Page 133 of Beautiful Desire

Resting my forehead on hers, I stare down at the little beauty between us and smile. This is everything I never thought I would be able to have. After leaving Italy when I was sixteen, a family, especially one of my own, was never in the cards for me. Simply because I was always looking over my shoulder, wondering when the other shoe would drop, and I would be pulled back into a world I never wanted. But now that I have my girls, I can’t picture my life without them.

“I love you, Elle. Thank you for making me the happiest man on Earth.”

“I love you too, D.”

I kiss Lily’s head before telling her, “I love you too, princess. Now we need to go before people start arriving for your party.”

Although we come from two different worlds, it was fate that brought us together that night at Peter and Christine’s Wedding. And that’s what continued to make us cross paths. I may not have been the man Elle deserved when we first met, but I will continue to do everything in my power to be the man she and Lily deserve now.

I always thought that when I came to America, I no longer had a family. But looking at my girls, I realize I was wrong.Thisis my family. It just took me a little longer before I found them.

EPILOGUE TWO

MARCO

“Okay, so that’s everything,”Fabi says, closing the laptop on his desk.

Giving a sharp nod, I stand from the chair to leave his office, stopping in my tracks when he calls after me.

“Oh, don’t forget Maria’s granddaughter, Alina, is arriving today.”

“Yeah, sure,” I reply in my usual monotone voice, trying my best not to roll my eyes.

Because another kid is exactly what this house needs.

Fabi jumps up from his seat with a cheerful grin on his face. He and Gia welcomed their second child last month, a beautiful little girl named Talia, after Fabi’s mom. Between their newborn and Nico, who’s now eighteen months old, what’s another kid to throw into the mix?

It comes as no surprise I’m not exactly great with kids. I grew up an only child with Fabi as my only friend and the closest thing I ever had to a sibling. Twisting the handle, I open the door and we exit his office together.

“See you tomorrow, man,” Fabi says before turning in the opposite direction, no doubt to go in search of his wife and children.

Rounding the corner, I walk into the kitchen and make my way over to the fridge. Grabbing a bottle of water and a banana, I decide I’ll hit the gym before heading home. I’m almost at the stairs when a noise catches my attention. Lifting my head, I see someone hovering nervously around the wall of the living room.

I freeze in place watching, not wanting to disturb the sconosciuta. Confusion rolls over me as I wonder how on Earth she got past all the guards. This place is like Fort Knox, and she doesn’t strike me as someone who could hold her own against a grandma, let alone trained security personnel.

My eyes eat up her small petite frame as I take her in. Long chocolate locks that stop just above her waist flow freely against her slim figure. Big, round whiskey-colored eyes dart around the space nervously as her top teeth clamp down on her full pink lower lip. With my water and banana in one hand, I approach her quietly from behind.

Catching her by surprise, I press my body to hers, pinning her up against the wall. A sharp inhale escapes her mouth at our contact, confirming she wasn’t aware of my presence.

“How did you get in here?” I growl through clenched teeth into her ear.

Irritation surges through my body as my dick twitches briefly in my pants.

Not fucking now.

Her breathing is loud and ragged, but she refuses to answer my question.

“I said, how did you get in here?” My anger rises at the fact that I need to repeat myself.

“Th-the guards le-let me in,” she nervously stutters on a light whisper.

I can feel her body shake beneath me as I grit my teeth. There’s no way the guards would have let anyone through those gates that Fabi or I weren’t aware of. And I mostcertainlyam not aware of—

“Marco, cosa stai facendo?” Maria’s voice sounds frantically from behind me.Marco, what are you doing?

Turning, I see her quickly approaching with a worried expression on her face.

“Togliti di dosso, grande grosse pezzo di te,” she scolds, reaching for me and trying to pull me away off the young woman.Get off her, you great big lump, you.

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