Page 37 of The Mafia King's Stolen Fiancée

Gabbi finally swooped in to save me with the one thing that could distract her mother—food. “Is there any pastina soup still in the freezer,Mamma? With the cold front coming through, I bet Vivienne would love a bowl of it to warm her up from the inside out, like you always tell us your Italian penicillin does.”

“Ahh, myminestrina.” She stood and nodded with a grin. “Ifmio figlioalready devoured it all, we will send someone to my house for the new batch I made yesterday.”

My brows drew together. “Italian penicillin?”

“If you’ve never hadpastinasoup, you’re in for a treat,” Gabbi assured me, patting her belly. “Mymammais an amazing cook, and it’s one of my favorite things that she makes.”

MammaGiulia patted her daughter’s cheek. “You used to ask for it whenever you were sick,mia cara ragazza.”

Gabbi beamed a smile at her. “Because I always felt better after slurping down a delicious bowl of homemade chicken broth and the tiniest pasta ever made.”

I licked my lips at her description. “Yum.”

“Ah, we’re in luck,”MammaGiulia called from the freezer. “My boy must’ve been distracted because he hasn’t eaten a single drop yet.”

Gabbi wagged her brows, her eyes going wide as she shot me a look filled with humor. “I’m sure he had a lot of…business to handle.”

“Mm-hmm,” her mother hummed in agreement, the sound somehow loaded with innuendo.

My cheeks were still burning when she set a steaming bowl of soup in front of me, along with a thick slice of warm bread slathered with butter. I tasted my first spoonful and let out a low moan of appreciation.

“You like?”MammaGiulia asked.

I nodded. “Mmm, I am already addicted.”

“Good.” She patted my cheek in a similar gesture to what she’d done with her daughter, warming my heart in the same way her soup was heating my belly. “I will make it for you whenever you want.”

I loved how open and welcoming she’d been with me, making it clear that if I was important to her son, then I mattered to her as well. She was everything you could ask for in a mother…and the complete opposite of my own. “Thank you.”

Falling in love with Rafa’s family was just as easy as it had been with him. And it made me feel even more deeply for him.

By the time Gabbi and her mother left on their golf cart to head back to their home, my belly was full, and so was my heart.

The house was eerily quiet when I climbed the stairs to our bedroom.

Our.

I wasn’t sure when I had started thinking of this place as home, but that was exactly what it had become.

Slipping beneath the silky sheets, I let out a slow breath, unsure if I would be able to fall asleep without Rafa next to me.But my worry must have been for nothing because the next thing I knew, the mattress dipped under his weight.

The scent of his soap, fresh and clean, wrapped around me like a warm embrace. I must’ve been in a deep sleep if he’d managed to shower without waking me.

Then his hands were on me.

I hummed in appreciation as he trailed his fingers over my skin, nudging the straps of my camisole down my shoulders.

But reason took over when I remembered how I’d felt when he left. And that there was a lot we needed to talk about. If he kept going, I would be lost to the fiery passion that burned between us, and we’d never finish our earlier discussion.

“Rafa.” My voice was soft, but he still sighed, his hands pausing their exploration.

Then he reluctantly leaned back, propping himself on one elbow. “What,cara?”

I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, he gripped my chin, tilting my face to meet his intense gaze.

“I love you.” His voice was rough with emotion. “I’m going to marry you. We’re going to have a family. End of discussion.”

My lips parted in shock.

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