There Are No Words (The Morelli Sisters #3)

EXTENDED EPILOGUE

Brady

I sat on the edge of the bed and took off my watch, placing it on the nightstand.

“So that was one hell of a party, right, birthday boy?” Allegra asked, a slight purr sounding in the back of her throat as she came and sat on my lap.

I wrapped my arms around her, holding her there as she reached up and placed a hand on my cheek. “I had no idea you were planning that,” I said earnestly.

She chuckled, her cheeks blushing. “That was sort of the whole point. It isn’t called a surprise party for no reason.”

I leaned forward, closing the gap between us, and captured her lips, tugging on the bottom one before sliding my lips over hers in a deep kiss.

“Your birthday isn’t over, though, and I was hoping to give you my present now,” she said against my lips.

I could only imagine what she’d gotten me. With a quick stroke of my tongue across her lips, I backed away, staring into her beautiful, brown eyes. “What’s that?”

“Well, actually, you have two presents waiting for you. Gina’s and mine.”

I frowned. I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want to. I mean, I wasn’t unhappy. In fact, quite the opposite. But I missed Gina more than I thought I would. She’d become part of my nightly routine and with her staying at Angelo’s tonight, that routine was off.

“Okay, what’s that face for?” Allegra pointed to my mouth before cupping my cheeks and squeezing them together.

I chuckled. “It’s nothing, really.”

She raised a brow and shook her head. “Brady Moore, I know you better than that. You’re not happy about something. What gives?”

I exhaled. “I miss holding Gina and rocking with her.” Shit, I sounded silly, didn’t I? Like an obnoxious, obsessed parent? When had I become one of those dads who couldn’t be away from their child? “Just forget it. I want to see what you and Gina got for me.”

Allegra stood, placing a hand on her hip. “Trust me when I say this: you’re not going to be able to enjoy my present if you’re thinking about our daughter.”

I’d enjoy anything she gave me. “Come on, Allegra,” I coaxed, getting up and placing my arms around her waist as I nuzzled her neck. “Now you have my interest piqued. What’d you get me?”

“Me,” she answered quickly and confidently.

I laughed, the sound vibrating off the walls of our bedroom. “I thought I already had you.”

“Oh, you do,” she promised. “But tonight, well, I had something special in mind.”

Fuck. I loved that gift. I wanted to unwrap that gift over and over again. I went to respond, but she held a finger up, stopping me.

“But, change of plans.”

I cocked a brow.

“We’re going to my dad’s,” she finished her thought.

Okay, maybe I was the only man in the history of the world that would be all right with this. “If you’re okay with that,” I said, treading lightly, trying to gauge if this was really okay with her. I knew she had planned out our night.

Clacking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, she shook her head and walked into her closet to retrieve a sweatshirt. “This is your birthday, Brady. If you want to spend some time with our daughter, then who am I to deny you?” She wrapped her arms around my neck. “You truly have earned the present Gina got for you.”

I furrowed my brows, studying her expression. “I don’t understand.”

“You will.” She rolled her lips, walked away from me again, opened a drawer, and pulled out a wrapped box. “This is for you from Gina,” she said, passing it to me.

Our fingers touched as I took it from her and I wanted to intertwine them and hold her hand for the rest of the night; wanted to hold them down, pushing them into the mattress as I drove into her. Over and over again.

As much as I wanted that, though, it could wait, because I still wanted to see Gina. I didn’t want to go a night without seeing her sweet face before bed.

“Go ahead,” Allegra pushed, shooing her hands in my direction. “Open it.”

I nodded, unwrapping the present. As I revealed it, my eyes widened and I couldn’t help but laugh. How did she know? “A World’s Greatest Dad mug.” I held it up and studied it. “Thank you. I love it.”

“Really?” She smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Jack and I talked, and I thought what better gift could there be? You are the best dad I know, Brady. You deserve that mug.”

It was funny because when I’d first found out Allegra was pregnant, I hadn’t been sure I’d ever earn this title. I hadn’t been sure of many things, except maybe that I’d screw up our kid.

It turned out I was still learning, and I was far from perfect, trust me. But I wasn’t all that bad. Gina made it easy. Allegra made it easy.

I was truly blessed with my girls.

I put the mug down on the nightstand and smiled, thinking about how far I’d come. Back then, I had just been Allegra’s roommate. I had wanted to be more, of course. But I hadn’t thought it was possible. I had a crush on a woman who was so closed off to love, to me. Frankly, if you thought about it, Gina had brought us together. Who knew knocking up Allegra would be the best fucking thing to ever happen to me?

I picked up Allegra and spun her around, and she giggled as I set her down on the bed, inching my body over hers and nipping at her neck and then swiping my tongue over the place I’d nipped.

“Brady,” she said, her voice nearly a whisper.

“Mmm?”

“What about going to my dad’s?”

I kissed her neck and sat up, giving her my hand to help her up, too. “You’re right. It’s what I want. Let’s go see our daughter, but then we’re coming right back here and I’m unwrapping you.”

She doesn’t like taking risks, but will she do it for him?

Continue The Morelli Sisters series with Better Left Unsaid, Maria’s story.