21.

TABBY

I finished rubbing the lotion into my hands and then sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror. I'd been with Luca for a little more than three months now, but tonight would be the first time we had ever had sex without my pregnant belly in the way.

In the six weeks since I'd delivered the twins, Luca and I had fooled around, but he'd been extra careful of my healing incision even when I insisted that I was feeling fine and ready to have sex with him . . . wild and crazy, heels behind my ears, scream down the rafters sex - something I had never experienced with Luca before. The sex we'd had had been great, but my belly and the myriad of aches and pains that came with pregnancy had made things difficult. I still had a pooch and stretch marks that would always tell the story of Paolo and Degano's birth, but I wasn't ashamed of my body at all.

However, even though I wasn't self-conscious, I was nervous about tonight. Somehow, it felt like a new beginning for us even though we'd been sleeping in the same bed for months now. I had happily requested the doctor start my birth control shot a few weeks ago so that when I was finally released after my surgery, I would be protected from pregnancy because it wasn't like I had no idea this night would happen. If anything, I'd been dreaming about it since I met Luca - a time to be with him without the weight of the world on my shoulders and the mass of two babies in my belly.

Luca had treated me like a queen since the day we met, and he'd treated Ember like the little principessa he referred to her as since the first time he met her. I couldn't ask for a better man in my life and counted my lucky stars that he had been the one to find me rather than one of the other men in his employ.

Although I had always dreamed of a fairy tale life, I never believed in fate before I met Luca. I couldn't help but wonder how different my life might be now if someone else had been assigned to suss out whether or not I was a gold digger who was working with the Russians or whoever else happened to be plotting against The Four Families. Even though I would never do such a thing in the first place, the fact that everyone I'd met from Luca's life treated me with honor and respect surely would have changed my mind.

But no one would ever treat me the way Luca did. I was well aware of that fact, so I did everything in my power to show him just how much I appreciated him and, hopefully, how much I loved him.

There was a light knock on the bathroom door, and it jerked me out of my musings. I took one last glance at my reflection in the mirror - my hair was shiny from the recent spa treatments that my mother-in-law had introduced me to, my skin was glowing and healthy with a hint of color on my cheeks from the excitement I felt about tonight. Even though my hands were shaking with nerves, I was ready to walk out the door and face my husband so we could start our new life as husband and wife - until I convinced him it was time to have more children of our own, and we went through all of this again. And then again. Hopefully several times since I had never wanted anything more than to have the prince in his castle along with lots of children to love.

"Are you going to join me out here sometime tonight, la mia adorabile moglie?"

His lovely wife. That was my favorite sound lately - my husband pronouncing that I belonged to him.

I opened the door and found Luca leaning against the bedpost wearing nothing but a loose pair of lounge pants and a smile. A look around the room told me he'd been waiting for a while because there were groupings of candles lit on top of the dresser, the table next to the window, and both nightstands. My gaze went back to Luca, and the sight of him was enough to shoot sparks through my entire body, but the heat pooled between my legs as I watched his cock begin to grow as he studied me.

"Lou," Luca whispered as he pushed away from the bedpost. "God, you look ravishing. Voglio mangiarti e sentirti urlare il mio nome."

"What did you say?" I asked as Luca pulled me into his arms.

He kissed me until I was breathless, walking us around the bed until the back of my thighs hit the mattress behind me. He pushed me back and slowly lowered me down beneath him before he pulled his lips away from mine and answered, "I want to eat you up and hear you scream my name."

"That sounds sexy in both languages," I murmured as I tucked my thumbs into the waistband of his pants and pushed them down. I felt his cock spring free against my thigh and reached for it only to have Luca pull his hips back. "Hey! I was going to play with that!"

Luca chuckled as he shook his head. "I'm going to play with you first."

"I have a better idea," I said as I pushed him away so he had no choice but to stand up and then lifted my negligee so he could see my pussy. I spun around on the bed so my head was laying over the edge of the mattress and said, "Come closer so we can play with each other at the same time."

"This is how I'm going to die," Luca murmured as he let his pants fall to the floor, leaving him gloriously naked, his golden skin shimmering from the light of the candles he had lit for our night together. When I reached up and wrapped my hands around his cock, stroking up and down as I waited for him to get close enough for me to touch him with my mouth, Luca moaned. "What a way to go."

I brought Luca's cock to my lips and swirled my tongue around the head before I sucked it as deep as possible, pulling him closer with my hands on the backs of his thighs. I could almost feel Luca's gaze on my body, so I bent my legs up and let them fall to the sides, opening myself up for his eyes only as I swallowed around his cock.

"Fuck me. Santa merda. Oh Dio. Do that again," Luca begged as he slowly started moving his hips in rhythm with the hands that were trying to pull him closer. I almost choked when Luca fell forward and pulled my clit between his lips as his hands spread me wide. It took a few seconds for us to find our rhythm, but when we did, it was magical and so pleasurable that I knew I would be able to come just by the pressure of his mouth alone.

After a few minutes with Luca's fingers deep inside me and his lips humming around my clit, I exploded and let out a muffled shout. I heard Luca hiss, and then he yanked his hips back as he worked my clit even more than before, throwing me into another orgasm that took my breath away.

I was still reeling from my orgasm when Luca stood up and grabbed my leg, turning me on the bed until he could hook his arms beneath my knees and lift me up. He slammed his cock into me and held still with a look of concentration on his face that was so intense I knew he was about to come too.

I wanted him to feel as good as he'd made me feel, so I used the leverage I had with his arms holding me up and started moving my hips, fucking him as hard as I could until he finally opened his eyes and let out a loud shout. I could feel his cock twitching deep inside me and reached around my leg to cup his balls and fondle them, giving them a gentle tug each time I felt him release inside me.

Luca let out a pained groan as his entire body shuddered, and then he collapsed on top of me with a sigh.

"I'm dead. That's the end of me. I've never felt anything like that before and . . . Fuck, Lou, I think you killed me."

"Do you mind if that's what I did?"

"God, no. Let's do it again in just a minute."

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear."

◆◆◆

"This changes everything," I said as I walked closer to the window. "I had no idea they could do that."

"It's some sort of smart glass. We can see out but no one can see inside unless I push this button. If I push this button, it becomes opaque."

"You and your buttons," I said as I sauntered naked across the living room. The remote in his hand was forgotten when he looked up and saw me, his eyes heating instantly as his cock sprang to attention. "I've got some buttons I'd like for you to push."

"Is that so?" he mumbled as he rested his hands on my hips. He started kissing my belly, and after a few seconds, I realized he was kissing each stretch mark, so I laughed uncomfortably and tried to pull away. Luca gripped my hips tighter so he could hold me in place and looked up at me as he said, "They're some of my favorite things. If you didn't have them, I would never have met you."

"I'm not completely self-conscious about them, but I can never forget they're there. Now I'll look at them differently because in a way they brought me you."

"And they also brought you back to Brett and Coco."

"That's true."

"I love you, Tabby, and I want to marry you in front of our friends and family," Luca said as he stared up into my eyes.

"We're already married."

"I want to give you the world, and I'll start that by shouting from the rooftops that you're my beautiful wife and Ember is my daughter."

"The rooftops, huh?"

"Or the newspapers. That might be more effective."

"You really want a big wedding?"

"You told me one time that when you were a little girl, you dreamed of having a huge wedding with the puffy dress and the bridesmaids in matching dresses. I want to give you that dream."

"You're my dream, Luca," I whispered as I pushed him back and straddled his lap. "I'll marry you every day if that means I get to keep you for the rest of my life."

"Pick a date," Luca said before he bit back a moan as I slowly slid down onto his cock. "We need to get things . . . I can't concentrate when you do that."

"Try. I'll just keep myself busy while you plan our wedding."

"Can't. . . We'll talk about it tomorrow," Luca said as his head dropped back against the couch.

"I like that idea," I said as I leaned over and gave him a long kiss. "Right now, I've got other things on my mind."

"You were made for me, Lou. I swear you were."

"I think we were made for each other."

◆◆◆

LUCA

"Hey, Dad. Is Bernadette around?"

"She is. I'll put you on speaker."

"Hi, Luca! What's up?"

"Tabby agreed to marry me again, so I'm going to need you to plan our wedding."

"Oh my God, are you serious?"

"As a heart attack," I said with a grin as Tabby let her head drop forward.

I heard her whisper, "What have I gotten myself into now?" and couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"Is she excited? I can't wait to find the perfect dress for her. How many bridesmaids will she have? She'll need one for each of your groomsmen."

"Simon is going to be in my wedding, and so is Darlene. Maybe even Reynaldo," Tabby said firmly. "And, of course, there are Brett and Bex. Oh! And Stan! I just love her, and I think it would be great if she could stand with me."

"Simon and Darlene can give you away," I suggested.

"No. Sasha can do that. I want Simon to be my man of honor."

"I think that's a great idea."

Tabby squealed as she reached for her phone. "I'm going to call them right now!"

I watched as Tabby bounded into the kitchen with her phone at her ear and smiled when she started squealing again as she told Simon about her plans.

"Well, son, I think you made both of our women happy today."

"Looks like it. Can you spare Bernadette for a while so she can come help us plan?"

"I'm nothing if not mobile, son. Just tell us when you want to start, and we'll be there."

"The sooner the better. I want the world to know that Tabby's my bride."

"I'm free this week."

"I'll send the jet. Tuesday alright?"

"Sounds perfect."

"Okay. I'll have the pilot text you the details and get housekeeping to refresh your apartment."

"I'll see you then, son."

"Love you, Dad."

"Call your mother. She's going to be beside herself. I love you too."

Once my dad hung up, I got off the couch and went in search of Tabby. I found her sprawled across our bed on her stomach with her feet swinging back and forth as she talked to Simon and typed on her laptop. The first picture that showed up as she started scrolling was a wedding dress. When I told her I was going across the hall to visit Matteo, she barely even acknowledged me.

I walked out into the foyer and straight into my brother's apartment. I didn't have to call out for him because I could hear him moving around in the kitchen.

"What's up?" Matteo said as I rounded the corner.

"I just wanted to tell you that I won."

"Were we having a contest I didn't know about?"

"Just wait," I told him with a grin as I dialed our mom's number. As soon as she answered, I put her on speaker. "Hey, Mom. Great news."

"What's going on, sweetheart?"

"Tabby wants to have a big church wedding, and she's already looking at dresses."

My mom's scream probably startled every one of her neighbors, and I heard Papà's voice getting closer as he shouted her name.

"Luca's going to get married in the church!" Mom yelled.

"That's what you"re screaming about?" Papà asked incredulously.

"Carlo! My sweet boy is finally going to give me a wedding," Mom said with tears in her voice. "My baby is growing up."

I grinned at my brother and gloated. "I win. At this point, she probably doesn't even remember your name."

"Fuck off," Matteo grumbled. In a more cheerful voice, he said, "Hey, Mamma."

"Luca? Are you there?"

I burst out laughing as my brother stared at me in horror. "Yeah, Mamma. I'm right here. I'll see if Lou wants to stop by this evening so the two of you can figure out a few dates to choose from."

"What can I make you for dinner, mio principe?"

"I'll come too," Matteo offered.

"Oh. Sure, Matteo. You can come over. Luca, baby, what do you want me to cook for dinner?"

"Burn," I said as I touched my finger to Matteo's shoulder and hissed. "I'd like lasagna, Mamma. If that's not too much trouble."

"Anything for my boy."

"Is seven o'clock okay?"

"That sounds perfect," Mamma said before she told me she loved me and hung up the phone.

"Hmm. Who is Matteo again?" I asked sarcastically.

"Enjoy yourself, little brother. Someday, I'll get my revenge."

"Yeah, but I got a wife out of the deal, so I win either way."

"She's seriously going to marry your ass in front of the world? You'd think she might want to keep that a secret."

"Will you be my best man?" I asked, my tone serious now.

"I'd be hurt if you didn't ask." Matteo laughed softly. "It might make up for the fact that I wasn't there for the first round."

"I needed to do whatever I could to protect both of you in case this went south."

"But it didn't, and that's a good thing."

"It's your turn next, Matteo."

Matteo scoffed before he said, "The woman I want won't have anything to do with me, and nothing's going to change that."

"Six months ago, I would have never guessed that I'd be here today, but look at me now."

"I haven't ever seen you so calm and happy."

"That's what love does to a man."

"I could use a dose of that. I've been taking out my frustrations on the dumbasses that think the neighborhood belongs to them. That's helped, but maybe I need to look elsewhere and find a woman who can give me the kind of love you have with Tabby."

"You could always fall in love with someone in the wedding party."

"That's highly unlikely since the women she's going to choose are already married or as good as."

"Not her maid of honor."

"She's not going to have Brett in that role?"

"I think Brett's going to be a bridesmaid. Tabby's got someone else in mind for her maid of honor."

"Maybe I'll have a chance with that one. Perfect start to a romance, don't you think? It will be something we can tell our grandchildren about."

"I'll tell Simon you're already planning your family with him."

"Are you fucking kidding?" When I grinned, Matteo shook his head. "I'd do anything for you, brother, and that includes escorting the man who can't seem to stop propositioning me like I'm a two-dollar hooker on a half-price night."

"Good. I'll make sure he brings a dollar when he comes over to help us plan."

"Seriously, though. Congratulations, Luca. I'm glad you're happy."

"Like I said, it's your turn next."

"We'll see."

"Luca!" Tabby called from the doorway. "Are you in here?"

"I am," I yelled back as I turned to watch for her in the doorway.

"Your mom just called and asked if we could change the time to six. I didn't know we were going over there this evening! I've got to go pick up Ember so I can get her ready."

"I'll go get her, dolcezza," I offered.

"No. I'll go. I want to talk to Brett."

"I already asked Matteo to be my best man."

"Oh. You're going to be Simon's very favorite person when he finds out," Tabby said with a cheeky grin. "He loves Matteo."

"I'll ride over to Mamma's with you this evening," Matteo said, ignoring Tabby's teasing. "I'll call down and let Gabe know we need to leave by 5:15 at the latest."

"Thanks, big brother!" Tabby said cheerfully before she put her arm around my waist.

"Are you ready for all of this excitement, sorellina?"

"I can't wait. I can do anything as long as I've got this one in my corner." Tabby looked up at me and smiled before she gave me a kiss. "Love you. I'll be back with Ember in just a bit. She's going to be so excited!"

I called out, "Love you too!" as Tabby took off around the corner, on a mission to get to Brett so she could share the good news.

"What are you thinking right now, Matteo?" I asked my brother.

"Let the games begin."