Page 96 of Raphael (Belles & Mobsters 5)

Okay, as far as honeymoons went, it was not a bad one.

It was freaking amazing.

But the moment we returned back to his island, I felt the invisible bars surrounding me. When the helicopter landed on the island, Caine and Gabriel were already there waiting for us. The moment I stepped out of it, Gabriel ran towards me with Bruno at his heels.

A large grin spread on my face and I caught Gabriel as he threw himself into my arms.

“Hey, buddy.” I caught him and gave him a tight squeeze. “I missed you.”

He giggled. “It’s only been two days, Mom.”

I chuckled. “I know but they were two long days.”

“That doesn’t bode well for the groom,” Caine remarked teasingly. “Did he not perform?”

I rolled my eyes, ignoring his comment though my cheeks heated. Raphael more than performed. I felt it in each sweet ache in my muscles and I swore I felt like I walked funny.

“Guess what, Mom?” Gabriel asked excitedly, his eyes darting between Raphael and I.

“What?” We both answered at the same time. Raphael’s lips tugged up at Gabriel’s excitement.

“I look just like Raphael,” Gabriel announced.

My heart went ice cold and I blinked my eyes, before slowly drifting them to Raphael. He seemed thrown off by Gabriel’s comment too.

I cleared my throat. “What do you mean?” I barely got the words out.

“I saw pictures of Raphael and his mom,” he explained.

My eyes darted to my husband. “Pictures?’

He shrugged. “I have a few family photos in the library.”

My molars ground together. Did he think Gabriel wouldn’t explore the house?

“How come I look like you and not mom?” Gabriel asked curiously, oblivious to the tension.

Raphael’s eyes locked on me, unspoken meaning in them clear. It was time to tell Gabriel. Except, I didn’t want to. I wanted to keep all the filthy history away from him.

“Let’s go walk down to the beach, shall we?” Raphael suggested. I shook my head, but my husband was a determined man. “Yes.”

“You should have just ordered it from the get go, instead of making it sound like an option,” I muttered under my breath.

“Reina, this way,” he drawled.

I sighed. “I’m not dressed for the beach,” I attempted feebly. “Neither are you.”

It was a stupid excuse. He wore jeans that hung low on his hips and a black t-shirt, making him look like a handsome devil, while I wore a simple yellow sundress that came down to my calves. I would have preferred to wear a short mini-dress but Raphael grumbled about showing too much leg and then handed me this long dress.

“Nobody sees thosebonitas piernas,” he muttered, calling my legs beautiful in Spanish. “They are all mine.”

It seemed a moot point to argue with him. Besides, there was something so fucking hot about the possessive tone of his voice. So I threw my emancipation out the window and covered up my legs. But now, I slightly regretted it.

I glanced down at my long dress. Fuck it!

Gripping the material with my fingers, I lifted the dress and tied it into a knot, making it shorter. It came down to my knees now. Grinning like a fool, I raised my head and met Raphael’s gaze. Amusement lurked in those eyes, instead of anger as I hoped.

Whatever.

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