140

EPILOGUE
With a sigh I lowered myself into the warm water of our bathtub . Anna had finally fallen asleep in her crib and Gaby would spend the night with her in the nursery to make sure she was okay. Dante had a meeting with my father down in the office. Although I suspected that the sudden increase in short meetings was the result of my father’s desire to see Anna as often as possible. He certainly did not share Fiore Cavallaro’s disappointment at having a niece instead of a nephew. It had only been five weeks since I had given birth to our daughter, and already I could barely imagine what it had been like before her. But tonight I needed some time for me-and for Dante. Fortunately, Anna had entered a phase of long periods of uninterrupted sleep. Sometimes she slept up to five hours without a hitch.
I leaned against the back of the tub and closed my eyes, relaxing for the first time today. My fingers itched to slip between my legs to relieve the tension, but I didn’t. It had been months since Dante and I had been intimate, and tonight I wanted things to change. Dante had been so patient but I didn’t miss that he always spent a lot of time in the shower. I didn’t need to guess what he was doing. Now that my scar had healed I was looking forward to being with him again.
Only this time it would be different. For the first time, I would know that he loved me while making love to me, even though he had never said those words out loud. The way he looked at Anna and me was worth more than all the declarations of love uttered in the world.
“Val?” called Dante when I heard him enter the bedroom and a moment later the bathroom. His eyes lingered on the swell of my breasts, mostly covered with bubbles. He looked devilishly handsome in his dark gray vest and pants. The top two buttons of his white shirt were open and the sleeves were rolled up, revealing lean muscles. “I checked how Anna is doing. She’s sleeping. Gaby is singing to her.”
“That’s great,” I said with a smile. As Dante had suggested , we had moved the nursery to the room he had shared with his first wife long before. Considering it was three doors down from our bedroom, I wouldn’t have to worry about Gaby hearing us. Dante’s eyes were practically transparent with lust but he simply stood in the doorway. His self-control was wonderful and a little frustrating.
“You look tired,” he said cautiously. “Do you want to get some rest?” His body was saying something very different.
It was hard not to notice the growing bulge in his pants.
I shook my head with a smile and straightened up, letting water and bubbles run down my naked body as I stood before Dante. His gaze left a burning trail on my skin as he slid to a climax between my thighs. My hand came up to cover the narrow but angry red C-section scar marring my lower belly.
Until now I had always found a way to hide it from Dante’s view. The doctor had said it would turn white over time, but it would never go away completely.
Dante approached me and gently pulled my hand away, revealing my scar to him. “Don’t hide from me.”
“I wasn’t sure you would turn off at the sight of my scar.”
Dante laughed, a harsh sound deep in his throat. He grabbed my waist, his gaze hungry and possessive. “You look like a goddess, Val. Your scar does not make you any less desirable to me. Or do you find my scars repulsive? I have plenty of them.”
“No of course not. But you are a man. It’s different for women.”
Dante lightly stroked my scar. “That makes you even more beautiful to me because I know why you have it.”
I put my hands on his shoulders, soaking his shirt, but Dante didn’t seem to care. His eyes continued to roam over my body. I leaned forward and kissed him. “I need you, Dante.
I need you so much.”
Dante’s eyes flashed with desire. “Are you sure? Have you recovered enough? I don’t want to hurt you.” My heart beat with love for him. It meant a lot what he had asked me when I could see how much he wanted to throw me on the bed and have me. One of his hands had already reached my bottom, caressing the globes in a gentle but very distracting way.
“You’re not going to do that,” I said. “As long as we take it slow, we should be fine.” The last thing I wanted to do was take things slow. I wanted to rip Dante’s clothes off, lick every inch of his skin and watch him slam into me again and again.
Dante said nothing, but helped me out of the tub and wrapped me in a soft robe. He massaged me through the thick fabric until my skin was dry and my breathing began to become labored. Dante took me in his arms and carried me toward the bedroom where he laid me on the bed. My toes bent in anticipation as he watched me. He crawled slowly across the bed and reached for the belt that held my robe closed. With a tug it came apart, leaving me naked in his eyes. “So beautiful,” he said roughly. “I’ve missed your taste.”
His words alone caused excitement to build between my legs, and I lifted my hips in silent invitation. A smirk curved his lips before he lowered his head and kissed my breasts, first the left then the right before kissing me down to my stomach. I stiffened when his lips grazed my scar, not because it hurt, but Dante did not back down. My gasp seemed to make him even more determined to pay special attention to this part of my body. His eyes leapt toward me as he printed another kiss against the scar. His eyes were relentless until my muscles finally melted under his lips. After another quick kiss, he moved lower, pulled my legs further apart and then slipped his tongue between my folds. I cried out, already so close to the edge that I could feel my leg muscles tense in anticipation. After a few more strokes and gentle touches, my release caught me. “Dante!” I threaded my fingers through his hair, holding him close to me as I gave in to the pleasure he was giving me. Dante lifted his face and kissed my inner thigh before sitting up. I did the same, my hands reaching for his vest, pushing it down his shoulders before moving on to unbutton his shirt with trembling hands.
“Get up,” I ordered in a breathless whisper. Dante obeyed, with a surprised twinkle in his eyes. I half ripped his pants down his legs, releasing his hard length. I looked up at Dante as I took him in my mouth, savoring the salty pre-cum on the back of my tongue as he slid down the back of my throat. Dante moaned. He slid in and out of my mouth a few times before stepping back, out of my reach. “As good as it is, I’m going to come if you keep this up . You don’t know how much I fucking want you.”
Dante held out his hand to me and I took it without hesitation, letting him put me back on my feet. Dante took the robe off my shoulders; a pool formed at my feet, and then I was already in Dante’s arms, pressed against his firm, warm body. He moved us back until the back of my legs touched the bed and I fell onto the soft mattress. Dante lowered himself beside me. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he turned me on my side. “What are you doing?”
He slid behind me, pressing his chest against my back, his erection sinking into my thigh. “We’re going to try a new position. It will make things easier for you, and my weight won’t fall on you.
“All right,” I said, my voice trembling with excitement.
“Is your pill working yet?”
I nodded quickly.
Dante rubbed my neck on my neck as his hand ran over my breast, then down my stomach until he slid between my legs. He dipped a finger, then a second inside me, making me moan.
“You’re ready,” Dante growled. I was more than ready. I desperately needed him. My whole body ached for him.
Dante moved his hand along the inside of my thigh before hooking his palm under my knee and lifting my leg until my foot was flat on the bed and my legs opened in a wide V.
He pulled me even tighter against his body, cupping me, and guided his erection to my opening. Slowly he slipped the tip inside me and I closed my eyes from the stretching sensation. Dante’s palm gripped my breast as his lips kissed the spot below my ear and pushed inch by inch into me.
My breath caught in my throat as he filled me to the brim. He let out a harsh sigh. “God, you’re so tense, Val.”
It had been too long, and my narrow channel had to get used to its size again. Dante paused, our bodies fused together, his cock stretching me. He stroked my side and stomach. “Are you okay?”
I looked over my shoulder at him, then claimed his lips for a kiss before pulling back and whispering. “I missed this.” Dante ran his fingers down to my folds and gently began to draw circles on my sensitive bulge. “Please move,” I begged in between moans. And Dante did. He moved almost completely away before sliding back in. When my inner muscles relaxed, he settled into a slow, delicious rhythm. We felt as one as we moved against each other. Our breathing quickened and so did Dante’s thrusting, but he held me in his embrace, his lips nibbling my throat. I wasn’t sure how long we had been making love like that, the pleasure slowly building until I sank my toes into the mattress, desperate for relief, and when he finally claimed me, my tense muscles brought Dante with me and he poured into me. with a hoarse cry.
Later he did not immediately withdraw. Instead he wrapped me even tighter in his embrace, our bodies still joined. My breathing was slowly dropping as Dante left a trail of kisses down my neck until he took my earlobe between his lips. I groaned and arched against him as his fingers resumed playing between my thighs .
“How about another round?” he said in a rough voice. All I could do was nod as his other hand pinched my nipple and I felt his cock starting to get hard inside me again. He pulled out of me, forcing me to look at him confused. He lightly massaged my butt as he sat up and opened his arms in invitation. “Another new position?” I asked excitedly.
Dante’s cock was so hard that it rested against his firm stomach. I crawled toward him and squatted over him before slowly lowering myself onto his length. I wrapped my arms around Dante’s neck, bringing our chests together and pressing my mouth to his. Dante’s hands grabbed my butt and guided me up and down his erection.
“Look at me,” he asked in a hoarse voice. My eyes opened wide, meeting his heated gaze. “I love to see your eyes when I’m in you.”
We kept our gazes fixed as our breathing quickened and my movements became jerky, and even as I cried out my release, followed by Dante’s rough moans. His gaze was all the declaration of love I needed as we clutched together, reluctant to separate even now that we were exhausted and satisfied.
Dante slowly lay down, taking me with him, so I lay on top of him. A goofy smile spread across my face as I peered down at Dante. His messy hair, the shadow of stubble, his helpless expression. I buried my face in the crook of his neck, whispering, “I love you.”
Dante’s arms around me tightened and he placed a kiss on the side of my head. I closed my eyes, listening to the cacophony of our beating hearts.
We stayed like that for a long time. I never wanted to move but eventually we slipped into the shower.
Next we crept into the children’s room. Gaby was sitting in the rocking chair reading a book, but when she saw us she got up quickly . “You can go,” I whispered. “We’ll keep an eye on you for the rest of the night.” Gaby nodded and left, closing the door quietly. Anna lay in her crib, her tiny hands clenched into fists and her face serene. She was still small but had grown a lot since we had been allowed to take her home from the hospital two weeks ago. I tiptoed over to her bed and rested my hands on the edge, wanting to caress her rosy cheek, but not wanting to wake her. I enjoyed watching her in these quiet moments. I never felt more peaceful. Dante came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his head against mine. “I will never let anything happen to you or Anna. I will protect you until my last breath.” I knew he would. It had taken a while and we had encountered some obstacles along the way, but in the end I had what I had always wanted: a husband who cared deeply for me and a beautiful child whom we both loved more than anything else in the world. I felt like I had finally arrived where I was supposed to be.