by Serena Light
"You're very lucky to be married to him, Nicole," Stephan straightened his head for the barber to dust the strands of hair. "He is an amazing person once you get through that hard exterior he's created around himself. And you know what? I think you might have cracked that exterior a little because I saw him kiss you on the forehead before leaving. He must have a nickname for you as well, right?"
"Gattino and Nici," She nodded, amazed that he knew that.
"Yeah," Stephan smiled at her, running a hand through his new short hair. "You're cracking the exterior,"
Nicole spent a majority of her Saturday interacting with Stephan, learning about his life and how Salvatore used to be and both of just talking and laughing as she realized that even though he was her husband's polar opposite, he was a wonderful person to have in one's life.
After his suit fitting, Salvatore had come home and taken Stephan out for a drive, just the two of them. Nicole was later informed that the two would be having dinner out as well, so she took the time she had to get some of her pending work done. However, while she worked, Stephan's words kept returning to her, forcing her to stop working and take everything in before shaking herself out of her thoughts to resume the task at hand.
The door swung open around 12:30 and had her jump in surprise, looking up to see Salvatore walking in, talking into the Bluetooth device and making his way towards his walk-in-closet.
Putting her work aside, she went after him, standing in the doorway to see him hanging up his coat followed by his suit jacket and waistcoat.
"I don't care if you don't have the resources, get them," He spoke into the device, pulling off his gun holster and putting it to the side. "Just get it done by tomorrow otherwise I will pull through with my end of the agreement,"
With that, he took the Bluetooth device off and tossed it onto the bench behind him.
Nicole watched him start to unbutton his shirt as he looked at the racks of clothes. Exhaling through her nose, she walked over to him, placing a hand on the small of his back as he looked over his shoulder at her, momentarily taken aback by her sliding her arms around his waist, hugging his side and standing with her forehead pressed between his shoulder blades.
"Tutto bene? (Everything alright)," He asked her, letting his arms fall to his side as she hummed, moving to stand before him as she fumbled with the remaining buttons on his shirt, opening them and pulling it off his shoulders, not looking up at him as she was afraid of what she might see. "Cosa c'è che non va, Nicole? (What's wrong, Nicole)."
Silently, she ran her hands over his chest, feeling every indent in his skin and the blemishes and scars left behind from various fights and occurrences. Inhaling deeply, she allowed his musky scent to envelop her as she placed a kiss on the area above his heart before her hands traveled from his side up to his neck, her finger's gently caressing the base, exactly where a rope would have been wrapped around.
"Nicole..."
"Ísastan tóso diaforetikés. Polý kalýtero, akoúo. (You were so different. Much nicer, I hear)," Nicole spoke in Greek, cupping his face into her hands as he stared at her in silence, his cerulean blue eyes looking at her as if though they carried the weight of the world with them and had seen a lot more than one would expect. "Ostóso, poté den tha boroúsa na rotíso gia na alláxete. Mou arései aftó to Salvatore. (Yet I would never ask you to change. I like this Salvatore). "
"Aftí eínai i dikí mou Salvatore (This is my Salvatore)," She sighed, placing a kiss against the skin of his neck before kissing his cheek. Wanting to kiss him, but being too afraid to. Looking up at him, she took in the unnerving gaze Salvatore held her with as she gave him a weak smile, gently patting his chest before walking away, her heart not hammering this time around, instead, it was beating rather contently.
Salvatore stood there in silence for a moment, placing a hand against his neck before his fingers gently swiped over his cheek. A look of realization brightening his eyes as he pulled on a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of dark sweatpants. Stepping into the room, he noticed Nicole be sitting on the bed, reviewing a file as if though what just happened never occurred.
"I'm going to give this to Stephan," Salvatore held up a book as Nicole glanced up, nodding with a smile. "We can head off to bed after that if you like."
"How about we watch a movie?" Nicole suggested as she tilted her head in thought.
"We could do that too."
She gave him a gentle smile before he walked out of the room, making his way over to Marco's bedroom and opening the door to see Stephan sprawled over the covers, reading some comic book.
"Here," Salvatore tossed the book by his head, redirecting his attention. "And yes,"
"Yes?" Stephan sat up in confusion, rubbing the back of his head before yawning. "Yes, what?"
Salvatore grinned at him mischievously, his eyes twinkling with knowledge as he made his way towards the door.
"Yes, I want to."
Chapter XII: Vineyard Picnic
Nicole was mesmerized by Salvatore when he was looking after the two newborn babies that had come into the world.
She can recall how Serafina's water broke when they all had come together to welcome Stephan, the poor guy fainted at the sight, while Alessio stood in shock, having dropped his glass and broken it. Salvatore was the one who took command of the situation, telling one man to bring the car around, another to go upstairs and get the baby bag he had kept for Serafina in case something like this happened while another called the hospital to let them know that they were coming.
Once they got to the hospital Serafina was wheeled into the maternity ward and then the delivery room. The transition was a long time so Salvatore suggested that some people go home and they'd inform everyone of the situations. In the end, Salvatore remained back with his parents and Alessio while the rest went home. Next morning, everyone got a call informing them of the birth of Marina Adele Romano and Michele Amedeo Romano.
Nicole was the first one to arrive from the rest, surprised to see Serafina asleep with Alessio sitting beside her, and Salvatore sitting on the sofa, both of the twins held in his arms as he was just looking down at them. Silently sitting down beside him, she looked at the two babies swaddled in their blankets, cooing at the two as she gently touched their cheek.
Once they had gone home, Salvatore spent a lot of time there, going over to Serafina's after work, just to check in and see how she was doing and bickering with her for old time's sake.
And if he wasn't with Serafina, then Salvatore was most definitely with Stephan. Both of them spent hours on end together, sometimes doing nothing, and sometimes doing everything under the sun.
For the past one and a half month, Nicole didn't see much of her husband. He had been waking up earlier than her and was gone by the time Nicole awoke and being busy with work, he couldn't make it to lunch with her; then he even had dinner either at Serafina's, his parent's place, or went out with Stephen. They talked on the phone every once in a while, but that only for a few minutes before he was leaving again. As the days progressed, Nicole found herself not wanting to do anything and often started looking around the estate, somehow ending up in Salvatore's office, or study, or even his walk-in-closet.
"You miss him," Manuel had smirked matter of factly when she stepped out of his empty office, and Nicole simply scoffed at his words, waving them away before busying herself with one thing or the other.
But the worst part was that by the time Salvatore would come to the room, she was always asleep. She had tried very hard to stay awake but always ended up falling asleep. In the middle of the night, she would wake up for something and be relieved to find him sleeping next to her.
Their room was bathed in darkness as Nicole lay on her back, having woken due to something and stared up at the dark ceiling with Salvatore sleeping beside her. Heaving a sigh, she rolled on top of him, a sleepy hum escaping him since he had grown accustomed to her eccentric habits.
"Salvatore, are you awake?" She whispered
into his ear, running her finger down his exposed back.
"I am now," He muttered with his eyes still closed. "What's the matter?"
"You're weird," Nicole sighed, resting her cheek against his shoulder blade, reveling in the warmth he radiated. "I don't get you."
"And you woke me up to tell me this?"
"You're very very confusing, you know that?"
"I've never heard that I'm confusing," Salvatore admitted, turning to be lying on his back as he rubbed his eyes, blinking away the sleep when Nicole straddled his waist, her hands rested on his chest as she looked down at his bleary eyes and disheveled hair.
"And you're annoying," She pouted. "I got you flowers and you get me an emerald necklace in response. I bake you cake and you buy me an Olivia Burton watch. Next, I know, I give you your phone and you buy me a house."
"There actually is one," Salvatore yawned behind his as he watched Nicole interlace their hands together and let out an exasperated sigh. "A summer home on the coast of Marasusa,"
"Calabria?" Nicole confirmed, playing with his fingers and his wedding ring.
"Yeah, and it wouldn't take much to put it under your name."
"You're so irritating!" Nicole exclaimed as she leaned over him, having their interlaced hands over his head as her hair curtained them both, their noses almost touching as she could smell his shampoo.
"And you waking me in the middle of the night isn't?"
"You have to tolerate me, no choice there, Salvi," Nicole shrugged, rubbing her nose against his.
"And you to accept me, no escaping that, Nici,"
She let out a groan as she ran the tip of her nose down his jaw and neck, suddenly feeling very warm as her heart rate increased in her chest. Hesitantly, she placed a kiss on his neck, feeling him tense beneath her as his grip tightened around her hands as her kisses trailed down his neck to his chest.
"I swear to God, you just wake me up to lead me on,"
"Hey, not my fault you're hardly ever home," She murmured, nuzzling into his neck. "And besides, you're the one with too much self-restraint for my liking."
"Ah, so you're one of those girls,"
"What girls?" Nicole asked skeptically, lifting her head up to look at him in the darkness, squinting at him.
"You're one of those girls," Salvatore trailed as he suddenly turned them over Nicole finding herself pinned beneath him with his knee between her legs and one of his hands holding both of hers above her head. "Who likes it rough, and hot, and sweaty, and dirty," He purred seductively as Nicole swallowed thickly.
"What...what makes you say that?" She choked out, trying to sound as dignified as possible. “Are you telling me you wouldn't enjoy it if I was just a little too rough? Or if I left a bite? Or marked you as mine? Held on just a bit too strong? Leaving impressions?"
"No..." She squeaked with flushing cheeks, squirming beneath him as her heart thundered against her ribcage.
"Oh, baby, your body is begging me to touch you, to do something." Salvatore leaned down, grazing the shell of her ear with his lips, sending pleasurable shivers down her back and causing her to gasp when his lips nibbled on her lobe. "Something hot and steamy, something which has you moaning my name, begging for more? Are you telling me you wouldn't enjoy that? I know I would love hearing you moaning my name."
A guttural sound escaped her as her body heated under him, her heart hammering as she felt the sudden impulse to clamp her legs shut, being unable to do so with his knee between her thighs.
"Say my name," Salvatore demanded in a gruff voice, the authoritative tone having her jolt beneath him as she couldn't help but comply.
"Salvatore," She moaned beneath him sending electricity racing through his veins and he watched her squirming in need as he smirked down at her.
"Say it again, baby."
"Salvatore," She repeated breathlessly, her heart feeling like it would jump out of her chest, her breath hitching in her throat when he leaned down to have their lips touching with every word that followed.
"And again,"
"Salvatore," Nicole managed out in a breathy whisper, her mind muddled as she couldn't think straight while knowing that his lips were mere millimeters away from her's.
"Just you wait and see all the things I'll do to you," He growled possessively, suddenly letting go of her just as his phone alarm vibrated on the side table. In the blink of an eye, he was off her, leaving her to lie there with her eyes wide as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"Fuck," Nicole exclaimed in unease, covering her face with her hands as it suddenly occurred to her of all that he was doing to her with just the use of words. "You're such a bloody tease!"
"That is just the beginning, Gattino," Salvatore's voice chuckled as she covered her face with a pillow, groaning into it. "I'm taking you out on a date today, so be ready by 6." He informed, leaving before she could retort.
"Ha, you sure you don't have other matters to attend to?" She asked in exasperation before shifting to be lying on her stomach, her chin rested on top of her folded arms as she tried to breathe and settle the blush on her face.
A surprised squeak escaped her when she felt his hands grasp her waist and pull her back as she turned in the process, finding herself at the edge of the bed with her legs dangling down and Salvatore looming over her. She forced herself to hold her breath as he leaned over her with his hands placed on either side of her head.
"I know I've been busy lately and we haven't been able to spend time with each other," He murmured gently, cupping her chin into his fingers. "And I'm trying to figure this out given that I have a wife, two newborns babies, a family, and a best friend with whom I want to spend time with, and it’s currently very haphazard, but I promise, I'll fix it. Because that's what I do. So just give me this one week to settle everything and even then if I'm not spending enough time with you, then you can tell my mother,"
Nicole couldn't help but laugh at his last words, trying to cover her mouth, but relenting when her husband just shook his head with a soft smile of his own.
"Okay?" He inquired, his rich blue eyes having her trapped as she smiled and nodded. Giving him a kiss on the cheek just before he got off from her and made his way into the walk-in closet.
Throughout the day, Nicole couldn't bring herself to focus on the work because Salvatore's ministrations and the anticipation for the date had her mind occupied leading her to get off later than usual. She had just gone to the estate to drop off her files and was then heading out again. Not even having a chance to change out of her royal blue pencil skirt dress and a grey blazer.
"So where are we going?" Nicole asked Thomas who was driving her to the venue, given that Salvatore was already there.
"It's a surprise," Manuel informed from beside him. "We've been ordered not to tell."
"Fine," She leaned back in her seat and looked out the window.
Soon they arrived at a little cottage as Nicole leaned forward in surprise to see Salvatore's car standing there. Stepping out of the car, she looked around her hesitantly, seeing not a single living soul on either side of her with nothing but a rustic cottage before her – and even the cottage looked uninhibited. The desolation having a chill travel up her spine with the cold October evening enveloping her.
Breathing in deeply, she made her way towards the structure and knocked on the door, peeking into the scarcely furnished interior before stepping in, seeing no one there. Going further in, she looked around herself before finding a door leading out to the back. Pushing it open, she found a few stairs going down and leading towards a vineyard.
Walking down the steps she stepped on the path leading to the vineyard and just when she stood between the grapes and cottages, lights illuminated her surroundings. Gasping in surprise, she looked around herself, seeing fairy light dangling from the trees, wrapped around the branches and lighting up the whole scene, making it look almost surreal. In the center of it all lay a blanket on the ground with a basket and two glasses and pillows
put around it.
"You're late," Salvatore's voice called out from her right, turning to see him standing in a white button-up whose sleeves he'd rolled back with navy blue dress pants.
"I...I got caught up at work," Nicole made her way towards him, halting when he gestured to the blanket laid out before them.
"Shall we?" He moved towards the food, giving her a small smile. "I'm starved,"
Nodding they both made their way over to the blanket and sat down on the ground as Salvatore took out various packed food from the basket, laying them out followed by two plates and cutlery, and a wine bottle. Opening the boxes, Nicole's mouth watered at the delicious smells that wafted around her and watched him make a plate for her, containing a bit of everything.
The two ate with light chatter and a few laughs. Nicole told him about her day as the two leaned against the pillows with glasses of white wine. The entire ambiance was very relaxed and comforting.
"Food was good?" Salvatore took a sip of his wine, looking out at the night that had fallen over the vineyards.
"It was delicious."
"Really? I thought I went a little heavy on the cheese there,"
Nicole nearly spit out her drink at the insinuation, looking at him in shock.
"You made the food?"
"While dealing with Mafia transactions," He chuckled. "Multitasking is my favorite sport, even had the guards taste it to tell me how it was."
"Wow," She spoke in astonishment. "I had no idea you made it,"
"Stephan insisted I cook for this,"
"He was right to insist so." Nicole nodded, taking a sip of her drink as Salvatore shook his head in amusement as a response. A comforting silence fell over the two as they both sat back, relaxed with their shoes are taken off and their glasses of wine finished as they both looked up at the sky.