Page 23 of Kidnapped Wife

“Yeah, I get it. Elsie is not pure blood mafia, and Isabella is. She could try to argue jealousy. The other way to deal with this is to come home, invite Isabella, and then take care of her.”

“I already plan to do that,” Massimo said. “After today, I’ll be bringing Elsie home. I want Isabella to be waiting and I want her to be ready.”

With that, he hung up his cell phone as Elsie came around the corner.

“Why will Isabella be waiting?” Elsie asked, folding herarms across her chest.

Massimo had a feeling he’d heard her sneak up to him.

“There’s something I need to tell you, and no, I’m not about to admit to cheating on you with that fucking bitch, so don’t even think about it.” He pointed at the chair beside him.

Elsie paused. “Am I going to need a hot chocolate for this?”

Massimo smiled. That was her way of getting a stiff drink.

“Yeah, you might want to make it two.”

He watched as she walked into the kitchen. The cabin was open-plan, and today he saw Elsie had snuck into her pajamas, but he didn’t mind. She loved to open her presents in her pajamas. Again, one of the many cute things he loved about her.

She heated the milk, grabbed a couple of the chocolate bombs from the kitchen cupboard, and added them to the mugs along with the hot milk. He took his from her offered hand, and placed it on the coaster on the table.

“I can’t believe we’re going to spend Christmas morning talking about Isabella. She’s kind of the reason we’re here.”

“This is not what you think. First, let me get you your present,” he said. He reached down for the envelope he had placed there yesterday.

Elsie put her hot chocolate down and took the envelope from him.

She opened it, and then frowned. “Deeds. What are these?”

“This cabin … it’s yours.”

“Massimo, you love this cabin.”

“I know, and now you will get to love it as well.”

“There is no way I can take this. This is yours.”

“I know you can take it and you will. What is mine is now yours. You always wanted a place to call your own, and I know you wouldn’t want the big house as that is just too big.”He smiled. “But this place is home, it’s our home, and now, it’syourhome.” He saw the tears filling her eyes. “Please don’t cry. I wanted to give you something you never had before.”

“Massimo, this is … it’s so perfect, and you’ve given me so many things.” She threw her arms around him, and he caught her within his grasp.

He loved his woman more than anything else in the world. Pressing his face against her neck, he breathed her in. She’d given him everything and more.

“Before we ruin this with Isabella…” She leaned past him. Grabbing a box from underneath the tree, she handed it to him. “I don’t know if you’re going to love it, but it’s something we made together.”

Massimo frowned, and then he opened the box. Inside was a single pregnancy test, but there was a small card.

“We’re pregnant,” Massimo said.

“Yeah, I found a kit in the bathroom, and I took the test just to see if it would work, and it was in date and everything, and now, yes, we’re pregnant. You and me. We’re going to have a baby. The next generation of Santorini has begun.”

With that, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

“I didn’t know what else to get you,” she said, nibbling her lip.

“You got me what mattered, and this is perfect.”

He loved that soft smile on her lips.

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