I slide down his hard body to my feet, grateful for his hands on my waist keeping me up. My legs have gone wobbly at the light in those sapphire eyes. “It was worth it. Five years of hell was worth it to get to this day.” A hand cups my face. “I would like to think we could have been happy from the very beginning, that all the time apart was a waste. But I can admit I might have fucked up. I held you too tight until I could feel you struggling to breathe. I didn’t care because I was sure I was doing it for the right reason. I took for granted love would make it all better in the end. I promise you that I will never take any of it for granted. Not your love and trust in me, not the love I have for you.”
“Tony, don’t make me cry.” I can barely see him through my tears.
His husky laugh slides up my tummy. He begins to wipe away the tears with a soft handkerchief. When he’s done, his nimble fingers find the zipper hidden beneath the row of buttons on my dress and slides it down. “So beautiful.”
He runs his hand down my back as he presses a kiss to my mouth. The dress falls to the floor, leaving me in a white lace bra and matching panties. Carefully, he removes the tiara. “My queen, I might rule our home, but you rule my heart.”
This man. I launch myself at him.
Many, many hours later I wake to his fingers running over my stomach. “What’s the matter?” I ask, as I run a finger over the lines in his forehead.
“You won’t mind if we have a son? What his life will be?”
I don’t even hesitate as I shake my head. “No. Would I prefer he was an accountant or teacher or something... I don’t even think I can say yes. He will be a Sabatini. The love and care you will give him will prepare him for a life of service. It’s a service not just to the family, but to the people who need you to keep people coming in pricing them out of their neighborhoods. To keeping the streets clean from drugs, and people who are only out to get theirs without considering the mess they leave behind. Who will take care of your territory when you’re gone? I want it to be our son. You’re thinking it’s a boy, too?”
His kiss is sweet and gentle. “Hm, I am. Thank you. I was worried, it might be a concern for you.”
“It’s not. I’m more worried about having to tell Rosie it’s not the little sister she wants so badly.”
Tony is smiling. “She’ll get her sister, eventually.”
“Eventually?” I whisper against his lips.
“Yes.”
“Okay, sounds good to me.” I run a hand down his body as I grasp his hardening cock.
Epilogue
Two years later
“Twins.” The word spontaneously erupts from my mouth for what might be the fourth time since the sonographer said the word almost an hour ago. I look down at the 3-D picture of the twins clutched tightly in my hand.
It’s clear Tony is trying to smother his laughter. I consider slapping him across his gorgeous face. “At least one is the little sister we promised Rosie. This is a good thing. A little sister for Rosie and a little brother for Santino.”
“Two babies.” It’s all I can get out of my tight throat as I think of how I’m still breastfeeding Santino and imagining how I’m going to do it with two babies. And I’m more than aware of how lucky I am Tony is as likely to get up in the middle of the night and give Santino a bottle to let me sleep as he is to bring our son into our room for me to feed him.
I look up at him, he’s got the same damn smile on his face he’s had since we found out. I love this man. Even more so than I did the first day I met him or when I married him two years ago tomorrow. With all the things he said about his love of his children, I expected him to be a hands-on father. However, he has blown my mind with how involved he is, how he’s so patient, and caring, and the way he’s there every minute of every day for our children, and me. Tony told me from the very beginning, being a good dad meant being a good husband so I wouldn’t be a tired, frazzled, cranky mother to our children. And he didn’t just mouth the words. He wasn’t a good husband and father he is an amazing husband and father.
“We’ll get a night nurse for the first few months to help us through them. Santino has slept through the night for almost two months now. The worst is behind us.” Tony takes my hand, squeezing it tight.
Shaking my head, I run my hand over my stomach. “Until five months from now when we start it all over again, but times two.”
With a sigh, Tony tugs me out of the car I hadn’t even realized stopped. “Okay, Vito, no calls. Three days you can do that for me, right?” Tony dares Vito to say anything else.
“Of course, Boss. You guys enjoy your anniversary.” Vito waves as he pulls away from the curb.
I’m beside Tony, yet my mind is running over the news as he checks us into the hotel. In the elevator, his arm tightens around me. Yet he’s quiet until he opens the door of our suite.
He presses me down onto the bed and kneels in front of me. “Tell me what is scaring you. I’ll fix it.”
God, he’s able to do it to me with so few words. I blink back tears. “You. I’m afraid two babies are going to be too demanding. You’re already up in the middle of the night
