Epilogue
Mia
I finger the black scalloped lace near my elbow, turning sideways in the mirror to inspect my reflection. The black off-the-shoulder dress Mateo bought me is beautiful, but it’s a little sexier than I would’ve liked. He had to pick out everything though—he’s insistent on everything being just right today.
I hate his tests.
I guess I should just be glad I’m not the one taking it this time.
My stomach feels a little unsettled. I think it’s nerves. A little anticipation mixed in there. I don’t know what to expect, but I have so many anxieties, hopes and fears.
I don’t have my shoes on yet, so I pad over to the door quietly and peek in on my favorite men. Dominic is lying on the bed, cooing and eating his fist while Mateo finishes getting ready. My heart overflows like it always does looking at them. As deeply as I loved already, I was not prepared for motherhood. It’s nearly incapacitating sometimes, the emotion that fills me up to bursting.
Dominic was my little Christmas present. Born two days before Christmas Eve, we were able to bring him home just in time for his very first Morelli Christmas. Of course he didn’t care, but I did.
Since Mateo had something to prove, I already have another December baby due this year. My poor vagina is going to hate me.
Mateo frowns, looking at his cuff. He looks down at the edge of the bed, feeling around, then his gaze flits to Dominic. “You little thief. Hand it over.” He reaches forward and unclasps Dominic’s tiny fist, extracting his cuff link and shaking his head. “That was pretty slick, I’ll give you that.”
Dominic makes a little noise of excitement, kicking his legs. Even he gets a kick out of Mateo’s approval. Like mother, like son.
Mateo faintly smiles. “You think just because you’re cute you’ll get away with anything. You’re not exactly wrong, but that won’t work on me.”
Dominic babbles, like he’s contributing to this conversation.
Mateo holds his cuff link up to show Dominic before affixing it to his wrist. “These are small. You could swallow these and die. That’s a bad idea.”
Dominic babbles back.
“Yes, it is,” Mateo states firmly, as if Dominic disagreed. “Then your mommy would kill me, and we can’t have that, now can we?”
Now Dominic makes some m-noises. He hasn’t said mama yet, but I’m waiting impatiently for it to happen.
“Sorry, kid. You’re just too young for cuff links. Trust me, you’ll have plenty of your own someday.”
Dominic mutters in imagined disagreement.
“Patience,” Mateo says, shaking a finger at him. “You don’t have it in your blood, but I’ll teach you. Patience is nearly always the key to getting what you want. Now, that’s not an excuse to waste everyone’s time and never act on anything; that’s something foolish, weak men do. You’re not going to be a foolish, weak man. You’ll see what I mean when the time comes. Take notes.”
Dominic tries to eat his whole fist.
Mateo’s cuff finished, he puts a knee on the bed and leans over Dominic, straightening his little black suit. Yes, he has on a baby suit. It is amazing. “You look pretty sharp. Try not to spit up on this, hm?”
Dominic squeals and kicks Mateo right in the stomach.
Mateo gives him a dry look. “You have to be on my side today. Turn up the charm; look cute in your mom’s arms. Crank up the appeal as much as you can. That means no kicking people and no spitting up on your suit. I expect you to come through for me in a big way. You know that big spotted giraffe you get all excited about at the toy store? I just might be able to get it for you.”
I cover my mouth, smothering a grin as Mateo tries to bribe a baby.
Dominic does like gifts, though. He got that from me.
His looks he got from Vince. Right down to his adorable dented chin. Occasionally it makes my heart hurt.
Before I get spotted spying, I go ahead and walk into the bedroom. Mateo glances up at me, his eyes warming as he surveys my appearance. He moves back off the bed, walking around and catching my hips, pulling me in for a kiss.
“You look perfect,” he states.
I smile wryly, since he definitely means as bait, not in general. It’s okay, though. I understand. He gets super focused when he has a mission.
Running my hands down his chest as I check him out, I say, “So do you.”
“The artful dodger over here stole my cuff links again. I saved him from imminent peril.”
I grin, grabbing him by the tie and leaning in to kiss him again. “My hero.”
“Vince was a pretty good thief.”
I cock a lightly skeptical eyebrow. “Was he, though?”
Mateo rolls his eyes, his arms moving around my waist. “This kid’s got promise.”
“He’s too young to be a thief. All babies are thieves. They steal hearts and hold them in their slobbery little fists.”
Mateo rolls his eyes as if disgusted, but he totally loves Dominic, so I don’t buy it at all.
I’m still not at all into the prospect of Dominic entering the family business, but that’s future Mia’s problem.
Pulling out of Mateo’s embrace, I climb up on the bed, flashing Dominic big smiles as I crawl up next to him. “Hello there, Mr. Handsome. Do you want to eat before we leave?”
His little hands reach for me and I scoop him up, leaving a flurry of kisses on his cheek and making him giggle. God, I love this kid. I didn’t think I could ever love anyone as much as I love Mateo, but then the nurse put Dominic on my chest. He lifted his little head up and looked straight into my eyes. Boom. Love at first sight.
Mateo climbs on the bed, sitting beside me and pulling out his phone as I tug the strap of my dress down and grab a pillow to put under Dominic.
“I still don’t think we should take him,” I tell Mateo, glancing over at him.
“We have to.”
“We don’t. I’ll turn up the sexy. I’ll go naked. I’ll flirt. Anything you want. Let me be the sole test.”
Mateo shakes his head, denying my request as he scrolls through a text message. “Sorry.”
I sigh, looking down at Dominic’s sweet little face, at his arm resting on my chest as he nurses. I’m so worried about this. He’s too awesome. The temptation is going to be too much. No one could resist this little guy. “What happens if he fails?”
Mateo taps out a text message, sending it, then looks over at me. “Hopefully he doesn’t.”
I quirk an eyebrow. “You’re rooting for him now?”
He rolls his eyes at me. “No. You’re rooting for him and, where possible, I like to give you what you want.”
I grin, leaning in to kiss him. “You’re the best.”
He smirks. “That’s why you love me.”
“There are a lot of reasons. Want me to list them all? We can stay here all day and play with our baby instead of going to this dumb thing. I think that’s a good plan. Let’s do that. Ego stroke, cute baby. When he takes a nap, I’ll throw in a blow job and as much naked Mia as you want. Whaddya say?”
“Nice try.”
“I clearly need to up my blow job game,” I state, shaking my head.
“Your blow job game needs no improvement. This just has to be done. We won’t have another opportunity like this to test him. I’m running out of people close to him to kill.”
I choke out a short, vaguely horrified laugh. “My god, the problems you have.”
After a few minutes Dominic pops off. I right my dress and put him on my chest, leaning into Mateo. He puts his phone away so he can wrap his arms around me. Dominic starts batting at his arm.
I grin. “Tell Daddy, say, we want to stay home. We don’t want to be bait.” Dominic grins at me, which I take as agreement.
“Should’ve been born into a different family, then,” Mateo says with an unapologetic shrug.
“Bite your tongue,” I tell him, tilting my head back to give him a light glare. “We would both be lost without him and you know it.”
Mateo rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t bother arguing. Instead he reaches over on the end table and grabs Dom’s favorite elephant toy. Dominic’s whole body stiffens with excitement when he sees it and he has a hard time keeping it together when Mateo finally hands it to him. Into his mouth it goes—instant slobber fest.
“I hope you put the second suit in the diaper bag,” Mateo states.
I slide a look of disbelief Mateo’s way. “He’s a baby. It doesn’t matter if he gets a little slobbery.”
Mateo apparently does not agree, as he climbs off the bed and walks into Dominic’s bedroom for the second suit.
I sit Dominic up on my tummy and smile at him. “You’re daddy’s a crazy man, isn’t he? A crazy, crazy man.”
“I heard that,” Mateo remarks, walking back into the room with the change of clothes.
“It’s nothing you don’t already know,” I point out.
Apparently unconcerned, my big bad mafia boss tucks Dominic’s baby suit into the diaper bag, then slings it over his shoulder and looks at me. “You ready to go?”
Sighing, I put Dominic on my shoulder and climb off the bed. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”