I laugh and shove him, and he catches my wrist and pulls me back in. Then he’s lifting me up in the air, and I’m biting my lip to keep from screaming and waking Luca up.
Kissing him seems like a better use of my mouth. I wrap my legs around his waist and do exactly that as he carries me to our bedroom.
Axel
We’re on the couch, Luca napping in his room, when Enzo’s phone buzzes.
He glances at it. His face changes.
“What’s wrong?”
Enzo hesitates, then he slides his phone over to me. On the screen is an e-mail:
SUBJECT: LUCA BELLANTI: CUSTODY
Dear Mr. Bellanti:
I would like to speak with you about the custody case for Luca Bellanti. Are you available for a brief virtual meeting?
Sincerely,
Jane Huang
Family Law
Los Angeles
“Do you know what this is about?”
“I-I don’t.” He closes his eyes. His hands are shaking—actually shaking. “I shouldn’t have taken Luca out of California.”His voice cracks. “What if the state is angry? What if they put him in foster care? What if?—”
I pull him against me. “Stop, baby. Breathe. I’m Luca’s father, Enzo. You brought Luca to his father. That’s all the government needs to know. I’ve already added Luca to my insurance and paperwork for the Blizzards. I’m working on creating a trust for him. This is a good reminder that I need to finalize everything. I won’t let anything happen to either of you. I won’t.”
“It’s a weird e-mail though.”
“Yeah.” My arm tightens around him. “But I’ll be right there beside you when you speak to her. And maybe this is about something else. Don’t worry.”
“Thank you.”
“E-mail her and say you’ll speak to her tomorrow. Do it quickly.”
“Quickly?”
“There’s something else we can focus on instead.”
“Is there?”
I waggle my eyebrows.
Enzo huffs a laugh—shaky, but real. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I’m helpful.”
He types a quick reply, then tosses his phone aside.
When he looks at me, some of the fear has faded.
I kiss Enzo until he gasps and writhes beneath me, and I’m certain he’s not thinking about e-mails from California lawyers.
