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“Of course.”

“When I was walking down the aisle, and I saw you standing there, so handsome and looking at me like you were already inlove with me…” She smiles and kisses my lips again. “I had this overwhelming feeling wash over me.”

“And what feeling was that?” I ask her, rubbing my thumb back and forth across her cheek.

Mia gives me a smile that has the monitor I’m hooked up to beeping faster. “That I wanted to marry you. I had no regrets when I said ‘I do’, and I’ve had no regrets since.”

“Come here,” I urge, and she kisses me again. It’s not enough, though, so I deepen the kiss and pull her closer.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she says, trying to pull away.

“I’ll be fine. I just need you.”

“You have me.”

“Then kiss me like I almost died,farfalla. I need to know I’m alive.”

And kiss me she does.

My wife kisses me like she did that first time – desperate, needy, sloppy, and unhinged. It’s fucking perfect, just like her.

Chapter 30

Mia

2 months later…

Santino pulls up to our house and I smile at the Christmas lights framing the doorway and swirled down the railings. I wanted our first holiday together to be special, especially after everything that happened, so I worked hard to get the house ready by Christmas Eve.

Santino has worked hard to recover and hasactuallyfollowed the doctor’s orders after he was released from the hospital. Of course, I may have threatened to withhold all kissing, touching, and sex if he didn’t do as he was told, and that seemed to keep him motivated.

“Do you want to give me a tour?” he asks, placing his hand on my thigh.

“Yes, I’d love to. I put up the decorations with Aria and Gia yesterday and it’s perfect.”

“I know it is.”

Santino opens the car door for me and then we walk up the steps of our home.Our home.

I never would have imagined life could be so good a few months ago, but here we are.

We step through the door and I smile. “It feels like home,” I say, squeezing Santino’s hand.

“It does,” he agrees. “It’s perfect,farfalla. You made us a home.”

“Do you think Kat would’ve done this good of a job if you married her?” I ask playfully, nudging his shoulder.

“Mia,” he says sternly.

Laughing, I pat his chest. “Just kidding, my handsome husband. You know you would’ve seen and met me eventually if you were truly going to marry her. Then all bets would’ve been off.” I smile and lean up to kiss his cheek. “You would’ve still wanted me and gone after me instead.”

“You’re fucking right I would’ve,” he growls. “You’re my woman, Mia. You were made for me. No one else.”

“And you were made for me.”

Santino kisses me hard, a back bending kiss that has my legs turning to Jello and my heart in overdrive.

“We haven’t christened the house yet,” I say, breathless. “I’ll let you pick where.”

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