Epilogue
Four years later
“Daddy!”
Gianna jumped from the swing set of the playschool the moment she caught sight of him. She ran toward him, her riot of auburn curls bouncing behind her.
Lonzo felt that familiar warmth in his chest. Damn, hearing her calling him that never got old.
“Princess!” he said before he scooped his little firecracker in his arms.
She gave him a loud, wet kiss on his cheek before she rubbed her palms on his five o’clock shadow.
“It’s rough! Why is your face rough, Daddy?”
Because your Mom didn’t want me to shave, he thought.
“It’s facial hair, baby. It’s what makes Daddy a man.”
“Okay.”
Ahhh, the joy of kids—they take answers at face value.
Wait until she turns into a teenager, Vitale.
She was smiling adorably at him when she appeared to have remembered something.
“Daddy!”
“What, princess?”
“You must not carry me! Put me down!”
“Why not? Daddy likes carrying you. You’re my baby.”
“But…but I’m not a baby anymore! I’m a big girl now.”
“Oh? Who said that? Your teacher?”
“No. My boyfriends.”
He almost had a heart attack. “Whaaat?!”
His daughter cocked a brow at him, so reminiscent of her mother. “Uh-uh. I have boyfriends, Daddy.’
His eyes narrowed at her.
“And does Mommy know about these ‘boyfriends’?”
Gianna rolled her green eyes at him. Again, another trait she got from her mother.
“Of course, Daddy! Mommy and I are best friends and we always tell each other secrets!” she said matter-of-factly.
“She knew? How come she didn’t tell me?”
“It will not be a secret if Mommy tells you.”
He was not liking what he was hearing.
“And does she approve of these boyfriends?”
Gianna nodded. “Uh-huh. Mommy said it’s okay for me to have boyfriends ‘coz there’s nothing wrong.”
“Nothing wrong?!” he exclaimed.
“Uh-huh. She says I can have as many as I want.”
“Whaaat?! She said that? That’s it…” he said as he determinedly walked back to the car.
“Daddy! Where are we going?”
“Home. Your mother and I will have to talk. On parenting.”
His chauffeur, Tino, quicky opened the passenger door.
His daughter pouted.
Damn, that usually worked on him on good days, but now was not one of those.
Boyfriends?! What the fuck was Jordana thinking?
“But, but…I want to introduce you to my boyfriends!”
“No buts, young lady. No boyfriends and dating until you're forty!” he declared as he kissed the top of her head.
God help me. I need a son and more testosterone in my house, he thought.
When they arrived at the house, he gave Gianna to her nanny, Pia, before climbing the stairs to search for his wife.
He found her in their bedroom, all dressed up and wearing a shimmery, green dress.
“Why are you looking so fuckably delicious tonight, Mrs. Vitale?”
“Lonzo! Your daughter might hear you!” she exclaimed.
He chuckled.
“She won’t. I need to talk you about her—”
“Well, that can wait until later. Go change or we’ll be late!” she said, turning to look for her wrap. “Don’t tell me you forgot tonight’s the benefit concert for the orphanage?”
He forgot it, all right…but he was good at hiding some things from his wife.
“Of course I didn’t.”
“You forgot! I knew it!”
And then he saw the dress from the back. Or what was half of the dress. It left his wife’s back entirely bare.
“You actually call that a dress?!” he scowled.
“Yes. Or it’s what Elie Saab calls it.”
He frowned. “Don’t sass me, wife.”
She winked at him. “Who, me? Sassing you? I wouldn’t dream of it, husband.”
“Can you wear a different dress?”
“Lonzo!”
“I don’t like it when guys eye-fuck you!”
She rolled her eyes at him.
See? That’s where the little princess gets it…
“You’re such a killjoy sometimes.”
“We’re not leaving until you change into something less revealing!’
Instead of losing her temper, like she used to during the early years of their marriage, she smiled at him.
Uh-oh. She was definitely into something.
“Can't you see the benefits of me wearing this?” she purred.
“Not negotiable, cara.”
She lowered her gaze and gave him a look from beneath her lashes. “Well, Gianna is four.”
He snorted. “So?”
She sauntered to him and whispered in his ear.
“Because if you're still interested in trying for a little boy tonight, this dress is perfect because it's easy to take off. See?”
Merda.
His woman knew how to drive a hard bargain.
He cleared his throat, trying not to appear excited at tonight’s prospects.
“I think I can relent. Just for tonight, cara.”
She gave him a seductive smile. “I know you're going to be reasonable, my darling husband...”
Fourteen months later
Lonzo was able to finally steal his five-month old son from the clutches of his Thio Fredo. He happily whisked Renzo to the garden for some quality man-to-man talk. He believed in starting them young.
He sat on one of the garden chairs while watching his eldest running after a butterfly.
“Renzo, figlio mio...you see your big sister over there? I know...you and I, we are a team,” he whispered in his son’s ear.
His baby gurgled.
“When she grows up, you and I…we'll be keeping an eye on her and guard her from assholes. Agree? Si?”
Renzo seemed to wholeheartedly agree because he kept on gurgling .
“I know. We Vitale men should stick together,” he said as he kissed his son’s plump cheeks.