Taking my hand, he drags me down the hallway. He starts to open the garage door, but I shake my head and point to the front door. I made sure it would be out in the sunlight for the best effect. Enzo opens the door and steps out onto the front porch then stops in his tracks, his hand covering his mouth. Turning to look at me, a grin spreads across his face before he walks out to see it up close. I follow closely behind him waiting anxiously for his reaction.
“Ava,” Enzo says, shaking his head. “I can’t believe you did this.”
“Are you happy? It’s what you wanted right?”
“What I wanted? No, more like what I’ve dreamed of since the first time I laid eyes on it. I can’t believe it’s mine and it’s here.”
“Well, it is both of those things. It’s the first thing that popped into my head and it took a little while to get. I started hunting for it and here it is.”
“How did you do this without my knowing?”
“Alex helped me. It was easy actually. I told him what I wanted and he did all the work. Grayson helped too. In fact it was him that drove it here. So, one more time. Are you happy?”
“Ava Milano,” he says, as wraps his arms around my waist, “I am extremely happy. This is the most amazing gift I’ve ever received in my life.” He swings me around, lifting my feet off the ground.
“Oh good. I was a little bit afraid of the cost of this thing, but I was told by Franco we could well afford it so here it is. Tell me why you love it so much. Explain it to me.”
Enzo sets me down and walks closer to the striking car sitting before him. Running his hands over the hood of it, he looks up and smiles at me. “This is the Maserati GranTurismo S Limited Edition. It was created to celebrate Italy’s 150th birthday and there are only twelve of them in the world. You can only buy it in Italy.” He walks around it, dragging his hand over the smooth finish as he does. “It’s the perfect blend of sports car and elegance. It’s exactly what I wanted. Even the color.”
“I thought this one was really beautiful so I chose it,” I say, about the about the stunning matte blue finish. “I can’t wait for you to take me for a drive.”
“Get in. We’ll go now.”
“We’re not dressed.”
Looking down at his bare feet, he laughs. “Well I guess shoes would be helpful, no?”
“Yes. Why don’t we put some proper clothing on then take this baby out for a drive.”
“Perfetto.”
Walking back in the house, he wraps his arm around my waist and kisses my cheek. “You were worried about affording it?”
“It’s the most expensive thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I sort of knew we could afford it, but I wanted reassurance before I did it. Plus I had to have it shipped from Italy.”
“What was the final bill?” he asks.
“I’m not telling you how much your gift cost. How tacky would that be?” I say, teasing.
“I will find out eventually. I see every penny spent.”
“I’m sure you’ll be less shocked by it than I was. The total was about two ten.”
“That must have been challenging for you to spend that much on a gift.” He laughs.
“Well, yes but nothing less than the best for my prince. I can just hear Cassie shrieking now if I told her I spent over two hundred thousand dollars for a car. She would die!”
“Are you going to tell her?”
I shake my head. “I don’t think so. She’s a smart girl. She’ll figure out that it’s expensive. Or she’ll look it up on the internet.”
Enzo laughs as we dress in better clothes, then head out for a morning drive. Once we get out on some open roads, Enzo hits the gas and tears off, making me feel like we are in a rocket. I hope there aren’t any cops out or we are for sure getting a ticket. Enzo’s expression is pure delight as he drives. It warms my heart to see him so happy. I reach over and stroke his hand just as he pulls into the parking lot of one of our favorite coffee shops.
“As soon as we get approval, I’m making love to you in this car,” Enzo says.
“Mmm, sounds sexy.”
“Sexy car, sexy wife.”
“Sexy ass life.”
Enzo raises his eyebrows at me then laughs, before kissing me softly on the lips. “Yes, we do have a sexy life, don’t we?”
“I think so.”
“Andiamo. We’ll have coffee then we’ll get you to your appointment later. How does that sound?”
“Wonderful.”
We chat happily over coffee and pastries and I’m suddenly very content. The last six weeks were awful and there were days I thought I would never recover. But now I sit here with my handsome husband, full of joy, almost as though nothing ever happened.
“We should get you home soon, no? Your appointment is at ten.”
“I know.”
Enzo leans across the small table and rubs my arm. “This is a happy day, bella.”
“Of course it is. It’s your birthday.”
“It’s also the day we start over. By this afternoon, I’ll be ravishing you again. I cannot wait to get my hands on you.”
“I look forward to that as well, my sweet prince.”
“I’M NERVOUS, ENZO. What if I didn’t heal right or something is wrong with me still?” I sit anxiously in my cloth gown in the exam room of Dr. Warner’s office.
“I understand your worry, bella, but I’m sure you are fine. This is just necessary, no?” Enzo rubs my back, calming my nerves a bit.
We hear a small knock on the door as Dr. Warner enters the room. “Good morning, you two. How are we doing today?”
“Fine, I suppose. I’m nervous,” I answer.
“Nothing to be nervous about. It’s just a standard pelvic exam to make sure everything healed nicely and to give you the green light to try again.” She smiles and it always causes mine in return.
I lean back on the table and hold my breath as the exam begins. Enzo stays with me this time and holds my hand, kissing my forehead periodically.
After a few moments, Dr. Warner stands and smiles at me again, patting my foot. “Everything looks nice and healthy, Ava. Your cervix is normal size and I didn’t see any significant scar tissue.” She looks down at her chart. “Your blood test results were normal and all indications are positive.”
“So, she can get pregnant again?” Enzo asks.
“I see no reason why she can’t,” the doctor responds.
“What can I do to make sure I don’t get sick again, doctor?” I ask.
“The normal things. Avoid other people that are sick, wash your hands frequently, eat healthy to keep your immune system strong.” She takes my hand in hers. “Sometimes, there is nothing you can do and you can’t blame yourself for that. How are you doing emotionally?”
“Pretty good. I mean, I get sad sometimes if I stop and think about it, but I just keep going, you know?”
“That’s best. Well you two, you are free to start trying again. I’ll look forward to hearing from you soon.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Enzo says.
She leaves and I get dressed again, excited that my health is back on track. The only thing I want to do right now is jump my husband. Right. Now.
“You need to get me home, Enzo. It’s been a long six weeks and I’m ready.”
Enzo laughs. “My thoughts exactly. Home then La Bellissima?”
“If I decide to let you out of our room today, possibly.”
Enzo taps his chin with his index finger. “Hmm, I like the sound of that. Andiamo?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
As we drive I feel my excitement building. After all this time I get to make love to my husband again. My level of anticipation is almost as high as it was the first time.
“Enzo?”
“Yes, amore?” Enzo glances at me briefly, but keeps an eye on the road.
“Drive faster,” I say, laughing.
“Ah there you go with your bossy side. So impatient.”
“I�
��ve waited six weeks for you to be inside of me again. Damn right, I’m impatient!”
“Well, I hope I live up to your expectations.”
“You always do.”
Enzo smiles and floors the gas pedal causing the car to quickly accelerate. I fall back against the seat in a fit of giggles as he slows back down within reason and we finish our drive to the house. Pulling up to our gate, I tap my foot on the floorboard intentionally exaggerating my impatience. The smile on my face quickly fades when I see numerous cars in our driveway. Alex, Grayson, and Franco all stand on my doorstep, discussing what I have no idea. It seems that work has followed me home.
As soon as we park, Francesca’s car pulls up behind us and she and Eduardo step out. I narrow my eyes and look over at Enzo. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing at all, what do you mean?” He lifts his sunglasses off his face and smiles. Stepping out of the car, he walks around to my side and opens my door. Taking my hand, he leads me to the front door, grinning the entire time.
The men on my doorstep greet me and step aside as Enzo opens the door. Once inside, I hear music and laughter coming from the backyard. I walk through the house and out back by the pool are Chris, Cassie, Gabby, and Calvin. I’m completely confused by the scene. I turn around towards the front door and see Enzo and the others, now joined by Marisa, walking towards me.
“What is this?” I ask.
“It’s a party, bella,” Enzo replies.
“For what?”
“For us. For new beginnings. I thought it would be nice to celebrate our good news with our friends and family. Plus, it is my birthday.”
I smile even though I’m not sure how to feel. There isn’t any good news really except that I’m free to start working on a baby again. “Okay, Enzo.”
Enzo pulls me by the waist and nuzzles my neck. “You are not pleased, amore?”
“It’s fine. I just thought… well you and I were going to have some quality time and now we are entertaining.”
“Trust me, once they are gone, we’ll spend the rest of the day and all night in bed. I’m going to ravish every beautiful inch of your body until we’re both exhausted. You’ll get more than enough of what you want later. For now, I want everyone to know that the past is behind us and only good things are yet to come.” He leans in and kisses my mouth softly. “Unless you want everyone to go?”
This man is impossible to resist. “No, I don’t. Thank you for this. It’s me that should have planned this for you. Not the other way around.”
“Nonsense. We’re a team, no?” He kisses me again then we walk out together to join our friends.
I join my girlfriends by the pool. “How did the appointment go?” Cassie asks.
“Good. She said I’m all healed and we can start trying again,” I respond.
“Congratulations, girl,” Cassie says. “It’s good to hear you are okay.”
“Yes it is. It’s a relief.” Sitting on the edge of the pool, I dip my feet in. “I’m glad all of you are here.”
“Enzo was showing the boys the car you got for him. It’s gorgeous,” Gabby says.
“Oh yeah, that? It was nothing,” I say, and then laugh.
Cassie laughs. “Yeah right, nothing. I heard them talking about it. I can’t believe you spent that much money on a car.”
“It’s a whole new world I live in. Two years ago, I thought thirty thousand was the price of a luxury car. Now, that’s like what one of the wheels costs.”
“I think you’ve adjusted nicely, Ava. You haven’t changed at all since I met you. Having this kind of money available could make you act differently,” Gabby comments.
“Same to you. Your lifestyle upgraded substantially since you met Calvin.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “I guess but it’s not my money so I don’t really think about it. The only thing I don’t like is when he starts buying me extravagant gifts. I don’t need all that stuff.”
Cassie nudges me with her elbow. “This sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it?”
Laughing, I nod my head. “It sure does.”
Gabby blushes and splashes Cass and me with pool water. “True, but just to be clear, Calvin is nowhere near Enzo in the wealth department.”
“Who is? I mean, besides, Oprah or Bill Gates,” Cassie says, cackling loudly.
There was a time when this conversation would have embarrassed me and I would have attempted to downplay his wealth, but now I accept and embrace it. It would be ridiculous at this point to act like we aren’t loaded when I just dropped the equivalent of what some houses cost on a car. I just smile and take another sip of my sangria.
“Speaking of Calvin, things are getting serious?” I ask, purposely changing the subject.
“Yeah,” Gabby replies, her voice turning even more soft and girlish. “We’ve been talking about moving in together.”
“Ooh la la,” Cassie chimes in. “Sounds like hot stuff. I’ll tell you, I was nervous when Chris and I started shacking up, but it’s been awesome for us. Are you gonna do it?”
“I think so. We started looking for houses recently. He’s really supportive of my career goals and, well, I’m really happy.”
“Any more talk of marriage?” I ask, dragging my toes through the cool water.
“He hints. We’ve looked at a few rings in magazines. I’m sure it will happen or I wouldn’t move in with him. Free milk and all that.”
Cassie laughs. “That is priceless! I was planning to live with Chris forever, marriage or not. He didn’t have to buy this cow.”
“Well he did,” I say, pushing her arm. “Did you set a date yet?”
“Nope. I just wanted to get a little more settled first. I think we should get our own place.” She immediately raises her hand to me as I start to protest. “I know you like us here, we do too and even though you live in a mansion, we think we need to go out on our own. Plus you will have babies eventually and you can use our suite for the nanny.”
“It’s not a mansion.” I cross my arms and pout. “I get it, though. I really do. I won’t like it, but I understand. I hope you’ll be close by.”
“Judging by the median home price in this area, no, we won’t be,” she says and cackles again.
“You can live by us,” Gabby offers. “We’ll be slumming in the upper middle class neighborhoods of Scottsdale.”
“That sounds great.”
Rolling my eyes, I laugh and take another drink. “You girls are crazy, you know that?”
“Yep, and you love us hard,” Cassie says.
“That I do.”
After our last friends and family leave, we say goodbye to Chris and Cass who decide to go see a movie to end their evening. Standing slightly behind Enzo, I’m completely drunk from wine and happiness. It was another great idea of his to have this party. I didn’t realize it, but it was exactly what I needed.
As he turns to face me, Enzo’s lips spread into a seductive smile. “And now, my love, time for your ravishing. I hope you’ve saved some energy for me?”
“You bet I have. I’ve been waiting all night to get my hands on you.”
“I want more than your hands on me. I want your mouth, your tongue, your glorious lips, and…” he pauses and rubs his building erection through his pants. “I want to be buried inside of you the rest of the night.”
My entire body tingles and I feel a rush of heat spreading down my stomach through my core. “I’m ready for you. More than ready.”
“Andiamo,” he whispers, his lips brushing softly against my cheek. He takes my hand, but stops briefly to let Maximus in the house. I follow behind him and I’m suddenly inspired.
“Let’s get in the spa, Enzo.”
“The spa? I thought we were going to bed?”
“It’s early still. Let’s go relax in there. It’s been months for me.”
He smiles. “As you wish.” Enzo starts to walk past me to the bedroom, but I grab his arm, stopping him.
“Where are
you going?” I ask.
“To get my suit. Don’t you need yours?”
I grin and slide the strap of my summer dress down off my shoulder. “I don’t think we need those.”
Enzo folds his arms over his chest. “Are you proposing that we skinny dip, signora?”
“That I am, signore,” I say, winking. I push the other strap down and unzip the side, letting the dress fall to the floor. “Our backyard is private enough. What do you say?”
Enzo doesn’t respond as a smirk crosses his lips and he pulls his white polo shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor. I watch him unzip his linen shorts and let those slide down too. He stands before me wearing nothing but his Armani boxer briefs and a smile.
“Take those off too,” I say, grinning.
“I’m not the only one getting naked!”
I unhook my bra and laugh some more. I don’t know why this is so much fun. There is something very enticing about public nudity, even if it is my own backyard. I loop my fingers through the sides of my panties and slide those down too. Lifting my hands above my head, I say, “Ta da!”
Enzo laughs and removes his boxers. “Beautiful. You are so beautiful.”
“So are you, my prince. Let’s go.”
Enzo opens the sliding door and we run out into the backyard, giggling like teenagers who suddenly got the house to themselves.
Enzo takes my hand and helps me step down into the hot tub attached to the edge of our infinity pool. Sinking down into the water, my eyes scan my husband’s body as he joins me. Enzo sits on the built in seat, while I sit on his lap, facing him, my legs wrapped around his body. His hands run down my back as his mouth meets mine in a passionate kiss. My whole body is on fire from his touch.
I suck his bottom lip into my mouth, eliciting a gentle moan from him. I can feel his erection growing against me, pushing on my stomach, and I feel very excited knowing I get to have it inside of me very soon. I stroke him in my hands as we continue to kiss.
Enzo’s hands roam over my body, groping my breasts and squeezing my flesh. I murmur his name as we rock together in the hot steamy water.
“Make love to me here, Enzo. I want you so bad right now.”
Turn Towards the Sun: Book Three- Forever in Bloom (The Sunflower Trilogy) Page 6