She was stronger than he was now, though she lacked his experience, discipline, and control. For whatever reason, the cocktail of blood that had flooded her mortal body during her change had effected a truly spectacular transformation. In the year and a half since she had turned, Beatrice had grown in power and confidence. She rarely acted impulsively, and her grace was that of someone ten times her age.

Happily, she was still the same woman he had fallen in love with.

“Tesoro.”

She looked up and a slow smile spread across her face.

“Hey, handsome.”

He cocked a finger at her, squinting his eyes as he caught the teasing light in her own. She rose and sauntered toward him as he continued to beckon her. Once she was within arm’s reach, he pounced. Beatrice laughed and rolled across the floor with him as they played.

“You’re in a mood for just waking up.” She laughed as they came to a stop halfway to the fireplace. Giovanni braced himself over her and looked down. “Do I dare ask what you were dreaming about?”

Sadly, not what you’re thinking of. He kissed along her collar and nuzzled into her neck. “Have I told you tonight that I love you?”

“No.”

“I do. I love you.” His lips explored the nape of her neck, where her soft, honeysuckle scent was strongest.

“I love you, too.”

He rolled to the side and let his hand trail along her shoulder. “And I love our home.”

She laughed. “Okay.”

“And our family.”

She caught his chin and forced his eyes to hers. Giovanni met her gaze, bathing in the comfort of her energy as it wrapped them both. “Where are you tonight?”

He still marveled that she could read him so well. “Just... thinking about the past.”

Beatrice’s eyes held nothing but the soft light of understanding. “Anything you want to share?”

He shook his head. She paused for a minute, examining him before she leaned in for a gentle kiss. Giovanni kissed her back, letting his amnis spread over her skin to tease her senses. He could feel her desire twine with his, and he sat up, pulling her with him and pressing her mouth to his neck.

“Bite,” he growled. “Feed from me.”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

“Since when have you ever waited for permission?”

Giovanni heard a low purr before her fangs pierced his skin.

“What is on your agenda tonight?” he asked as he dressed in his uniform of black slacks and a dress shirt. Beatrice lounged in the bath, enjoying the calm of the water before she left their room.

“I’ve got some translation to do on the journals. I already helped Ben with his homework today, but I’ll drive him to Tenzin’s later tonight and practice for a while.”

“I wanted to talk to you about that. I asked Ernesto to call Baojia back from San Diego.”

Beatrice raised her eyebrow. “Oh, really? Did Grandpa decide to let him out of time-out?”

Giovanni grimaced. “I asked Ernesto to bring him back so he could continue your training. I spoke to Baojia last week and he wanted to know how your weapons were progressing. He says Tenzin is not a good enough teacher.”

She smiled. “It’s going fine. I’m always grateful for help though. I was talking about it with Tenzin the other night. She says I’m more than proficient with the dao, and I’m fine with the jian. I never really liked using a jian much, to be honest, so I’m not too concerned—”

“Baojia says you’re ready for the shuang gou.”

Her eyes lit up. “The hook-swords?”

“Yes.”

“Wicked.”

He smirked and walked over for a quick kiss. “Glad you agree. I’ll probably be in the library most of the night. I want to go over some of my uncle’s correspondence before we leave for Rome.”

“This trip is going to be safe, right? I know you want to bring Ben, but it’s not worth it if you think there’s any danger of—”

“Nothing we can’t handle, Tesoro.” He leaned against the edge of the counter. “We’ll see Livia, and I’ll introduce you to her people. We’ll play nice for a week or so, and then she’ll lose interest. That’s what she always does. She’s always after the shiny new toy. Right now, she’s curious, that’s all. Honestly, I should have taken you to see her right after we got married, but we had a bit on the schedule.”

“So no reason to worry?”

“No.” He frowned. “Are you worried?”

Beatrice shrugged. “Well, she’s the closest thing I have to a mother-in-law. From all reports, she’s also an incredibly beautiful, two-thousand-year-old, Roman noblewoman. And she is, according to you, one of the most powerful vampires in Europe. Nope, nothing intimidating about her at all.”

Giovanni bent down, ignoring the water soaking his knees. “Nothing to worry about. She’ll love you.”

“Yeah?” She couldn’t hide the skepticism in her voice.

He grabbed her chin and laid a hard kiss on her mouth. “Since when is my woman afraid?”

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not afraid.”

“Good.” He stood and straightened his collar. “You’ll love Rome. And since Kirby and Desiree can come along with Benjamin, we’ll all have a grand time. Tenzin will... she’ll put up with it for your sake. Try to persuade her not to kill anyone.”