He brought her down on the bed.
“We could get caught. I haven’t told Marietta about us,” she warned.
“She knows. Dominic knows, so I’m sure they all have been told.” Carlo grinned.
Shae put up her hand to stop his approach. “No. She doesn’t.”
He reached behind him and pulled his shirt over his head. “My room isn’t far from here. No one gives a shit. Everyone is in bed.” Carlo reasoned. He then pulled down her pajama bottoms. She scooted back and kicked them off her feet.
“Can you be quiet for me?” he asked.
“Can you be gentle for me?” she teased him with a sexy smile.
He shook his head slowly no, as he lowered his zipper. Shae bit down on her bottom lip and waited for the unveiling of the cock she loved to suck. Her gaze flickered up to his eyes once more. “I’ll try for the both of us,” she said.
“Good girl.”
**
Marietta poured her husband a glass of their family wine. Lorenzo kicked off his shoes and reclined in the chair in his entertainment room.
“Everything okay?” she asked. She walked over and gave him the glass.
“Not sure. Got some troubling news from Dominic,” he said before he sipped.
“Should I be concerned?” Marietta asked.
“For now Giovanni wants you and the women to stay close. After the party we’re taking you back to Sorrento. Until things cool down.”
“But I was thinking of going to Paris. Jamie leaves in a few days. I got maybe two weeks of work ahead of me in Milan. Mirabella and I were going to stay with the kids. That was the plan. Fuck, Lo, don’t change it now!”
“Not my call. You will return to Sorrento,” he said.
Marietta sighed. Lorenzo lived a life that required obedience. If he felt there was danger then there probably was. She rubbed her hands together. She looked around the room and smiled. They were home. She’d missed this place. She hadn’t been there in months. Her staff greeted her and everything was polished, dusted, and the decorators had already erected the tents for the evening party by the lake.
“Vieni qui,”
he said and set his wine glass down on the table next to him. “How do you feel?”
Marietta eased on his lap and turned sideways so her legs dropped off the arm of the recliner. She rested on his broad chest and relaxed. “Excited.”
“Happy birthday,
cara
,” he lifted her chin with his finger. She looked into his beautiful eyes. “I’m proud of you.”
She brushed her lips over his. Her tongue eased into his mouth and she teased him with a slow kiss. Lorenzo’s eyes closed and she stroked his jaw. Her lips trailed from his lips to his chin, and then his neck. He dropped the recliner back even lower. She unbuttoned his shirt and eased her hand inside. She loved his chest. She could rub his chest all evening.
“Scusi, Signora Battaglia,”
a soft voice spoke.
Marietta lifted her gaze from her husband’s face. Talia gave a respectful nod. The housekeeper and her family had tended Lorenzo’s palace by the lake long before he married Marietta. And they showed her respect and humility soon after. She liked Talia. She trusted her.
“Yes?”
“Your guests are settled in for the evening. I was told that you wanted to prepare breakfast for them?” Talia asked.
Though breakfast wasn’t customary in Italy, at least not how Marietta prepared it, the family was quite used to Marietta’s culinary skills. “That’s correct. I’ll begin at seven.”
“
Sí, signora.
I will make sure Marcie and Emilia are available to assist.
Buona note,
signora
and
signor
.”
“Buona note, Talia,”
Marietta smiled.
She glanced down at Lorenzo. His eyes were closed but there was a content smile on his lips. “Aww, sweetie, you’re tired. Let me put you to bed.”
“I’m okay,” he sighed.
She kissed his brow and brushed the back of her hand over his jaw. She loved it when he was like this. The most passionate times in her marriage were shared between them here in Bellagio. Her very own castle by a lake, with servants, and a prince who made love to her every night, and woke to bake hand made pizzas for her in the morning.
“Lorenzo?” she whispered.
After a few deep breaths he opened his eyes. His lids barely parted, his pupils were dilated. Fatigue had a strong hold over him, but still he managed to give a sly smile. “Time for your birthday present, Marie,” he groaned.
“Now?” she asked.
He patted her thigh. “Today is your birthday, no?”
“Where is it?” she glanced around. She saw nothing. Then she looked back into his eyes. She put her hand over his erection. She grinned. “Ah, here it is.”
“No,
cara,
that would be my reward,” he said.
She squeezed his dick and he groaned. He sat the chair upright from the reclined position. Marietta stood. She pulled him by the hands and brought him to his feet. Lorenzo dropped his long arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer as they left the room. She wouldn’t be disappointed if he led her directly to their bedroom. Most often Lorenzo’s gifts were jewelry or a fancy Chinchilla coat. However, just before they reached their bedroom door he stopped her.
“Not that room,” he said.
Marietta glanced to the door to their left. He winked at her as if to encourage her to go in. “What have you done?” she laughed when she went to the door and he pinched her bottom. The room next to theirs was cleared out months ago. It was Lorenzo’s orders. She hoped he’d turned it into an office. That way when his working extended into the late hours during one of their visits, she could easily entice him to bed. Marietta opened the room door and was greeted by darkness. She reached inside and flipped up the wall switch.
“Sweet Jesus.” she gasped.
The walls were painted a light shade of powder blue with a navy blue, white, and yellow trim. There was a decorative wall painting of sailboats, balls, and teddy bears above the crib. A train set traveled the entire room by rails tacked on a very high shelf. She stepped inside the room. She glanced to the left to the rocking horse, playpen, and changing table. The crib near the window was antique and reminded her of the crib the twins once shared. It was dark wood. The mobile was blue and white. He walked over and turned the tiny crank. It spun slowly playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
“Lorenzo?” She turned around looking at it all with disbelief.
She was immobile with shock. He hugged her from behind. He squeezed her tight.
“Buon compleannu.”
He wished her happy birthday in Sicilian.
“This? This is my birthday present?” she put her hand to her forehead. “I’m not even pregnant.”
“How do you know? We haven’t seen the doctors. I made an appointment.”
“Lorenz…”
“Carlo brought the crib up here for me last week. It’s mine, from when I was a
bambino
. I brought it out of the old house. I keep promising to take you to Chianti to see the house I grew up in with Mama. We’ll go some day.”
“Lorenzo—”
“I asked Zia how I should paint for a boy. What a baby boy would like.” He stepped back and admired the room. He pointed out things he wouldn’t commonly know. For instance, the need for a changing table, and a rocking chair for her to breastfeed, was explained to him by Zia. Marietta felt sick.
“Marie? Are you crying?” he asked with concern.
She was. She didn’t know when she started but she was. She put her hand to her face. “I’m trying, Lo, but you promised no pressure. Why did you do this?”
“This is not about pressure.”
“It is dammit. It is. A baby room and I’m not pregnant is pressure! Doctor appointments made without my permission is pressure!”
“I don’t need fucking permission to take you to the doctor!” he yelled. “
Santo Maria!
Why must everything be so difficult with you, woman?”
“Stop it!” she over shouted him.
He seized her by the arms. He shook her. Not hard but firm. “From my heart, Marie! This is from my heart. You stop crying. Look at me. Look at me!” he demanded. She looked up at him.
“Sei l’amore della mia vita.”
He told her she was the love of his life. “How much jewelry can I buy you? Eh? How many cars, how many villas? How much can I give you before it means nothing to either of us?” He kissed her brow as she tried to shove him away. He kissed her tears from her cheeks and grabbed her face to keep her still. “This isn’t about you giving me the baby. My present is my giving you me.”
“That makes no sense!” Marietta sniffed.
He lifted her chin. “Me. When you are pregnant we will come here, just you and me. I’ve already told Gio. I’ll take whatever time off I need to. I found a doctor here in Bellagio for you. I will put you first. Our
bambini
will always come first. Trust me,
cara
.”
She smiled. “Why would you promise that?”
“Because I know you,
cara
. Giving me my son scares you for some reason. It’ll be a sacrifice that we make together. I am selfish in everything in my life. I know that. But not when it comes to you, Marie. My love for you is the only thing that makes me a better man.
Voglio stare con te per sempre
. I want little Maries and little Lorenzos.
”
Love filled her to the brim as Marietta hugged her husband’s neck. She looked into his clear eyes. “You always know what I need. I will give you so many sons!” she laughed through her tears. “I love you so much!”
She rubbed her nose with his and kissed him. “I love you so much!” she laughed louder. “This is the best birthday gift you could give me!” she squealed and leapt on him.
“That’s my girl,” Lorenzo chuckled.
Morning –
“Eve?” Mirabella said. She found Eve alone in the room. The boys were downstairs having breakfast.
“Ciao, Mommy!”
Eve said. Mirabella walked into the room and observed her daughter. She was completely captivated with combing through her doll’s hair.
“Why aren’t you downstairs, sweetheart? Eating?” Mirabella asked. She sat on the bed and stroked her daughter’s curly hair.
“Not hungry,” Eve shrugged.
“Everything okay?” Mirabella asked.
Eve ignored her. She ran the comb through her doll’s hair and then set it down and started to braid it. She mimicked Mirabella in the way she sectioned the hair and combed through it.
“Zia told me that you’ve been telling her stories?” Mirabella asked.
“About Poppy?” Eve asked.
Mirabella’s heart dropped. “What did you say, baby?”
“Poppy. He’s coming to take us to Neverland. Isn’t that right, little rabbit?” she asked the doll. She looked up at Mirabella and smiled. “He’s a pirate, Mommy!”
“Sweetie. Do you remember who called you ‘little rabbit’?” Mirabella asked.
“Um hmm,” Eve nodded.
“And who was it?” Mirabella asked.
“Poppy. I told you.” Eve set the doll aside and scooted off the bed. She went over to her bag of toys and pulled out the book. She brought it back to Mirabella. She put it on her lap. She opened it and flipped the pages to the one of Captain Hook. “Here he is, Mama. See?”
Mirabella stared at the image of the pirate with his hook for a hand. What was her daughter telling her? Were memories of Kei surfacing for Eve? If they were, then why now? Mirabella always assumed her daughter was far too young to remember the role he played in her life. And though she never admitted it to her husband, Kei was the person who nurtured Eve when she was born. Post-partum had settled in and robbed her of that joy.
“I saw him, Mama,” Eve told her “I tellin’ the truth! He come in the room and tell me that he taking me and you to Neverland. No one believe me. He scare Gino. Make him cry. No one believe me.”
“What room?” Mirabella asked.
“The room,” Eve shrugged and her eyes brimmed with tears.
“Sweetheart,” Mirabella set the book aside. “Look at Mama.” She took her hands and kissed them. “I believe you, baby. Okay?”
“You do?” Eve’s eyes stretched.
“Yes,” she smiled. “You’re a special girl, and it’s okay to have special friends. Even ones we don’t see.”
“He coming again. He is. You’ll see him. I promise.” Eve grinned. She was such a remarkable child. So beautiful and sweet, she could have possibly been made here in Bellagio.
“I promise, tomorrow we will have our own party. Go on the lake in the boat. Just you and me?”
“I want to be with Papa. He always takes Gino with him, never me anymore. He says he doesn’t do it, but he does. He likes Gino more.”
“He loves you, Eve,” Mirabella said.
“No. He loves Gino. And you love Gianni. No one loves me. Poppy does. He said so.” Eve’s bottom lip quivered and fat tears rolled down her cheeks.
Mirabella took her daughter into her arms. “I’m sorry, baby, so sorry.”