Page 130 of The Proposal

Giuseppe’s face darkens, his nostrils flaring, but I can see the edge of doubt in his eyes. “You have her hidden somewhere.”

“Do I?” I deadpan.

“I made a deal with Stefano Rossi, and I expect it to be fulfilled.”

“That’s your first mistake,” I reply. “Whatever deal the two of you had went up in smoke right alongside him. I’m in charge now, and it will be a cold day in hell before I align myself with the likes of you.”

He lunges forward, grabbing hold of the lapel of myjacket, but my men act just as fast as multiple guns are drawn. Two are now aimed at him, the others trained on his lackeys.

I remain calm despite the danger. I thrive in situations like this. “If you want to keep breathing, I suggest you turn around and walk away.”

The tension in the air thickens as Giuseppe’s chest heaves and the muscles in his neck twitch. When that distinct, sharp mechanical click of numerous guns cocking fills the silence with successive echoes, adding weight to my threat, he freezes.

After a brief pause, he releases his grip on my jacket and takes a step back. The crazy look in his eyes tells me this isn’t over, but for now, he knows better than to push further.

“You haven’t heard the last of me,” he grumbles, his voice low and laced with venom as he retreats another step.

I give him a slow, measured smile. “I’ll be waiting.”

“Bellezza,” I say the moment her face appears on the screen of my phone. She’s so fucking beautiful that she often takes my breath away. The mere sight of her has all the tension lifting from my shoulders.

“Dante,” she replies in that breathy tone I can’t get enough of.

“How are things?”

“Okay. I miss you.”

“I miss you too,amore mio. How’s Lucia and Romeo?”

“Good. Romeo is currently avoiding Lucia like the plague.”

That has my stomach twisting. “Did something happen?”

“Not really. It was so hot here today that we decided to go for a swim, and Lucia thought it would be a good idea to wear this barely there bikini she bought when we went shopping.She was strutting her stuff in front of him. I actually felt bad for the poor guy; he didn’t know where to look.”

I blow out a long breath. The last thing I need is more drama in my life, especially with Giuseppe’s threat now hanging over us. I don’t trust that slimy fucker as far as I can kick him. He’s not going to let this go.

He has too much to lose if he does. His reputation, for one. Lucia is going to need all the protection she can get going forward, but it could get complicated if there’s tension between her and my number one man.

Arabella reaches up to adjust the strap of her sundress when it slips off her shoulder, and my attention is immediately drawn to her exposed olive skin. As my eyes drift to the subtle hint of cleavage visible through the ‘V’ neckline of her dress, my cock instantly starts to swell.

“Show me some nip?” I ask.

“Nip?”

“Pull the top half of your dress down,Bellezza.”

“Dante—”

“Do it,” I command. She’s in the privacy of our bedroom. I’d never ask her to do something like that in public; she’s for my eyes only.

Heat floods her cheeks, but like the good girl she is, she does as I request.

She’s always had the perfect set of perky tits, but they’ve definitely become fuller during her pregnancy. I move to undo the buttons on my dress shirt as I unashamedly stare at my wife’s beautiful body.

We’re now at the end of the first trimester, and I’m beginning to see the small changes in her body already. In a matter of weeks, she’ll start to show and feel the baby kick. I can’t wait for that.

When we went to the doctor to get confirmation after her home test, he gave us an estimated due date of early August.

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