Buttons and Grace

by Penelope Sky

  Tears immediately welled up in her mother’s eyes. “Adelina, is this true?”

  Adelina finally looked at her mother. “Yes…I want to be with him. I know he and I didn’t meet under the best of circumstances, but…I don’t want to be with anyone else. He’s the only one who really understands me. Everyone else looks at me like I’m a freak, but Cane never does. He makes me feel beautiful when the rest of the world makes me feel scared. I’ve tried moving on, but this place doesn’t feel the way it used to…”

  “I see,” her father whispered.

  Her mother dabbed her eyes with a napkin.

  I felt like shit watching this scene, so I could only imagine how Adelina felt.

  “I’m sorry,” Adelina whispered. “I don’t want to leave you guys again, but I can’t stay. Cane has his business and properties in Tuscany. He can’t just walk away from that.”

  Her mother started to cry. “We just got you back…”

  “I know, Mama.” Now Adelina started to cry.

  Even her father was choked up.

  I didn’t want to rip apart a family. I wanted Adelina so much, but I didn’t want to cause her pain. Her parents had been nice to me even when I didn’t deserve it, and I didn’t want to do this to them. “I have another idea.”

  Adelina wiped the corner of her eye with her fingers. “What?”

  Her mother’s eyes were puffy and red. She had the same eyes as Adelina, and she possessed the same beauty Adelina had inherited.

  I grabbed Adelina’s hand under the table. “Come with us.”

  “What?” her father blurted.

  “We have jobs and a mortgage,” her mother said. “We can’t just drop everything for a vacation.”

  “I’ll take care of everything,” I said. “I’ll buy you a house and some land nearby. You can see Adelina every day while I’m at work.”

  Adelina gave me the biggest look of surprise I’d ever seen. Her mouth was open, and her eyes were filled with shock. “Really…?”

  “Are you being serious?” her mother asked. “You would do that?”

  Adelina kept staring at me. “Cane? Are you sure about this?”

  I squeezed her hand. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” If I was going to take Adelina back with me, she was bound to become my wife. And if I had a wife, I knew I would do anything in my power to give her whatever she wanted. If she needed her parents, I would give that to her. It was a small investment to make this woman happy.

  Adelina’s eyes filled with tears but for a different reason than before. “I love you.”

  I smiled at the affection in her eyes. “I know you do, Bellissima.”

  “You would do that for us?” her mother pressed. “That’s very generous…”

  “Extremely generous,” her father said.

  “Does that mean you’re saying yes?” I asked. “It would solve all of our problems. And trust me, you’re going to love Tuscany. I’ve never seen a more beautiful place.”

  “Uh…” Her mother stared at her father, the disbelief on her face.

  He stared back, rubbing the side of his face.

  “This is the only way I can keep all of us together,” I said. “I’ll buy you a beautiful home with plenty of privacy. You’ll never have to worry about anything. If you say no, then we’re going to live on opposites sides of the world for the rest of our lives.”

  Adelina turned back to her parents, waiting for the answer she was hoping for.

  Her mother and father whispered to each other on their side of the table, keeping their voices low so we couldn’t overhear. After a few minutes, they turned back to us.

  Her mother gave us the answer. “We’d love to.”

  Adelina exploded out of her chair and moved into my lap. She sat right down on me and wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me hard like no one else was in the room. “Thank you…”

  I squeezed her back and rested my chin on the top of her head. “I’d do anything for you.”

  “I’m sorry I stayed away for so long… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I loved you.”

  “It’s okay, Bellissima.” It had hurt feeling her rejection, but now that I had her, it didn’t matter anymore. Now, we were together, and nothing would keep us apart. “Forget about it.”

  “I don’t doubt you love my daughter,” her mother said. “But I hope we aren’t changing all of our lives for something that isn’t concrete.” Her meaning was unmistakable, probably because she intended it that way.

  I wasn’t bringing Adelina all the way across the world so she could be my prisoner again. I wanted her to be something more important than that. If she hadn’t left, I would have asked her already. I didn’t have a ring, but my intent had been living in my heart for a long time. “Bellissima, will you marry me?”

  Adelina gripped my arm for balance and lost her breath. As if she couldn’t believe what she’d heard, she stared at my expression for confirmation.

  “I didn’t mean right this second,” her mother said. “I just meant…”

  “I don’t have a ring,” I whispered. “But I’ll get you whatever ring you want. I don’t want a big wedding because I don’t have a big family or many friends. But I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I never want to be apart from you again, and I promise I’ll always take care of you. You never have to worry about anything as long as you live.”

  “Cane…” Her hand cupped my cheek, and the tears streamed down her face. “Yes.”

  I smiled, seeing this woman love me as much as I loved her. I should have known how she felt when I dropped her off at the airport. I should have known she was trying to fight the same feelings I had embraced.

  “Yes,” she repeated. “Now take me home.”

  Chapter 24

  Adelina

  My dress was too tight, but I refused to loosen it.

  I’d suck in my stomach the entire time if I had to.

  I wore a simple dress, off-white with a subtle design of beads in the front. My hair was pulled back, with a single pink flower tucked behind my ear. My mother gave me her bracelet to wear, and Pearl gave me one of her necklaces.

  I looked at myself in the mirror and felt the nervousness in my stomach.

  I wasn’t nervous about the man I was going to marry.

  I was nervous to get down the stairs without him to hold me.

  We were having a simple ceremony in the backyard. My parents had a house down the street, which they both loved. Everyone had settled in quickly, and the second I was back in Tuscany, I felt right at home.

  South Carolina felt like a foreign country to me.

  Tuscany was my home now. Cane was my home.

  I was about to become a Barsetti, a name that rolled off the tongue so easily. I would gain a brother and a sister, and my family would grow. My parents accepted Cane and knew he was a good man, despite the way our story began. He took care of me, provided for them, and showed his astounding commitment to me. They couldn’t ask for more.

  Pearl walked through the door. “Are you ready?”

  “Yeah, I think so.” I turned away from the mirror and looked at her, seeing the large bump in her stomach.

  “Good. Because Cane is starting to get moody.”

  “I’m not late,” I argued.

  “Yeah, but he’s in a bit of a hurry.”

  “Why?”

  She smiled. “The sooner you’re officially his, the happier he’ll be. That’s my guess…based on being married to his brother.”

  A smile stretched across my lips because I knew she was right. I walked to the window and peeked into the backyard. Cane stood there in a black suit and tie, his hair styled. He looked handsome and hard under the afternoon sunlight. He’d shaved his face so his chin was clean and smooth. He looked across the fields, probably thinking of a million things at once.

  Crow came to his side and placed his arm around his shoulders. They spoke to each other in private, a few smiles exchanged.


  Pearl came to my side. “They act like tough shit all the time, but they’re just a bunch of girls.”

  I smiled. “They are.”

  “I’d never believed in a million years I would have married someone like Crow. If you’d told me that before I was captured, I wouldn’t have believed it. It went against everything I stood for. But now…there’s nowhere else in the world I belong. I’m sure you feel the same way about Cane. He’s not what you expected. He’s not even what you wanted. But he’s exactly what you need…”

  My eyes were still on Cane. “You described it perfectly.”

  * * *

  It wasn’t my dream wedding.

  But it was perfect for us.

  My father took me down the aisle until I reached Cane under my favorite oak tree. He didn’t wear a smile of joy like most grooms, but he stared me with intense possession. He wanted to snatch me away from my father the second I was in range. He wanted to make me his forever, to make me a Barsetti. He wanted that name to be on my tombstone and last for the rest of time.

  When my father released me, Cane didn’t hesitate before he grabbed my hand and pulled me into his side. Once his hands were on me, the intensity in his gaze relaxed. He pulled me close to him and kissed me on the cheek, his touch delicate.

  Crow stood beside him, and he smiled at his brother.

  Cane turned me to the priest, his hand held tightly in mine. The vows were read, but Cane seemed only to be repeating them. He stared at me with a different message in his eyes, telling me he loved me because of everything we’d endured. He saw me as a strong woman who never gave up. He saw me as the perfect partner to share his life with. He saw me as the one treasure he would guard forever.

  I hardly listened to the priest myself.

  Despite the fact that so much had changed, this felt right. I didn’t belong in America anymore. I belonged in the vineyards under the sun. I belonged in that big bed with this huge man beside me. I was meant to be a Barsetti and nothing else.

  I never believed in destiny or fate, but now, I wasn’t so sure.

  Maybe those terrible things were meant to happen to me. Maybe they were meant to strengthen me, to make me resilient despite the pain. Maybe they were meant to bring me across the ocean to find the one man who was perfect for me.

  Maybe this was all preordained.

  “Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?” the priest asked.

  Cane squeezed both of my hands and moved closer to me, ready to kiss me even though it wasn’t time. “I do.”

  “And do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?” the priest asked.

  “I do—”

  Cane’s hands were on my face, and his lips were on my mouth. He kissed me before the words were fully out of my mouth. He couldn’t wait to love me, to make me officially his. A real man loved his woman with everything that he had, and there was no doubt Cane loved me with all his heart.

  Crow snickered then clapped, getting everyone else to clap along with him.

  “Uh…kiss the bride,” the priest said awkwardly.

  My hands moved to Cane’s powerful shoulders, and I straightened to reach his mouth better. I was in sky-high heels, but it wasn’t quite enough to make up for our height difference. He kissed me with lots of lip and tongue, and I did the same back even though everyone was watching us.

  Cane didn’t seem to give a damn.

  He finally broke away, giving me the most possessive look I’d ever seen. “Mrs. Barsetti.”

  I loved the name because it fit me like a glove. “What happened to Bellissima?”

  “Bellissima Barsetti…suits you perfectly.” He took my hand and guided me down the short aisle of our family. They threw white rose petals over us that drifted down and littered across the grass.

  My eyes were on the road ahead of us, the long future we had to enjoy.

  But his eyes were on me—and only me.

  Epilogue

  Crow

  “I’m so hideous.”

  “Are not.” I moved on top of her, careful not to bump against her enormous belly. Button was nine months pregnant and ready to burst. She was uncomfortable, her back aching from the strain, and her feet hurting from the extra weight.

  “Yes, I am.” She pushed her hand against my chest. “There’s no way you could possibly want to have sex with me.”

  “Then explain that.” I nodded down to my crotch, where my fat cock was eager to be inside her.

  When she couldn’t explain it, she just stared at me. “I’m a cow.”

  “Shut up, Button. You’re beautiful. Honestly, I’m gonna miss seeing you pregnant.”

  “Liar.” At this final stage, she was argumentative and moody. She wasn’t the calm and carefree woman I married. She was stressed, angry, and self-conscious. She never had low confidence about her body, but now she never wanted me to see her naked.

  I shoved myself inside her, sliding through her slick pussy in an aggressive thrust.

  That shut her right up. “God…”

  I held myself higher off her body than usual so I wouldn’t rub against her stomach. I stared at my wife’s face as I fucked her the way I wanted. My arousal only increased with her pregnancy. I felt it was the most erotic thing I’d ever witnessed. I loved the swell of her breasts, the way her stomach kicked when the baby moved. I loved everything about it.

  The second we started to move, she didn’t have any more protests.

  She fucked me as hard as I fucked her.

  We moved, thrust, and grunted. Sweat poured down my back, and I loved every second of it. Within minutes, I made my beautiful wife scream my name with her orgasm. She wasn’t thinking about how much her body had changed. She was just thinking about me.

  And then I came, pumping her full.

  Her head rolled back before she eyed me with an intense look of pleasure.

  I kissed her then pulled out.

  Like the heated moment hadn’t happened, she covered herself with a sheet.

  I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes.

  She got out of bed then headed into the bathroom.

  “You’re being stupid. Did it seem like I didn’t enjoy it?”

  “Just leave me alone, Crow.” She shut the door and shut me out.

  I pulled my clothes on and brushed off her dismissal. Her moods had gotten progressively worse over the last month, so I was used to her attitude at this point. I liked her pregnant, but I didn’t like her angry.

  I stepped outside and came face-to-face with Lars.

  “Cane is here to see you, sir. He’s in the study.”

  “Thanks. I could use a drink.” I walked across the hall and stepped inside.

  Cane had helped himself to my scotch, always finding it no matter where I hid it. He held up his glass as I entered the room. “How’s Pearl doing?”

  “She’s been better.” I sat on the couch opposite him and made myself a drink. “She’s angry, aggressive, self-conscious…you name it.”

  Cane chuckled. “Thankfully, Adelina hasn’t gotten there yet. She’s just sexy and pregnant. You know that glow people are always talking about? It’s hot…” He drank from his glass then swirled the ice cubes around.

  “Enjoy it while you can.”

  “Isn’t Pearl due any day?”

  “She’s due any moment, actually,” I said. “I can’t wait until my son is here.”

  Cane smiled. “I can’t believe you’re having a boy. I wonder what I’m having.”

  “You guys could find out.”

  “She wants it to be a surprise for some reason…” He rolled his eyes. “Have you decided on a name?”

  I finished my drink then poured another. “Conway Barsetti.”

  Cane smiled wider. “I like it. It’s strong. It’s different. But it reminds me of our names.

  “They’re extremely close.”

  “Pearl come up with that?”

  “I did, actually.”

  “Conway.�
�� He said the name out loud slowly. “It’s perfect. Are you getting nervous? It’s one thing to talk about your son arriving, but it’s another matter when they’re here.”

  I had my doubts. I had my fears. But anything that came out of Button couldn’t be scary. I’d have a son to grow into a man. I’d have someone to give my legacy to. If something happened to me, he’d be a man and look after his mother. That’s how I would raise him to be, at least. Whatever I couldn’t handle, Button would be there to help. “I think it’ll be alright. Button will be a great mother.”

  “I’m sure. Adelina will, too. God, I hope I don’t have a girl.” He rubbed his temple as he chuckled. “If a man even glances at her, I’d have to kill him.”

  “I know.” The thought of having a girl didn’t scare me. She’d be strong like Button. And she’d have a right hook like me.

  “So, this is one of the last times it’ll just be the two of us. First, the women came. And now, the kids are coming… Our lives have changed so much.” He looked into the fire, his gold band reflecting the flames.

  “Yeah…but I think they’ve changed in a good way.”

  “Crow!” Button’s scream erupted in the house, shaking the walls and the foundation.

  I dropped my glass, and it shattered on the rug.

  Cane spilled his as he rushed to put it down.

  I was on my feet and heading to the door, my heart pounding like a drum.

  Button opened the door first, clutching her stomach in a loose dress. Her hair was still wet from the shower. “My water just broke.”

  Fuck, it was happening. I stared at her blankly for three seconds before I finally moved into action. “Alright, let’s get you to the hospital.” I took her by the hand and pulled her into the hallway.

  “I can’t believe he’s coming.” She walked with me, breathing hard. “He’s coming.”

  “Cane?”

  Cane jogged until he caught up to me. “Have Lars get the bags and meet us at the hospital. Got it?”

  “I’m on it.” Cane darted away.

  “Alright, Button. It’s time.”

  Instantly, she started crying. “I’m so sorry I’ve been so mean to you lately. I just—”