She blushes and quickly yanks her robe in place as if I haven’t done more than look at her pussy.
“It’s okay, baby. You’re there for them, which is fine. But I’m here for you. I want you to rest. It’s why we’re here.”
She’d suggested this place because it holds sentimental significance to her, and I wanted her to enjoy it to the fullest, which was why I asked the nanny to come along, although she’s in a different quarter.
“Look at you schooling me about rest as if you get any yourself.”
She’s got a point. I know I’m not one to speak because I’m barely away from work myself, even with Matteo still carrying out his duties as my second-in-command. But I can’t stand seeing her stressed, passion or not. Heck, she could choose not to lift a finger for the rest of her life, and she’d live in luxury until the end of time.
“Having a beautiful wife and daughter is enough rest for me, Princess.”
She giggles softly, rolling her eyes. “Oh, please, Mr. Moretti. Don’t patronize me.”
Soft breeze whooshes onto the balcony and carries her robe once more. I feel myself getting impossibly hard.
“It would seem that nature wants me to patronize you with something…harder than words, Mrs. Moretti.”
I quirk a brow at her, looking her up and down with a slow, hungry smirk. She bites her lips, her eyes trailing to the obvious tent in my pants. It looks like she’s about to say something when Aurora chooses this exact moment to stir awake.
Her hair is even redder than it was at birth, matted across her forehead as her big doe eyes slowly blink open.
“Hi, Princess.” I smile, cooing against her cheeks. She shows a smile filled with scanty teeth then squeals. I push mydisappointment aside, chuckling just as she spreads her hands toward Bella. Aurora is her mother’s splitting image.
“Mama, hug…hug.”
My smile deepens when she squirms excitedly. Happy baby, that’s what her Aunt Elena calls her whenever she comes to visit in New York.
At first, it was a bit difficult for Bella to decide if she wanted her stepmother or her sister anywhere near her new life, but after months in therapy, she finally caved in. Just for Elena.
Elena, too, went to therapy. According to Bella, Elena had spent years living the life she was conditioned to, but now she’s reclaiming the life she wants. She decided to drop partying habits and she launched a beauty line—Elané—with a loan she got from Bella. And it’s been faring quite well so far.
She’s distancing herself from the mafia, which Dean’s second-in-command, Enzo, has now taken over. I don’t bother myself with the details of the Rossi Mafia, but word is Enzo is a less cunning man than Dean was.
Bella had said that Enzo reached out to her again, asking about her well-being. Somehow, she’d also figured out through his words that he was aware of Dean’s general scheme but wasn’t aware that Bella would be used as a tool in it. Regardless, Bella had jokingly said that Enzo silently did what her father didn’t do throughout his existence. He offered her quiet support.
“Melanie called again.” Bella’s voice jars me out of my thoughts.
“What did she say?” I ask, though I already know the answer. She called to ask for forgiveness, and although Bella has been open to talk to her, she still prefers to keep her distance from Melanie.
“Asked if she could come see Aurora.”
Aurora perks up at her name and almost lunges back into Bella’s arms. She quickly catches her with a hand on her back, which elicits another round of giggles from our daughter.
Sometimes her shenanigans are enough to make an old man like me have a heart attack.
I shake my head at the irony of it. Countless wars, and my heart beats faster than it would at gunpoint when my little princess has her usual sudden burst of energy. Fuck, I damn near lose it when I sense the slightest bit of danger threatening my girls. That’s why we move around with heavy security now. I’m not letting anything ruin the two people I consider my whole world.
“What did you say?”
“No,” she sighs. “Maybe one day, but for now, I’d rather they keep seeing each other via video calls.”
“And that’s okay, too.” My voice is soft as I move closer to her, patting her shoulder.
When she looks up at me, I notice how blank her eyes are. Before, I’d see the confusion, hate, hurt. But now she’s healed from that.
“I love you, Dominic,” she breathes and I swear I feel my world stop.
“I love you too, Princess. So damn much.” My fingers lightly trail the side of her face as I capture her lips in a searing kiss, Aurora giggling softly between us.
