After setting the table, we call everyone to come eat. Another family tradition is that we each take turns saying what we are thankful for that year. Shannon says, “Just like Alexis’s parents’ tradition at Thanksgiving.” Papa, as head of the family, always goes first. This year he informs us that he would like to let our guests from Brazil, Brandy’s family, go first. We all look to Mr. Castro.
“Of course, I am always grateful for my family. They are the loves of my life. This year, though, I am especially grateful to be able to see this beautiful country, Italy, and to be able to spend the holidays with our oldest daughter and meet her employer, who was gracious enough to fly my entire family here.”
Mrs. Castro says what she is grateful for. “I, like my husband, am grateful to the warm welcoming we have received from you all. I feel very blessed to have all my children with us this year.” Their son Adam is next.
“I am grateful to be able to see how the other part of the world celebrates Christmas, for meeting new people and making new friends, and for seeing so many beautiful Italian girls.” Mr. Castro tells Adam to be respectful, but we are all laughing at his words. Next are the sisters. Bella, the second of the children, goes first and says that she is just grateful to be with family. Then it’s Belinda’s turn, the youngest.
“I am grateful for family and new friends. I am also very happy and grateful for getting to meet the man of so many women’s dreams, mine included. Aiden, I think you are the most handsome man in the world. I have all your posters in my room.”
Everyone is stunned into silence. I clear my throat. Brandy’s face turns bright red. “I have to apologize for my sister. She’s still young and doesn’t always pay attention to what she says before it actually leaves her mouth.”
Mrs. Castro looks angry. “Please forgive my daughter’s words.”
I notice Mr. Castro is about to leap out of his seat. I spring into action before he does. “Please, it’s all right. My husband is indeed in the dreams of millions of women and young girls too. It’s fine. He is a celebrity, after all. We’re used to having him give autographs and take pictures with fans.” I turn to Belinda and kindly say, “Before you leave for home, you can take a picture with my husband.”
She goes from having a pout to a huge smile.
Aiden squeezes my hand, leans in for a kiss, and whispers in my ear, “Are you crazy?”
I give him a smile and a wink. “I know what I’m doing.”
After lunch, the men take Mr. Castro out on a tour of the land. The women clear the table, wash the dishes, and start to prepare dinner.
***
Shannon takes me by the elbow out to the hallway. “I heard what Aiden said to you, and I have to agree with him. Are you crazy? I smell trouble. Yes, that girl is young, but she clearly has a huge crush on your husband.”
“I have to agree with Shannon.” We spin around to see Brandy.
“I love my little sister, and I don’t want her to get hurt, but I will not stand back and watch her try to make trouble for you or Aiden. Yes, I know that is not what she is intending, but just to be on the side of caution, I will speak to her. I see the love you two have, and I know the heartbreaks both of you suffered to be together.”
I place a hand on each of their shoulders. “Listen, I know without a doubt that what Aiden and I have is unbreakable. Neither one of us will ever let anybody come between us. I am going to let her take one picture with him. Then I will tell her that someday she’ll find her own Prince Charming. I will let her know that she can’t have mine.”
We go back to help with the meal. Mrs. Castro jokes about how we’re always in the kitchen. Ysabel tells her, “We are Italian, and we do love food.”
Mama turns on the radio. “Marry You” by Bruno Mars comes on. We all start dancing around the kitchen. Ysabel, being true to herself, says with a grin at Belinda, “Besides food, we Steffan women know how to make our men happy.”
I roll my eyes at her. She simply shrugs and continues to dance with a grin. I love my new sister. She is as crazy as Shannon and I are. I face the stove, still swaying my hips.
“There is my beautiful wife.” Aiden moves my hair to the side, kisses my neck. “Baby, you smell so yummy.”
Spinning around to face him, I look into those piercing blue eyes. No matter how long we have been together, they still make me melt. “There’s my sexy husband.”
“Come on, I want you to get some rest before everybody comes over tonight for the celebration.” Taking off my apron, I look at Mama.
“Go, you are carrying my grandchild. You need rest.”
***
Sitting on the bed, I begin to remove my boots. Aiden locks the door behind him. I look up as I hear a growl coming from deep in his chest. Licking his lips, he walks toward me while unbuttoning his shirt. Instantly, goosebumps travel the length of my body. I bite, then lick my own lips. Releasing them, I let out a sigh. “Why, Mr. Steffan, I thought you wanted me to get some rest?”
Taking his shirt off and flinging it across the room, he says with a wicked smile, “I lied.”
After kicking my boots off quickly, I slide my sweater off. He is on me before I say another word. In the next second, he has my bra off and has started to undo my jeans. He pulls them down and they go flying over his shoulder.
Wrapping an arm around my waist, he moves up to the top of the bed. There, he lowers himself and takes my mouth with his own. I moan and let him in. We kiss each other as if we can’t hold back. Taking me with such force, it’s as if he hasn’t had me in a long time. He bites my lip, then lifts himself enough to look into my eyes. “God, you are so beautiful.”
He begins planting open-mouthed kisses along my throat. He takes my breast in his mouth, sucking fiercely. His hand goes to the other one, squeezing it. My head rolls on the pillow. “Aiden, I’m going to come already.”
He starts to glide down my stomach. He stops and looks up to me. Then he gently kisses my stomach. “Daddy loves you.”
My heart melts at the sight of him talking to our baby.
In the next second, he is at the entrance of my vagina. Or as he has just recently started to call it, my “voluptuous volcano.” The first time was the day we arrived here. As he buries his tongue into me deeper and deeper, I arch my back. In response, he grabs both my legs and opens me wider to suck on me harder.
I take my breasts in my own hands and roll my nipples between my fingers. Aiden buries himself in me as far as possible. Throwing my head back, I moan in ecstasy. The orgasm hitting me to the core of my body causes me to scream his name in pleasure.
Climbing my body, he slides into me. Then he rolls us over so I’m on top. I pick up my knees and sit on him. Slowly at first, I begin gliding back and forth. As I run one hand over his chest, the other hand goes back to his thigh. I dig my nails into both areas. Swaying my head side to side, I start to move faster and faster. I look down at the face of my husband. He is watching me with such intensity, and he grabs my hips to move me with even more force. After a few more thrusts, he lifts himself up and takes one of my nipples into his mouth. I throw my arms around his neck.
We both erupt at the same time. Our bodies collapse onto the bed, and we lie there till our breathing returns to normal.
“Come on, I’ll start the water for us. We need a shower, and then you do need to take a nap. There is going to be a house full of people tonight.”
After taking a nice warm shower and having my husband wash my hair, I blow dry it enough to climb into bed. “Maybe I’ll cut my hair before the baby is born.”
He gives me a shocked look. “Don’t even joke about that. I am in love with your hair.” He comes over and run his hands through it. “Alexis, you have such beautiful, healthy hair. Long and silky, it shines in the sun. Why would you ever want to cut it?”
“Um, because you are not the one who has to deal with it. I’m tired of having to blow dry it.”
“We can talk about this more another day. Let’s take a much-needed nap right now.” He pulls me onto his chest, and we fall asleep.
***
There are so many people that I haven’t met yet. Everyone is congratulating me on my upcoming wedding and telling me they just know I’ll look beautiful in my dress, that they can’t wait to see me in it. The first chance I have, I find Shannon. We sit on one of the couches and both sigh from standing all evening.
“I can’t remember everybody’s names. Can you?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Ooh, Mama said that you are allowed to have one glass of red wine a day. You know, just while you’re pregnant.”
“But you know I don’t like red.”
“You seemed to like the red one they grow here.”
I look at her with a smile. “Will you go get me a glass? My feet hurt.” While I’m waiting for Shannon to return, I see Belinda walk by. “Belinda, can I talk to you?”
She sits next to me, a light in her eyes. “Yes, what can I do for you?”
I keep telling myself that she is only a child, and more importantly, Brandy’s sister. “You know I must agree with you. My husband is in millions of women’s dreams. He is a very sexy man. One thing, though—he’s not single. He is very happily married, and he loves me with all his heart. I love him just as much, and I will always fight for our marriage.” Tilting my head to the side, I give her a wicked smile. “Do we understand each other?”
Her smile has now been replaced by a frown. “Understood.”
As she walks away, I add, “Oh, I’ll make sure that you get one picture with him.”
As the night comes to an end, and we say farewell to the last of the guests, we hug and kiss each other goodnight. As soon as Aiden and I get in bed, we fall into a deep sleep.
***
As I’m brushing Italia, Shannon comes up behind me. I’m startled, jumping so high she asks if I’m okay. “Huh, yeah. I just didn’t hear you.”
“Hey, I want to talk to you about the dreams you’ve been having.”
“What about them?”
“Well, have you told Aiden about them?”
“No, I haven’t had the chance. There hasn’t been the right time to tell him.”
“Lexie, there’s never going to be a good time. This is something you need to do. You told me that you’d do it the day after Christmas.”
“Yeah, and so?”
“That was a week ago. Tonight is New Year’s Eve. We’re going to have a house full of people again. Plus, I can see you’re tired. Which tells me you are not getting enough sleep.”
She puts a hand under my chin, turning my face to look at her. “Lexie, I love you. You are my sister in every way that counts. I don’t want to lose you or the baby.”
We hug. “I promise, I will tell him tomorrow.”
We make our way to the house and get ready for the party. There are people in every room on the first floor. A little before midnight, we put on our coats to head outside for the fireworks. The night air is chilly. Aiden holds me tightly. At the stroke of midnight, the sky is lit up with the dazzling display of fireworks.
As everyone is wishing each other a happy new year, Aiden kisses me with all the passion he can. It’s as if we are alone in our own bubble. We’re still in an embrace when—
“God, give it a rest already. You two act like you are in love or something.”
Pulling apart, we laugh as Ysabel gives us each a hug.
Back in the house, I stand in front of the fireplace to warm up with my husband at my side to rub my arms. At the end of the night, while we still have a house full of guests, I ask him if we can go up to our room and spend some alone time. He kisses my forehead. “For you, anything.”
We excuse ourselves, wishing everyone a happy new year once more before we head for our room. Shannon gives me a serious look, followed by a small smile. I nod at her, signaling her that I will keep my promise to tell Aiden tomorrow.
In our room, I hug Aiden as tightly as I can and lay my head on his chest. “I love you.”
He rests his chin on the top of my head and squeezes me. “I love you too.” Then he says, “Baci, Alexis.”
“Abbracci, Aiden.” We get into bed, and make sweet, slow love until the dawn is upon us.