“Well, it wouldn’t be as comfortable as my Manhattan penthouse but if that’s what you’d prefer, then yes I would.”
She reaches up to hook her hands behind my neck. “Wow, you really must love me.”
“Bella, what do you think I’ve been doing and saying for weeks. Maybe you need a reminder,” I suggest with a waggle of my brows.
Rising up on her toes, she places a light kiss on my lips. “Maybe I do. So how about we go back to your apartment and when you finish reminding me how much you love me, then we’ll talk about our living arrangements again.”
***
A few hours later, we’re lying naked on the large sectional in my living room with a blanket thrown over us.
We didn’t even make it to the bedroom tonight. I’d had her stripped bare and her legs wrapped around my head in moments, my mouth sealing over her clit, pleasuring her. Tori’s nails dug into my hair as she crumbled beneath the force of her orgasm. Then I’d carried her to the sofa where I made love to her more slowly, teasing more moans from her sweet lips.
“The view is pretty nice here,” Tori murmurs into my chest. The large floor-to-ceiling panes of glass in my living room provide breathtaking panoramic views over the Hudson River.
“So you could get used to it?” I ask, grinning.
She props herself up to rest her chin on her hands in the center of my chest. “We couldn’t have sex on the sofa at my apartment. And I like having sex with you here or over there.” She nods toward an armchair that earlier in the week I had her bent over while I filled her.
“Go on say it. Say you’ll move in with me.”
She rolls her eyes, and her sham annoyance is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. “Gio, I will move in with you. And it’s not because your penthouse is ten times bigger than my apartment or because I want to have sex with you on every surface in this place. But purely and simply because I love you and I want to wake up every morning next to you too.”
Epilogue - Tori
One Year Later
Swoosh. The elevator door opens to the foyer of the penthouse, the home I’ve shared with Gio for the last year, and I’m welcomed by the sound of deep male voices talking in the kitchen. It probably means our dinner plans have shifted, which isn’t great since I missed lunch today. I drop my shopping bags under the hall table before wandering in that direction. Gio and I only spoke about ten minutes ago, and he didn’t mention that there was a visitor, so hopefully they won’t be long.
But as I come around the corner, the rich aroma of something delicious cooking sets off a loud rumble in my stomach. I try to restrain the sound with my hand on my belly but it’s too late, and both men turn in my direction.
Gio is standing with his arms braced against the edge of the dark-marble-topped island and Leo is on the kitchen side with a ladle in his hand. Both men are grinning at me with a similar crooked tilt of their mouths. The difference is that Gio’s smile is fully dimpled, and my heart skips a beat at the sight. It’sa familiar reaction to seeing my boyfriend, even though I’m greeted in the same way every morning.
My cheeks heat with the attention. “Sorry. But damn that smells good.”
Leo releases a low chuckle. “Please don’t apologize for showing your appreciation of my cooking.”
Whenever Leo is in your kitchen, you know you’re in for a treat. We’ve hosted a few dinner parties with our family and friends, and every time, Leo has insisted on cooking. You’d think he’d hate the idea of basically working at these social gatherings, but he doesn’t. The kitchen is his happy place he tells us, especially when he’s cooking for his brothers. And my belly and I are truly grateful for it.
Gio steps toward me, drawing my attention. “Hi, bella,” he murmurs, losing the words in my hair as I slip straight into his waiting arms, and he nuzzles my neck. My body quivers beneath his touch, and I drag his lips up to meet mine. I’ll never tire of the fluttering butterflies that take flight whenever my man’s hands and mouth are on me, even briefly, like now, and with his brother looking on. Gio reluctantly releases me, and I skirt around the island to properly greet Leo with a traditional Italian kiss on both cheeks.
“This is a surprise. I thought we’d be seeing you at the restaurant later.”
Leo just grins, then pointedly looks to his older brother.
Gio rises from where he’s perched on the stool at the end of the island and comes to stand behind me, wraps his arms around my waist, and pulls me close so my back leans against his solid chest.
His breath tickles my ear as he whispers close to it in his panty-melting bedroom voice, “There’s been a change of plan.”
Three featherlight kisses on the column of my neck are the full stop to the promise there is something more in his words. Ittriggers a delighted shiver, skittering up my spine, and my lashes close briefly.
Leo’s dramatic eye roll defies the grin spreading across the lower half of his face. “I’m off before I see things I’ll never be able to unsee. Enjoy your dinner and G, twenty minutes is all it needs.” He then picks up a small bag which jangles with the sound of metal against metal. I don’t think Leo has ever arrived at our home without his trusty set of sharp knives and basic utensils, even though our kitchen is fully fitted with everything a cook would need.
“Thanks, bro, I appreciate you doing this,” Gio responds, stepping to my side but not letting me go as he fist-pumps his brother’s hand.
Leo is barely out of the kitchen before I’m turning in Gio’s loose hold. “Okay, what’s going on? You said we had dinner plans tonight.”
“We do … right here.”
