by Reilly, Cora
“I think missionary is out of the question now,” I said with a grin.
“As if that was ever your favorite.”
“It’s not, and it isn’t yours either,” I said with a dirty laugh. Gianna loved doing it doggy style or up against the wall or bent over a table. Fuck we had so many favorites, it was hard to choose.
“True.”
“Why don’t you ride me? I’m feeling like being lazy today.”
I stretched out on my back and Gianna positioned herself over me. Her brows drew together as she glanced at her bump.
“My cock’s waiting,” I teased.
She lowered herself, burying my cock all the way in her. I groaned and so did she, but her movements were out of sync. I could tell that she was getting increasingly frustrated with her body.
“Let me fuck you doggy style. I miss your pretty ass.”
She nodded, but the frown remained on her face. Only when she was on all fours in front of me and I started rubbing her slit with my tip did she begin to relax again. I pushed into her, with less force than in the past, not sure if I could hurt the baby. She moaned, and soon everything was forgotten as I fucked her slow but deep, rubbing her clit, and when she came, her clenching inner walls shoved me over the edge as well. I groaned, my thrust becoming uncoordinated.
“Fuck,” I growled.
She laughed. “I guess number three is canceled.”
I leaned forward and bit her neck lightly. “Give me some time, then I’m up for another round.”
She shook her head. “I really don’t think I can again, and I mean it. I feel like I’m about to pass out from exhaustion. I just want to sleep.”
I kissed her shoulder blade and pulled out of her. “All right. Tomorrow then.”
She smiled and stretched out on her side. I lied down beside her, pulling her into my arms, but her bump got in the way. She sighed. “It gets difficult ignoring this.”
“Only three more months, then it’s over,” I assured her.
She frowned. “I know. I hope we can keep it from the public. I don’t want people to suspect anything when Aria and Luca pretend it’s their baby.”
“We’re careful,” I said. My stomach did that annoying flip when I thought of giving that baby to my brother and Aria, not because they wouldn’t take care of it, but because part of me wanted to be the one to do it.
Gianna
“I think I’m going crazy, Peanut,” I whispered as I touched the bump. I’d started talking to it in secret a few weeks ago as it had become clear that the baby wouldn’t let me ignore it. It was kicking up a storm every time I was trying to sleep or relax. I hadn’t told anyone that I could feel its kicks. I wasn’t even sure why. Aria had asked me a couple of times about it, but I’d always changed the topic. It felt too… real, feeling this baby move inside of me.
Another kick, and this time even my belly vibrated. It was impossible to miss anymore. On the one hand, I felt relief whenever Peanut showed it was still alive and kicking, but on the other hand its presence overwhelmed me in a way I didn’t understand. The worst was all the secrecy, all the hiding in the Hamptons as if I was a prisoner. So far nobody had seen me with a bump and Aria had managed to stay out of the public eyes since Christmas as well. The chances of us pulling off our plan weren’t bad.
“You have our temper, Peanut.”
Luca wouldn’t be happy about that. I smiled but slowly the smile dropped. I pulled my hand away from my belly and got dressed. Aria and Luca wouldn’t have trouble handling a wild child. Amo wasn’t exactly an easy kid either and they got him under control, mostly. I couldn’t help but wonder how they’d raise my Peanut. If it were a girl, which I still didn’t know, Luca would probably be a protective berserk as he was with Marcella. If Peanut were a girl, she would never experience freedom, never get to choose her own path, her husband, or even if she wanted to marry at all.
Matteo poked his head in. He’d arrived in the Hamptons this morning and would stay two more nights. “Why are you pulling a face?”
“Do you think Luca will arrange a marriage for the baby?”
Matteo frowned. “I suppose so. It’s tradition. So far, he hasn’t given any indication that he’s going to fight our traditions. The majority of our men are happy with the rules as they are.”
“The men, yes.”
Matteo came toward me and touched my shoulders, watching me in the mirror. “If Luca and Aria raise the kid, they are the ones who decide how to raise it.”
“I know,” I muttered. “But it wouldn’t hurt if a girl would be allowed a bit of freedom as well.”
Matteo wrapped his arms around my ribcage; I didn’t like it if he touched my belly. “Luca’s controlling and protective with the women in his life. That’s who he is. We can’t interfere even if we don’t like how he handles the kid. We’re giving up that right by letting them adopt the baby.”
I freed myself from his grip, glaring. “You make it sound as if what we’re doing is wrong.”
“I didn’t say that. How can it be wrong to make sure the kid gets a welcoming, loving home that’s ready for it? That’s a reasonable decision.”
“As if you’re ever reasonable,” I hissed. I wasn’t even sure why I was attacking him, but for some reason I was angry.
Matteo pulled me against him. “Come on, babe, let’s watch a movie and relax a bit. Let’s not argue over this. We’ll cross this bridge when we come to it.”
“I hate it when you are the reasonable one. It’s unnatural.”
He flashed me a grin and like that, I felt better.
Matteo
Gianna’s pained gasp made me jerk up. My hand lunged for the knife and I flipped on the lights, fighting the lingering disorientation.
“What’s the matter?” I asked, turning to her.
Gianna regarded the blade as she blinked against the brightness. “No need for your knife,” she said. Her hand rested against her belly. “The baby is kicking me again.”
I froze and slowly put the knife down. “Again?”
She nodded. “It’s been doing it for several weeks now. I wasn’t sure if I should tell you.” She fell silent. I couldn’t look away from her hand cradling her belly. She pulled up her chemise and then I saw it, her belly bulging where a small foot must have kicked from the inside.
My throat became dry. So far her pregnancy had been a very abstract concept, one I could ignore most days, but this… I wasn’t sure what I felt.
“You can touch it,” she said hesitantly.
I pressed my palm to her skin and for a few moments nothing happened but then I felt the kick. I drew back, swallowing. “Fuck.”
“Yeah, fuck,” she whispered. “It won’t let me pretend it’s not there. It’s kicking and pressing down on my bladder and just being temperamental like its father.”
Like its father. I was becoming a father… but Luca would be the kid’s father, he’d be the one it would call Dad. “It sounds like it has your temper.” My voice sounded strange to my own ears. It wasn’t as if I’d ever dreamed about being a father. Most of the tedious tasks linked to the job were rather deterrent.
Gianna lowered her chemise again, regarding me. “Aria and Luca won’t know what hit them.”
I nodded. “They can handle it.”
“I know,” she said. “Let’s try to get some sleep, okay?”
I kissed her and extinguished the lights but I couldn’t fall asleep. I couldn’t forget how it had felt to have the baby kick against my hand. Eventually, I gave up and got up, careful not to wake Gianna.
I crept through the dark of the house and went outside onto the terrace where I sat down on a chair. As I stared off into the distance, the horizon slowly turned gray and the sun peeked out. The door slid open and closed behind me. Luca sank down in another chair in only briefs.
“What are you doing out here?”
He, Aria, and the kids had joined us for the weekend, and Lily, Romero, and Sara had arrived this morning as
well.
“Enjoying the silence before the storm,” I joked, but fuck, it sounded off.
Luca narrowed his eyes. “How’s Gianna?”
“The baby’s moving a lot so she can’t sleep well,” I said.
“It’s only four weeks now, then you’ll have your nights to yourself again.”
I glowered at Luca. “I get it. You’ll have the sleepless nights then because you have to raise our baby, no need to rub it in.”
Luca leaned back in the chair. “I see the pregnancy hormones are rubbing off on you.”
I didn’t say anything because I was a fucking mess right now and would only talk more bullshit if I opened my mouth.
“Matteo,” Luca said slowly. “It’s not like you and Gianna have to give the baby to us. If you’d rather keep it, then…”
“Then what? Then you’re happy? Is this your way of telling me that you don’t want to raise my fucking kid?”
Luca pushed to his feet and gripped me by the shirt, jerking me to my feet. I grabbed his wrist tightly. “Now listen up, you asshole,” he growled. “Stop twisting my words in my fucking mouth. I’ll raise your kid like my own if that’s what you and Gianna want.”
“And what does my Capo want?” I provoked him further. I was on a roll.
His hold tightened. “Right now, I want you to pull your head out of your fucking ass and act like a man, not a fucking pussy. If you want to be a father for that kid, then tell Gianna that’s what you want and maybe the both of you finally grow up and act like fucking adults and not like horny teenagers.”
I jerked out of his hold and swung my fist at him, punching him square in the jaw. Luca stumbled a step back, looking fucking stunned for a second and then he lunged at me. We shoved and hit each other. The chairs tumbled to the ground and something broke.
“What the fuck?” Romero shouted as he stormed out, gun drawn, He tried to get between us but Luca shoved him back, sending him flying into the table. Then Luca was on me again.
Cold water hit us square in the faces. We jerked away from each other but the stream didn’t stop. “Fuck!” Luca snarled. I blinked, trying to see through the fog the liquid had cast over my eyes.
The water was turned off and my eyes landed on Aria in a nightgown, looking furious while holding a water hose in our direction. I turned to Luca once more, who was breathing harshly and glaring at me. He seemed as reluctant to stop this fight as I was.
“One move and I’ll turn the water on again,” Aria warned.
“Holy shit,” Amo exclaimed from inside the house as he stumbled toward us in pj’s. Marcella stood behind him with wide but curious eyes. Lily gave us a reproachful look before she tugged her little girl away from the scene. Sara was definitely too young for this shitshow.
Romero straightened with a glare, shoving his gun into the pocket of his sweatpants. “What the fuck was that? You woke the kids.” With a shake of his head he went inside to help Lily.
Aria put down the hose, then turned to her children. “Go upstairs.”
Marcella did without protest but Amo came outside. “Wow, that was cool. I thought you’d pull knives on each other.”
“Amo,” Aria said firmly. “Upstairs now.”
One look at her expression and he turned on his heel, grumbling. She stepped between Luca and me. “What’s gotten into you?”
Luca rubbed his chin where a bruise was forming. My cheek was throbbing fiercely where he’d punched me. “Nothing,” we said at the same time.
“Nothing?” Aria repeated. “Oh, okay, so you just beat each other for fun?”
“We had a difference of opinion.”
Aria shook her head, then her eyes moved back to the living room where Gianna had appeared. She joined us on the terrace, taking in the mess we’d made. We’d broken two flowerpots and thrown over all of the chairs, not to mention that we were dripping wet thanks to Aria.
Gianna’s red brows puckered. “What the hell went on here?”
“They had a discussion with their fists,” Aria muttered.
“Aren’t you too old to brawl like boys?”
“If you ask Luca, I’m like a fucking teenager.”
Luca took a step in my direction but Aria stepped in his way and hit his chest in warning. “Stop it, good Lord.”
He lowered his gaze to her. “Someone needs to beat the shit out of his head.”
“And someone needs to kick the arrogance out of your arrogant Capo ass,” I said.
Luca smiled coldly. “At least, I own up to my responsibilities and don’t run from them.”
“Luca!” Aria shouted.
Gianna’s eyes widened, her face flashing with guilt.
Fuck him. I staggered toward him. “Shut the fuck up.” I shoved him over Aria’s shoulder.
She gave me an indignant look. “Stop it.”
I stared into my brother’s eyes. “Don’t act all high and mighty, Luca. You’ve had your fair share of fuck-ups. I, at least, never cheated on my wife.”
Fury flashed in Luca’s eyes. Oh, I had him. He pushed Aria to the side, out of the way, and grabbed me by the throat, but I had expected the move and rammed my elbow into his throat. He coughed but didn’t release me. I rammed my elbow upward once more hitting him under the chin and jerked out of his grip, spluttering.
And then we were at each other’s throats again. Hands clasped at me, and then a high-pitched cry sounded. Luca and I both froze. Luca jerked back, his eyes scanning the floor, and he fell to his knees beside Aria who sat on her backside, cradling her wrist, grimacing.
“Love, I’m fucking sorry. Are you hurt?”
My own eyes sought Gianna who held her hand protectively over her belly, standing a few steps back. “You almost hit my belly,” she said angrily.
“Fuck. I’m sorry,” I rasped as I moved toward her and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, and her eyes moved to her sister. Luca was moving Aria’s hand up and down gently, looking guilty as hell, and I felt like the biggest asshole in the world for letting it get that far, for wanting to let it get that far. I’d wanted to fight someone, had wanted to punch and hurt, and Luca could pack a punch like no one else. Fuck. He only wanted to help me and Gianna.
“I’m fine,” Aria said firmly. “It’s not broken, just bruised.”
Luca kissed her wrist, then her palm before he leaned forward and kissed her lips. Fuck, my brother was one of the craziest, cruelest, most brutal assholes I had the fortune of knowing, and yet he made his marriage work, and was a fucking great father.
And what about me? I couldn’t even take care of one kid.
Gianna nudged me lightly. “Hey, what’s wrong? Is it because you felt the baby kick?”
“The baby kicked?” Aria asked excitedly from the ground. She let Luca pull her to her feet and came over.
“It is still,” Gianna said. “It’s going crazy today. You can feel it.”
I took a step back as Aria rested her palm against Gianna’s belly, then smiled brightly. “My God, it seems to be step dancing in there.” She peered over her shoulder at Luca. “You have to feel that.”
I took another step back. Luca watched me closely.
“Go ahead, you should really feel it,” I said quietly. “I need to cool my fucking cheek. Don’t want a bruise to ruin my good looks.”
I turned and headed inside but not in the direction of the bathroom, instead I headed for the study where I grabbed a glass of Brandy. I felt like shit and not because of the pain in my face and ribs. I’d had worse injuries. No, my insides were burning up with emotions I didn’t understand. I downed my Brandy, hissing as the alcohol burned a trail down my throat, then filled my glass again.
“One for me as well,” Luca said as he stepped inside and closed the door. I filled another glass without a word and handed it to him, before downing my second. I hadn’t been shitfaced since I’d found out about Gianna’s pregnancy, wanting to be ready in case she needed me, but today
felt like the perfect day to drink myself into oblivion.
“Did you feel the kid move?” I asked neutrally.
“No,” Luca said.
“Why not? You should have. The kid is a wild one. It kicked my palm really strong.” I fell silent, remembering this moment, and knowing it was better to forget it quickly.
Luca stepped up to me and downed his own drink. “I’ll say this once and it better get through your thick vain skull. You’ll be a great father to that kid. You’ll love it and protect it, and you’ll cherish every fucking second you spend with it.”
I glanced up. “I’m not going to be its father.”
“Yes, you are,” Luca said. “Because I won’t be, and Aria won’t be its mother. You and Gianna are going to raise this kid, understood?”
I frowned. “Listen, you might be Capo, but that’s not something you can demand. We got a deal.”
Luca smiled darkly. “You want to raise this kid, and you will, and now you take that pretty face out of my view and talk to your bitchy redhead, and straighten things out while I figure out a way to break the news to Aria, and then I will knock her up so we get our own kid.”
I stared at my brother. “You’ve lost your fucking mind.” But his words had lifted the heavy weight that had rested on my shoulders since we’d agreed to have Aria and Luca take the baby. Yet, Gianna didn’t want to be a mother, and I wouldn’t force her. I wanted Gianna to be happy more than anything else. I wouldn’t limit her freedoms even more than they already were, and being a mom would restrain her more than me.
A knock sounded and Gianna poked her head in. “I need to talk to you.”
Luca gave me a look before he set the glass down on the desk and moved toward the door. He stopped briefly beside Gianna and muttered something but I didn’t catch what it was. He closed the door, leaving us alone. Gianna frowned at the door then slowly turned to me. For a moment we only looked at each other and didn’t move. Fuck, how was I supposed to tell her that I wanted this kid, that I wanted to raise it with her at my side?