Page 168 of The Temptation

He flicks his hand. “I don’t need to. I may have many regrets when it comes to my son, but not about this particular thing. I had already decided to give it to you the moment I found out you existed. Please say yes, it would make this old man very happy if I got to fulfil at least one of his wishes.”

Fucking hell. How can I say no to that?

Chapter 41

Lucia

One year later …

My forearms are resting on the baluster of the wrap-around veranda when two strong arms slink around my waist, dragging my body back into his.

“There you are,” my sexy husband whispers, nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck.

I turn my head and brush my lips against his cheek. “I’m out here supervising theseidioti(Idiots) making sure they don’t fuck anything else up.”

He chuckles softly against my skin as his eyes flicker up to watch the workers setting up the marquee for our son’s Christening reception later today.

Gabriel Romeo De Luca, our little boy, was born two months ago, and he’s already become my greatest accomplishment in life.

Okay, maybe his birth ties with one other extraordinary achievement:Operation Takedown. The highly classified and expertly executed mission that led to the seduction of my now-husband.

Growing up, I may not have wanted kids, but that wasbefore I married the man of my dreams. It didn’t take me long to realise I wanted a family with Romeo. I wanted it all.

“They backed over one rose bush, babe,” he says, grinning. “I’m pretty sure it was an accident.”

“Ugh,” I groan, bringing my coffee mug to my lips to hide my disdain. “I swear if they turn my beautiful lawn into a mud pit, I’m going to borrow your gun and kneecap the lot of them.”

Romeo arches an eyebrow. “Your lawn? Considering I’m the one who mows it, I’m pretty sure that constitutes it as mine.”

I blow out a puff of air and roll my eyes. “Fine.Ourlawn.”

He barks out a laugh as he takes the coffee out of my hand, bringing the mug to his mouth and taking a sip of the hot liquid. We’re married in every sense of the word, we even share a child together, but that small natural movement still gives me a thrill, just like it did when he took a swig from the beer bottle I’d drunk from the first time I went to his house.

“You are extra grouchy today. I know you didn’t sleep well last night. Why don’t you go and have a lie down? It’s still early, we don’t have to be at the church for hours.”

“Will you come lie down with me?” I ask, turning in his arms.

“Not happening, babe.”

My eyebrows pinch into a frown. “Why not?”

“I know you too well … you have no plans of sleeping.”

My hands fist in the fabric of his T-shirt. “But I need you,” I plead, giving him that pouty look I know he can’t resist.

“You had me inside you an hour ago.”

“That was an hour ago … I need you again.”

“What if Gabe wakes up?”

“I’ll turn the monitor on. Besides,NonnaandNonno(Grandma and Grandpa) will be here soon enough. You know they’ll take care of him while we—” I raise both my hands, using my fingers to do air quotes. “—rest.”

“So, you’re claiming my grandparents as yours now too … like the lawn.”

Romeo’s grandparents are different from the people we first met. They’ve gone from two broken souls, weighed down by years of grief and regret, to something lighter.

Having their grandson around has breathed life back into them. It feels like the pieces they lost when they buried their son are slowly shifting back into place. They shower him, our son, and me with so much love.