Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 110771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
“Maybe gentle is overrated, Daddy.”
Her sleep filled voice, filled with desire for me and that one word rolling off her tongue wraps around me in the sweetest of ways. Still, I remain steadfast, knowing I need to do it for her. In retaliation, I take my hand and swat her ass gently. “Behave, woman. The next time we make love it’s going to be in our new house, in our new bed.”
“Our new house is done?” she gasps.
“No, not quite. But the bedroom is and a few other rooms besides that. It’s good enough for us to live in.”
“I can’t wait to see it, Marco.” The smile on her face is filled with happiness. I make myself a promise to do everything I can to make that smiler permanent for her.
“Don’t expect much, Princess. I left it kind of plain because I wanted you to decorate it.”
“Now that, I can definitely do,” she says gleefully.
“I knew you could,” I laugh.
“Have you talked to her father or Mr. Cirillo?” she asks, her voice getting more somber.
I sigh and adjust her so she can see me easily. “Not yet.”
“Marco, you shouldn’t wait. They’re planning on coming after you. They’re dangerous.”
I gently cup her neck and shake my head at her before softly kissing her lips. “Ena, stop worrying. I have this. I’m going to deal with it all. It’s just that right now I’m worn out. I haven’t slept in over twenty-four hours. I spent the day terrified that I was going to lose the woman who is my entire life. Right now, all I want in this world is just to sleep with you in my arms. Then, I want to wake up and get us on that jet so we can go home together. Once we’re there, we can talk about what’s next.”
She stares at me, and her face goes soft. “I can agree to that,” she murmurs.
I kiss her again. “I love you, Princess.”
She angles her head to place a kiss above my heart and my lips stretch into a smile as she inhales against my chest like she’s breathing me in. “I love you, too, Marco.”
I give Helena a squeeze and she snuggles into me. I hold her close and her breathing evens out in no time. Only when I know she’s asleep do I allow myself to follow her. I also do it, thanking my lucky stars that tonight is ending the way it is. I couldn’t face this life without my Princess by my side.
I just couldn’t.
Chapter 43
Helena
At the airstrip, we boarded a helicopter. It’s not my favorite form of transportation, but I do like being able to look outside more. As we approach our destination, it’s too dark to see everything, but I’m still smiling. From the floodlights and the ones on the helicopter, shining out as we land, I can look over my new home. It’s exactly how I described it to Marco that day—only better.
“It’s just like… it’s…”
“Of course, it is, Ena. It’s our home. Everything you described and imagined was perfection. It included all of my family and yet, left room for the families each of us will create. I want it to be everything you dreamed and more,” Marco responds.
My heart is doing somersaults as I look at the man beside me. Tears are stinging my eyes, but I don’t think I can handle anything emotional right now. So, I just grin at him. “Well, you did a great job.”
That was the right response because Marco is still laughing as everything is shut down and we disembark. I stay close into his side as he leads me across the sidewalk that connects the helipad to the main office entrance. The minute we walk inside, my gaze moves all around the new building. It needs some interior designing yet, but all you can see is luxury. There’s a huge reception desk in the middle and behind it are several corridors. We pause at these when Gio and Elias come out to greet us. They both surprise me by coming up to me and giving me a hug. Each of them place a kiss against my temple before they step back, hug me again and whisper words that I didn’t even realize I wanted to hear.
“Welcome home.”
Yet again, tears sting my eyes. I give them what I’m sure is a watery smile. “Thank you.”
“We missed our sister,” Gio whispers and my heart squeeze in my chest. A surprised gasp leaves me, and Marco pulls me into him, hugging me close as he begins talking.
“I’ll be back in an hour for our conference calls. Is everything ready?”
“Of course, brother,” Elias answers. “Now stop interrupting us as we welcome our sister home.”
That’s it. I can’t really take much more. I start crying. “I missed you all,” I confess.