Chapter 33—Maria

6 months later …

One more secret …

This one was worth it though.

I couldn’t believe I’d managed to keep it from him for the last two days. All of two days.

We burst through the bedroom door. Me with my legs wrapped around Dante’s waist. Him pulling my dress over my head.

We’d landed at O’Hare International an hour ago from a beautiful three week honeymoon in the Bahamas. We could barely keep our hands off each other in the limo.

Now we were home to continue indulging for one more night before Flynn came home.

It was just that I had this secret, a surprise I was bursting to tell, but kept it since I had the perfect plan of sharing it.

If only I could bring myself to stop kissing my husband.

It was like breathing. If I wasn’t kissing him or touching him it felt wrong. Even sleeping felt like moments stolen away from me.

Any second that I wasn’t with him just felt odd to me, like I wasn’t living.

This was us—

Happy, alive and in love.

This was how it was supposed to be and how I imagined myself in my dream of happiness.

This was it me and him.

“Dante, I–”

He kissed the words away and anything I was going to say faded when we collapsed into the bed. The swirl of emotions that vibrated within me completely melted my resolve and I couldn’t resist him.

I was crazy to think I could have when most of our clothes had come off at the door.

This was it, I geared up for the moment I always longed for even if I’d felt it seconds ago.

It was the moment when my mind slipped away.

There it was …

It was like a dose of pure passion and desire that cleansed my mind of everything.

The very air around us seemed electrified and my heart danced with excitement with each kiss. Each and every passionate kiss that took me so high I had to look down to see heaven.

My mind slipped away. Slipping and fading more with every touch. Each touch he spread over my skin left me wanting more and more, and more.

Together we lay naked on the bed; skin to skin, body to body. Him and me together, completely lost in the waves of ecstasy.

With his hard body on top of mine he pushed my knees up and wedged himself between my thighs, satisfying the need I had for him as his ruthless cock slid into me. I moaned as he filled me right up and began to move inside me. Passion pounded the blood through my heart, heating up as it soared through my veins and set me on fire.

Together we found the tempo that bound our bodies together, soaring higher until we reached that peak. The glorious peak of sweet agony and love flowed through us in an explosion that sent me spiraling over the edge. The hot tide of passion swirled through us. I could feel it flowing through him too.

Shivers of delight followed his touch and we both surrendered to the call of passion, desire, love, everything.

Just like him it was everything.

We gasped and groaned as we both climaxed together, sharing the release.

He cupped my face, laced his fingers through mine and pressed his forehead to mine too.

“I can’t get enough of you.” He whispered against my hair.

I tilted my head slightly so I could look at him. “That works perfectly, because I can’t get enough of you either.”

He smiled down at me. That smile of his was as intimate as his kisses. “Then lets continue this in the shower.” He went to pick me up, but I remembered what I had to tell him.

“Dante no,” I swatted his hands away.

“Oh God no, not this. We’ve been married for close to a month and already you want to break our vows.”

I burst out laughing. “What on earth do you mean?”

“Pretty certain there was something in there about allowing me to touch you and have you whenever and wherever I want … forever.” He narrowed his eyes at me.

“You just made that up.”

“I absolutely did not.” He shook his head.

I cupped his face. “Dante fine, you win. I’m happy to be had and touched by you wherever and whenever you want forever. I have something to tell you first though.”

“Please God, don’t let it be that we have visitors. If Ava brings one more cupcake here I will shoot it.”

I giggled. “It’s not that and those cupcakes are delicious.”

“I don’t care how delicious they are. We’re busy for the next few years. The only person allowed to disturb us is Flynn and I can’t wait to see him.” His eyes sparkled.

“Well, that may change.”

“How do you mean?” He asked with a look of anticipation. He held my gaze and stared at me as something brightened in the depths of the blue. “Maria, what is it?”

Nerves and excitement filled me.

“I’m pregnant,” I said in a voice barely above a whisper. It was the emotions of saying it and telling him.

Then seeing his face, his mouth dropped and he sucked in a sharp breath. “What? Maria, say that again.”

“I’m pregnant Dante.”

His eyes filled with tears and one streamed down his cheek. “Oh my God. Oh my God. Baby, I’m going to be a father? I mean again. You know I love Flynn like he’s mine. He’s my son. Blood counts for nothing. That boy is mine. It’s just this is …”

He placed his hand on my stomach, looked down, and smiled.

“I know. You love Flynn like he’s yours and I love you for that. But this one is yours. It’s you and me.” I said it for him, I knew exactly what he meant.

I knew what he meant, because I felt the same way.

He leaned forward, kissed my stomach and then cupped my face.

“I love you, Maria. I love you so much.”

I would never get tired of hearing him tell me that. It was like renewing our vows every day.

“I love you too, Dante.”

He pressed his lips to mine giving me the sweetest kiss.

The type of kiss my soul could melt into.

Later that night as he lay asleep I went out on to the balcony to look at the stars.

It was a beautiful night, the kind of night Christina and I used to revel in since there were so many stars to wish on.

I sat in the chair and looked out at the night sky.

So many wishes had come true for me. So many things had happened just this year. Things I never thought I’d achieve.

I was the manager at the new branch of Delizioso. Me, a manager instead of a barmaid, or a waitress.

I was the manager. Ava gave me the chance and I did a damn good job.

I had a career, a beautiful son, a baby on the way, and a man who loved me to no end.

It was like I got to do everything all over again—a second chance.

I missed her though.

I missed Christina, my best friend.

She would have been proud of me.

I looked up at the brightest star and smiled, hoping she would hear my words.

“Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for choosing me. You meant so much to me, and I miss you.”

Words from my heart. With that I got up and went back to Dante, joining him in the bliss of our dreams.