Page 23

23

CARLOTTA

A fter Miceli hangs up with our parents and everyone congratulates us on our engagement, we all settle back down into our seats again. It’s back to business, but after what just happened, I can’t concentrate. My head is in the clouds, already planning our wedding, our life, our future.

I couldn’t be more thrilled.

How I went from believing I’d lost Damon to nearly dying and losing everything to now being happily engaged to the man I love, I have no idea. Things have a strange and wonderful way of working themselves out sometimes. We’re all alive and safe, so I have nothing to complain about. Only a beautiful and bright future to look forward to and I can’t wait.

We continue to eat and drink, the mood festive, and at some point the conversation turns, and Miceli says he’d like to get the opinion of the group on an idea. As usual, my oldest brother commands the room with ease and draws everyone’s full attention.

“Things have changed significantly within our alliance over the past year,” he says and everyone nods, “and I think this is the most stable the table has ever been. We’ve weeded out the trouble and the weak spots, and we’ve managed to establish a mutual respect and peace. I believe we’ve finally found ourselves in a position where we can truly work together to not only better ourselves, but also our friends and neighbors. Trust is something that’s earned and after everything we’ve faced and gone through, I trust all of you and hope you feel the same.”

“There were definitely some rocky moments,” DeLuca says, glancing over at his daughter, and Alessia lays a hand over Miceli’s, “but I believe you’re right. It’s time to forge our strength in trust and move forward, together as one.”

“Together as one,” Gabriella echoes, reaching for Enzo’s hand. The rest of the Bianches nod in agreement. Ever since Gabriella’s cousins kidnapped and tried to kill Enzo, she’s done her best to salvage my family’s relationship with her family. Of course, their wedding and the birth of little Luna has mended things in ways nothing else ever could have and things have been going extremely well with everyone.

The head of the Caparelli family and the Milano family chime in with their agreement as well. Although coming to meetings with the Five Families is a newer thing for me, I’ve never seen the table so at peace, so willing to work together. And when I think over the root of this miraculous change, I can only attribute it to love and babies. Well, and weeding out a few bad apples like Miceli had said.

Love truly works miracles and just when I think my heart can’t be fuller, Miceli makes his next announcement.

“Since Archer here is about to tie the knot with my sister, I’d like to take a moment and formally invite him to join the table as an official member of the Five Families. It might be Carlotta’s last name that’s changing, but you’re now a part of the Rossi family, too,” he says.

“Whether you like it or not,” Angelo adds, and everyone chuckles.

“Shall we put it to a vote?” Miceli says and everyone nods. “All in favor?”

A chorus of resounding yay’s fill the air, my voice the loudest, and I look over at Damon and smile.

“Thank you,” Damon murmurs, his hand tightening around mine. “This is an unexpected honor.”

His voice is so full of gratitude and I glance over and can’t help but blink back tears. I can tell he’s surprised and touched. Our gazes meet as he says, “Together as one,” making my belly flutter at the double meaning.

The rest of the table repeats the words and I think we may have a new catch phrase. The coveted seat that Gallo tried to steal now belongs to my husband-to-be. Talk about karma.

And then it hits me. Oh, my God, I’m engaged. I have a fiancé! Last week, I was so scared that I would never find a man to love me, a good, kind, wonderful man who would love me with his entire being.

And now here he is, holding my hand, and looking at me with so much love in his eyes.

I’m beyond ready to wrap things up and take Damon back home with me. Luckily, it isn’t long before Miceli ends the meeting and I’m tugging Damon up, ready to bolt. He laughs, pulling me close, and whispers in my ear, “Are you in a hurry, sweetheart?”

“Yes!” I declare, and he chuckles.

After hugging my brothers and telling each one he’s my favorite brother, a running joke we have, I watch Damon shake each of their hands. He can be so respectful and I have a feeling it’s partly due to his military background. When he called my dad “sir” over the phone, I knew it was a good move on his part and that my dad liked it.

With a wave to my sisters-in-law, I pull Damon outside and then frown, realizing we have to ride with Miceli. Dammit, I wish I had my car.

“Are we going back to your place?” he asks huskily, drawing me into his arms and nuzzling my ear.

“We sure are,” I say. “Miceli, let’s go!”

I want to get out of here now, not sit around while Miceli politics for the next hour.

My brother looks up from his conversation with one of the Caparelli’s and I snap my fingers at him.

“Sorry, I think my sister is in a hurry,” he says with a chuckle.

“Yes, I am!”

“Okay, okay. I’m coming,” he responds easily.

Damon nibbles on my earlobe and I nearly melt in his arms when he says, “And you will be coming very shortly, too, my love.”

Gah. I can’t freaking wait to get this man in my bed. After all we’ve just been through, I’m ready to celebrate life and start ours together. We have so much to discuss and plan, but that can wait. First things first—and that means getting naked between the sheets. Or, wherever…

We have an entire apartment to christen.

The naughty thought makes a tingle shoot down throughout my body and explode in my core.

Miceli and Alessia get into the Range Rover a moment later and he looks at me in the rear view mirror, a smirk on his face. “What seems to be the rush?” he asks cheekily.

I toss him a glare and Alessia looks over at her husband and shakes her head. “Stop being a mean big brother and teasing your little sister,” she declares. “You remember quite clearly what it was like right after we married.”

“What it’s still like,” he growls, and they lace their fingers together.

“I swear to God, Miceli, if you don’t start driving, we are getting out of this car and hopping on the nearest form of transportation I see. A bus, an Uber, the subway, a freaking bike!”

Everyone laughs and Damon pulls me close, tucking me up under his arm. “Patience, sweetheart,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to my temple. “We’ll be home before you know it. And then we’re going to lock the door and not answer the phone for the next few days.”

“Sounds good to me,” I say, snuggling up against his warm side.

The ride to my place seems to take longer than usual, but it’s only because I’m champing at the bit to rip Damon’s clothes off and have my way with him. It’s been too long and my need for him has become a physical ache.

Finally, my building comes into view and, as Miceli pulls up to the curb, I’m already opening my door.

“Christ, Lottie, let me at least stop the car before you jump out,” Miceli growls.

“You’re too slow,” I complain, my feet hitting the pavement. “Okay, bye!”

I slam the door shut and hear my brother and Alessia’s muffled laughter from inside. Damon meets me on the curb and, after a quick wave, I pull him with me toward the door.

“You seem to be in quite the hurry, Miss Rossi,” he teases.

I whip the door open and send him a look that means business. “Get in, get upstairs and get your clothes off, Mr. Archer.”

A laugh bursts from his throat and then he gives me a sharp salute. As he strides past me and into the lobby, I slap his ass.

“Good God, woman, I have a feeling I’m about to be manhandled.”

I slap a hand against the elevator’s button.

“That’s right,” I whisper, turning to face him. “And I hope you’ll return the favor.”

“Oh, you know I will,” he murmurs, pulling me close. Our mouths crash together in a kiss for the ages. All hot, wet and full of steamy promises.

The elevator door glides open and we’re too busy kissing to get inside. As it starts to close again, Damon stops it with his booted foot. Still kissing, he drags me inside and blindly presses my floor.

We can’t get enough of each other and, by the time we reach my floor, I’m a panting, needy mess. As we step out, my knees wobble slightly, feeling like jelly. Damon scoops me up and carries me down the hallway as I lift my keys, ready to open that door so damn fast and get inside so we can take this to the next level.

Damon takes the keys from my hand, shoves it into the lock, turns and the door swings open. God, it feels good to be home and safe and with the man I love. He kicks the door shut, locks it and our mouths slam together again as he walks me to the bedroom.

Once we reach my room, he tosses me onto the bed and stares down at me with a feral look in his dark eyes. “As much as I want to go slow, I also want to go hard and fast.”

“I have no patience for slow right now, Damon,” I warn him. “I need you inside me right now.”

“Then that’s what you’ll get,” he promises in a husky voice.

We both start ripping our clothes off and then he’s on top of me, our naked bodies skin to skin, and it’s so delicious I could almost cry. Instead, I reach for his hard cock and his hand drops between my legs. We’re both hot and ready, pulsing and needy, and I stroke his length as his fingers slide into my wet heat.

“Oh, God,” I whimper, arching against his palm, riding it as he lightly thrusts against my hand. I have never been this hot, bothered and on the verge of completely combusting like this before. But before we orgasm, Damon pulls his hand away, settles between my thighs and grasps his cock, lining our bodies up. In one smooth thrust, he enters my body, sliding deeply and I cry out.

Wrapping my legs around his waist, I lift my hips and meet each of his hard thrusts. Nothing has ever felt so good or so right. My body sizzles, ready to blast off into the stratosphere.

He tilts my hips just right and hits my sweet spot over and over again until I scream. My pussy tightens and flutters around him, drawing him ever deeper. And as my release washes over me, I swear I see stars. Above me, Damon groans through his release and I pull his mouth down for a long, deep kiss full of passion.

For a long moment, we lay there, our bodies together as one. The feeling of being connected to this man in every way—body, mind, heart and soul—is beyond overwhelming. But in the best possible way.

I moan softly when he finally pulls out and rolls onto his back.

“That was…” My voice trails off because I can’t fully express what just happened. It was just too damn good.

“Yeah,” he breathes, “it really was.”

I chuckle and roll over to face him. Laying my hand on his chest, I press a kiss to shoulder. “I love you, Damon Archer.”

“I love you more, Carlotta Rossi.”

The weight of his words makes my chest tighten with emotion. “No one ever said that to me before,” I whisper.

“I’ve never said it to anyone before either.”

That’s right. I remember him telling me he never said it to his old girlfriend. “But Caitlin wanted you to say it, didn’t she?”

“Yes. But if I did, it would’ve been a lie.”

Reaching over, I smooth the line between his brows. “What happened to her wasn’t your fault, my love. Please, stop blaming yourself.”

“I’m trying,” he says, grabbing my hand and pressing a kiss to my palm. “You’ve helped, actually. In more ways than you can even imagine.”

“Really?” I arch a brow. “How so?”

He lets out a low breath, toying with my fingers, threading and unthreading his through mine. “After Caitlin died, I thought whatever little warmth and humanity I still had after my years in spec ops died along with her. What I did…it was taking its toll on me. Then losing her seemed to destroy me in so many different ways. I became cold, ruthless and, I thought, completely incapable of love. I mean, I hadn’t even loved my girlfriend. I wondered what the hell was wrong with me? I felt like the worst person in the world.”

“You’re a good man, Damon,” I insist.

“I didn’t think so.” He lays my hand flat on his chest and covers it with his. I can feel the strong, steady beat of his heart beneath my palm. “I truly believed I was incapable of love.”

“And now?” I press.

“You taught me I’m capable of whatever I set my mind and heart to—and that love can fix everything. You’re a very wise woman, Lottie.”

I smile. “So I’ve been told.”

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he whispers. “For fixing me in every way that’s important.”

“And thank you right back,” I tell him. “I never thought I’d find someone and I was on the verge of giving up. You make my life more beautiful, infinitely better, in so many ways.”

“I’m just glad your family accepted me so easily.”

“They’ve always liked you because whenever the shit hit the fan, you were right there to help us. It doesn’t matter your original reasons for doing it. You never let us down, Damon, and we all will be forever grateful to you.”

He lifts my hands and presses a kiss to each one of my knuckles. “Let’s get you a ring this week. The biggest, most expensive diamond you want, sweetheart.”

“I don’t need a big diamond, Damon,” I whisper, looking into his dark eyes. Eyes so full of love. “I just need you.”

“That’s nice to hear, but I’m going to make sure there’s a rock sitting on your finger. I need it very visible and very apparent, so it will let every other man out there know that you’re taken. Because you belong to me now, Carlotta Rossi, and I am never letting you go.”

“Fine by me,” I whisper. A love like I’ve never known before fills me and our mouths meld together in a kiss full of promise.

I’ve finally found my person, my other half, and I’m glad he’s never letting me go because the feeling is mutual.

Damon Rossi is all mine and I couldn’t be more thrilled.