Page 109 of Bellini Born
“How about this? We go out there together?” I offered. “You can even hold my hand if you want.”
“But how will I throw my flowers?”
I gestured to the makeshift aisle with scattered rose petals down the center. “I think your daddy already took care of that. Just in case.”
“Okay, I’ll go with you, Mommy.”
Be still, my heart.
“Problem, ladies?” Matteo’s voice carried over the distance separating us.
Shaking my head, I replied, “We’re good.” I dropped my voice to a whisper and gave Bianca’s hand a squeeze. “Right, B?”
“Yep,” she chirped, all traces of her earlier anxiety having seemingly vanished.
Inhaling deeply, I let the breath out slowly, silently bidding farewell to the past as I moved toward my future at the end of the aisle.
When we reached where the other half of our little family stood at the makeshift altar, Matteo leaned in to tuck a stray curl behind my ear, his warm breath caressing my cheek as he breathed out, “Bellissima.”
“Grazie.“ He’d taken to teaching me more words and phrases in Italian, and when possible, I tried to use them in my replies.
Go figure, the priest didn’t know any English, so though the ceremony sounded beyond beautiful, I didn’t understand any of it. Thankfully, Matteo translated the important parts, like our vows and when it was time to exchange rings.
Then the officiant gestured between me and Matteo, uttering a final phrase before he stopped speaking.
A wolfish gleam entered Matteo’s eyes as he stepped into me, the hand not holding Serafina coming up to cup my cheek.
“What did he say?” I had a pretty good idea, but I wanted to hear him say it.
Voice dropping an octave, he rasped, “That I can now kiss my bride.”
Automatically, my teeth descended on my lower lip, but Matteo was quick to tug it free with his thumb. “Mine, Mrs. Bellini,” he growled.
“Yours,” I whispered breathlessly.
His mouth crashed down on mine, stealing my breath away as his tongue drove inside, staking his claim, our union sealed with a passionate kiss.
By the time he pulled away, I was swaying on my feet, practically lightheaded. With a steadying hand on my elbow, he provided support as we headed up the aisle and into the house.
It was wild to think that not even four months ago, I hadn’t held back as I tore this man to shreds after rescuing his daughter from a near-drowning, and now, I was his wife.
Even though my head was spinning with how quickly my life had changed course, I’d never been happier.
With frosting smearing their lips, both girls were out for the count. I latched the door to Serafina’s bedroom as Matteo walked out of Bianca’s.
I leaned one shoulder against the wall. “The cake was a nice touch.”
Matteo moved closer with a predator’s grace, eyes darkening with each step. “Wasn’t nearly enough.” He reached where I stood and hauled me against his chest. “I hate that I couldn’t give you the big, fancy wedding you deserve. When we get back to Chicago, we’ll have a proper ceremony.”
My arms snaked around his neck. “It was perfect with just the four of us. I don’t need or want a big blowout where it’s more about the guests than us.”
“All right,” he agreed. “We’ll save that for when Bianca gets married.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Marrying off our four-year-old already?”
“Hell no.” He shook his head so violently that it dislodged a lock of dark hair, and it fell over his forehead. “She’ll need to be at least forty before I allow whatever guy who definitely won’t be good enough for her to steal her away. But I get a natural high even thinking about spoiling my girls.” A finger trailed up my arm before tracing the line of the diamonds encircling my neck. “Speaking of spoiling, I can’t wait to fuck my wife wearing only this.”
There was no containing the full-body shiver that rolled through me.
