Page 47 of DeLuca: The Devil

“Let's see if you choose the same flavor you chose for our wedding.”

“We had cheesecake for our wedding?”

He rolls his eyes at me as he takes a seat, pulling me onto his lap, “Of course, Bellissima, it’s your favorite.”

I smile at the chef who stands there ready to serve our dessert, “Salted caramel please.”

The chef grins, “Same as last time.”

“What would you like, sir?”

Dom shakes his head, “Nothing. I’m going to share, with my wife.”

He sets the plate in front of us and sticks his fork in and feeds me the first bite. It’s sweet, rich, and delicious. I take the utensil from his hand and grab the next bite and feed it to him. We continue feeding each other until it’s gone, and he leans down, licks my lips and groans, “Everything tastes better on your lips.”

Taking the fork from my hand he sets in on the plate. “Your third favorite thing.”

He stands and sets me on my feet and takes my hand in his as we walk outside to the patio. We stand in front of the fire pit which burns brightly, keeping the area warm, on a cold November night. I tilt my head back and look at the sky.

“You once told me the most magical sight is a starry night sky. You said, it makes you realize there are things bigger than us. Then you made me make a wish.”

Gazing into my eyes, he closes the gap between us, “What did you wish for, Dom?”

He slides his hand from my collarbone, up to my neck, into my hair, “This right here. I think I’ve loved you for longer than I realized.”

Snowflakes begin falling in my hair, “Fourth favorite thing but I can’t take credit for this one.”

I giggle, “I like the look of snow but I don’t like how cold it is.” He pulls me into his arms warming me from the inside out.

Chapter Thirty-Three

GIADA

Some memories you wish you could banish from your mind, begging them to never return. Some you wish desperately to hold on to for a lifetime. But tonight? I’d die to never forget this. The hunger in his eyes. The pure need. The utter devotion when he looks at me. I don’t know what we had before. But right now, I know he lives and breathes for me, and that’s beautiful. How do you give yourself to a man after you’ve endured hell? This is how. When he stares at you as if he might die without his lips pressing to yours, that’s when you know. It’s how I know, I’m ready.

“Dom,” I whisper. I slide my hands up his chest, inside his shirt, “Domenic, I need you.”

“You're going to need to be very specific, little Wife. What do you need?”

I dig my nails into his skin, “You, Dom. All of you. I’m ready.”

He shakes his head, “No, Bellissima. Earlier, you were not ready. You can’t suddenly want this. There’s no pressure.”

“Goddamn it. Domenic De Luca, make me yours. Do I really have to say the words?”

Dom nods, “Apparently, because I’m lost. Make me understand.”

“I’ve tried to fight it, but I can’t anymore. I’m falling in love with you, Dom, all over again.”

He wraps his arms around me, presses his face into my neck, I feel wetness on my skin, “Bellissima. My beautiful wife. I never thought I’d hear those words again.”

“Are you crying?”

He chuckles into my neck, “I am. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. When I fell for you, I fell hard, baby.”

Stepping back from me, he takes my hand, and I question, “Where are we going?”

“Upstairs,” he growls, “I’m going to take your virginity for the second time.”

---