EPILOGUE
Bones
Two years later
ARIANA STOOD ON the stage, mic in her hand, her belly round with our son, fucking glowing as she belted out notes that made me so goddamn proud I could barely stand it. My woman had so much talent that she held the attention of the sold-out room. Nobody talked, nobody ate, everyone gave her their full attention.
She was no longer the Tuesday night singer.
No, the Acropolis had taken one look at the crowds Ariana started drawing and had moved her show to cover weekends. They’d increased her salary, and between wages and tips, she was making more in two days than she made in forty hours of waiting tables. Needless to say, she quit her damn waitressing job.
Ariana could quit this job, too, as far as I was concerned, but she loved it. And she was fucking good at it. Even eight months pregnant and referring to herself as an island, all of her shows kept right on selling out. Her voice had a way of drawing people in and holding them captive. People came to Vegas for an escape, and Ariana provided them with one. Listening to her was like taking a vacation in a sea of emotions.
Hell, she even choked me up sometimes.
And, she was a fucking knockout. She was the most beautiful sight this stage had ever seen, and every eye in the room was fixated on her. I tried not to worry too much about that, but goddammit, I sure did. Despite the big-ass diamond I’d slid on her finger when she took my last name and her pregnant belly, some assholes still tried to make a play for her. She should have a bodyguard twenty-four seven to protect her, but I knew I couldn’t let anyone that close to her.
I’d protect her. It was my duty. My honor.
Angel and Markie sat beside me, watching Ariana perform. Angel had his arm draped over the back of Markie’s chair, his attention split between Ariana’s performance and the newborn baby sleeping in Markie’s arms. Luca, born only weeks ago, was the next Mariani family heir. He had his father’s dark hair and features, but his mother’s blue eyes. And Dominico’s lungs, because that kid could fucking yell.
Soon Ariana and I would have our own little curtain climber, probably yelling at Luca through the wall that separated our condo from Angel and Markie’s.
The lovebirds had their own space now. I’d moved in with Ariana shortly after all the shit with Carlo went down. Having a family underboss trying to kill me had opened my eyes about how short life really is. I loved Ariana and wanted to spend all the time I could with her, so moving into her place seemed like the logical thing to do.
Besides, Markie was on the mend, and I was getting sick of hearing her and Angel fuck like rabbits.
Angel and Markie were married a few months later, and Ariana and I got hitched shortly after that. Now Angel and I were just a couple of family men, protecting our families and our Borgata.
“Her voice is amazing, Bones,” Natalia said, leaning toward me as she watched Ariana.
“I know,” I replied, smiling proudly.
Joey and Noah sat on the other side of Natalia. Noah had fully recovered from his bullet wound, and all three of them were now working for the family. Never thought I’d see the day when the Durantes and Marianis teamed up, but so far shit was going well. And judging by the guilty looks Natalia kept flashing Angel’s younger brother, Dante, a family alliance might even be in the works.
Dante sat with Nonna, Dominico, Annetta, and his four younger siblings at the next table. The seven-year-old twins, Georgio and Luicana, had been acting up and were separated by their teenage sisters, Sonia and Sofia, who didn’t look happy about being sandwiched between the littles. Annetta kept glancing at Markie, and I knew she was seconds away from waltzing over to snatch Luca from his mom. Actually, I was surprised Markie still had possession of the baby with all the family surrounding her.
Nothing made family closer than the birth of a child.
I’d seen this firsthand with the way Ma and Natalia kept stopping by to check on Ariana and bring her food. Surprisingly enough, Ma had taken to Natalia, inviting her over for holidays and family dinners, insisting that it wasn’t my sister’s fault that Pops was a cheating bastard.
Our family was growing and strengthening.
Ariana’s last song ended, and she was escorted offstage. Hurrying to join her, I took her back to her personal dressing room, locking the door behind us. Seeing Ariana in her element always got me worked up, and I’d made a habit of fucking her in her dressing room after each and every performance.
A habit she very much enjoyed.
I don’t know why we did it, but most likely it had something to do with the way all those men were lusting after her while she was onstage. Something inside of me needed to fuck her and remind us both that she was mine. All mine.
Her gaze cut to the locked door before she smiled up at me. “Franco Leone, we talked about this. You said no dressing room sex, because we have family waiting for us today. What exactly do you think you’re doing?”
“I have no memory of that conversation,” I replied.
She cracked a smile. “Convenient.”
“Very.”
Closing the distance between us, I scooped her up in my arms and kissed her hesitations away, making my intentions clear as my erection pressed against her lower stomach. I pulled back far enough to rest my hands on either side of her face and look into her gorgeous brown eyes. They say pregnant women glow, but Ariana was the fucking sun. With her eyes bright and her lips swollen from my kisses, she had my dick so hard I could have used it to pound nails.
But I’d rather pound her instead.
“You’re so fuckin’ gorgeous,” I said, kissing her lips again as I unbuttoned my pants and pulled out my cock. “I’ll be quick. They won’t even notice our absence. Please tell me you’re not wearing any panties.”
“I know how worked up my performances get you,” she breathed against my neck, peppering it with kisses. “Of course, I’m not wearing panties.”
Her heavy breathing told me she was just as worked up as me. My hand went up her dress to confirm. Nope, no panties. And she was soaking wet. I dipped two fingers inside her, and she let out a moan, throwing her head back. I thought my heart and dick would explode with love and longing as I watched her fuck my fingers. I twisted and turned, curling my fingers to get them in that spot she loved so damn much. She came on my hand. I waited for her to ride out the wave of ecstasy before pulling my fingers out of her pussy and licking them clean.
She watched me, her eyes hooded, as she grabbed my cock and stroked it.
Time was running short. I knew the family would be looking for us soon, and I needed to hurry and get us both off, so we could get back to them. “Bend over the dressing table,” I said.
Grinning, she turned around and did what she was told. I lifted the hem of her dress, taking a moment to admire her ass. Our son had widened her hips, plumped up her breasts, and thickened her ass, giving her the most perfect curves I’d ever laid eyes on.
And she was mine.
I gave her ass a little smack before lining myself up at her soaking wet entrance. I thrust into her, feeling her tight pussy expand to take me in, to take me home. Because that’s what Ariana felt like: Home. Grabbing her hips, I settled in to a nice steady rhythm, fucking her at a pace I could have kept up all night.
There was no place on earth I loved being more than inside her.
My beautiful, pregnant wife had other plans, though. Gripping the sides of the dressing table, she moaned. “Fuck me, Franco. Fuck me hard.”
I could have taken all night, but I’d learned long ago to give the lady what she wanted. So, I reached around to massage her clit as I picked up the pace, riding her until she unraveled around me.
When we finished, we cleaned up and fixed our clothes. Ariana straightened her hair, but there was nothing she could do about the just-fucked flush of her cheeks. I loved that goddamn look on her so much. Raising my eyebrows, I silently asked her for round two, but she laughed, pushing me away.
“You’re insatiable,” she said.
“Only for you,” I said as I led her out to our waiting family, who’d no doubt know exactly what had taken us so long to come out of the dressing room. “I love you, babe, and I just can’t get enough.” I kissed her neck, her jaw. “Let’s hurry and get through this so we can go home, and I can get my face between your thighs.”
Her cheeks reddened as she smiled up at me. “I like the way you think, Mr. Leone.”
“I like the way your dirty little thoughts make you blush, Mrs. Leone.”
Putting a hand possessively, protectively on the small of her back, we rejoined the family. The space was crowded, and I didn’t let Ariana get out of my sight once. I trusted the family, but she was mine.
And I protected what was mine.