AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I bite my lip.Why yes, I do.
“Thank you,” I say, and I hope he knows that I’m not just thanking him for the shop. It’s been weeks since our big fight and we’ve never been better. Adriano scoffed at my suggestion for anger management classes, which I knew he would, but he’s found other ways to work out his… aggression.
Squee!
“There’s something else I want to tell you,” he says, pulling me up against his chest so my head is under his chin, his arm wrapped around me, and I’m tucked up against him.
“Oh?” Call me weird, but I sure as fuck love it when he nuzzles my hair with that stubble.
“Sergio and I agreed that we’re doing away with the timeline. We asked you for six months. It’s no longer necessary.”
I look over my shoulder at him. “Oh, you think you’ll get rid of me that easily, do you?”
“Of course not,” he says on a grin. “Why the fuck do you think I bought you this shop?”
“It wasn’t because of my charm and earth-shattering blow jobs?”
He pauses as if thinking it over. “It was absolutely because of your charm and earth-shattering blow jobs. Get over here.” He spins me around and pulls me to him before he gives me a deep, toe-curling kiss that makes me melt. I sigh contentedly.
“We could have a lot of fun with that chocolate fountain,” I say suggestively.
“And break every health code in Boston?” But I know the spark in his eyes well. And Adriano was never one to care about pedestrian things like health codes, anyway.
* * *
EPILOGUE
“THE RECEPTION”
Quinn
Today marks a special day.Today is our six-month anniversary. I'm normally not one to celebrate small anniversaries, and normally, I wouldn't even consider it an anniversary unless it was our one-year, but this one means something.
For both of us.
When I roll over in bed that morning, Adriano is propped up on one elbow, looking at me, his eyes crinkling a bit around the edges. It's a new look for him—kind of like business casual, you might say—but I like it.
I like brooding, too. I like stern. I like boyish and playful. Because I love him.
Now that months have passed since the two of us started out with our baptism by fire, I feel every day unfolds like the pages of a story. As the time passes, who I am and who he is begin to evolve into whoweare.
"Did you ever open those wedding gifts?" he asks curiously. I can already tell he has something up his sleeve because I know him. And Adriano might be fierce and ruthless, but he's a terrible liar. And even though he's not lying to me right now, I know that he's planning something.
I know exactly what he's talking about, only I don't remember what I did with them. I yawn and stretch. "What wedding gifts?"
The sun rises outside the window of our apartment, shining tendrils of light on the city before us. We've settled into this place, and I kind of think it's pretty cool that we live in such a simple home. We have the luxury of the club whenever we want it, open access to The Castle, and we travel, a lot. Someday, when we start a family, we’ll need something bigger. But for now, this is cozy and suits us well.
"I didn't know I liked to travel until I did it with you,” Adriano says.
Ididn't know I liked to travel until I did it with my personal bodyguard.
"I spoke with the nurse this morning. Your mom is doing great."
I yawn. “When were you up?” We were up late, because…reasons. Adriano sometimes gets a wild idea and decides sleep is for the birds.
"When I made your coffee."
My mom is recovering from a bad head cold, but thankfully that's all she’s suffered from in months. She is as happy as I have ever seen her in her new place, a luxury facility with assisted living and memory care. We visit often, and I like knowing when I'm not there, she's in good hands.
