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I wanted what Crow had.
I wanted a woman.
I wanted a family.
I wanted it to be Adelina—but I might not get my way.
A part of me believed she would return home and realize it wasn’t the same anymore. She was too different, and everyone viewed her differently. They would view her as the victim, the person who’d been raped by a gang of thugs. She believed her life would be a fairy tale and Prince Charming would sweep her off her feet. But there was no Prince Charming.
The only man who would risk his life to save hers was me—and I already did.
But she had to realize it on her own.
And I had to hope that she came back to me.
I understood her stubbornness. I hadn’t wanted to return Adelina to Tristan, but I did it anyway because I couldn’t go back on my word. If Adelina never returned home to be with her friends and family, she would be betraying them. She wasn’t selfish—and I respected that.
Adelina lay against me, her hand on my chest. She was curled into my side, her hair all over my chest and shoulder. I loved the way she smelled, especially when she smelled like me. Her eyes were closed, and she tucked her leg in between mine.
I looked at the ceiling as I ran my fingers through her hair. I paid attention to the way she breathed, the way her chest rose and fell at a soft rate. Her eyelashes were dark and thick, hiding those beautiful eyes when she looked down. Her tits were soft against my chest. I loved caressing them with my fingertips and my lips.
She must have felt me staring at her because she opened her eyes and looked into my face. The gentle glow from the fire made her features visible. Without makeup and with swollen lips, she looked like the most beautiful thing in the world. “I think I should be getting home soon…”
My fingers halted in her strands, but I kept my expression the same. I knew she was wary of my reaction—not that I could blame her. “Pick a date.”
“The longer I wait, the more my parents will suffer…and Lizzie’s.”
“I understand.”
Chapter 17
Crow
“So, they’re both okay?” I stared at the doctor, the most revered obstetrician in Europe. I flew Button all the way to France, a two-hour plane ride, just to see him. I wasn’t letting her see anyone unless they were the best in the business. We’d have to make arrangements for when Button was ready to deliver. “Both healthy?”
“Based off of everything I’ve seen, they’re both in great shape.”
Button was still lying on the table in her gown, so I rested my hand on top of her stomach and felt the relief wash over me. All the stress of the past month hadn’t harmed Little Barsetti. She’d told me she was pregnant in the middle of the storm, and all I could do was get both of them out of harm’s way. But there had been nothing I could do to limit her distress. “I’m glad to hear that.”
The doctor shook my hand before he stepped out of the room. “You’re going to be a great father, Mr. Barsetti. I have a lot of concerned parents come into this room, but you lapped them by a mile.” He smiled before he left.
Button was trying not to laugh. “If only he knew…”
I lifted up her gown and pressed a kiss to her belly, which was still flat. “Now I’ve got two people to look after. Stresses me out.”
“Nothing to stress out about, Crow. This pregnancy will be boring. I’ll get uncomfortable at the end and demand you retrieve me ice cream, but that’s the worst of it.”
“I hope so.”
After she got dressed, we boarded my private plane and returned to Florence. It was a short trip when we cut out security. We landed in Florence, and I drove us back to the estate we both called home.
We walked inside and were greeted by Lars.
“How was the trip, Your Grace?” Lars retrieved my coat and hung it up by the door.
“Good,” Button answered. “The baby is doing great. We won’t know if it’s a boy or a girl for a while, but they’re healthy.”
“That’s great to hear,” Lars said. “Lunch?”
“I’m starving,” Button blurted as she rubbed her stomach.
“I could eat,” I said simply.
“Great. Mr. Barsetti is waiting in the dining room for you. I thought you could sit down to lunch together.” Lars gave a slight bow before he walked away.
Cane was probably there to talk about business. He knew when I was going to be home and decided to bombard me right away. Being unemployed wasn’t suitable for him. The only reason I put up with it was because I knew he was going through a hard time.
