Page 59

Chapter 59

Juliette

New York, New York

“Morning, sleepyhead.” Constantine was seated at the breakfast bar when I wandered into the kitchen. He set his phone aside and stood, a handsome smile crossing his mouth when I barefooted my way over to him, still in my pajamas.

“You should’ve”—a yawn broke through my attempt to say good morning—“woken me up.” It was already after nine, and I had a feeling he’d typically be at work by now if it weren’t for me sleeping in.

“As I recall, I did wake you. Two hours ago.” He lifted his brows twice, smirking.

Seven o’clock in the morning. The time I should’ve been coming home from the hospital.

But I’d decided to hang up my scrubs for now and spend time being a wife and mom. After working my ass off for the last seventeen years, I supposed I deserved a break.

“That was for delicious and incredible sex.” My body warmed at the memory, already turned on again. “You let me fall back asleep after riding out my orgasm on . . .” My gaze flicked to his pants, and his dick twitched.

“Of course I did. You need your sleep.” He adjusted his dark tie beneath his tailored suit jacket and buttoned it.

“But based on how you’re dressed in all that boardroom black, looking lethal, I take it you have to go to the office?” I pouted.

“Boardroom black, huh?” He reached for my waist, drawing me closer. “I do have a meeting. One quick one. I’ll be back by the time the other two sleepyheads wake up. We’ll get brunch together.” He nuzzled his nose against mine before softly kissing me.

“I’d love that.” The words rolled between us, and he caught them with his tongue, kissing me more passionately that time. “How come jet lag isn’t kicking your butt the way it is mine?” I asked after he parted his lips from mine, my soft sigh settling between us.

“Just takes some getting used to.” He nipped my bottom lip before lifting his eyes to mine. “This, however, won’t take me any getting used to. Waking up with you here is how I want to spend every morning for the rest of my life.”

I smiled. “That can be arranged.” Glancing up at the ceiling toward Colin’s room, I asked, “We’re not bad parents by letting them play hooky another day, right?”

It was Tuesday, and they were supposed to start their new school yesterday, but reality caught up with us when we made it home late Sunday after midnight. As in, there was no chance the two of them would be able to roll out of bed and make it to school on Monday, or today, which was why I hadn’t set an alarm.

“Bad parents? Nah, we’re the best. Don’t take my word for it.” He playfully winked. “Colin’s.”

I laughed. “He’s really working on that F150, I see. Or is it a Dodge Ram now?”

He lifted one shoulder. “He does need something.”

“A license, how about that first?” I grinned, fiddling with the knot of his black tie.

“Good point. I’m still new at this dad thing. You’ll have to help me out here from time to time.”

“I’d say you’re doing a heck of a job.” I pressed up on my toes to kiss his cheek. “ My words.” I turned to go to the regular Nespresso machine, still unsure how to work the fancy one, but at the feel of both his hands squeezing my ass cheeks, I went still. “And what do you think you’re doing?”

“You can’t wear those silk shorts and not expect me to—” He spun me around, covering my mouth with his. Before I knew it, I was on the counter, legs wrapped around his waist. “Maybe I can be a little late for my meeting?”

When he began working his mouth along my jawline and over to my ear, I latched on to him, breathless. “Be late. Or better yet just skip it.”

He rested both hands on the counter beside me as I arched into him.

He groaned, then brought his face back to mine, nuzzling my neck, trailing kisses along my jaw. “It’s a rather important meeting. One with an attorney.”

“Oh? Our marriage license?” I asked between kisses. “Or for our name changes?” For both Colin and me.

“No, I filed those documents the second the sun came up yesterday.”

“Mm. Of course you did. What was I thinking? You Costas move a mile a minute.”

My mind wandered to the wedding plans Izzy and my mother-in-law had already started before we’d returned to the States. They’d also pulled my mom into it as well. We had a four-way chat going already. And since party planning wasn’t my thing, I was happily bystanding my way through it, letting the three of them duke out the details.

“They’ll have us walking down the aisle in no time.” I laughed.

“Just tell me when and where, and I’ll be there,” he rasped, tilting my face to get access to my neck, planting kisses there.

“The wedding would kind of suck without you, so I hope you show up,” I teased. “I think we’re getting married along the Kentucky and Tennessee border. You know, so Alessandro and Callie can drive there with Elijah since they don’t want to fly with him yet.” I dug my nails into his suit jacket as his hot breath fanned across the shell of my ear. “Guess what I found out through their back-and-forth that I may have fallen asleep trying to read last night?”

He leaned back to meet my eyes, but he kept his body flush with mine, his hard-on not going anywhere from the feel of it. “And what might that be?” He lifted a hand to cradle my head, running his fingers through my hair.

“Did you know Sean McGregor’s sister-in-law, Anna, is from Kentucky? And you won’t believe this, but our paths have crossed. Anna’s father is friends with my dad.”

“I didn’t know, but why am I not surprised?”

“Connected. All of us in one way or another, I suppose.” I shrugged, licking my lips. “I’m going to invite them to the wedding.”

He gently fisted my hair, drawing my chin up without dropping his mouth over mine. “Who else is on that guest list?” he murmured. “All of the McGregors? Carter ?”

“Aren’t you friends now?”

“Don’t push your luck.” A hearty laugh slipped between us, and then he playfully rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine. He can come.”

“You really are turning a new leaf, hmm?” I linked my wrists behind his neck.

“All wood at the moment.” He ground his hips against me, then winced. “I suck at jokes. I’m trying, but . . .”

“Your corny is perfectly on point with mine.” I brought my lips to his, sighing against his mouth. “So, tell me about this important meeting.”

“Ugh.” He rested his forehead against mine. “How about I take you to our room and make you come again instead?”

“As enticing as that sounds, you’re avoiding telling me something.” I brought my hands back between us and tugged his tie. “What is it?”

He closed his eyes, his already hard features appearing to harden before my eyes.

“Don’t tell me something new is wrong? I thought Falcon Falls handled everything for us? And everyone was behind bars. So, does that mean your meeting is mafia-related?”

“No, everything is good there. No danger. You’re both safe.” His gaze flicked to mine, his jaw tightening.

Then what is it?

He quietly stared at me, waiting for the puzzle pieces to click into place.

Ohhh. “Already?” I playfully swatted his chest. “Constantine,” I fake-scolded.

He untangled his hand from my hair and stood tall and pushed away from the counter. “Just a quick conversation.”

I hopped off the counter and gave him my best “mom” look I could manage without coffee fortification.

“Like you said, us Costas don’t waste time.” He lifted an innocent shoulder, a sly smile slipping across his lips. “Coffee?” He went over to the machine and started it up, popping in a pod as if I’d let this go with that not-so-minor caffeine distraction.

As he removed a mug from the cabinet, the one that had a chip in the handle, I came up around him. “Not so fast.”

He gave me a small smile, this time effectively distracting me from the fact he was wearing all black ( clearly for a reason). He was no doubt planning to “talk” to Zach’s attorney father, who just so happened to represent the Sicilian mafia here in New York. He held the mug between us. “Bianca gave me this.”

Nice deflection.

Also, it worked.

My shoulders sagged, and I ran my finger over the chip in the handle.

“You’re the only one who’s used this since she passed.” He casually set it beneath the machine and started it up. “It’s yours now.”

The way he could be so ridiculously sweet and sentimental one second, then ready to kill a guy (like Zach’s father) the next was just so very . . . well, Constantine.

“What am I going to do with you, mister?”

He faced me, drawing me against him. “I could think of a few things. All of them involve you naked.”

And just like that , consider me distracted again.

That sinful mouth tight to mine. Hands sliding under my top, cupping my breasts. Heat thrumming between us.

“Oy, get a room. Sheesh,” Colin grumbled as he entered the kitchen, his timing horrible as always.

Constantine groaned against my mouth. His hands fell to my sides, but he kept hold of me, refusing to turn toward our son.

“Do I need to have the sex talk with you two?” Colin deadpanned.

“Oh, you’ve got jokes? Like father, like son.” I angled around Constantine to face Colin, but I had a feeling his father would need to steal a moment to adjust himself before turning around.

Colin sat at the breakfast bar, stretching his arms. One look at his NYU shirt had me forgetting his silly words. Thankfully, the blood had come out of it just fine.

“So, the birds and the bees . . .” He laughed. “What would you like to know?”

“You better not know anything. You gave me your word.” I tilted my head toward the hall, gesturing to Lennon’s bedroom. She was officially sleeping in the Aruba room. Constantine had no need for it since he had me here instead of only memories of me.

Constantine cleared his throat as if he knew something I didn’t and pivoted around, hands sliding into his slacks’ pockets. I didn’t like that look.

“I haven’t. I know you think I have, but I haven’t.” Colin lifted his palms up. “That wasn’t the, uh, level I was talking about. Just let you think that because I was a little pissed when we talked that day.”

Constantine strode up alongside me, his jaw noticeably clenching as if unsure he was buying what our son was selling.

“I swear.” Colin kept his eyes on his father. “I also promised God to behave if you didn’t die,” he said more earnestly this time, his voice cracking. “I will not do the thing that you two have been busy doing. Not until I’m older and out of the house as promised.” He rested his hand over his chest, turning it into a fist.

I stole a look at Constantine, checking his reaction. “I trust you,” he said firmly.

“Phew, good.” Colin dropped his hands to his lap. “Why are you dressed like that, by the way? You look like you’re about to go kill a guy, but like, in an office.”

Constantine glanced at me, his lips twisting with mild amusement. I could hear the words pinging around in his head.

Just like me, too, I know. “Your dad has a thing he just has to do.” I accepted his coffee a beat later.

“Just a small thing.” Constantine held his fingers open to show a smidge. When he widened them a bit more, I cracked up.

I set aside the cup before I spilled hot coffee on myself, and he captured me in his arms, taking me off guard. I couldn’t help the yelp that escaped me any more than I could contain that laughter.

“If you’ll excuse me, son, I need a word with your mother.” The man literally tossed me over his shoulder and started walking before I realized my feet had left the floor.

Colin laughed. “Have at it.”

Constantine took me from the kitchen toward our bedroom, spanking my ass on the way. Once we were alone in the room with the door shut, he set me down.

“What about your meeting?” I arched a brow as I started unbuttoning my shirt.

He tossed his suit jacket and went for his tie. “Revenge can wait until this afternoon.” He closed the space between us and caught my chin in his hand. Just before he slanted his mouth over mine, he huskily declared, “But I can’t.”