Page 106 of Captive Vows
“I know.” Emil shoved his hands in his pockets, watching as she gently burped Andre. “But she’s still a stranger to so much of our world.”
“True,” I admitted. “But she’s adapting well.”
Leaving them to join her for a dance, I appreciated how Alexsei offered to hold the baby.
“May I have this dance, Wife?” I asked, extending my hand to her.
She gave me such a dazzling smile that I wondered if going down on her would be breaking the rule of no sex until after her checkup.
In this wedding gown, she was stunning. Ravishing. Gorgeous. And I’d spend the rest of my life reminding her of that.
“You sure can, Husband.” She stood, moving into the open area of the ballroom to dance with me. No other couples were out here. It was only my closest men joining us for this ceremony and dinner. But that didn’t matter.
I kissed her, committing this memory to my heart. With just the two of us moving to the soft music, it was as if we were in a bubble of our own. Where all that mattered was that we were together and in love.
“You’re not overdoing it, are you?” I asked as we moved as one. Feeling her slender, still-athletic body swaying with mine teased me.
“No. I’m fine. Remember, I’ve been dancing for most of my life.” She kissed my cheek. “Taking a few months off won’t set me back that far.”
“When do you think you’ll return to the studio and dance again?” I asked. I wanted her to keep her passion, to never stop pursuing her dreams.
“Soon.” She shrugged. “That’s a question you should ask our son.”
I smiled, amused but also aware of what she meant. Breastfeeding him took a toll on her sleep schedule, to say the least. I was always up, helping her, but she was the one with the milk.
“I doubt I’ll try to perform again,” she admitted.
“Because of how the audition ended?” I asked, hating that it had been interrupted.
“Not only that. It’s just how my life has changed. I’m a mother now. A wife. I have a family.” She beamed at me, making me feel like a god. “You can’t understand how over the moon I am about how everything is falling into place. I’ve never been happier, Luka. I have a family now. A real one.” She sighed and shook her head. “A real family, unlike the waste of space who was supposed to be my father, the fool who went on the run.”
I kissed her. Not only to quiet her but to distract her. Damn Emil for mentioning Miguel today.
“Don’t worry about him.”
She smiled slightly. “I’m not.”
“I mean it, Gabriella. Don’t worry about him.” It seemed so flimsy of a command to give her. We were having a fraction of a wedding here in our home because she was rightly nervous to exit the security I had here.
“I’m not worried. I know you’ll get him. You’ll find him and kill him and I’ll never have to worry about him again.” She licked her lips. “I know other threats will come, but I have faith in you, husband of mine, that you’ll handle him and dispose of him.”
I nodded then rested my brow against hers. “I swear on my life that no one will ever hurt you again. No one will ever get close enough to hurt you on my watch.”
She lifted her hand to caress my cheek. “I believe you. And even if something were to happen, I’ll start taking self-defense classes and learn how to handle a gun once Andre isn’t nursing as often.”
I kissed her, so damn proud of her. To trust me but also to be interested in participating in her safety as well…
Three days later, I delivered on my promise.
Emil and Ivan asked to talk to me in my office, and I nodded.
“Here, I can take him.” Gabriella extended her arms toward me, suggesting I hand her Andre.
“No, no.” He’d just fallen asleep. I doubted either of us got an hour of rest last night with how he’d cried to be fed. Cluster feeding washell.
“You sure?” She glanced at my son and nephew. “If you need to handle business…”
“Chill, Gabby,” Emil told her.
