Chapter 24
I picked up the result at the lab. dead with nerves and anticipation. I had already taken the drugstore test, but I still needed the blood test.
Real proof.
I would have done an ultrasound too, if I didn’t insist on having my love there to hear our little baby for the first time if the result was positive.
We had talked a lot about growing our family.
I resisted the idea at first, because I didn’t need another child to prove anything.
But I understood that it wasn’t about proving anything.
He wanted to give me that, to give us both that.
A pregnancy we hadn’t had. Lucca would always be the apple of my eye.
I thought for a long time.
I wanted many children with Heithor.
A big family. Only a family like that, with many chairs around the table, could hold all this love surrounding me, so I stopped taking the pills, didn’t say anything, and left it to Dio’s will.
It took me a while to notice the differences. This pregnancy was very different from the first. No nausea and exhaustion. In fact, I was electric. My little baby was calm. I was so normal it was hard to notice I was pregnant, if my period hadn’t been late.
In the car, I opened the envelope and scanned the result.
POSITIVE.
I held my breath.
My heart almost exploded.
For a minute, all I did was stare at the paper, paralyzed, emotional.
I had expected this. I wanted this… But facing the reality of it…
Madonna mia!
I looked down, where my free hand touched my flat stomach, and smiled as I spoke softly in a choked voice:
“Hello, little person! It’s Mommy here.”
I was dying to tell Thor, to tell everyone… The cell phone so close, one call away… No. I would do something different.
I started the engine, very excited at the prospect. I took the rest of the day off, sent Lucca and Lola to Martha, and then stopped by the market.
Later, when Thor got home from the company, I was nearly crawling out of my skin with anxiety. I practically attacked him, crashing my body into his, grabbed the nape of his neck, and kissed him before he even had the chance to set his briefcase on the table. He kissed me with the same devotion.
“My God, what was that?” he asked when we broke apart, his arm firm around my waist, his mouth swollen and red from my attack.
I smiled from ear to ear, my own lips tingling from the kiss.
“I missed you.”
His eyebrow lifted in a sexy curve.
“If I’d known working outside the house would leave you this needy for your man, I would have started sooner. Now I’ll always be eager to come back.”
Thor had officially been working at the company, Castellammare&Evans Security, for three weeks. They already had some important clients, among them politicians, businessmen, and bankers.
“I thought you already were.” I pouted.
“I’m always eager to come back to you, baby,” he murmured, scraping his lips over mine as he squeezed my ass.
I shivered with the delicious sensation. He was seducing me, and I was falling.
“Go take a shower,” I ordered, rejecting my sudden desire.
“What are you up to?”
“Nothing.” I rose onto my feet and planted another kiss on him. “Shower now!”
Thor studied me suspiciously, then nodded and left.
There was nothing to do. His favorite risotto was ready, the filet mignon would be seared later so it could be eaten still hot with the mustard sauce.
I checked the items for my surprise and waited impatiently for Thor to return.
My hand was addicted to touching my stomach, so I took care to keep it away from that part—with some difficulty, I should note—until the reveal. Thor was very observant. I didn’t want him to ruin my plans. This was a special moment.
“Where’s Lucca?” he wanted to know, walking into the kitchen.
“I sent him and Lola to Martha’s house.”
Thor hugged me from behind, surveying the pans over my shoulder.
“Why? Not that I’m complaining.” I rolled my eyes at his tone. “Good. My boy and the dog better be over there taking care of her.”
“As if Lucca were capable of taking care of himself!”
“But he gets in the way plenty,” he said without remorse.
I laughed. He didn’t change. Ever since Aunt Martha found her old teenage love again, my Thor had become Mommy’s jealous little boy.
It was very funny. And I had to rein him in, not that it did much good.
He had combed through the poor man’s life and made sure he knew Thor could use a gun very well and had no fear of using it.
I covered the pan with the red berry sauce and set the spoon aside.
“Go sit down. I’ll serve dinner in a minute.”
“You’re very bossy today.”
I checked over my shoulder.
“And isn’t that why you love me?”
His gaze burned into me, provoking a pulse between my legs.
“I could name other things I find more attractive…”
“Don’t play dumb. You love having a bossy woman.”
“Only when she orders me to fuck her.”
“Sit down,” I scolded, half growling, half laughing.
Thor gave me a quick kiss and slapped my ass before heading to the table. I prepared a single plate and covered it with the cloche, then carried it to the set table and placed it in front of him.
“Don’t open it yet,” I warned, going to my chair.
Thor looked at the empty space in front of me.
“Aren’t you eating?”
“Later. This is just for you.”
He nodded slowly, his expression very suspicious, then rested his forearms on the table on either side of his plate, his gaze fixed.
“What am I missing here, darling?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? Then why are you nervous? Did something happen?”
Oh, Dio! Sì, sì, sì! I’m pregnant! PREGNANT!
“… what do you want?” he was saying.
“Wow, you think that badly of me?”
“I love you, baby. But I know you. When you get too sweet, it’s because you want something from me. Usually, that something isn’t something I like. So, what is it?”
“I thought we deserved a little time just for us.”
“We can have that time in bed and eat afterward.”
I gave a little laugh at his mischievous expression, which had nothing innocent in its intentions, while shaking my hand no when he went to pour me wine.
“I have something for you.”
“What?”
I took a moment, breathing, barely controlling my anxiety.
“Okay, okay… Did I forget something? A date I shouldn’t have?”
“Oh, no, no,” I murmured, bringing the glass of water to my very dry mouth, my nerves to blame. “If that were the case, I’d be giving you a beating instead of a present.”
“I love your delicacy.”
“You do.”
“With my life. So, why?”
I gestured with my head toward his plate.
Thor still hesitated before lifting the cloche… and stopped… setting it aside… A blank grimace twisted his face as he stared at the jar of baby food in the center of the plate.
“I thought you cooked.”
“I did.”
Thor looked, then looked again… a long moment passed… his features changing… shock, disbelief, happiness… so many emotions running through him… swallowing hard.
My eyes were bright, my smile tight with anticipation.
Thor met my eyes.
“Does this… this… mean? You…? We?”
“Sì.”
“Really?”
“Sì.”
“You’re pregnant?”
“Sì.”
For lack of more words and his reaction, I began to worry. My smile wilting. I wouldn’t know how to deal with any reaction from him that wasn’t happiness.
“You’re not happy?” I asked, my voice trembling.
Thor stood so fast the chair fell, and then he came to me, pulling me to my feet and into his arms. He kissed me deeply, delicately.
“Happy? Fuck, I could paint the whole world if you asked me to.”
I nearly sank with relief.
Thor swallowed my breath when he kissed me again with everything he had.
“Congratulations, papà,” I murmured, breathless against his lips, smiling.
“When did you find out?”
“Today.”
“I thought you wanted to wait…”
“I did, but I thought a lot about our conversation, and I want to have a handful of brats with you. It’s good that we start soon before age catches up with you,” I teased, receiving a slap on my backside.
I set my hands on his face, my gaze melting with the love I felt for this man as I looked straight into his eyes.
“After you, being a mother was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“I’m going to swell you up with my children many times.”
“I bet you will.”
“Is it okay that we didn’t plan this one either?”
“Who said this one wasn’t?”
He gave me a look.
“It wasn’t planned by you, silly.”
“You used me?”
“Every drop!” I laughed at my own indecent joke.
“Does that give me the right to use you now?”
“Oh, sì.”
Thor took a step back, his gaze serious.
“Take off your clothes.”
“Just like that? Don’t you want to go to the bedroom?”
“Take off your clothes, baby,” he growled in a tone that tolerated no challenge.
I did, letting my dress fall with a sensual movement and stepping out of it, wearing only purple lingerie and black Louboutins. Thor knelt and sprinkled kisses over my belly.
“Hi, baby, it’s papà. I don’t know you yet, but I already love you so much. I’m so happy you’re coming. While you’re safe in mamma’s belly, be good and don’t wear her out too much.”
Thor rose to his full height, cradling my face in his hand.
“I love you, Ella.”
“I love you more.”
In one quick, skillful movement, he passed his arm beneath my legs and lifted me. “Now I’m going to use you,” he said, full of lust, heading to the bedroom.
I burst out laughing, loving the way I felt.
“Per favore.”
FOUR MONTHS LATER
“Grazie for the little cake, Laura. It was delicious, as always,” I thanked her, sitting down, the chair squeaking beneath all my nearly six-month splendor.
“I’m happy to feed this little girl,” she said, caressing my belly.
“And fatten me up… wait…”
I picked up my ringing cell phone and smiled when I saw who it was.
“Thor?”
“Hey, baby, are my girls okay?”
This was our routine every day since he had found out about the pregnancy.
“Yes, love, we’re fine.” I gave my automatic answer as I smoothed my belly.
“Where are you?”
“At VCG, sitting in front of my desk, to be exact,” I said slowly, finding the question strange. “Where else would I be?”
His heavy exhale on the other end of the line made me stiffen a little, my sixth sense on alert.
“What’s going on, Heithor? Is Lucca okay?”
“Lucca is fine.”
“And you?”
“Fine too.”
“Do you want to tell me something?”
“I’m sorry, love,” he said softly. “It’s just the usual worry. You know I’d die if something happened to you. It makes me crazy to have you working in this state.”
“Vaaaaaaaaaa bene… We’ve already talked about this, Thor. We’re not starting this again, okay? I’m pregnant, very pregnant, not an invalid.”
“I know, darling, but I have the right to worry.”
“We’re fine,” I assured him sweetly.
“Right. What time are you leaving today?”
“At five, as always.”
“I’ll be there fifteen minutes before.”
“You don’t need to.”
“I’m coming, and then we’re going to dinner. I’ll call Giulia.”
I narrowed my eyes, finding it strange.
“Okay. I’d love to talk to you all day, but I need to work.”
“Right… Ella?”
“Yes?”
“Promise you’ll call me if anything happens?”
“Why w…?”
“Just promise, please.”
Matteo waved at me, calling me to the team meeting.
“I promise, love.” I stood, taking the folder with my proposal. “Now I really need to hang up. I’m going into a meeting.”
“I love you.”
“You know something, Castellammare?”
“Hmm?”
“I love you too.”
Later that day, the delivery guy left a package on my desk. A simple but pretty box, with a picture frame inside and a card.
Thor really was a devil.
Soon…