Iâm enjoying a day out with my mom, Aunt Elena, and Violet.
Iâve missed this so much. I donât hate being at home, but damn, a girl needs her shopping time.
Especially this girl.
Iâm grinning from ear to ear as I step out of the fitting room with Violetâs help.
Just one more week, and the damn cast comes off. I canât freaking wait.
Mom and Aunt Elena stop talking, and their jaws drop as they stare at me.
âYou look gorgeous, Mariya,â My mother-in-law breathes.
Momâs face crumbles. âNooo, Mami,â I coo as I hold open my arms. âCome here.â
Mom rushes into my arms, hugging me tightly to her as sheâs overcome with emotion from seeing me in my wedding dress.
The dress is everything I wanted it to be. Feminine yet badass. Classy yet sexy. For Dadâs sake, I didnât let the V neckline dip too low.
Mom pulls back and holds me at armâs length as she looks at me. âYou look absolutely breathtaking, sweetheart.â
âI do, donât I,â I beam, my hands caressing the lace. âHelp me to the mirror.â
Mom wraps her arm around my lower back, and careful not to step on the dress, she helps me onto the small podium in the bridal boutique.
My eyes drift over the stunning dress, my heart full of happiness.
Mom and Aunt Elena take photos while Violet pours us each a glass of champagne.
âLuca is going to love the dress,â Aunt Elena mentions.
âRight,â I chuckle.
She comes to stand next to the podium and says, âIâm so glad the two of you decided to make the marriage work.â
âYouâve raised an amazing man, Aunt Elena. Iâm lucky to have him.â
She presses a hand to her heart and gives me an affectionate smile. âWhen are you going to call me mamma?â
My eyes dart to Mom, unsure if I would offend her, but she waves a hand at us. âElena is right. You canât call your in-laws uncle and aunt all your life.â
I give Mom a grateful smile, then grin at my mother-in-law. âI guess that answers your question.â
âChampagne time,â Violet calls out.
âNot with the dress on,â Mom says before Violet can hand me a flute. Mom helps me back to the dressing room and out of my wedding dress.
âIâm so glad weâre getting to do this,â she murmurs as she hangs the dress up.
âMe too.â I quickly put on the silk blouse and skirt I chose to wear for the dayâs outing.
When Mom and I step out of the dressing room, we take our flutes filled with bubbly.
Violet holds up her glass, then says, âTo Mariya and Luca not killing each other, and to getting drunk and finding true love at the bottom of their glasses.â
âJesus, Violet,â Mom chuckles. âRemind me not to let you speak at the wedding.â
We all laugh as we enjoy our drinks before leaving for the cake tasting.
Lying face to face in Lucaâs arms, I let out a happy sigh.
âWhatâs the sigh for?â he asks while brushing his fingers up and down my back.
âJust thinking about today. I had fun with our moms and Violet.â
âIâm glad you spent some time with them.â He presses a kiss to my forehead. âThank you for including my mom. She called to tell me how much she loved it.â
âIt was my pleasure. I love spending time with her.â I grin at him. âShe asked me to call her mamma.â
A wide smile spreads over his handsome face. âAnd?â
âIâm going to call her mamma, of course.â
Iâm rewarded with another brush of his lips against my nose.
âViolet said something today that got me wondering about something.â I start trailing patterns on his bare chest and circling his right peck. âYou said you werenât drunk the night of my birthday.â
A frown starts to form on his forehead. âYeah?â
âTell me what happened.â
âYou got out of your mind drunk,â he chuckles, looking relieved.
âEveryone knows that part,â I roll my eyes at him. âI want to know the rest.â
Luca moves onto his back, his arm tightening around my shoulder. I wait for him to get comfortable before resting my cheek on his chest.
He inhales deeply, then lets the breath out slowly before saying, âWhile we were at the club, you got brave because of the alcohol and asked me why we werenât friends. I said it was because of the line you drew between us ââ
I lift my head and frown at him. âI didnât draw a line between us. It was you.â
He lets out a chuckle. âWe both made the wrong assumptions about each other.â
I lie back down, muttering, âAssumptions are the mother of all fuck ups.â
âCouldnât agree more.â He resumes brushing his fingers over my back. âAnyway, one thing led to another, and you kissed me.â
My eyebrow darts up. âGood for me.â
Laughing at my remark, he continues. âWe took a walk. I was hoping to clear your mind enough so we could talk about us, but then you spotted a chapel, dragged my ass there, and ordered Elvis to marry us.â
âElvis?â
âYep. It was very romantic.â
âIâm sure.â
âAnyway,â Luca says. He takes hold of my chin, nudging my face up so Iâll look at him. âWe had a mobster wedding, which you found hilarious, said our vows, kissed, and on the way back to the hotel, you passed out.â
âA mobster wedding,â I deadpan. âSeriously?â
âHey, I wanted the Dracula theme, but you insisted we get the mob one for the shits and giggles of it.â
I let out a burst of laughter. âDamn, I wish I could remember it.â Then my facial expression grows serious. âWhat were your vows?â My eyes widen. âShit, what did I say to you?â
Luca has a broad smile on his face as he says, âYou told me you canât cook to save your life but that youâre amazing in bed.â
âReally,â I mutter. âThose were my vows?â
âIt was cute.â His eyes warm on my face. âYou also told me you loved me.â
My lips part with shock. âYou knew all along.â
âYeah, but I didnât say anything because I wanted to hear the words from you when you were ready.â
I pull a disgruntled face. âThatâs cheating. You knew about my feelings while I had no idea about yours.â
âI got lucky,â he jokes, then he gives me a look thatâs filled with all the love he feels for me. âYouâre the only woman for me, Mariya. Iâve waited patiently while building my empire. The only thing missing from my life is you. Everything I haveâ¦â He presses a kiss to my mouth. âEverything I amâ¦â Another kiss. âIs yours, Mariya.â
An emotional smile tugs at my lips. âWere those your vows?â
He nods, then tilts his head. âWill you marry me again, amore mio?â
My chin starts to tremble as I nod. âYes, Luca. Iâll marry you again.â
He pushes me onto my back, moves over me, and bracing a forearm beside my head, his mouth nips at mine. âChrist, howâs it possible to love someone as much as I love you?â
âI donât know,â I whisper, lifting my hands and cupping his jaw. âSometimes, it feels like I might explode from all the love in my heart.â
âI know another way to make you explode,â he grumbles playfully as his hand slips between my legs.
âHmm, I like the sound of that.â
His fingers begin to massage the sensitive bundle of nerves between my legs that only responds to his touch.
The way he touches me makes me feel intoxicated. My mind empties of all thoughts, my attention one hundred percent on my husband and what he does to me.
When the needy whimper slips over my lips, Lucaâs eyes darken until theyâre black.
My hands brush down the expanse of his back, enjoying the feel of his muscles rippling with every move.
Our eyes lock, and the possessiveness in Lucaâs makes me feel protected and loved. He makes me feel like a queen.
His queen.
âLuca,â I whisper, the warmth of having his attention solely focused on me spreading through my entire being. âI need you inside me. Now.â
He grins, knowing precisely what he does to me. He moves over me and settles between my legs, then thrusts against my needy core.
âWithout clothes,â I mutter.
âSo impatient,â he breathes, but then he gives me what I want as he pulls my panties down my legs and removes his sweatpants. He crawls back over me, and our eyes lock together before he enters me with a long, hard thrust.
âYes,â I moan, sparks of ecstasy already rippling through me.
God, I love connecting with Luca on such an intimate level.
He grinds his pelvis against mine, and staying buried inside me, the thrusts are short and hard. The orgasm hits hard, the power of it rendering me speechless. My nails dig into his skin, my lips part on a silent scream, my body unable to move.
âChrist,â he rasps. âI love the way you come for me, baby.â
Lucaâs chest presses against mine, squashing my breasts, his lips brushing over mine as he starts to hit that spot inside me only he can find.
Another wave of pleasure crashes over me, my vision going spotty from how intense it is. I manage to whimper, and Luca inhales the sound.
He keeps fucking me until Iâm a boneless mess beneath him, and when his orgasm hits, my body jerks from how hard he takes me.
Jesus. So freaking hot.
I watch as ecstasy washes over his features, his jaw clenched, and his eyes burning with the inferno of love he feels for me.
âChrist.â His arms tighten around me, keeping me locked to his body as he rides his orgasm.
Once he comes down from the high, he slowly fills me one last time. âMia regina.â
I shake my head, then murmur, âMy king.â