23. Salvatore

Ican feel Gia's apprehension when we board the jet to leave Tahiti the next morning. We're both tired—we didn't sleep until late, spending the hours after dinner luxuriating in each other's company for our last night on our honeymoon.

Now that I've allowed myself to want her, it's hard to keep my hands off of her. Our nighttime swim in the pool turned into skinny dipping—and far more—before I took her back to bed, both of us staying up nearly until sunrise, unwilling to let the pleasures of the night come to an end. But eventually, we both fell asleep.

Letting myself feel what I do for Gia has been a revelation. I've never enjoyed someone else's company as much as I've found that I enjoy hers, now that we're not constantly fighting. She's remarkably funny, when her wit isn't being used as a weapon against me, and her optimism is infectious. Over the last week, I've felt myself loosening up, learning to relax for the first time in my life, and whereas before, I couldn't wait to get back to New York and my work, now I'm disappointed to leave Tahiti. I could use another week of sun and salt and spending every day wrapped up in my new wife.

But it's time to go home, and solidify our future. And for all the apprehension over how the new treaty with the Bratva might play out, there's a hope in both of us that we didn't have before.

This time, Gia sits next to me on the jet, curled against me while I scroll through documents on my tablet, and she reads. When we get tired, we go back to the bedroom together, and her slow teasing as she takes her clothes off quickly turns into me checking off another item on the list of things to do with my new wife—making her come with my tongue at 35,000 feet before I fuck her until we're both exhausted.

It's late at night when we get home, late enough that all either of us have the energy to do is get back to the mansion, and go to bed. Gia falls asleep in the town car on the way back, and although I should be thinking about what I need to do to finalize the deal with Igor, my attention keeps drifting to her.

She looks beautiful, sweet and innocent in her sleep, and I fight off a pang of guilt that I thought I'd entirely conquered in Tahiti. But now that we're nearly back home, I keep remembering how I felt before that, before she got under my skin and convinced me that everything I was so sure of about her was wrong. It's hard not to slip into who I was before. But I made her a promise, and just like the one that I made to protect her, I intend to keep this one as well.

Once we're back at the mansion, I walk with her up to our bedroom, where she sleepily tumbles into bed, pulling the covers up under her chin as she rolls over. I want to join her, but I have things that I need to check on first—one of which being that I need to check in with Josef about the situation with the Bratva.

He's waiting downstairs for me, as I requested. He nods as I walk down the hall to meet him, unlocking the door to my office and gesturing for him to follow me inside.

"Are there any recent threats?" I ask, without preamble, and he shakes his head.

"Since you and Igor came to an agreement, nothing. Everything indicates that they've backed off. None of my men have seen anyone scouting around, and we haven't received any communications or heard anything over the tapped channels that suggests they're being sent in to try to scope out the grounds, or look for ways to get in."

"I want security heightened, still. Back to what it was right after the wedding, and eyes on Gia at all times. We have a month until the wedding that solidifies all of this—that's plenty of time for them to change their minds or get other ideas in their heads. Understood?"

Josef nods. "Understood, boss. No one will get near her; I promise you that."

I believe him. Josef is exceptional at his job, and there's no one I'd rather have looking out for Gia. But still, I can't entirely feel safe until I know for certain that the deal is finished and done. And the only thing that will solidify that is this new treaty that's been arranged.

I feel for Bella. I know very well that I'm sending her to marry the man that I wouldn't allow Gia to be wed to, and I'm not insensible to the fact that it's my lack of emotional attachment to Bella that allows that to happen. But I've done all I can to ensure Bella's safety within the marriage, and I can't change our entire world overnight. I can only be sure that I can make it better for Gia and our family.

Letting out a long breath, I tell Josef goodnight, and head upstairs to join Gia. More than anything else right now, I need a good night's sleep.

—

I don't see Gia again until the next evening. I had to leave early in the morning to handle work, before she was awake, and I don't get back home until dinnertime. She's not in our bedroom when I go up to change, and to my surprise, I find her already in the dining room when I walk in, the table set for us with candles burning in the center and a decanter of red wine waiting.

She stands as I walk into the room, and my heart flips in my chest. She looks utterly gorgeous in a cherry-red skirt with a fluted hem and a sleeveless cream-colored silk blouse, her long dark hair falling thick and silky around her shoulders. She smiles as I walk in, and my heart slams into my ribs again, as I realize that this is the first time I've ever walked into this room and had her look at me this way.

It makes me want to sit her on the edge of the table and have my dessert first, instead of dinner.

"What's all this?" I tease her lightly as she walks towards me, resting her hands on my chest as she leans up to kiss me. "And what did you do with my stubborn, willful wife?"

Gia wrinkles her nose at me. "I wanted to do something nice for you. But I can always take it back if you keep that up."

"I wouldn't dream of it." I kiss her again, before going to sit down. "What did you do?"

"I planned a dinner for you. Frances tried to tell me what foods you liked and what your preferences were for weekly menus, when I first moved in. And, of course, I told her I didn't care," Gia admits sheepishly. "I wanted to make it up to you."

"I didn't know anything about that." No one told me, probably because none of the staff wanted to interject themselves in my marital troubles—understandably. But I'm curious to see what Gia has come up with.

"I know. But I still wanted to do it." Gia motions to the decanter of wine as she sits down. "Frances suggested your favorites, and what to pair it with, and I picked one. I never really paid attention to all of that, but I'm willing to learn, so I can handle those dinner parties and such that you were talking about."

She gives me a hesitant look, and I smile reassuringly at her. I know she's thinking about all of the times that I told her that her education as a mafia wife was lacking, and I feel bad about that now, knowing her better. But her willingness to make an effort all the same touches me, and I reach out, squeezing her hand lightly.

"I'm afraid being a husband isn't something I have experience with. But we'll figure it out together."

I can feel Gia relax into my touch, and I reach for the wine, pouring us each a glass. "What else did you do today?"

Gia smiles hesitantly, glancing over as one of the staff brings in the first course—a Caesar salad with Frances' homemade dressing. "You said I could redecorate if I wanted. I started looking into some options for the informal living room and our bedroom, to start. Something to make them a little lighter and airier. The living room, for example, has those high ceilings and big windows, but the colors make it seem dark and small?—"

I'm listening to her as well as I can, but the way she so casually says our bedroom catches me, making it hard for me to focus on anything else. A week ago, I know she wouldn't have said it so easily. She likely wouldn't have said it at all. And the way hearing it makes me feel—as if my heart is lighter and the future seems open and full of possibility—makes me willing to do anything necessary to ensure that Gia remains happy.

That she remains happy with me.

"You can do whatever you want," I assure her. "Spend whatever you like on decorating, re-do the mansion to your heart's content. I paid a decorator for it all the first time around, and I don't have any attachment to any rooms outside of my office. The rest of it is free for you to do whatever you please."

"There's a small room across the hall from ours." Gia bites her lip. "I know there's no solid reason to yet, but I want to turn it into a nursery."

My heart flips in my chest again, a mixture of tenderness and desire flooding me at her eagerness to prepare for the family we'll have together—a family that I'm now anticipating, instead of dreading.

"I like the sound of that, tesoro," I murmur, picking up my fork. "And I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it."

"What about you?" Gia looks at me, taking a bite of her salad. "Is everything still going ahead with the Bratva?"

I can hear the note of worry in her voice—likely the same worry that concerns me, that the deal will fall through in some way or Igor will change his mind. But I want to reassure her, and I nod, choosing not to share my own worries.

"The wedding is in a month. A date's been set, and Bella is making her plans already. We'll attend, to show good faith," I add. It's a detail that I'd been waiting to tell her, since I've been unsure how it would make her feel. "I know it might be strange, seeing him again, and under those circumstances." I can't bring myself to say Pyotr's name aloud to her. "But you and I need to be a united front—the don and his wife, there to see the agreement through."

Gia swallows hard, but she nods. "I understand," she says softly. "I'm your wife now, Salvatore. I know what that means. It won't be an easy day, but I'll get through it."

"We'll get through it together."

The rest of the dinner is perfect—Gia really did make sure that it catered to all of my preferences. The second course is a rich tomato cream bisque, followed by delicately cooked lamb chops and roasted potatoes. When the staff comes to clear away the dishes for the main course, I finish the last of my wine, then stand up and reach for Gia's hand.

She frowns at me. "There's still dessert?—"

"Oh, I know there is." I raise an eyebrow at her. "And I intend to have it upstairs."

Her cheeks flush instantly as she catches my meaning, and then her gaze drops, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. "Maybe not tonight," she says softly, and my stomach clenches at her refusal.

Gently, I reach down, skimming my fingers along the side of her jaw as I tip her chin up so that she's looking at me. "Why not, tesoro?" I ask softly. "I'll never force it, you should know that. But why the sudden change?"

Her blush deepens. "It's—you know." She winces. "That time of the month."

There's a hint of sadness in her voice, and I can guess why easily enough—it means she didn't get pregnant on our honeymoon. But there's an opportunity here that I'm not about to miss.

I told her in Tahiti that I only intended to go to bed with her when absolutely necessary, and for as long as it took for us to have a child together. Having sex with her tonight won't get her pregnant, but it will do something else—it will prove to her that she's all I want, children or not. That she means more to me now than just my duty.

"That doesn't matter to me." I reach for her, tugging her up out of her chair and into my arms. "Come upstairs with me, tesoro."

"But—"

I take her hand, leading her out of the kitchen and to the stairs before she has a chance to protest any further. We go all the way up to our room, and I lead her inside, straight to the huge en-suite bathroom, where I reach over and flip the taps on the huge bathtub, so that it starts to fill with hot water.

"You can always say no," I murmur, sliding my hands down her arms as I pull her close, leaning in to kiss her. "But I promise there will never again be a day when I don't want you, dolce. No matter when it is."

She gasps softly when I press my lips to hers, my hands dropping to her waist. I wait for her to protest again as I start to tug it up out of her skirt, but she doesn't, her back arching as my tongue slides along her lower lip.

"I'm sorry I'm not pregnant," she whispers, when I break the kiss to slip her shirt over her head. "I was hoping that the honeymoon?—"

"There's no need for apologies, tesoro." I toss the silk shirt down to the tiles, reaching for the clasp of her bra as I brush my mouth over hers again. "We'll get there in time. And until then, I'm more than happy to practice with you—and not stop until we have what we both want."

I feel her smile against my lips, her hands reaching for the buttons of my shirt as her bra joins hers on the floor. I reach for her breasts, filling them with my hands, cupping them, and lightly squeezing.

"Careful," Gia whispers. "They're sore."

"Oh, I intend to touch you as carefully as you need, tesoro." I sweep my thumbs over her nipples, feeling them tighten under my touch. "So carefully, you'll be begging for more before I give it to you."

Gia whimpers at that, craning her neck as I slide my lips down her throat, and I hear her soft gasp as I slide my hands over her breasts again, around to her back. I trail my fingers down her spine, reveling in the silky softness of her skin as I drag them down to the zipper of her skirt, tugging it and her panties down in one swift motion as she lets out a soft moan.

I cup her full ass with my hands, squeezing, my cock stiffening as I think of the moment when I'll take her there eventually, when I'll make every part of her mine. But for tonight, I know what I want.

Gia takes a step back, breathing hard. "Can you turn around for a second?" she asks, blushing. "I have some things I need to take care of, before?—"

She motions to the bath, and I nod, turning around to give her her privacy. I use the moment to finish taking off the rest of my clothing, leaving it in a pile next to hers as I test the water to make sure it's not too hot, and add a generous pour of bath oil to it. The fragrant scent of almonds and vanilla fills the air, the water shimmering with the silky oil atop it. I hear Gia clear her throat softly from behind me.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone as astonishingly gorgeous as she is. Seeing her naked, every time, takes my breath away. And from the way her gaze slides over me, her lips parting as she takes in every inch, she feels the same way.

"Your bath is ready." I motion to the water, and she raises an eyebrow, her eyes dropping to my erection and lingering there. I'm rock-hard, my cock nearly pressed to my abs and already leaking pre-cum, and it's obvious how much I want her.

"Are you going to join me?" she asks softly.

"Do you want me to?"

Gia steps forward, her breasts brushing against my chest, and reaches down, her fingers encircling my stiff length as she strokes me once, from base to tip, tugging a sharp breath from my lips. "What do you think?" she murmurs.

And then she releases me, turning and stepping into the hot bath, letting out a soft moan as she sinks down into the water.

I follow her as if tugged by a magnet, sinking down into the water behind her and pulling her against me as I lean back against the tub. Gia relaxes against me without hesitation, reaching up to pile her long hair atop her head and wind a hair tie around it. Her head sinks back against my shoulder, and I shift, adjusting my cock so that it lies against her back.

She wiggles a little, and I suck in a breath. "Isn't that uncomfortable?" she asks teasingly, and I can't help lifting my hips, pressing my erection against her spine.

"A bit," I murmur into her ear, reaching to run my hands over her breasts again. "But I'll be inside of you soon enough, dolce. First, though, I want to make you come for me."

Her soft whimper sends a shock of arousal through me. I run my palm down her flat stomach, a possessive desire filling me and making my cock throb as I imagine it round and swollen under my hand instead. She's mine, my wife, and soon enough, she'll be tied to me in every way imaginable, irrefutably mine for all our lives.

She arches up into my touch the moment my fingers graze over her sensitive clit, the warm water heightening everything as I rub my fingertips over her. She's more responsive to me than anyone I've ever touched, and my own arousal is nearly unbearable as I start to stroke her, my entire body aching with the need to be inside of her. I flutter my fingers over her clit as she gasps, making the water ripple against her as I urge her toward her orgasm. As I press my mouth against her throat and lick my way down to her collarbone, she writhes against me, making my cock throb with a desperate need to come.

I've never had trouble holding onto my orgasm before her, but Gia makes me feel as if it takes everything in me not to spill my cum just from the feeling of her against me. She turns me on more than I thought possible, and I rock my hips against her, eager to feel her come against my fingers so I can sink myself into her. I need to feel her, tight and wet and hot, wrapped around my cock.

She gasps again, her thighs opening wider as I rub her clit, and I hook my legs over hers, pinning them in place as I start to make small, tight circles with my fingertips. She bucks upwards into my touch, gasping, and I smile against her skin, nipping at the delicate skin of her throat with my teeth as I push her closer to the edge.

"Come for me, tesoro," I whisper. "Come for me like a good girl, and I'll give you my cock."

Gia moans, a high, throaty sound as her body obeys my command instantly, her every muscle flexing tight as her hands scrabble against the sides of my thighs, her hips writhing as she comes hard. My cock aches at the sounds she's making, her high-pitched cries sending a jolt of pleasure down my length with every one, and the moment I feel her start to relax against me, I grab her hips, spinning her around in the water so that she's straddling me. I grab my cock in my fist, angling it between us, and drag her down onto me as my eyes roll back in my head at the relief of feeling myself sink into her heat.

"God, dolce," I groan, fingers digging into her flesh as I start to slide her up and down on my cock. "Every time I'm inside of you, I think I've died and gone to heaven."

"You're close to it, aren't you?" Gia teases, nipping at my ear as she rolls her hips. "What's your next birthday?"

I turn my head, biting her neck lightly and then catching her mouth with mine, my teeth grazing her lower lip as I sweep my tongue into her mouth at the same moment that I thrust up hard into her. "Remember what I said about tying you to the bed, tesoro?" I murmur against her lips, moving her up and down my shaft again as I feel myself tense with the urge to come. "I can punish you all night for your teasing, and still fuck you again in the morning."

"Prove it." She runs her tongue up my ear, and I groan, throbbing as I push myself into her to the hilt. "You won't."

"Oh, I will." I kiss her again, hard, holding her down against my lap as I rock back and forth, luxuriating in the feeling of being so deeply inside of her. "When you least expect it, tesoro, I'll take a day and make you beg for me until you're hoarse with it. And then I'll coat your throat with my cum, before I fill you up with it until you're dripping."

Gia gasps, a ragged moan escaping her as she clenches around my cock, and I know I'm seconds from coming. I rock my hips again, grinding her clit against me as I thrust into her with small, shallow movements, wanting to feel her pussy squeeze the cum from my cock. She's close, too, and I capture her mouth with mine once more, sucking on her lower lip as I grind our bodies together, the lap of the water between us adding to the sensation.

It reminds me of fucking her in the pool, at our villa in Tahiti, except this time we're home. Together, in our bedroom, for the first time. I'm suddenly glad, as she whimpers against my lips and I feel her muscles tense, that this is our first time here, after things had changed between us. I'm glad that every time we'll ever be together in this place will be like this, with these new feelings alive between us, with desire and passion and tenderness, instead of what there was before.

I wrap my arms around her, one hand sliding around the back of her head, holding her mouth to mine as the other grasps her hip. I thrust up into her once more, our bodies glued together, and I feel the moment that she tumbles over the edge as she cries out against my mouth, her pussy squeezing my cock as she comes hard on my length.

I can't hold back a second longer. I wrap my arm around her waist, holding her hard against me as I groan her name, the sound swallowed up in the kiss as my cock throbs. I spill my cum inside of her, a flood of it with every excruciatingly pleasurable ripple of her around me. We move together, in a slow, rocking motion as the orgasms course through us both, and Gia moans against my lips as she clings to me, gasping as she feels me throb inside of her once more.

My fingers slide into her hair, and I kiss her once more, feeling the last of my orgasm spill inside of her as she tightens around me one more time, sinking into my chest as the hot water settles around us.

We don't move for a long time. Gia lies there against me, her head on my shoulder, my softening cock still buried inside of her, her legs wrapped around me, and my arms around her. I don't want to let her go, and she seems to have no desire to move.

I have the urge to tell her how I feel, to put a voice to it, to say the three words that I know she'll want to hear from me sooner rather than later. But I can't bring myself to say it just yet. Every time they try to emerge, I feel my throat close up, keeping them from slipping onto my tongue and all the reasons why I shouldn't say it yet filling my head.

I'm falling for her. I've already fallen. I know it, and yet I can't tell her just yet. Not with the treaty still not finalized, not until I know for sure that I can protect her forever, exactly the way I promised.

I need to focus on the danger ahead, and keeping us both safe through that, on making certain I honor Enzo's wishes by seeing the treaty through. And then I'll focus on the other way that I can ensure I honor all that he wanted—by being the husband that Gia needs.

I'll tell her after the wedding, I promise myself, running my fingers down her spine and basking in the small moan that slips from her lips. I'll tell her then, when everything is safe, and the alliance is finalized, when I can feel certain that nothing can separate her from me.

When I can feel safe letting go completely with her, baring myself in full.

I hold her closer, wanting to keep her there forever. And all I can hear in my head is one word, repeated over and over, a steady echo of the feeling thrumming through my veins.

Mine.

And I'm never going to let anyone take her from me.