She smiles up at me with a bright smile. “So were you. Everyone was on their best behavior though.”

The drive home is quiet, both of us lost in our own thoughts. As we enter our penthouse, I can feel the shift in the air. The tension that’s been building between us all evening crackles to life.

Felicity turns to me, her eyes dark with desire. Without a word, I pull her close, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. She responds eagerly, threading her hands through my hair.

I lift her easily, and she wraps her legs around my waist as I carry her to our bedroom. Our kisses grow more heated, hands fumbling with buttons and zippers in our haste to undress.

As I lay her on the bed, I take a moment to admire her. Her skin glows in the soft light, her chest rising and falling with each breath. “You’re beautiful,” I murmur, trailing my fingers along her collarbone.

Felicity pulls me down to her, our lips meeting in a passionate kiss. I lose myself in the taste of her, and the feel of her skin against mine. I take my time, savoring every taste, and every subsequent sound she makes. Her hips buck against me as I bring her closer to the edge. When she finally comes undone, crying out my name, it’s the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.

Before she can fully recover, I’m inside her, moving in a steady rhythm. Felicity matches me stroke for stroke, digging her nails into my back. The world narrows down to just us, the slide of skin on skin, the mingling of our breaths, and the building tension in our bodies.

As we near our climax, I intertwine my fingers with hers, pressing her hands into the mattress above her head. Our gazes lock, and I feel more connected to her than ever before. We come together before I collapse beside her, pulling her close as wecatch our breath. Felicity nestles into my side, resting her head on my chest.

“I love you,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion.

I press a kiss to the top of her head. “I love you too,” I say. It’s more than I can express or hope to convey in a lifetime, but I’ll spend every moment ensuring she feels the depth of my love.

EPILOGUE

Felicity

Ibounce Susie on my hip as I scan the busy dance studio, which I have officially owned for almost a year now, having bought out Ramona, the previous owner, so she could retire in Boca. The toddler giggles, her chubby fingers grasping at my hair. Two years have passed since I married Kiril, and our lives have settled into an unusual rhythm of domesticity and mafia business.

“Mama, dance.” Susie squeals, pointing at the group of children twirling across the polished floor.

I kiss her forehead. “Soon, baby. You’ll be old enough to join the class next year.”

The door opens, and Kiril strides in, his presence commanding attention even in this innocuous setting. He gives me a small smile before he looks at our daughter. “There’s my little princess,” he says, reaching for Susie. “Ready for lunch with me while Mama works?”

She squeals with delight as he lifts her high. “Papa.”

I watch them, my heart swelling with joy and happiness until it might burst from my chest. It’s moments like these that make me forget the darker aspects of our life, but reality is never far away. The rest of the day passes in a blur of dance classes and paperwork. As evening approaches, I head home in time to see Kiril hand off Susie to our trusted nanny, Maria.

“Be good for Maria while we have date night, okay?” I say, kissing Susie’s cheek.

She nods solemnly. “Yes, Mama.”

I run upstairs to change into a sleek black dress, suitable for both a business meeting and potential combat, or dinner at an upscale casual place for our date night, which we try to have every Thursday. The small pistol strapped to my thigh is a reminder of the life I’ve chosen.

Kiril meets me at the door, gazing appreciatively at me. “Ready?”

“And eager,” I say with a flirtatious grin.

We have a fabulous date, but when we return home, I’m ready to be there. Together, we tiptoe into Susie’s room to check on her, finding her sleeping comfortably. Kiril puts his arms around me from behind, holding me against him.

I close my eyes, letting his warmth comfort me. This is our life now. a constant dance between family, love, and the dangerous world we navigate, but as long as we have each other, and Susie, I wouldn’t change anything.

A few days later, I’m watching as Santino bounces Susie on his knee, her giggles filling the sun-drenched living room of our penthouse. It’s still strange to see my father like this, doting,gentle, and a far cry from the fearsome mafia boss I imagine he once was, before the stroke changed him.

“Look at you,” he says, tickling Susie’s belly. “You’re getting so big.”

I rest a hand on my barely swollen belly, feeling the kicks of our second child. So far, I’m the only one who can feel him or her, but that’ll change in a matter of a few weeks. Kiril wraps an arm around my waist, his touch warm and reassuring as his hands cup my slight protrusion.

“She loves her grandpa,” I say, somewhat surprised by the lack of bitterness in my voice. I no longer begrudge her having a close bond with the man who fathered me. Santino and I have gotten closer, and we’re friends. We’re family too, but we’ll probably never have the classic father and daughter bond that Kiril and Susie already share.

Santino looks up. There’s a flicker of regret and longing. “I wish I could have been there for you like this, Felicity.”