by Mia Madison
He strokes a hand down my hair. “It’s part of what worried me, babe, about me and you. I didn’t want you to give up your dreams for me.”
“But that’s just it. It’s not like when I was growing up, I had all these things I wanted to do, and then I pushed them aside. I was always … uncertain. I wondered what was wrong with me because I didn’t seem to have any strong ambitions.”
I spread a hand over his chest, where his heart beats strong and steady. “When I met you, something clicked inside me. It was like, oh. Here’s where I belong.”
“Babe,” Rico says softly.
“For a long time, I thought I’d end up a broken-hearted old maid, because you’re all my heart has ever wanted.”
His eyes stormy with emotion, he pulls me down for a quick, hard kiss. “You’re killin’ me, Mickey Gunn.”
“I love you, Rico Adamo.” His mouth is right there, and I lean down and kiss him again, slow and soft. “I don’t think there’s anything in the world that could make me happier than having your babies and making a home for all of us.”
It strikes me then that I’m being too pushy. “Not to jump the gun or anything,” I add hastily.
“Not jumpin’ the gun, babe. I already told you, that day at your folks’ house, we’re as good as married.”
“Okay. Good.” I snuggle in close, more content than I ever thought possible.
Rico kisses my hair. “I’d like to continue this discussion, babe, but we gotta get to the garage. I’m takin’ you out after work tonight. Luigi’s.”
34
Enough
“Ooh.” I wriggle in excitement. Luigi’s is a very fancy restaurant in town, owned by one of Rico’s cousins. “I’ve never been.”
He squeezes my hip. “Let’s get this show on the road, then.”
“Right.” I jump up. “Last one to the shower gets the cold water.”
I hear his deep chuckle as I race toward the bedroom. We both know we’re going to wind up in the shower together, doing things that will threaten to make us late to work.
How did my life get so perfect?
Luigi’s is just as amazing as its reputation. We're on the sidewalk outside after a fabulous meal when Rico goes still beside me. I look up and see an older couple coming toward us.
The woman has sad eyes; the man’s face is lined and leathery. His watery blue gaze is fixed on Rico, and the malice in it shocks me.
When we draw abreast, I have to resist the impulse to jump in front of my man to protect him. I tense, expecting the stranger to say something nasty to Rico, but instead he looks at me. "He tell you what he did?”
I have a bad feeling even before the man goes on. “Killed my baby girl."
I’m stunned into silence. Rico doesn’t say anything, and the old man's face twists into a mask of ugly satisfaction. "He knows it's true. Do yourself a favor, young woman. Get away from him while you can."
“Donald,” the woman says softly, tugging at the man’s arm. He lets her draw him away, and I’m left with my too-quiet man.
He’s staring into the distance, his mind on something I can’t see. I put a hand on his arm. “Don't let him spoil our evening, Rico. I know he's lying."
The shadows take over his eyes. "He ain’t lying."
I don't understand what's going on. But I understand my man. I squeeze his hand. "You're not a killer."
"Not the way he means, no."
"Do you want to tell me?" I really want him to. Need him to. And if my instincts are right, he needs to tell me as much or more than I need to hear it.
“Not here.” He doesn’t speak again until we’re in his car, heading up the mountain. When he does, it's not what I expect. “Told you I led Firestorm."
“Yes.”
“Wolf was my lieutenant. Firestorm used to be into some bad shit. A group of the younger members took over, forced a change."
He falls silent again, and I wait, dreading whatever’s coming but knowing I have to hear it. His next words seem to be dredged up out of a darkness so complete, no light could ever touch it. "I was married."
Oh my god. "To that man's daughter?"
"Yeah. Her name was Melanie. We had a baby girl."
Pain stabs through me like a broadsword. For his loss, yes; but also an awful, selfish part of me is jealous of a dead woman, because she gave Rico a child. "What happened?"
"I was busy with club stuff. Gettin' Firestorm untangled from the shit it was wrapped up in, keeping the peace with members who didn't like the changes, guarding our turf from other clubs.
"Melanie felt neglected. She had a right. I was gone more than I was home, and when I was home I was preoccupied.
“She wanted me to step down, let someone else lead the club, fight those battles. I wouldn't do it. I felt an obligation to see through what I'd started.”
The muscles in his throat work. "One night, she'd had enough. She left me.”
35
Thank You
"Oh my god," I whisper.
“She loaded up the car, got the baby in her carseat, left me a note that she wasn’t comin’ back. Took off for her parents' place. It was winter; the roads were icy. She was on the highway, hit a patch of ice, and spun out. A big rig hit her car.”
I don't know if he wants my touch right now or not, but I can't help it. I reach out and put my hand on his thigh. "Oh my god, baby. I'm so sorry."
"Started the biggest multi-car accident the state's ever seen. It took hours to get the roads clear, and a long time for the first responders to even reach the scene. Too late for them."
“Rico, honey. It wasn't your fault."
Moonlight slants through the window, illuminating his face. The pain and guilt in his eyes are dulled by distance, but heavy with the weight of years. "She was out there because of me."
It kills me to see the weight on his soul. “Whatever her reasons were, she didn’t have to go out driving on icy roads, at night, with a baby in the car. It’s not her fault either, but it was still her choice.”
He doesn't respond. I keep trying. “Did she love you?”
It takes a long time for him to answer. “At first, yeah.”
“Then wherever Melanie is right now, she doesn’t want you to spend the rest of your life suffering.” I squeeze his leg. “If she could talk to you, she’d tell you she’s sorry, too.”
It feels to me like the oppressive mood in the car lightens just a bit, but that could be my imagination. All I know for sure is that Rico doesn’t speak the rest of the drive home. But he doesn’t move my hand, either.
When we get to his house, Val is delirious with excitement, dancing around us as we go inside. I’m watchful, ready for anything, not sure what Rico needs, or wants, from me.
He makes sure Valiant has food and fresh water, and then he takes my hand and leads me toward the bedroom. My heart beats faster. If I can comfort him, help him to forget, or heal, that’s enough. I’ll know he hasn’t shut me out.
I’m dressed up for our night out, in a wine-colored dress and strappy heels. Rico undresses me slowly, deliberately, without his normal urgency, but I sense a deeper hunger in him tonight, a different kind of need.
When he’s inside me, he laces his hands with mine, buries his face in my neck, and stays that way, unmoving, for a long time. My inner muscles flex around his girth, as they always do, but I do my best to hold still, trying to push all my love from my heart into his by sheer force of will.
Finally, he lifts his head. “Thank you, babe.”
“For what?” I whisper.
“For bein’ what I need. Taking my darkness and giving me light. Meeting me where I am, taking everything I am, and loving me because of it, not in spite of it.”
My vision is blurry with unshed tears. “Rico, baby. I love you so much.”
“I know it. Don’t know how I got lucky enough to have you in my life. Know I don’t deserve you. But I’m grateful.”
He moves in me then, and what starts off slow an
d gentle builds until it’s like a volcano erupting. My man gives himself to me with all his might, until I’m crying out his name, clinging to him for dear life, as if I’m riding a serpent of fire.
“Mine,” he growls, and it’s a promise and a claim. “Always. Only. Mine.”
My body shakes with every thrust, climbing toward the pinnacle as he pummels me. “Yours,” I moan. “Always, only, yours.”
He fucks me even harder, and I go screaming into ecstasy, my body bucking and thrashing with the force of my release. He doesn’t stop, the fire raging out of control, and I keep coming, our bodies crashing together, striking new sparks every time they meet. The flames dance higher and higher, searing us both, until finally his cock swells inside me and we hurtle over the final edge.
When I come back to myself, we’re on our sides facing each other. The backs of Rico’s knuckles brush my cheek. He doesn’t ask if I’m okay; he doesn’t need to.
I touch his face. “Thank you.”
“For what, babe?”
“For trusting me with all of you — your strength and your darkness. For letting me be what you need. For the way you guard my heart as if it were your own.”
He takes my hand and presses his mouth to my palm. “Got a bike in my garage,” he says. “Haven’t ridden in years. I’ll take you out on it this weekend.”
My heart swells. “I’d like that,” I tell him softly. And then the secret, velvet night wraps itself around us.
Epilogue
We’re on Rico’s bike, cruising up into the mountains. There hasn’t been any snow for a few days, but it’s piled high on both sides of the road as we climb. The restaurant he’s taking me to is in a little town even higher up than where he lives, so I’ve got a heavy coat on over my dress.
Rico told me I didn’t have to dress up since it’s so cold. I told him if he was taking me out for Valentine’s Day, I certainly did. He let me win that argument; but I made sure to earn myself a thorough spanking before we left, so we both got what we wanted.
My ass is deliciously sore, I’m pressed against my man’s broad back, and we’re going out for a romantic dinner. Life is good.
The restaurant looks like a mountain lodge — a well-weathered one. From the outside, you wouldn’t guess it for one of the best steakhouses in the state, but Rico assures me that’s what it is.
We go inside, and the hostess says, “Good evening. Do you have a reservation?”
Before Rico can answer, a tall, gorgeous man comes out of the kitchen. Even before he speaks, I know he’s an Adamo. “Cugino,” he says, and he and Rico do the manly embrace thing. “It’s good to see you.”
“You too.” Rico draws me forward. “I’d like you to meet Mickey Gunn. Mickey, my cousin Brando.”
“Mickey.” Brando kisses the back of my hand, like Joey did. “It’s an honor to meet you. This place is at its busiest on the weekends, so I wasn’t able to attend your … visitation.” His eyes twinkle. “But I’ve heard wonderful things about you from the rest of the family.”
“Thank you,” I say, flushing with pleasure. “It’s very good to meet you too.”
“Enjoy your meal.” Brando gives the hostess a look before he goes back to the kitchen, and from then on we get the full VIP treatment. The best table in the house, complimentary champagne, and Brando doesn’t even let us order. He serves us a five-course meal of his best dishes, and all of it is extraordinary.
“Can we live here?” I ask as I enjoy an amazingly tender steak. “Like, actually here. Maybe there’s space in the attic. You could trade car maintenance for meals, and I could wash dishes.”
Rico grins. He’s smiling more often these days; it makes me happy beyond words. “You like snow, babe? Lots of it?”
I lift a shoulder. “I don’t mind it. I’d live at the North Pole if you were there.”
His eyes soften. “Love it when you sweet talk me, doll.”
“It’s not just talk, you know.”
“I know.” He looks around the restaurant. “You ever been up here before? The town, I mean.”
“No. It looked really pretty, from what I could see of it.”
“It is. Nice place. I wouldn’t mind retiring here.”
My eyes get big. “Retiring?”
“Got a nice nest egg built up. Plenty of cousins who might wanna take over the garage.” His eyes get warm. “Wouldn’t mind slowing down some, I had a woman who wanted to make a bunch of babies.”
I can’t speak for several seconds. When I do, it’s to say, “I have a nest egg too.”
“Yeah?”
The waitstaff clear our plates and bring dessert, and I wait until they’re gone before I go on. “I’ve been saving everything I made since I started at Revved. I thought maybe I’d use it for college tuition, but it could go towards a down payment on a house.”
“Thank you, babe, but I’m not lettin’ you pay for a house. You got a mind to contribute to expenses, we’ll figure something out.”
“Okay, honey.” I can’t believe we’re sitting here talking about houses and babies. Part of me is afraid I’m going to wake up, but the rest of me knows I’m living my dream come true.
I take a bite of cheesecake. “Yum.” The restaurant is good-sized but still crowded, mostly with couples. “Do a lot of the people who live here come down to Revved?”
“It’s a long haul for repairs, but they come in for detailing. Some of ’em who have business down the hill bring their cars in, though.”
“So you could open a little one-man shop if you wanted to keep your hand in.” I grin. “Or you could stay home and make babies. Either way works for me.”
“Glad we’re in agreement, doll. And on that note …” He pulls out a little velvet box. I suck in my breath and have to flap my hands in front of my eyes so I don’t ruin my makeup.
“I ain’t a flashy guy. You ain’t a flashy gal. I’d get you a big-ass diamond if I thought it was what you wanted, but I figured you might like this better.”
He opens the box to reveal a black opal set in white gold. It’s the most exquisite thing I’ve ever seen. “It’s perfect.”
Rico takes my hand. “I ain’t a romantic man, babe. You know what you are to me. Be my privilege to spend my life with you.”
My voice is creaky from the lump in my throat, but I manage to answer. “You are the most romantic man I know, Rico Adamo. You rescue puppies, and runaways, and ex-convicts. You waited four long years for me. You’re my dream man, now and forever.”
I hold my hand out, and he slides the ring on my finger … and the whole restaurant bursts into applause. I’m laughing and crying, and when I lean forward to kiss him it’s the sweetest moment of my life.
My phone goes berserk right then, signaling a flurry of incoming texts. I fish it out of my purse, look at the messages, and bounce in my seat, then turn the phone around to show it to Rico.
He looks at the screen, then at me. “I swear we did not coordinate this, babe.”
I can’t stop smiling. “Well, it is Valentine’s Day. And after Vic got engaged to Frankie so fast, everyone else had to catch up.”
“So that’s all of you?” he says with a chin lift at my phone.
“All the Revved girls, yeah.” I scroll quickly through the messages. “Cait says Tonio’s calling first dibs on an actual wedding date. Erin says that Kosta says the weddings ought to go in order of when we met.” I scroll a little further and laugh. “And Gina says that Carlo says we should have a five-way wedding and just get it all over with at once.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so. I’m takin’ you down to the courthouse tomorrow.”
My eyes go wide. “Will your mother let you get away with that?”
“We’ll have a reception sometime. She can organize that.”
My mom will have a cow, but she’s got three other daughters to marry off, so she’ll get over it. “Anyway,” I tell him, “we technically met first. We just didn’t act on it right away.”
“Waited long enough for you, Mickey Gunn.” Rico kisses my fingertips. “No point wasting time when we’re sure.”
“Yeah.” I smile at him. “Wanna go home and fool around?”
“A woman after my own heart.” He leads me through the restaurant, all the patrons smiling at us as we pass, and outside. “Wanna get started on those babies?”
The stars in the sky feel close enough to touch. “Yes,” I tell him. “Yes, I do.”
<<<<>>>>
Also by Mia Madison
The Adamos
Tempting Tonio
Kissing Kosta
Craving Carlo
Vexing Victor
And stay tuned for the next Adamo book, coming in March 2017!
Recent Releases
His Shy Librarian
Falling For The Star
Wondering if you’ve missed any titles? Check out Mia’s Amazon author page for the complete list.
About the Author
In the mood for something decadent, delicious, and provocative? Meet Mia Madison, purveyor of Forbidden Fantasies Romance. Come in, sit back, and relax. The candles are lit, and the dancing shadows on the wall promise sexy, seductive tales of spine-tingling love, leading to a pleasure-drenched happy-ever-after.
You'll discover young women eager for experience, who have scorching encounters with older men who know exactly what they're doing between the sheets. In Mia Madison's world, anything can — and does — happen. So leave your inhibitions at the door and come along for the ride.
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