by Dani Collins
“That will always bother me, cara. Not just because I am a jealous Neanderthal of a man, but because it hurt you so very badly. I would do anything to make that go away for you.”
She traced her fingertips along his temple, down the side of his face, then cupped the side of his neck. “But we might not have found each other if that hadn’t happened. And you wouldn’t be here at all if your mother and father hadn’t happened. Life is never going to be perfect and tidy, you know. Bad things can happen. We can only do our best with what we’re given.”
“Are you giving yourself to me?”
“I am,” she said solemnly.
Excitement lit his eyes, but his kiss was tender. “Then I will do my best with you. That is a promise, mia bella.” He settled his hips low and his hard, glorious length slid into her, slid home, making her groan in welcome. This was where they both belonged.
“Ti amo tanto,” he groaned. I love you so much.
And later, when they were debating whether to rise and go out to eat, both completely lacking the will to move any more than a hand to caress a collarbone or turn their lips into each other’s skin, her ringtone sounded from the other room.
Leaning off the bed for his pants, Vito pulled out his own phone and dialed, saying a moment later, “She’s not coming home tonight. We’ll come by your father’s in the morning on the way to the jewelry store. I’ll ask for her hand like a proper suitor. Good enough?”
It must have been because he hung up after one grumbled word from a voice she recognized as Trav’s.
“I told you he’s annoying,” she said.
Vito set aside his phone and gathered her beneath him, bracing himself on his elbow above her, just looking at her in the half light of dusk coming through the uncovered windows.
“I like it, tesoro. I’m a competitive man. I will enjoy treating you so well he is forced to eat his words again and again.”
She burst out laughing, not asking where his edges and superiority complex came from. At least he was using his naturally dominant nature for good instead of evil.
“I do love you, you know,” she told him, gazing into his eyes. “I love you because you told me. You trust me. That means so much.”
“I never imagined telling anyone.” He frowned across the room, into the middle distance. “It’s not about protecting me anymore, but protecting the bank. This could be a very big problem for the family.”
“I’ll never tell a soul, I promise.”
“I know.” His brows gave a little pull, like she was stating the obvious. “I knew when I came here that even if you were repelled, the secret would always be safe with you.”
She petted his cheek, smoothing his rough stubble, chiding, “But I will take every opportunity to point out things like the fact that you have a crazy fierce capacity for loyalty. If your son or daughter had the same, we’d have nothing to worry about.”
His beautiful mouth pursed. “One of the first things I admired about you was that fighting spirit of yours.”
“Really?” She tussled with him and he let her win, so she had him on his back and she sat straddled over his thighs. But rather than crow with triumph as she pinned his big hands to the mattress, she leaned down to say against his lazy, satisfied grin, “You changed my world and I’m going to change yours.”
“Vows to live by, mia bella. I do.”
EPILOGUE
“DON’T YOU DARE, you little streaker!” Gwyn said, but her daughter had figured out that her mother was handicapped by a belly the size of Nebraska. She slithered away and left Gwyn on her knees holding a towel and a clean diaper.
“Vito!” Gwyn cried, and awkwardly clambered to her feet, waddling after her just-turned-two-year-old into the hall.
Antoinietta made her way down the stairs with determined little feet, hands gripping each of the uprights in turn, always tenacious about getting what she wanted, but willing to play by the rules once they were given to her.
Vito made no effort to come up to the girl, just stood at the bottom with his hands on his hips. “You really take after your mother, don’t you?”
“Oh, you’re funny,” Gwyn told him, narrowing her eyes in a promise of retribution. “I told her who was coming for dinner. It was supposed to be an inducement to get her into her clothes, but...” She waved to indicate how well that had worked.
“Bea!” Toni called, trying to dodge her father as he made a grab for her at the bottom of the stairs. Then she said a very stern, “No, Papa,” when he caught her and carried her up the stairs. The higher he went, the more she struggled and the louder she said, “Down.”
“Yeah, that’s all me,” Gwyn said as he took the diaper from her. Their daughter was making a very serious effort to get out of his hold, squirming so hard her face was red, pudgy fists white and tiny brows screwed up with stubborn resolve.
“She’s two,” Vito said.
“She’s yours,” Gwyn said, chuckling when that actually made him close his arms even more tenderly around his adamant little girl.
“She is,” he said proudly, and proceeded to speak in a calm voice, explaining that her cousins would be here soon, but she had to dress first.
He wrangled her into her clothes amid a great deal of negotiating and, “Me do!”
The bell rang as Vito carried her down the stairs a few minutes later and Toni’s excitement soared as Bianca and the boys entered. She spared a moment to hug and kiss the adults, but her adulation was reserved for her true hero, Roberto, her partner in mischief, Arturo, and her dearest and most beloved Bianca.
“Bea.” She hugged the girl who knelt to hug her back with every warm and sweet bone in her body.
Gwyn was almost as excited as her daughter when family came over. Henry now saw the advantage of a tablet and connected with them online when he wasn’t actually staying at the apartment he’d bought nearby, so he could visit in person and watch his granddaughter grow up. He was flying in next week, anticipating the new baby would be with them. Even Travis had made a point of coming with his father for Christmas this year, since Gwyn had been too far along to travel.
Tonight it was Vito’s turn for having family over. All of Vito’s relations had made her feel welcome, Vito’s parents especially, but Lauren was like a sister to Gwyn. Now that they were both pregnant, they were even closer than ever.
As for the man who was her boss again, after contracting her for a special project he’d offered to her a year ago? She didn’t find him nearly as formidable.
“You’re as much of a comedian as your cousin, aren’t you?” she said to Paolo as he set a bag she recognized inside the door. It was the birthing kit he’d prepared when they had come to the house on Lake Como and Lauren had delivered Arturo. “I’m warning you right now, if your wife has her baby in my home, when I am already eleven months pregnant—” It was an exaggeration, but that was how she felt.
Paolo cut her off by kissing her cheek. “I brought it for Vito.”
“Ha!”
“Bite your tongue,” Vito muttered.
“The doctor said I’m at least two weeks away,” Lauren assured them and they all groaned and rolled their eyes. “But honestly, Gwyn. The second one comes faster.”
“So I can count on thirty-six hours reducing to thirty?” Gwyn joked.
“Cara,” Vito protested. He had been appalled, genuinely upset that all the pleasure they gave each other had resulted in so much pain for her, but Toni was such a gift Gwyn was more than willing to go through it again to meet the next addition to their family. In fact, she had a feeling it would be sooner than later. One of the reasons she had invited them for dinner was because she had that low, dull ache in her pelvis that had sat with her for two days before her labor had started for real with Toni.
Soon, she knew, she’d be tied up with a newborn and not entertaining for a while, so she wanted a proper visit with this family she enjoyed so much while she had the time.
Sure enough, a few hours later, as sh
e and Lauren were drying dishes, the first pain hit, a nice strong one that took her breath.
“Vito,” Lauren called as she took the plate from Gwyn’s hand. “We’re going to take Toni home with us. You and your wife have a date with a midwife.”
They made that date, with no time to spare. Second babies did come faster and Vito almost had to eat his smug words to Paolo as they’d left, about how some men got their wives to the hospital before their children delivered. His son arrived as Gwyn was being admitted, caught by a startled ER nurse who barely had time to pull the curtain.
“Do you mind?” Gwyn asked Vito when she was settled in the maternity ward, pronounced healthy along with their son, but staying for overnight observation. “That he’s a boy, I mean?”
“Why would I mind?” he asked, lifting a sharp gaze from studying the boy.
“You wanted a girl with Toni. I thought...” She had taken it to mean he believed girls were less likely to develop undesirable behaviors.
“Because I wanted to name her Antoinietta. I knew my mother would be touched to have her sister remembered and she is.”
“You’re not worried your son will be like—”
“Me?” he cut in, mouth twisting into a wry smirk. “I’m counting on it.”
She had to chuckle at that, and leaned forward to kiss him. “Me, too.”
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this story, check out these other great reads from Dani Collins,
THE CONSEQUENCE HE MUST CLAIM
THE MARRIAGE HE MUST KEEP
VOWS OF REVENGE
SEDUCED INTO THE GREEK’S WORLD
Available now!
Uncover the wealthy Di Sione family’s sensational secrets in the brand new eight-book series THE BILLIONAIRE’S LEGACY, beginning with
DI SIONE’S INNOCENT CONQUEST by Carol Marinelli.
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Sleepless in Manhattan
by Sarah Morgan
PAIGE STOOD FOR a moment, thinking how unpredictable life was.
Who would have thought that herself, Eva and Frankie losing their jobs would have turned out so well?
Urban Genie existed only because life had laid a twist in her path.
Change had been forced on her, but it had proved to be a good thing.
Instead of fighting it, she should embrace it.
What had Jake said?
Sometimes you have to let life happen.
Maybe she should try to do that a bit more.
And maybe one day she’d look back and realize that not being with Jake was the best thing that could have happened—because if she’d been with Jake she wouldn’t have met—
Who?
Would she ever meet someone who made her feel the way Jake did?
She stood leaning on the railing, gazing at the city she loved.
The lights of Manhattan sparkled like a thousand stars against a midnight sky and now, finally, as the last of the guests made their way to the elevators, she allowed herself a moment to enjoy it.
“Time to relax and celebrate, I think.”
Jake’s voice came from behind her and she turned to find him holding two glasses of champagne. He handed her one. “To Urban Genie.”
“I don’t drink while I’m working.” And while Jake was present this was definitely still work.
She knew better than to lower her guard a second time.
“The guests have gone. You’re no longer working. Your job is done.”
“I’m not off duty until the clear-up has finished.” And then tomorrow would be the follow-up, the postmortem. Discussions on what they might have done differently. They’d unpick every part of the event and put it back together again. By the time they’d finished they’d have found every weak spot and strengthened it.
“I don’t think one glass of champagne is going to impair your ability to supervise that. Congratulations.” He tapped his glass against hers. “Spectacular. Any new business leads?”
“Plenty. First up is a baby shower next week. Not much time to prepare, but it’s a good event.”
He winced. “A baby shower is good?”
“Yes. Partly because the woman throwing it for her pregnant colleague is CEO of a fashion importer. But all business is good.”
“Chase Adams is impressed. By tomorrow word will have got around that Urban Genie is the best event concierge company in Manhattan. Prepare to be busy.”
“I’m prepared.”
His praise warmed her. Her heart lifted.
He stood next to her and the brush of his sleeve against her bare arm made her shiver.
His gaze collided briefly with hers and she thought she saw a blaze of heat, but then he looked away and she did, too, her face burning.
She was doing it again. Imagining things.
And it had to stop.
It had to stop right now.
No more embarrassing herself. No more embarrassing him.
She turned her head to look at him but he was staring straight ahead, his handsome face blank of expression.
“Thank you,” she said.
“For what?”
“For asking us to do this. For giving us free rein and no budget. For trusting us. For inviting influential people and decision-makers. For making Urban Genie happen.” She realized how much she owed him. “I hate accepting help—”
“I know, but that isn’t what happened here. You did it yourself, Paige.”
“But I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you. I’m grateful. If you hadn’t suggested it, pushed me that night on the terrace, I wouldn’t have done it.” She breathed in. Now was as good a time as any to say everything that needed to be said. And if she said it aloud maybe it would help both of them. “There’s something else—” She saw him tense and felt a flash of guilt that he felt the need to be defensive around her. Definitely time to clear the air. “I owe you an apology.”
“For what?”
“For misreading the situation the other night. For making things awkward between us. I was...” She hesitated, trying to find the right words. “I guess you could say I was doing an Eva. I was looking for things that weren’t there. I was close to panic and you were trying
to distract me. I understand that now. I don’t want you feeling that you have to avoid me, or be careful around me. I’d never want that. I—”
“Don’t. Don’t apologize.”
He gripped the railing and she noticed his knuckles were white.
“I wanted to clear it up, that’s all. It was a kiss. Didn’t mean anything. Two people trapped in an elevator, one of whom was feeling vulnerable.” Shut up right now, Paige. “I know I’m not your type. I know you don’t have those feelings. I’m like your little sister. I get that. So—”
“Oh, for— Seriously?” He interrupted her with a low growl and finally turned to face her. “After what happened the other night you really think I see you as a little sister? You think I could kiss you that way if I felt like that about you?”
She stared at him, her heart drumming a rhythm against her chest. “I thought— You said— I thought you saw me that way.”
“Yeah, well, I tried.” He gave a humorless laugh and drained his champagne in one mouthful. “God knows, I tried. I’ve done everything short of asking Matt for a baby photo of you and sticking that to my wall. Nothing works. And do you know why? Because I do have feelings, you’re not little and you’re not my damn sister.”
Shock struck her like a bolt of lightning.
They were the only two people left on the terrace. Just them and the Manhattan night. The buildings rose around them—dark shapes enveloping them in intimate shadows and the shimmer of light.
The storm clouds were gathering, creating ominous shadows in the dark sky.
The sudden lick of wind held the promise of rain.
Paige was oblivious. The sky might have come crashing down and she wouldn’t have noticed.
Her mouth was so dry she could hardly form the words. “But if you feel that way, if you do have feelings, why do you keep saying—” She stumbled over the words, confused. “Why haven’t you ever done anything about it?”
“Why do you think?”
There was a cynical, bitter edge to Jake’s tone that didn’t fit the nature of their conversation. None of the pieces fitted. She couldn’t think. Everything about her had ceased to function.
