Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
KAI
Our wedding night.
The words felt surreal. Like something from a dream I'd never dared to have.
We'd returned to the beach house after the ceremony.
The sun was setting, Lia had hugged us both goodbye, promised to visit tomorrow.
Marco had clapped me on the shoulder, told me I'd done good and whispered something about taking it easy tonight that I had a lifetime to go.
Mrs. Rossi had cried and blessed us both.
And now it was just us. Husband and wife. In every legal and meaningful way.
Aria stood by the window in our bedroom, still wearing her wedding dress. Simple white fabric that hugged her body, showed the slight curve of her belly where our baby grew. Her dark hair loose around her shoulders. Barefoot. Beautiful in a way that made my chest ache.
My wife.
The word settled in my soul. Felt right in a way nothing else ever had.
I was still in my tuxedo. Had loosened the tie but not removed it. Couldn't take my eyes off her long enough to focus on undressing.
She turned when she heard me approach. Smiled. That real smile that lit up her entire face.
"Hi, husband."
"Hi, wife." I crossed to her, her smile widening as I closed the distance between us, "You look incredible. Have I mentioned that?"
"A few times. You might have been biased though."
"Absolutely biased. Completely unable to be objective where you're concerned." I reached her. Hands finding her waist. "But also correct. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
She reached up. Started working on my tie. Pulled it free. Let it drop to the floor.
"We're married." Her voice was soft. Awed. "Actually married. Not forced. Not arranged. We chose this."
"Best decision I ever made." I caught her hands. Brought them to my lips. Pressed soft contact to her knuckles. "You okay? Not too tired? Today was a lot."
"I'm perfect. Better than perfect. I'm happy, Kai. Actually, genuinely happy for the first time in so long."
That did something to me. Made emotion swell in my chest until I could barely breathe.
I cupped her face. Brought my mouth to hers. This wasn't the desperate claiming we'd done before. Wasn't the frantic need to forget or the possessive marking of territory.
This was reverence. Worship. Love in its purest form. My lips moved against hers slowly. Savoring. Her mouth opened for me and I explored gently, learning her all over again like this was the first time.
Her hands found my chest. Started unbuttoning my shirt. Fingers trembling slightly.
I helped her. Shrugged out of the shirt. Let it fall.
Then I reached for the zipper on her dress. Paused.
"Is this okay? We don't have to do anything tonight if you're not ready. There's no pressure. No expectations."
"I want this. Want you. Want to be with my husband on our wedding night." She turned, presenting her back. "Help me?"
I lowered the zipper slowly. Reverent. Like I was unwrapping something precious. The dress fell away, pooling at her feet.
She stepped out of it. Turned to face me.
White lace underneath. Delicate. Beautiful. Her body already changing with pregnancy. Curves slightly fuller. Breasts heavier. The smallest swell of her belly visible.
Perfect. She was absolutely perfect.
I dropped to my knees. Pressed my lips to that small bump. Our baby. Our future.
"I love you." My hands splayed across her stomach. "Both of you. So much."
Her fingers threaded through my hair. "I love you too. More than words can say."
I stood. Lifted her carefully. Carried her to our bed. Laid her down like she was made of glass. Then I followed. Settled beside her. My hand finding her face, thumb brushing across her cheek.
"You're sure? I don't want to hurt you or the baby."
"You won't. We're fine. I promise." She pulled me closer. "I need you, Kai. Need to feel close to you. Need this to be real."
I lowered my mouth to hers again. Poured everything into the contact. Love. Devotion. Promise.
My hands explored slowly. Tracing the curves I'd memorized but treating them like new discoveries. Down her neck. Across her collarbone. Finding the lace covering her breasts.
I pulled back just enough to remove it. Then my mouth followed where my hands had been.
Gentle contact across her chest. Her breath caught.
Hands tightened in my hair. I took my time.
Worshipping every inch of her. Careful. Tender.
Making sure she felt cherished instead of claimed.
When I finally moved lower, when I removed the last of the lace and settled between her thighs, I paused.
Met her eyes. Made sure she was still with me. Still okay.
She nodded. Smiled. "I love you."
"I love you too. Always."
My hands slid up her ribs, thumbs brushing the undersides of her breasts before cupping them, testing their weight.
She was heavier here, fuller, her nipples dark and tight, begging for my mouth.
I didn’t make her wait. Lowering my head, I took one between my lips, sucking gently, then harder when she moaned, her fingers tangling in my hair.
“Oh god—” Her hips lifted off the bed, her body seeking friction, her breath coming in short, desperate pants. I switched to the other breast, laving the peak with my tongue before grazing it with my teeth. She cried out, her nails digging into my scalp, the sting of it only making me hungrier.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I growled, my mouth moving down, kissing the soft skin of her belly, the dip of her navel. My hands slid to her hips, cradling her, holding her like she was something fragile. Like she was everything. “Mine.” The word was a vow, a threat, a prayer. “All mine.”
Her tears came then, silent and shining, tracking down her temples into her hair. I looked up, met her gaze. Saw the love there, the fear, the hope—all of it raw and exposed, just for me.
“Kai, —” She reached for me, her voice breaking.
Crawling up her body, I captured her mouth again, kissing her like a man starved. Our tongues tangled, wet and hot, her taste flooding my senses. She whimpered into my mouth, her legs parting, her body arching up to meet mine. But this wasn’t about me. Not tonight.
I pushed inside her slowly, inch by inch, watching her face as she stretched around me, her lips parting on a silent gasp, her nails digging into my biceps. She was tight—so fucking tight—and wet, her body gripping me like a vice.
“Fuck, baby—” My voice broke, my hips stuttering as I bottomed out, my balls pressing against her ass.
She whimpered, her body arching, her breasts brushing against my chest. “More. Harder.”
I groaned, my control snapping. Pulling back, I thrust into her, deep and slow at first, then harder, faster, when she begged for it.
The bed creaked beneath us, the sound mixing with the wet slap of skin, the ragged sounds of our breathing.
Her legs wrapped around my waist, her heels digging into my ass, urging me deeper, her body taking everything I gave her and demanding more.
“Kai—I’m—” Her words dissolved into a cry, her back bowing off the bed as her orgasm hit her, her walls clamping down around me, milking me, dragging my own release from me with a growl.
I buried my face in her neck, my hips stuttering as I came, my cock pulsing inside her, filling her. Her name was a prayer on my lips, her body trembling beneath mine, her breath hot against my skin.
When it was over, I collapsed beside her, pulling her into my arms, her back to my front, my cock still half-hard inside her. Her heart pounded against my palm, her skin slick with sweat, her hair sticking to her neck.
She turned her head, her lips finding mine in a slow, lazy kiss. “I never thought we’d actually get here,” she whispered, her voice thick with tears.
I cupped her face, my thumb brushing away the wetness on her cheeks. “I’d burn the world down a thousand times to get here,” I murmured, pressing my forehead to hers. “To have you safe. To love you like this.”
Six months after the wedding, Aria went into labor at 3am.
I'd never been so terrified in my life. Not during firefights. Not facing down my father. Not even when I'd thought I might lose her. This was different. This was watching the woman I loved in pain and being completely helpless to stop it.
Twelve hours later, our daughter was born.
Lucia Maria Accardi. Named after my mother. Seven pounds, three ounces. Perfect in every way.
The nurse cleaned her off, wrapped her in a blanket, placed her in my arms and my entire world shifted.
I'd held weapons. Money. Power. Things people would kill for but none of it compared to holding this tiny, perfect human who was half me and half Aria.
She was so small. Fragile. Her eyes were closed, face scrunched up, one tiny fist near her mouth. Dark hair like her mother. My nose, I thought. Maybe my chin.
Tears streamed down my face. I couldn't stop them. Didn't try.
"She's perfect." My voice came out broken. Raw. "God, she's so perfect."
Aria lay in the hospital bed, exhausted but smiling. Watching me hold our daughter with tears in her own eyes.
"She has your eyes. I can already tell."
I looked at Lucia. Studied every detail. Memorized her face. The weight of her in my arms. The way she made small sounds. The trust in how she relaxed against my chest.
Something fierce and protective swelled in my chest. So intense it almost scared me.
I would kill for this child. Die for her. Burn down the entire world to keep her safe. No one would ever hurt her. No one would ever make her feel small or worthless or afraid.
She'd grow up knowing she was loved. Wanted. Cherished. Everything I'd never had. Everything my mother had tried to give me before my father destroyed her.
"I promise you." I whispered to Lucia. Voice shaking. "I promise I'll protect you. Keep you safe. Be the father you deserve. You'll never know the darkness I grew up in. You'll have light and love and everything good. I swear it."
More tears. I couldn't stop them. Didn't care.