135
Karma
Andy crawls onto my chest. He coils between my breasts and tips his head up. He must glare at Michael, who glowers back at him. “You and I need to have a talk, buddy. You don’t interrupt when your parents are in the middle of an important discussion.”
“Is that what this was?”
He scowls at me over Andy’s head, “It was a very important discussion;” His gaze intensifies, “Come home with me, baby.”
I swallow.
“I’ve been lonely without you. Andy has been lonely without you.”
“Andy seems fine to me.” I arch my eyebrow at him. “You, however,” I tilt my hips forward so I push into the bulge between his legs.
Color smears his cheeks. “You still punishing me? Even after everything I said I’d do for you?”
“Not what I expected to hear from you, Don.” I rake my gaze across his features, “You are the Don now, aren’t you?”
“Only if I can have you by my side. I need your sass, your shrewdness, your ability to think fast on your feet so you pick up anything that I may have missed. I need you, Beauty, only you.”
He holds my gaze and in his blue eyes I see…love, lust…and sincerity. An honesty that had been missing before, a vulnerability which I’d never thought that I’d glimpse in my Don’s gaze.
“Okay,” I blow out a breath, “okay.”
Two days later, I rub Andy’s forehead as I glance out at the sea that stretches out in front of me. Michael had taken me from the park, straight to his private jet. He’d flown me to Palermo, and to a new home that he’d purchased on the island on the opposite side from where his home used to be.
A fresh start, he’d said. A new chapter in our lives. He’d also arranged for a doctor to come and remove the tracker from behind my ear. I had protested and told him that, in retrospect, it actually made me feel safe to know that no matter what happened he’d always be able to find me.
He’d told me that he’d feel better if he had it removed, especially since he wanted us to try for a child right away, and he didn’t want anything to interfere with that.
So I had agreed.
Truth is, I want to try to get pregnant straight away, too. Guess this is when I should have come clean to him about the doctor’s warning that it could be dangerous for me to get pregnant. On the other hand, the doc had also said that many women carried their babies to term without any problems, despite having a hole in the heart. And I know if I mention it to him, he won’t want to take the risk. And honestly, I feel it in my guts that everything will be fine. That things will work out. So, I haven’t said anything to him.
Yes, I know, I should be honest with him… But if I were… he’d never agree to my having a baby. He’d never allow me to get pregnant. He’d be willing to go without an heir, and that’s something I will not allow.
Besides, I can do this. I can get pregnant and carry the baby to term and nothing will happen to me. I am confident of that.
Meanwhile, he’s already set up a full-fledged studio for me in the house, where I can start working on my masterpieces. All, in less than forty-eight hours. The man is relentless when it comes to making sure that all of my needs are taken care of.
And when I had suggested we have the long overdue Christmas party, combined with a New Year’s Eve one-he had agreed to it.
I’d also messaged Summer to let her know that I was fine, but that I needed a little more time to figure things out. Summer was initially upset about it. She’d insisted that I return to London or she’d be on the next flight to Sicily and drag me home.
I’d told her not to do that. Begged her to give me a little more time. I’d told her that I am in love with this guy. I’d wanted to tell her that I’d already married the man. Honestly, it had been on the tip of my tongue to tell her, but then I had chickened out. Because I know that she’ll be upset to find out that I got married without telling her. And then she’ll want to know everything and …
I’m still not ready to share with her all that has happened. No, I want to tell her everything in person. And yes… I am also a little worried about her reaction. She’s never going to forgive me for embarking on this adventure on my own, and without keeping her completely in the loop… And I know, the more I put it off, the worse it’s going to get…so… Yeah, for the moment, at least, I am okay with her. But at some point, I am going to have to tell her everything. Soon. Just not today.
Footsteps sound behind me. The scent of fresh snow, of darkness, of edgy testosterone, washes over me a second before his arms come around my waist. Andy wriggles in my arms, then digs his claws into my shirt as he attempts to climb up my chest. He peers over my shoulder, growls at my husband. Michael growls right back. Andy stiffens, then hisses at him. He turns his head away, wriggles in my arms, then proceeds to jump out and onto the wall of the terrace.
“That cat is the most fickle creature I have ever met.” His dark voice coils in my ear.
I shiver, then turn in the circle of his arms, “He’s my cat; of course, his loyalties lie with me. Speaking of,” I frown, “did you just growl back at him?”
“He needs to learn that he can’t monopolize my wife’s attention.”
“Are you jealous of a cat, Michael Byron Domenico Sovrano?”
“Uh, oh,” he smirks, “do you know how much of a turn on it is when you say my complete name?”
I slide my hand between us and cup the bulge at his crotch, “I am beginning to guess.”
He pushes into me and my hips touch the wall behind me. He tilts his hips so I can feel every single ridge of his length against my palm. Heat coils in my belly and moisture laces my panties.
“You’re so damn sexy, you know that?”
“I am, aren’t I?” He smirks.NôvelDrama.Org holds this content.
I laugh, “And not modest at all.”
“Can’t afford to be, in my line of work, baby.”
My smile promptly vanishes. “How are the talks going with JJ and Nikolai? Are they agreeable to legitimizing the businesses?”
“Not completely,” he raises a shoulder, “but I am sure I’ll win them over.”
“Like I said, not modest at all.”
“They’ll come around. They’ll have to, when they see that the figures make sense. This is an opportunity for them to carve out a future that is safer for their families too, after all.”
“You think they’ll agree to that?”
“They will, once we’ve figured out the practicalities of how to manage the transition.”
“Meanwhile,” he lowers his head so his eyelashes entangle against mine, “where were we?”
He drags his palms up my hips and his fingertips brush against the bandage across my lower back.
I freeze; so does he.
“What’s this?” He scowls, “Did you hurt yourself?”
“N… no,” I tip up my chin, “I, ah, wanted to add something to what you marked on my back earlier.
“Can I see?”
I nod, then turn my back on him. He raises my shirt, stares down at the strip of clear plastic which covers my lower back.
His breath catches. “Beauty, you…” his voice cracks. “you wrote my name on your body?”
“I wanted to…” I glance at him over my shoulder again, “I wanted to find a way to ink your name into my skin and this seemed fitting.
“Mika’s whore,” he reads out aloud. “You shouldn’t have hurt yourself further, this way.”
“It’s a hurt that I gladly bear,” I say softly. “I needed to show you that I meant it, that this time, I am not leaving you. That you are stuck with me, Don.”
He swivels me around in the circle of his arms. “My whore,” he kisses my forehead, “my slut,” he kisses me on one eyelid, “my pussy,” then the other. “My Beauty,” he kisses me on the tip of my nose. “Mine.” He presses his lips to mine. “Only mine.”
I share his breath, drag his scent into my lungs, and my entire core clenches. I lean in to deepen the kiss when.
“Get a room, you guys!”
Seb’s voice sounds behind us.
Michael groans. “Ignore him,” he murmurs as he presses his lips to mine. I open my mouth and his tongue sweeps in. He deepens the kiss and my belly trembles. He hauls me up against him, and I pull my hand out from between us and wind it about his shoulders. He pushes his hips forward and the thickness between his legs stabs into my core.
A whine bleeds from my lips and he swallows it down. He grabs my arse, squeezes, and heat jolts up my spine. I press myself into him and my breasts flatten against his chest. He nibbles on my lips and I can’t stop the moan the spills from my lips.
“Michael,” I gasp, “we need to stop. Your brothers… Your family will be here soon.”
“The fuck I care?”
“Michelangelo!” Nonna calls out, and both of us freeze.
Michael steps back, peers into my face. “To be continued,” he smirks.
Then, as if he can’t stop himself, he leans down and presses a hard kiss to my lips. He slides around to stand behind me, then places his hands on my shoulders. I glance toward the entrance where Nonna stands, a knowing look on her face. Seb and Massimo flank her. Seb smirks. Massimo looks like he’s about to say something, then seems to change his mind.