Merciful Vows: A Bittersweet Second Chance Romantic Suspense (The Giannotti World Book 1)

by Vanessa Luisa

  Both versions are perfect with Giulio Giannotti.

  Giulio reaches over the table and my hand follows, merging the softness of our skins against one another. His thumb caresses that spot between the end of my hand and start of my wrist. “You don’t know how nervous I was on our first date.”

  “You seemed so calm!”

  “No, I was the complete opposite inside.” He shakes his head with a chuckle. “I remember picking you up and the moment we entered this restaurant, I kept on saying to myself it felt like a dream. One that I never wanted to wake up from. Then when you told me trivia about that painting by the entrance, that Monet one, and I just knew you were going to be important to me. I could hear the devotion in your voice and how enthusiastic you were to describe the history to me. I saw the teacher in you and then you looked at me and I felt different. A good different. I was right about just how important you were going to be to me, because we connected so well. Spending time with you made everything okay. You made me accept my fate, my flaws, and that love goes beyond. We’ve made some bold decisions together, but bold decisions pay off.”

  “Exactly! They’re the best type of decisions. I mean, I met you the day of my twenty first-birthday during my first year of teaching! We were married after a little over two months of knowing each other and had Oscar and Slonne all before I turned twenty-two. It all panned out that way because we were the perfect soulmates.”

  “We still are, darling. I don’t want to lose that. I don’t want to lose you forever.”

  “Neither do I.”

  “Then let’s not.”

  My painted lips have not stopped pulsing since that kiss. It’s awoken an exhilarated sensation inside me.

  Our conversation and banter throughout dinner soothes me. I love the time we share.

  I’ve missed it.

  Our longing stares cannot be mistaken for anything that they’re not. It runs so deep that after Giulio orders us Crème Brule—exactly like our first date—I bite my lip and we fall straight back into the questions of our past, powering them with ones of the current and future.

  When he grips the neck of the wine bottle, I try to release our intertwined hands so that he isn’t holding the bottle awkwardly with his non-dominant hand, but Giulio only squeezes my hand tighter, a silent protest that he doesn’t want me to let go. He then pours us another glass with his left hand and sets the bottle down.

  Giulio zones back into me, giving me his undivided attention and everything becomes clearer. “When we met, my father’s suicide was still fresh in my eyes. Drinking became a habit, never to the breaking point, but it was there. It was never for my father’s pain, but more my mother’s. It brought back a lot of my childhood grief. When I saw you, something inside me changed at the glowing aura you brought into my company the first day we met. For the first time that night, I didn’t drink.”

  “I didn’t know that…”

  Giulio nods and swirls his glass. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s not something I’ve ever been proud of admitting. Being with you from that point forth taught me it’s okay to be vulnerable, to be emotional, to cry. I could confide in you and you would listen and understand me. You loved me, even on my worst days. On the days I would come home stressed from work, one single glance at you made it all disappear. That’s healing. That’s love. I chose to devote my life to our love because apart from the good, I knew we would conquer the bad hand in hand…I just never expected our child to cause that bad.”

  Neither did I.

  A knot forms at the back of my throat. “I’m sorry, Giulio. I’m so sorry I let you down.”

  “You haven’t. None of what’s happened is our fault. During these past months separated, I have attempted to find healing, but I haven’t been able to find it…you know why? Because you are my healing.”

  “You’re my healing too. Now that our fate has reeled us in closer, we can change it all.”

  “I look forward to it.” Giulio reaches across the table and kisses me hard. “I want to take away all the bad, I really do. Through it all, all I’ve ever wanted was to be with you. To be a family again. I don’t think I can ever stop those needs.”

  “Then don’t.”

  “I won’t.” A smirk appears as he leans back in his seat, eyes flickering to my dress for a second. “I’ve always loved red on you.”

  I grin smugly. “See? From time to time I listen.”

  “I never want to take you for granted ever again.”

  I tell him my truth without hesitation. “Neither do I. We need to try. Despite us still not viewing the abduction in the same light, I want to be with you. I want us happy.”

  “I want that all for us too, darling”

  “It hurts less when I’m with you. The pain that is.”

  “That is exactly why we both needed tonight. I need you, just as much as you need me.” He motions towards the dancefloor. “Now let’s be bold. Excuse me for a moment.”

  Giulio approaches the jazz band and I glance over at chattering diners. Some with families, others obviously deeply in love with their stolen glances and wide smiles. Suddenly…I’m not thinking about the worst-case scenario in public. I’m breaking away from that and thinking about the good.

  Frank Sinatra’s ‘It Had to Be You’ begins playing and Giulio returns, extending his hand to me. “May I have this dance, amore mio?”

  The dancefloor clears and everybody in the restaurant quiets except for the band as they continue to play the soft melody of the song.

  Our wedding song.

  Our slow dance steps are natural, as if they are a part of our soul. With my head resting in the crook of his neck and his hands securely around me, we move in time with the smooth saxophone, piano, and vocals. I feel as though I’m floating in the solace of his arms, wrapped in a classic black and white Hollywood film with a spotlight over us as we sway our way into the night.

  This is much different than our last dance. I feel even more connected with him, if that’s even possible. The romantic lyrics are a perfect rendition of who we once were and who we are now. I look up in adoration as Giulio’s hot gaze burns through me. His smile lines deepen and the thumps transform to a bittersweet ache.

  I realize something I have been avoiding all evening until now—our differences. There must be a way to respect each one and live this beautiful life with him despite our split views.

  The song draws back every single moment of our wedding night. I kiss him softly as diners clap and cheer for our magical moment. We’re partaking in one of the most romantic dances of our lives and my heart…it’s stolen at the mere sight of Giulio Giannotti.

  I’ve given him my all during our last dance and this one right here. Every single moment crossing the dance floor outlines a stage in our lives together. The day we met. The day we brought our first house. The proposal. The wedding. The days I gave birth. The laughter. The crying. The sex. The abduction. The separation. The agony. The faith. The false hope. The determination. The love. It’s all here within this very dance, in our eyes, and in our hearts. A rapid reminder that we have gone through an entire war together.

  Maybe if we are together in this, on the same side, then we can get past this.

  As the music fades, signaling the end of the song, people clap and cheer around us. Tonight, wrapped in his arms, I come to realize two other things…

  One: I love Giulio Giannotti.

  Two: We need to get out of here. Fast.

  And we do just that.

  Valencia

  Giulio carries me into the house where it all happened. The eerie feeling tugs at my soul, but then I am reminded of what it felt like when Giulio and I purchased this house. Before children. Before the stress. Before it all. How it wasn’t just a house but a home. Now it’s filled with heart clenching memories that if I think too hard about will bring tears to my eyes.

  “Darling…”

  Our kiss is hot. Needy. Potent.

  Giulio sets me on the marble kitch
en counter and my eyes shut to savor the erotic kisses peppered down my neck. They rush through my cleavage and down to my legs. I love how he crouches down to bunch up my dress and starts up my right inner thigh, sexily nipping at the delicate skin. His tongue twirls inches from meeting the rim of my panties, teasing me as he bypasses them to work his mouth up my left thigh.

  “Yes, Giulio…” I moan the moment his hot mouth presses a delicate kiss at my heat through the lace panties. This right here is heaven on earth. My hands rush through his soft hair, driving him closer to where I need him the most. “Don’t stop.”

  “Baby, I’ve missed these sounds so damn much.”

  “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too.” Giulio comes back up to kiss me again. Our hands roam wildly, leaving no inch of our backs not warmed by each other’s touch. “So. Damn. Much. Baby.”

  I kick off my heels and wrap my legs around his narrow waist. It’s in that exact moment he flickers his eyes to my dress and he bites down on his lip. “You don’t know what you’re doing to me in this dress.”

  Grinning, I surge my hips forward to grind on his hardness. “I think I have some idea.”

  “Baby, you have more than some idea. You should wear this dress every day.”

  “Oh, really?” I tease. “I don’t know how my boss would feel about that…”

  “He’ll love it. Trust me.”

  “Mmmm, even if I wear it into work for my last few weeks?”

  “Fuck yes, but only in my office.” He growls seductively. Pushing my hair to the side, he aggressively lowers the zipper of my dress. “And only if you kindly reschedule my work calendar for the next three weeks—cancel that—this entire century to private meetings with this sensational woman named Valencia Giannotti. I don’t even mind working overtime.”

  When my dress is flung to the other side of the kitchen and his dress shirt follows suit, I can’t help but laugh. Always so eager.

  My palms rush over his torso, carefully avoiding the bruises, and my voice drops. “Done. What about undergarments in your office?”

  “Well, if they’re anything like the panties you’re wearing right this second I don’t want you to change a damn thing. It’s perfect the way it is.”

  “So you want them to be mandatory?”

  “Mmhmm, just like they used to be.”

  “And how will you know I’ve complied?”

  “I’m glad you asked. Firstly, I’ll set you down in my office chair…” Giulio lifts me and walks us over to the dining table. It’s there where he sets me down on the plush dining chair and drops to his knees in front of me. I lean forward and am about to cup his stubbled jaw when he restricts both my wrists with one hand. The other gently grasps my throat as he inches closer, his lips brushing against mine in a hot smirk. “Just like this, baby. Next, I’ll do this…” His raspy voice alone drives me to arch my back at the rough kiss on the lace above my clit. “And then, something like …”

  Our six months break has accumulated a buildup in our sexual frustration. It’s confirmed the moment he tears my panties, throws them across the room, and buries his head between my spread thighs. Suddenly we’re free falling, making up for lost time.

  “…this.”

  Yes!

  Moans escape me and I throw my head back as Giulio’s mouth ravishes my pussy, his stubble teasing me further. My fingers grip the chair’s arms, melting at his touch. I’m confident he can hear my rapidly beating heart when those soft hands glide up my stomach and cup my breasts through my bra. One hand undoes it and dives inside, his fingers elongating the tips of my erect nipples.

  “I want you, Giulio.”

  “Baby, you already have me.”

  I look down at him, and our gazes lock as his tongue erotically draws circles on my throbbing clit, he then works it down lower to my glistering center, teasingly licking and sucking before burying his tongue deep inside me. My heavy breaths have him spreading my legs further apart and his moan like hum vibrates through me.

  The moonlight cuts through the open space, rushing across my body, and illuminates the way he makes the six months wait worth every single second. I get lost in his masculine scent and eyes that have me wanting to preserve the way he’s looking at me. How he throws my legs over his toned shoulders to deepen the sensation and pleasure me faster and faster.

  “Oh my god!” I’m in sweet desire. I feel it across my entire body as the feeling builds inside me. It feels so good. Too good.

  Giulio replaces his swirling tongue with his fingers. They taunt me ever so slowly until I’m moaning loudly when he pumps the same two fingers in and out of me in a curled, rhythmic delight.

  Yes. Don’t stop.

  His vigorous motions deepen, becoming unapologetically harder and stronger.

  Holy hell…

  All I want is him.

  “You like this, hmmm?”

  I caress his chiseled jaw and respond by pulling him up to kiss him. Yes. I love this.

  Giulio grins. “How much do you want this, baby?”

  “I’m so close…”

  His fingers dramatically slow in rhythm. No. No. Keep going! A cunning smile pulls on his lips before he teases me further by nibbling on my earlobe. His free hand runs across my breasts, edging me further into pure ecstasy. His voice is so fucking hot and sexual when he murmurs the question once more. “Darling, tell me. How much do you want this?”

  I rock my hips against him eagerly. “Please, baby.”

  His fingers stop altogether. No, Giuliooo! “How much, darling?’

  “So much.”

  “How much?”

  I can barely keep my eyes open from the pleasure. “I want this as much as I need you in my life.”

  I forget how to breathe straight when Giulio kisses me. “And as much as I need you in mine.” And then he replaces his fingers with his mouth and swirls his tongue inside my pussy, flickering it ruthlessly as I feel myself begin to quiver.

  It doesn’t take long before pleasure overtakes me in waves as his tongue consumes me whole and I climax hard, screaming out his name. Giulio builds me back up the second I recover and fucks me with both his mouth and his fingers all over again until my moans echo around us.

  This is what love does to me.

  It consumes me beyond repair.

  And now that Giulio is mine again, I never want to let go.

  Beaming, I glance down at him as he strokes my hips with a wide grin. “Wow, that was…wow!”

  I’m still catching my breath, my chest rising and falling hard as I come down from the orgasms. It’s the first time we’ve been intimate in months and oh my god, how I’ve missed it.

  Giulio watches me from under his lashes with darkened eyes of desire. He rises up, his arms flexing as he grips the chair’s arms and kisses me so sensually, as if we haven’t been consumed by each other for years. My head falls back in bliss until he grips the back of it with one hand, deepening the kiss. I taste my sweetness on his tongue and the emotions swirled in it.

  “You’re sensational, Lencia.”

  “You are.” I’m mentally pinching myself to verify this isn’t a dream. “So much so.”

  “We’ll get through this together. We’re stronger than whoever is doing this to us.” Giulio promises and takes my hand. “I have something to show you. Come with me, darling.”

  Giulio leads me to the back of the house and into the bedroom. I’m giddy, fully naked, and grinning when he glances my way. I feel free in this house tonight. I feel like myself again.

  We come to the French doors by one side of the bedroom and step outside to the courtyard and outdoor staircase. Instead of extending the luxurious single story house, years ago we created this house with a rooftop balcony among sleek outdoor furniture and a wooden deck to look at the mesmerizing sky—it’s where Giulio leads me. Tall Hemlock trees hide away Seattle streets, creating our own private oasis where nobody can see us—rather me in my nakedness.

 
Situated near us, is a telescope and a red gift box on top of the outdoor furniture.

  What does he have planned?

  I arch my brows. “Woah, what is this?”

  “You’ll see soon enough. Close your eyes, darling.”

  I do as I’m told and it’s silent for a few moments until he bids me to open them. I smile, staring up through the telescope at the section he points to in the night sky. Four stars stand out and shine brighter than the rest of them all.

  “Those stars are ours!”

  “Ours?”

  Giulio chuckles at my curiosity and reels me in closer. Shadows of the night cross his body, pure silver outlines against his olive skin. Angels of darkness that navigate me to him.

  “Amore, I registered with an official organization, and that star you see over there is named Addilyn. See that one right by it and the other to the left? That’s named Oscar, that’s Slonne, and the one slightly below it, it’s us. Together. This way whenever we look up at the stars, we have our angels guiding us.”

  Holy cow!

  He bought us stars!

  “Oh my god! Wow! You did that? That’s incredible!”

  I’m in awe at the official paperwork and can’t stop grinning when I turn back to the night sky. Giulio wraps his arms around my waist from behind me and my head falls to his chest. “This way Addilyn is always right here with us. She’s burning bright in the sky and will manifest into our greatest legacy. The twins are right beside her, protecting her. Our presence will shine forever up there.”

  “I love it!” I turn to hug him properly, failing to suppress my tears. “Thank you so much.”

  “You’re more than welcome.” And then Giulio sighs and says something that has my heart clench. “Come back home, Lencia. Please. It doesn’t have to be this house. We can buy a new one. One where we can see those stars and dance through the heavy night. One where new memories can be born. One where we never have the fear of losing anybody ever again.”