“Since it’s not raining outside, but rain on your wedding day is incredibly auspicious, come here, wife.”
He wraps his hands around my face, his eyes full of glittering promises and endless devotion. Dante dips down and kisses me softly. So gently, my heart breaks, which hurts as much as the heart attack I thought I was having before when I couldn’t find them. But Dante’s kiss breaks my heart so beautifully, or maybe it’s how he keeps putting me back together that makes my chest ache so much.
“I wish you got to meet Nonna,” he says, talking over my lips before he presses his mouth back to mine, his tongue teasing me until he growls and kisses me hard.
He doesn’t stop for what feels like forever, and he gets pretty fucking filthy in his sweet kisses. We only break apart when the water turns cold. But he did that too.
“Dante!”
“You weren’t going to let me get out without me filling your body, which breaks all the good luck the rain on your wedding day brings. Just admit it.” He winks as he turns the shower off.
“We’re already married.”
“Don’t worry about the details.” He rolls his eyes. “Today, everyone is seeing us as married, so it’s the same. Right?”
“In your world.”
“Smart wife, you are.” He reaches past me and grabs us both a towel. Before he uses his, he strips out of his workout gear, and instead of teasing me, he dries off in record time and saunters out of Valentine’s room with the towel tied around his waist, whistling the Bridal March.
I shake my head, trying to keep up with him. Except, I love the way he lives and the chaos he brings.
As Dante promised, I find Valentine in my bed. He’s asleep on his stomach, my pillow in his arms.
He looks so peaceful, and after Dante told me how tired he was, I try not to wake him when I sneak in to get some clothes. I’m about to leave when I look back. He’s so fucking beautiful, I have to.
But he’s awake, watching me. The blue of his eyes is so vibrant. They’re also full of what looks like love.
“Hey,” I mumble softly as I walk toward him, my plan of leaving him to rest flying out the window.
Valentine stretches his hand out for me to touch. “I didn’t wake you last night, did I? You looked exhausted when we came in and didn’t even stir when I pulled you onto my pillow and into my arms.”
“Yeah, apparently I was sleeping like the dead. I had a mini heart attack because you weren’t there when I woke up, but I also failed to see all the signs you had been. Thank you for my flowers and my snack. Are you okay?”
A sleepy-eyed Valentine is what fantasies are made of. Every part of him is sweet. Hard but sweet. He goes to roll over, and I nearly give in to the arousal slowly building, but the traditions Dante shared have me pressing my hand down on Valentine to stop his rolling over. It’s safer. Easier to deny myself this way. I think.
I give in to some of my temptation and climb onto Valentine’s back to sit on the sway of it. I sink down against his warm body and bury my face in the crook of his neck to soak in his scent.
“God, I needed this,” he mumbles, twisting one of his arms around to give me an awkward hug. “I was having the worst dreams ever last night. I kept dreaming I was walking into my room and you weren’t there. Then I couldn’t find you anywhere.”
I drop my head, trying to get somehow closer. “I think we may have shared dreams.”
“I sleepwalk when I’m tired and stressed. There’s been a couple of times I have woken up ready for a fight. Subconsciously, I think I was worried I would hurt you, but I hope you know I’d never actually hurt you. Certainly not intentionally.”
“Val,” I whine against his throat. “I know that with my whole heart.”
“I figured if I couldn’t sleep next to you, I’d just sleep in your bed, so I’m still sleeping next to you, in a sense.”
“Makes sense. But next time, don’t go.”
“I'm not sure I could live with myself if I did something to hurt you, even if I wasn’t aware of it.”
“You won’t.”
“Layne, I’m not going to test your confidence in me. Some nights, you’ll wake up alone, but I’m always with you.”
“And I’m always with you.”
He bucks his hips up before he starts grinding into the mattress. He makes deep, soft groans, letting me know.
