by Mj Fields
“No, I was going to surprise you with something to eat, some coffee, some--”
“We both know what I enjoy for breakfast.” He winks. “Aside from that, Maria takes care of meals and things of that sort.”
“Maybe I wanted to make something.”
“I appreciate it, Laney, I truly do. But I didn’t bring you here to take care of our home. I brought you here to be my AmAnte.” He sees the question in my eyes. “Lover.”
“AmAnte.”
I have been going to work with him in town at the winery and the main merchant offices in town, every day. It is much different here. There is a two-hour lunch shut down in almost every part of the country. Dinner is late, too. At eight o’clock at night, it is normal for us to be sitting down with Maria, Max, and three new men Dominic hired to work in the fields. He is intent on growing Sangiovese grapes, for his AmAnte.
Today, I ask if I can stay home for the day. He says we both can, but I know he has back-to-back meetings and interviews, since he has fired more than seventy-five percent of the employees at DeLuca. Segretti Incorporated is still bringing in the same revenue it was, when all the other businesses were operating. They were fronts for DeLuca’s illegal ventures. Dominic is extremely busy and focused and driven, so driven. I am in awe of him. I have never felt so loved.
I want Maria to teach me to use the outdoor kitchen. There is a brick oven, like the ones in pizza shops, that reminds me of what an old Italian kitchen would have.
This one used to be part of the home’s kitchen before it was updated. It is beautiful, and I can imagine cooking for Dominic and the men who tend the vineyards during the fall harvest.
I am obsessed with wine. I want to know everything about his passion. When I tell him that, he informs me that I am his passion, and his love.
Yes, love.
The words falls from his lips, more times a day than I can count, and I can’t get enough. Each time, the effect is the same as the first time he said it.
He says every part of me smiles when he does. He is right. If love is food I have been starving for years, and he is feeding me.
We talk about everything, everything. He asked me once why I hid my pain from my friends. I explained that there was enough sadness, and with them I could be happy.
He understands, he has done the same most of his life. We vow to one another to share every part of our thoughts and feelings. The first week is hell. He is relentless, trying to get me to open up about everything. He admits that until me, he didn’t pay attention to the words of the dozens of shrinks he was sent to as a child for his anger issues.
Dominic and anger issues. That is laughable to me. I have seen him angry once. Pissed, yes, annoyed, yes, but a man with anger issues, Dominic is not. Apparently, it wasn’t so in his teens, and up until the time Valentina went away to school. Benito and Anthony DeLuca were his tormentors.
Week two we have decided that the past is now the past. Although, very important, it brought us to where we are today. It is time to live, love, and love some more. We laugh at the fact that the very first night we were together, we had decided that, but only now do I believe it is possible.
Last week we dove into work and rebuilding Segretti, together. He hid nothing. When Jules called the first time, I went to leave the room and he put his hand on my leg and shook his head ‘no.’ The next time, he handed me the phone and asked that I answer. I did, not knowing who it was. I was caught off guard and he mouthed, ‘I’m not home, ask what she needs.’ She didn’t call as often, but she still called; she really has no one else.
Valentina is doing well; we talk to her twice a week. He messages her every Sunday with pictures of the work being done around the vineyard. She is spending a lot of time with her cousins and aunt. He tells me I should send a picture message to my parents, to show them I am okay. I do it because he asks, and because since the day I forgave them, like he asked me too, I feel better.
Maria and I prepared the outdoor oven and she taught me how to make Focaccia al Pomodoro, Dominic’s favorite bread.
Today, it is a month we have been here. I have a plan, a plan to give the man who loves me and gives me back true happiness, a surprise.
“Signor Segretti, telefono,” comes across the intercom, as I am wrapping up a meeting and walking out the door.
“Take a message,” I say, as I walk out and shut the door behind me.
“Signor--”
“Not today.”
I don’t like being an ass, but I have worked late. Laney seemed anxious, the last time I spoke to her, not anxiety ridden, just anxious. She has come so far, hell, we have come so far.
I have known her less than two months, and lived with her for a month, today. She is exactly what I knew she would be, absolutely perfect. She is made for me and me for her. I will spend the rest of my life making sure she feels love.
I pull up the winding drive leading to our home, and parked in front of the carriage house, which was now a garage.
I noticed smoke coming from behind the house, where the outdoor kitchen is located, and decided to check it out before I go inside. I walk through the gate and into the courtyard. Laney, bellissima Laney, is standing in a wooden vat in one of my dress shirts, unbuttoned and opened, so that her breasts and her black lace panties were partially exposed.
Stunning. I stand and take her in, trying to calm the race my heart is running.
“Are you going to stand there or are you going to join me?” She smiles.
I kick off my loafers, remove my socks, roll up my pants, and shrug off my jacket.
“Shirt, lose the shirt.” I unbutton my cuffs and start loosening my tie. “Leave the tie on, please.”
I do as requested and feel inside my pocket, making sure the small square box is still there.
I walk over and set my hands on the side of the old wooden vat. “You look stunning.”
“You, too.” She walks over slowly, allowing my eyes time to fully absorb her beauty, as she looks me over.
She reaches out and wraps her hand around my tie, pulling me into a kiss. It is soft and full of love. The kind of kiss that begins what I know will end up in a vat of grapes, and then the use of the outdoor shower.
I pull back and she doesn’t loosen the grip on my tie.
“I need a minute of your time before this gets messy, Laney.”
“Just a minute though, okay? I’ve been dreaming of this all day.” I step in.
“You’re not fond of those pants?”
I kneel down and she laughs as the grapes squished beneath my knee, “You’ll ruin them--”
“Delaney,” I take her hand in mine and kiss it. With my other I reach in my pocket and pull out the black velvet box.
I look up into her eyes. Confused she whispers, “What are you doing?”
“Sono dipendente dei tuoi baci. I'm addicted to your kisses. Sei tutto cio' di cui ho bisogno. You're everything I need. Tu sei l'unico per me, you’re the only one for me. Io e te mai soli. You and me, never alone. Lo e te per sempre. You and me, forever. Delaney, bellissima, Delaney, mi vuoi sposare? Will you marry me?”
Tears pool in her beautiful eyes. She nods her head and cries, “Yes, of course yes. I love you, so much. I love you, so much, Dominic.”
I open the box and watch as she looks at me and not the ring, “Do you like it?”
She nods without looking away from me.
“Perhaps you should look at it.” I pull it out of the box and push it on her finger.
She looks down and covers her mouth as she gasps. She looks at the vintage platinum, three-carat diamond, and cushion cut center stone. The band is wrapped in diamonds. “It’s beautiful. Too much. It’s--”
“Never too much for you.” I look at her, as I stand and smile, then I kiss her.
“What?” She says, against my lips.
“No doubts anymore, no second guessing your feelings. I love it.”
“Me too.” She hugs me tight. “I have a surpri
se for you, too.”
“I see that.” I look around, “My fantasy. Let me get us some wine. Stay and do feel free to start without me.”
“I don’t want any wine, but thank you.”
“I have a very good bottle aging that I set aside for this very occasion.”
She closes her eyes and smiles “Dominic?”
“Yes?”
“Can it wait, for like nine months?” She opens her eyes and takes my hand, holding it against her stomach.
It takes me a few minutes to process what she was telling me. Partially because she was adamant about being careful, and partially because she looks so happy about something, a month ago, she wanted to avoid at all costs.
I look in her eyes, searching. I need to know she is truly all right.
“You’re sure?”
She nods.
“This makes you happy?”
“Does it make you happy?”
“Yes. Yes, it does. I mean, I thought, when I came here, I thought this may be temporary.”
“There is nothing temporary about us.”
“I know that. I know that, now.”
“You’re sure?” I ask again.
“I am sure about many things that I wasn’t sure of before. I’m sure, it’s alright to be happy all the time. I’m sure that I want to make you happy, all the time. I’m sure that no matter what happens, if we have one or five--”
“Six.” I smile as I take her face in my hands.
“I’m sure if the sky falls down and the Earth splits in two, you will find a way to force me through it. Dominic, you’re happiness is just as important to me.”
“We’ve decided it.”
“We have.”
“We’re going to have a child.”
“Yes.”
“And get married.”
“Whenever you want to.”
“And six kids.”
“We’ll see.” She laughs but doesn’t say no.
As I hug her tight, I thank our angels in the heavens for guiding us to one another.
Laney’s, friend Melyssa, or Mel as they all call her. She and I have gotten to be good friends through Nikki. We are watching a movie in my apartment when Abe, Nikki, and Jase showed up with Franco. They all looked intense.
“Hey, guys, what’s going on?” I ask, stepping off the couch.
“Sabato’s father, Salvatore Efisto, escaped from lock up a few hours ago. Two guards were killed.” Jase says, as he looks around.
“Oh, my God.”
“We can’t get ahold of your brother. He’s not answering--”
“He was planning on proposing to Laney, today.” I interrupt.
“Okay. I have someone going to the vineyard to see that he’s okay--”
“What do you mean, if he’s okay, Jase?”
“We have to take precautions, Valentina. Just to make sure we all are safe, until he’s found.”
“Sabato, where is he?” Mel asks.
I watch as Jase and Abe exchange looks.
“Is he okay?” I ask.
“The police went to the club, an hour ago. It appears there was a struggle. We are looking for him, now,” Abe explains.
“Oh, my God.”
“I want you to stay put. No going out, not even the store. Salvatore doesn’t know where you live, but I don’t trust he doesn’t have men out looking. Mel you were at the club. He’s seen you, so you stay put, too. Do you understand?”
She nods.
The next day, Abe picks up Mel and has her on a plane to Georgia, where her family lives. She is to tell them she is visiting. Nothing more, anything else is on a need to know basis. He explains, the less they know the safer everyone is.
I talk to Dominic. He and Laney are safe. He tells me I am going to be an aunt, but no one else needs to know, yet. “That means you need to be even safer, Valentina. It means you don’t put yourself in any danger. You sit still, understand?”
I understand, all right. I am officially under house arrest.
I stand out on the balcony, looking up for the stars. There were none visible in this city. But the moon burned with an intensity tonight that lit up the streets.
I stand, looking over the water and for an unknown reason I look down.
There, in the street below, is a man looking up at me. Immediately, I know who it is.
“Sabato, is that you?” I call down
He turns and limps down the alley. He must be injured. I have to help him.
To be continued in April 2015…
About the Author
MJ FIELDS
MJ Fields's love of writing was in full swing by age eight. Together with her cousins, she wrote a newsletter and sold it to family members. She self-published her first New Adult romance in January 2013. Today, she has completed four self-published series, The Love series, The Wrapped series, The Burning Souls series, and The Men of Steel series. The Norfolk series has one title self-published so far and Ties of Steel, which was acquired by Swoon Romance in June 2014. MJ is a bestselling erotica author and former small business owner, who recently closed the business so she could write full time.
MJ lives in central New York, surrounded by family and friends. Her house is full of pets, friends, and noise ninety percent of the time, and she would have it no other way.
MORE BOOKS IN THE STEEL SERIES
TIES OF STEEL SERIES
ABE
DOMINIC
SABTATO (April 2015)
MEN OF STEEL SERIES
FOREVER STEEL
JASE
JASE & CARLY
CYRUS
ZANDOR
XAVIER
JASE & CARLY SUMMER LOVIN’ PART “DUE”
Steel Christmas
The Norfolk Series
Irons
Irons 2
Irons 3 (March 2015)
The LRHA Legacy Series
A collection of series that follow the Links, Ross, Abraham, and Hines families through several generation.
Each series can be a standalone but is so much deeper read in order.
The Love Series
Blue Love
New Love
Sad Love
True Love
The Wrapped series
Wrapped in Silk
Wrapped in Armor
Wrapped Always and Forever
Burning Souls Series
Stained
Merged
Forged
And the latest release
Love You Anyways
Ava links story will be coming out in winter 2015
CONNECT WITH MJ FIELDS
Email – [email protected]
Website – www.mjfieldsbooks.com
Facebook – http://tinyurl.com/mjfieldsfb
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As always my thanks first goes to the owner of this book. You are the reason I get to do this everyday. Your emails and messages are the reason I don’t sleep… Yes, every character you want more of, already has a story worthy of telling. As soon as I put their name to a page, I already feel them. Your support, and encouragement is my push.
To my street team:
F2 Crew, you rock! I love you.
To the Beta readers of this book and the Ninjas:
Michelle, Brandi, Jenn, Bobbie, KA, Laurie, Jamie, Mary, Lucy, Renee, Christa, Mary (Yes two), and Ivy, thank you! You are great friends and so very important to me.
To Carrie S.
I am SOOOO glad we ‘met’ and can’t wait till we actually meet… make sense?
To Ivy:
Thank y
ou.
To Hype PR:
Thank you for helping #sharethelove and saving me from epically screwing release day up… (It would have happened).
To the editors of this book:
Karen, yes I will give you more time with the next book (BTW my fingers are crossed) and thank you!!!
To Kellie, oh man where to I start? You get me and know me, like probably way more than you should…. So I will just go with a warning, when we meet in Texas 2016, I am gonna squeeze you so hard!
I FUCKING LOVE YOU!!!
To the Cover Designer:
K23 Designs, I adore you, you have been with me from day one on this journey, Thank you!!!
To Kris Adams,
Thank you for your hook ups. Mike and Bryant are as amazing as you said and they are making my covers shine!!!
To the Photographer:
Furious Fotog, Golden, my hero, my Jedi loving, tattooed hottie. I have said it a million times, I am available if a position ever comes available, or you just need a break, I can step in. I swear I won’t mess things up to much.
To the Cover Model:
Mike Crowson. This character was written in my head only before you became the cover of ‘Dominic’, which was a first for me. I stalked your photos, I mean no need to call the cops, I’m not ‘That’ crazy. I saw the way you look at your lovey, and it is just as swoon worthy as your hot bod, and killer smile. Thank you.
To the formatter Melissa:
A thousand thanks for your patience and ability to make my books look pretty!!!
To all the blogger who have signed up so far for Dominics release:
You amaze me and I am so grateful for everything you do for me.
(I hate doing this because I am so worried I will miss someone)
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