Page 151 of Vows of a Mobster

“Nobody knows we are doing this,” Mateo grinned. “Marissa nagged me to death, dying from curiosity.”

I smiled at him, hoping my acting skills were at least somewhat good. If he would have told Marissa or Daphne what his plan was, she would have convinced him not to do it. Or at least gave me forewarning.

We walked together to the docks, a few of the men greeting him along the way.

“Mr. Agosti, everything you requested has been put on your sailboat.”

“Thank you, Santos.”

“My pleasure.”

I tried hard not to search out the spot we found another sailboat that night long ago. The night that seemed to have been another lifetime, or maybe a movie that I desperately tried to forget.

“Which boat is yours?” I was impressed my voice sounded calm, unlike my insides that trembled and my heart that raced.

“Straight at the end,” he murmured, tilting his head that way. “I bought us a new sailboat, just for us and our family.”

I followed his eyes and couldn’t help but be slightly impressed, although my heart still pumped and made my ears buzz. An expensive Valquest sailboat stood at the end of the dock, taller and brighter than any other boat in the entire marina.

“Whoa,” I murmured. “You own a Valquest too?”

“We own it, Brianna.”

This sailboat was the Lamborghini of all sailboats. It was a super sailboat, yacht, with all luxuries and state of the art design. I’ve never been on one, but I remembered my stepfather saying it was one of the fastest cruising yachts that offered luxury but also sailing adventures. It was my stepfather’s dream to travel the world on one of these.

“My stepdad is probably rolling in his grave right about now,” I murmured more to myself.

“Why is that?” Mateo asked curiously.

“His dream was to retire and sail the world,” I told him, “in this sailboat.”

We stopped on the dock, and I stood in front of it in awe. It was really something, and it made me realize how much I missed my stepfather. When my mother kicked me out, I didn’t expect him to stand up for me… but I regretted not having the connection to him anymore. He was the last bit of family I had that was taken away. My grandmother tried to desperately make it the way it used to be, but we both knew it wasn’t possible. Something broke in me losing Dad, and then my stepdad. I couldn’t even attend his funeral. I learned to live without family connection but somehow with Mateo I felt my broken pieces starting to slowly come together. It was terrifying and wonderful at the same time.

“Ready?” I turned to Mateo to find him staring at me. I nodded, and he effortlessly lifted me into his arms. “This will be our threshold tonight and I am carrying my bride over it.”

Despite the tension when we arrived, a low and raspy laughter escaped me. He stepped right over onto the boat with me in his arms, like I weighed nothing.

“Good sea legs,” I commended him and he grinned.

When he went to lower me down on the deck, I stopped him. “I have to take my shoes off,” I told him.

He laughed. “I see your dad covered all aspects of boating.”

This time I grinned back. “Damn straight.”

Mateo reached with his one hand, while still balancing me in his arms and slipped my wedding shoes off. He made it all seem so effortlessly, never straining for a breath or balance, I couldn’t help but be impressed with his strength.

I slipped out of his arms and landed barefoot onto the deck of the magnificent yacht. I watched him as he discarded his dress jacket, leaving him in his white dress shirt. He rolled up his sleeves revealing his muscular forearms. His smell of his woodsy cologne carried on the breeze. I loved his smell; my body always reacted to him. It made me want to bury my face into his neck and savor him.

I swallowed hard and ignored my body’s reaction to this man, my husband. It seemed surreal that I was married.

His piercing gaze caught me gawking at him and I tried to keep my cool. I shouldn’t be contemplating jumping his bones. I had something important to tell him first.

The sun was still on the horizon, and the summer breeze swept through my dress.

“You are so beautiful.” Mateo’s voice was low and soft. “Seeing you in that dress walk down the aisle towards me, I will never forget it.”

I love you, I went to say but they words refused to come out. Mateo Agosti has inched his way into my heart and became a permanent ink there. I just hoped he wouldn’t stain it and destroy it.