AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Guess you’ll have to remind him who the real boss is,” I tease.
“Way ahead of you,” she says, wagging her eyebrows.
Dante clears his throat while we laugh, and Thalia spins away to go seduce her man.
“Don’t get any ideas about showing me who’s boss, sunshine,” he whispers into the shell of my ear. His arms tighten around my waist, and I grind against him, giggling when he groans.
“I thought we already established who’s boss,” I answer, looking at him over my shoulder.
His brown eyes are nearly black, and he narrows his gaze at me, doing nothing to hide his lustful thoughts.
“I seem to remember you following orders from day one, in fact.”
Dante pinches my hip, making me squeak. He nuzzles into the side of my neck, sending prickles up and down my spine as his slight stubble scrapes against my skin. He peppers kisses over my soft flesh, then tugs my earlobe through his teeth.
“Love when you sass me, baby,” he rasps. “I’m gonna love your punishment even more.”
I hold back a moan, reminding myself we’re at a family grill out. This man knows how to turn me on with nothing more than a few wandering touches and whispered words.
“This is why I moved out, you know,” Raul says from close by. “The public displays of affection were starting to ruin my appetite.”
I snap my eyes open, a blush creeping over my cheeks. The old man is frowning, but his eyes shine with pride and love.
“Funny,” says Dante. “I thought you moved out because our hot tub didn’t have the proper jet system.”
Raul chuckles and claps Dante on the back. “You know I’m messing with you, son. I’m grateful for everything you’ve provided, but mostly, I’m happy to be part of the family.”
“Raul,” I whisper, resting a hand on his shoulder. “You’re going to make me cry.”
“And if you make her cry, I’ll have to knock you out. Sorry, Pops, those are the rules.”
He grins and takes my hand, kissing it before winking. “I better get going then. Wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of your friends.”
Dante laughs, and I spin in his arms, wanting to capture his smile. “Thank you,” I whisper, kissing him on the cheek.
“For what, sunshine?” he murmurs.
“For loving me. For working through the hard stuff with your dad. For being the best father and most supportive husband. I’m just…” I sniffle, trying to hold back the emotion. Dante’s face falls, and even though they are good tears, I know he hates seeing them. “Sorry, I’m so emotional.”
“Did I do something? How can I help? What’s wrong?”
I place my hand over his heart, stopping him from spiraling. It’s one of our favorite calming tools for each other, along with deep breathing and morning meditations. Yes, Ifinallygot the brooding, skeptical Dante Santarossa to sit down, shut up, and open himself up to mindfulness.
“Nothing’s wrong,” I assure my husband. “In fact, I’m hoping it’s amazing news.” I wasn’t sure when I was going to tell Dante, but this feels like the right moment. “I’m such an emotional mess because I found out this morning… we’re pregnant.”
Dante’s eyes widen, and it takes a second for my words to sink in. When they do, his face lights up with a smile, and he lifts me in his arms, spinning me around.
“That’s incredible, baby,” he croons in between peppering kisses over my face. “Can’t wait to get home and show you how excited I am.”
I grin and smack his chest playfully. He grabs my hand and kisses each of my fingers.
“I love you, Dante,” I breathe.
“I love you so much, Cambria. I never thought I deserved happiness or a family, but these last six years with you have changed everything. I can’t wait for what the future holds.”
“As long as you’re in it, I know it will be incredible.”
His lips find mine, and we sway to the pop song playing in the background as we melt into each other. The world fades away until it’s just us, sealing our promises with a kiss.
* * *
THE END
