“Shhh, I’ll buy you another pair.”
“Oh, really now?”
“You better believe it, birthday girl.” Another chuckle rumbles in his throat and for a second I don’t feel his touch. His erotic, masculine cologne has my body craving him. “You’re so beautiful, Lencia. So goddamn beautiful.”
Then just like that he kisses my sex and I begin quivering and moaning. Giulio lustfully growls at my tied hands that have come down to find his soft wavy hair. I guide him deeper and his tongue works all types of magic. It doesn’t take long to lose myself in a long, powerful orgasm.
I wish I could see his face when I feel him coming back up to me. My back arches in his arms at the first thrusts. Yes. Yes. Yes. Our intimately pinned bodies drive me wild, as our fingers link together above my head and brush against the soft fabric headboard.
“Keep your hands up here, baby,” he says by my ear, giving the lobe a rough tug with his teeth before running his tongue over my skin and diamond stud. “Mmhmm, right there.”
“I’m sorry…not sorry!” I laugh.
Giulio chuckles and I can hear the amusement in his tone. “God, I love you.” And then he kisses me so beautifully, swallowing my moans and connecting our bodies even closer as I open my legs wider, giving him even better access to fuck me harder.
Giulio has a way of electrifying my entire body with one single caress, one single word, one single whiff of his scent. He’s always made me feel like this, yet right now, the sensation intensifies.
Our wild hearts beat to the same rhythm.
The tinge of vanilla in the air fuses with his cologne, urging me to blindly kiss and teasingly swirl my tongue along his neck before teasingly nipping the skin. Giulio allows it for a split moment until he takes over my mouth with a sweet, unapologetic kiss. It’s a giddy reminder of where we are and everything we will be.
Giulio does everything so sensually right. I feel all of him and it’s so intense and intimate—so good.
Our bodies belong together.
They always have.
Always will.
“I hate doing life without you.”
“So do I, amore. We never have to again.”
The intensity grows and our moans with it until they are the loudest they can be without waking the kids. The blindfold brings sweet anticipation. It’s there as his hand glides by my waist, electrifying my tight skin until he grips my jaw and peppers it with kisses.
All of a sudden Giulio’s sensational grin is all I see as the blindfold is taken off. We share an extended, beautiful moment of nothing but admiring the rising pleasure. My entire body is on fire as devotion sparkles in his gray-blue eyes.
Our pace quickens and I tell him just how much I love him and how close I am to heaven.
Giulio’s husky voice edges me even nearer. “Happy birthday, my girl.”
A rush of ecstasy builds and I come undone the second his thumb circles my clit. A few last thrusts do it until his body tenses and he falls into elation, climaxing right with me. Too thrilled by the fact we’re now in each other’s life permanently, we can’t even speak through our panting.
The beauty is that we don’t have to, this—our love—is enough.
Giulio spins us so we’re side by side. Still inside me, he unties my wrists and kisses them a million times over. “Holy fuck, if that isn’t up there with the hottest things we’ve ever done.”
“If this is how it’s going to be, I should tease you every second of every minute.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, baby…”
“Oh, don’t you worry. I’ll keep it.” I chuckle, so happily in love. “I certainly will.”
When we wrap our arms around each other, still buzzing from the high, he kisses my forehead slowly with the biggest grin and it’s all I need to know that everything is going to be okay.
Now, when I look down at our wedding rings, it’s a stark reminder this isn’t a dream.
This is all real life.
The thought alone has me beaming, knowing that among all the derailments Giulio and I found our way back to each other and have solidified our healing with true love.
All of our past desperation will lead us straight to Addilyn. I sincerely believe it because here in Giulio’s arms I confirm that hope is truly a tangible reality and what defines strength, the same strength we have gripped by the horns, is to keep on keeping on. To find silver linings. To never give up. To always see the beauty in every single tragedy.
That is strength.
Giulio
“And this is Slonne,” I say, smiling as my daughter exaggerates her wave.
My mother grins and picks up her granddaughter. “Aww, well aren’t you the sweetest! You’re such a good girl, aren’t you? Aw yes, you are! And I adore your brother too.”
My heart warms at the sight in front of me. There is no fear. No death. No limits. My mother is here meeting the family I have created with Valencia. My mom’s right here. She’s alive—living and breathing.
“I’m so proud of you both. Look how stunning this house is!”
“It’s new. Mercer Island is where our family belongs now.”
“My little boy has grown up to be the man I always knew he’d be. Strong. Dedicated. Passionate in love. You make me so happy every single day. I see it all, amore.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too. I love all of you!” My mother sets Slonne down and my daughter rushes away giggling. When my mom turns to me, her rich dark curls fall over her right shoulder. Those silver eyes with a touch of baby blue remind me of my own “But now I need to go.”
“Stay a little longer.”
“No, amore. I have to go.”
“Please, Mom.” My heart tugs in my chest. “Don’t go yet. Stay for dinner.”
Valencia steps by me, glowing as she clasps my
