizzas and stick them in the oven. "Happy?"

"So happy." She whispers and I shake my head when her bottom lip trembles and her eyes fill with tears. "Thank you Judah. This is too much!"

"Never too much for my sweet little dove." I murmur as I kiss away her tears.

"I can't wait! I'm so excited!" She smiles brightly as I hug her to me.

"You're not going to get homesick?" I tease and she shakes her head as she gives me a soft look.

"Home isn't really a place for me, it's wherever you are. So, I think I'll be just fine."

I'm going to marry this woman.

Looks like I need to get a ring!

We're almost at the end! 😭

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- R.W. ♡