Chapter One
Mia
Luc’s coffee cooled on the kitchen island as he soothed Link in his arms. Our cub exercised his lungs for most of the morning but had finally found some peace, rocked by his dad. Cerb followed Luc around the kitchen, brushing against his legs, making Luc cautious with every step he took. He carried the most precious cargo he’d ever been gifted with.
“I don’t have to go,” I said, breaking the peaceful scene and walking towards them. “I’d much rather spend the day with the both of you.” Abandoning Luc, Cerb padded over to me and I scratched behind his ears. Our first baby still preferred me over Luc.
Luc looked up and quirked an eyebrow. “And have Katia corner me about keeping you from wedding planning?” he asked as I straightened up. His free arm came around my waist and pulled me against his body. I leaned against him, peeking down at Link who yawned, tired from his tantrum. It had been wishful thinking that Link might have grown up with a gentle temperament when Luc and I both had a fiery streak. “There are easier ways to kill me, Mia,” Luc informed me before brushing his lips against mine.
“Don’t even joke,” I said, resting my head against his chest. Luc, Link and Cerb were the ones that had kept me grounded. In the moments that I felt like I was losing myself, when the guilt became all consuming, I looked to my family and reminded myself that they were my reason to keep pushing through.
“I’m not going anywhere, princess,” Luc told me, placing another kiss on the top of my head.
“Morning!” Dante’s voice boomed through the house as he entered our kitchen. “Boss,” he addressed me. “Lurch was hanging around outside so I let him in, but say the word and I can toss him out again.”
Franco took up the doorway to the kitchen, glaring at Dante’s back. No matter how much I’d have loved to have lost my surly shadow, he was a safer bet with us rather than back under Gabe’s thumb.
“Are you ready?” he asked me sharply.
I peeled myself away from Luc, but he caught my hand, pulling me back to him for a kiss. Never satisfied and always impatient, Luc could have had his own tagline. “Enjoy yourself,” he muttered against my lips. “I don’t want you worrying about Link.”
“Behave yourself and I won’t,” I shot back. I placed a gentle kiss on Link’s forehead so as not to wake him from the nap he’d decided to take.
“You go pick up something sexy that will help expand the family and let the boys be boys,” Dante said, biting into a pastry and sending crumbs down his shirt that he brushed off onto the floor without a second thought.
My cheeks burnt as I shot him the middle finger. Franco moved aside to let me out of the kitchen, and I picked my bag up from the hallway. “Dom!” I called out. “We’re leaving now.”
A few moments later, he appeared, dressed head-to-toe in black, to match Franco. There had been a slight shift in our dynamic, courtesy of Luc promoting Dom from handyman to security detail. A job he was more than qualified for. Our friendship played second to his new role. Dom was one of us and deeply trusted, and Luc had made it crystal clear that his life wouldn’t be worth living if anything happened to me. When I asked what Rodrigo had thought about it all, Dom simply replied with, “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” His husband had been discreetly left out of the loop where it was safest.
Dom’s presence had eased my concerns over Franco. I still didn’t trust him, and he still hadn’t thawed towards me. My entire existence felt like it was beneath him.
A thirty-minute drive into the city led us to a string of boutiques, one of which had Katia and Rosalie standing outside. I had debated on asking Vittoria to join us but after the revelation on New Year’s Eve, I felt uncertain around her. Dante had barely said a word on the matter, but Luc and I felt the same. She had known Xavier was leaving and made a point of not mentioning a word to Dante. It had made us question her loyalty and with that in mind, I’d fallen on the other women I’d grown close to.
“I thought you were joking,” I said, flushing red for the second time that morning as I exchanged kisses with the pair.
“Wedding night is just as important as the day,” Katia said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. She then looked past me with a wicked grin and added, “Don’t you agree, Franco?”
Looking over my shoulder, I watched as he turned a violent shade of red, reminiscent of a beetroot. I didn’t think embarrassment was a feeling that registered on his emotional scale but apparently it was there and coaxed out by the mention of a passionate night and lingerie shopping.
We walked into the store, Franco and Dom deciding that they would wait outside as we browsed. My fingers brushed against satin, silk and lace, savouring the textures against my skin. Bustiers, stockings and garters surrounded us, all designed intricately with the aim of making a bride as appetising as possible on her wedding night. My mind wandered back to the days before Luc and I had established what we were, just before Dom’s wedding when he’d tried to embarrass me when a retail assistant had asked if we were getting married. Who’d have thought that playful teasing would become a reality?
“You should get something that matches your dress, Mia,” Rosalie said, looking over to me. In her hands was a beaded corset, cream with pale pink detailing and lace along the back to cinch the waist. I couldn’t help but think what a waste it would be to buy something so beautiful. Luc wouldn’t have the patience to unwrap me carefully. Enough of my clothes had met their maker, thanks to his primal desires. The thought made my cheeks heat again.
“Have you decided on a design?” Katia asked.
“We’ve barely started,” I admitted, groaning internally.
“You must have some idea,” she said, eyes wide. “Every girl dreams of her wedding day.”
Even if I had, my dreams had been a far cry from everything it was becoming. Having a gown designed for me had never once crossed my mind and yet that was what would happen. Certain parameters had already been put in place. Luc had told me that I could have flamingos as ushers for all he cared. His only request was that the service be held at the church so that my dress would have no deep cuts and seductively plunging necklines. I’d be in something more modest for the service as I played the role of a virgin bride. That wasn’t the reason I was dragging my feet with sending ideas over to the designer. It was the exorbitant price tag on a dress that I’d wear for a single day.
“Maybe we should go dress shopping. You could try some things on and see what you like. It might help,” Rosalie suggested.
“Brilliant idea!” Katia beamed. “How are you fixed for the weekend?”
“I’m free,” I told them both. My social calendar had been kept clear on purpose after Xavier’s unexpected business trip and the business with Amber. It felt safer to be at home. Less reckless than flaunting myself in public. This was my first outing since New Year’s Eve and the Amber incident.
We wrapped up at the store, deciding against picking up anything until I’d settled on a dress design, and made a pitstop for brunch at a café.
