Page 37 of The DeLuca Crime Family: Vol. 1

Nic followed through on his promise. We literally spent six hours making love and rediscovering each other’s bodies on the floor of his office. We just managed to clean up before Sophia’s bus was due to drop her off from school. I was barely able to stand, let alone dress myself, by the time he was done with me. Nic had to run upstairs and grab an outfit, then help me into it. He’d just finished buttoning my blouse and tucking it into my skirt when Sophia came running into his office.

“Daddy! Mommy!” she cried, making my heart swell with love. “Heidi brought pictures to school today where she was all dressed up in a really pretty white dress with flowers in her hair and in a basket. Do you know why?”

“No, why, sweetie?” I asked, brushing her hair from her face as she chattered on.

“Because she got to be a flower girl!” she squealed. “In a real wedding for her aunt.”

“A flower girl, huh?” Nic replied, flashing me a grin as he quirked an eyebrow up.

“Yes!” she answered. “It’s no fair. I want to be a flower girl and dress up like a princess, too!”

“You’ll get your chance as soon as your mommy picks a day to marry me.”

Sophia’s eyes grew round with surprised happiness. “I will?” she gasped.

“You will.”

“Can it be tomorrow?” She wanted to know. “And then I can bring pictures of me all dressed up to school to show to Heidi.”

“Tomorrow works for me,” Nic said, throwing me under the bus with Sophia.

She wrapped her arms around my legs and looked up at me with pleading eyes. “Please, Mommy.”

I knelt down and pulled her into my arms, gazing down at her adorable face. “Tomorrow’s too soon.” Her expression fell, and I rushed to make it all better. “Because we need a little bit of time to find those pretty dresses for you and me.”

“How much time?” she asked suspiciously.

She was so much like her father at that moment, I couldn’t help but smile hugely as she melted my heart. “I think we can manage it by this weekend.”

She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. “How many days is that?”

“Five,” Nic answered for me.

“Or six,” I interjected, in case I needed until Sunday to pull everything together.

“Five is perfect!” Sophia exclaimed happily, giving each of us a hug before running towards the door. “I’m going to go tellNonnawe’re getting married this weekend.”

“Saturday it is.” Nic had a look of utter satisfaction on his face.

“You sound a little too pleased with yourself,” I muttered, crossing my arms and tapping my foot in irritation.

“Can you blame me?” he asked cockily. “I’m getting everything I want.”

“Good, that means I don’t need to get you a wedding gift.” He started to open his mouth, and I held up my hand to stop him before continuing. “And you won’t be getting me one either.”

He narrowed his eyes and stalked towards me. “I’ll buy you any damn gift I want to give you.”

“No fair!” I objected. “I can’t possibly match what you’d spend on me.”

“You don’t need to give me a wedding present,bellissima,” he murmured. “I meant it when I said I’m already getting everything I want. You as my wife and another beautiful baby.”

“You’re already giving me exactly what I want, too.” I rubbed my palm against his bearded cheek. “You as my husband, Sophia as my daughter, and a baby. The only thing which would make it even better is if I could be Sophia’s mom in the eyes of the law, too.”

“Consider it done,” he promised, crashing his mouth on mine to seal it with a kiss.

“And a kitten,” I whispered against his lips when he lifted his head.

“You want a kitten?”

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