Chapter Twenty-Four
Nico stood on the front steps watching the car slowly pull up the driveway and stop in front of the house. It was still dark at six a.m. and fucking freezing. He was in sweats, a t-shirt, and bare feet. He should have thought to put on more.
The driver's side door opened, and Marco stepped out.
Goose-bumped arms hugging his chest, Nico gave him a chin lift. "Did you have any problems?"
"Nope." Marco opened the back door, pulling out a large basket. "Both got a clean bill of health."
"Appreciate it, man," Nico said, taking the basket. "Go. Enjoy your day with your family. I'll see you tomorrow."
Marco's hand raised in a wave as he got back in the car, and Nico turned, heading back into the house.
He quietly shut the bedroom door and made his way to the bed, setting the basket on the foot before climbing in himself. He looked down at his wife so peaceful in sleep, he hated to wake her. But he had a feeling if he didn't, what was in the basket would. He was surprised they'd stayed quiet for so long.
Not wanting to jar her awake, he traced a finger down her cheek, calling to her softly. "Baby." He ran his hand over her shoulder, down her back to her ass. An ass that was becoming quite a delicious handful, and one of his favorite things to grab.
She still wasn't showing much. Just a small bump only noticeable when she had on a tight t-shirt. Or was naked—his favorite outfit on her. And fuck him if her already perfect tits weren't that much more fan-fucking-tastic. He loved feasting on them every chance he got, and with as horny as his little wife had been, it was a fucking lot.
Her eyes slowly opened, and she smiled. God, he loved her smile. He could be having a shit day and all it took was her sweet smile to make his bad mood fall away. His girl was special like that.
"Mornin'," she mumbled, still sleepy.
"Merry Christmas."
Her eyes grew wide, and she shot up so fast, if Nico didn't have excellent reflexes, she would've clipped his chin with the top of her head. "Oh, my goodness, I almost forgot." She swung her legs over the side of the bed.
He captured her arm. "Hey, where are you going?"
"We need to go downstairs to open presents."
Nico chuckled at her excitement. "Nope. We're opening presents up here in bed."
She frowned. "But your present is under the tree."
"I'll go down and get it in a minute. You need to open your present now." He pointed to the basket at the end of the bed.
She crawled to it on her hands and knees. He watched her ass as she did so. Only a fool wouldn't, and he was no fool. She looked over her shoulder. "What is it?"
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Open it and see."
It was a large basket with a handle. The kind that had a hinged lid on either side. Nico carefully watched Olivia's face as she lifted one side, not wanting to miss the moment.
And there it was.
The look of shock, first, followed by wonder, ending with complete and utter joy as two little fur faces popped their heads out of the basket, tongues lolling. One yipped, the other one yapped.
"Oh, my God." She turned her delighted expression his direction. "They're adorable."
The two German shepherd puppies pawed at the top of the basket, trying to get out. Laughing, Olivia set them free. They scampered around the bed, climbing all over Nico and Olivia.
Crawling to Nico's side, Olivia leaned in, kissing him on the lips. "I love them, thank you."
She went to pull away, and he clasped her behind the neck holding her in place. "You're welcome, tesoro." And then he kissed her. Where hers was sweet and gentle, his was deep and demanding.
The kiss lasted until a tiny tongue, fragrant with puppy breath, darted between them, licking their joined noses. Olivia giggled.
Nico mumbled against her lips, "Didn't know they were going to be cock-blockers. Might have to rethink allowing them in the bedroom."
Olivia's giggle vibrated his lips. "They're just excited. We'll take advantage of their nap time. It'll be good practice for when the baby arrives." She leaned away, scooping one of the furry handfuls into her lap. "What are their names?"
Nico gave her a grin. "Your gift, your job." He lay back, scooping the other puppy off the bed and setting him on his chest. "But I will tell you, this one's a boy, and the one you're holding is a girl."
"Um... how about something Christmasy like Mary and Chris." She wrinkled her nose. "No. I don't like that. Um... how about..."
Nico sat back and enjoyed the show. She was adorable while thinking. Her lips puckered into a perfect little rosebud, her nose scrunched, and her toes wriggled.
She snapped her fingers. "I know. Candy for the girl and Cain for the boy."
Nico raised a brow. "You expect me to yell Candy Cain throughout the house?"
She nodded, giggling. "Yes."
Nico smiled. Yeah, he would. For her, he was finding, he'd do just about anything.
* * * * *
"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight, tesoro?"
Nico was spinning her on the dance floor, her arms around his neck with her fingers tangled in his hair, his around her waist with his hands clutching the top of her ass.
His club had been transformed into a winter wonderland complete with fake falling snow that erupted every few minutes from a large overhead machine, littering the floor and everyone one on it with white glitter.
Giggling, Olivia stared up at Nico. "You look awfully pretty yourself with all that glitter in your hair."
Nico looked up and scowled. "Yeah, I didn't think that through. Not sure I'll ever get it all cleaned up."
She pressed into him closer—as close as her newly enlarged boobs would allow. "In case I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time tonight. Thank you."
Nico moved his hand from her ass to check the time on his watch. "The evening's not over yet. I've saved the best for last. Come on."
Taking her by the hand, he led her off the dance floor, down a hall, to a secret stairway behind a locked door he opened with a key. An emergency door was at the top of the stairs, exiting to the roof.
A cold breeze blew, and she shivered until she felt the heavy material of Nico's suit jacket land on her shoulders. She grasped the lapels and pulled them closed, snuggling into the warmth still left over from the heat of his body.
She looked over at him, smiling. "Thanks." She glanced around, spying a lone pool lounger a few yards away. A small table stood beside it topped with two wine flutes and a bottle of champagne. "What are we doing up here?"
He looked at his watch again. "You'll see in about five more minutes."
He guided her across the rooftop, stopping them beside the lounger. Swinging a leg over, he sat, patting the space in front of him.
"Only one chair?" she asked, planting her butt between his legs, stretching hers out in front of her.
"It forces you to share with me." He wrapped an arm around her front, settling her against his chest.
Olivia laughed. "Like you would've needed to twist my arm."
"I wasn't taking any chances." He reached to the table, and picked up the bottle, pouring dark-golden, bubbly liquid into both glasses.
"I shouldn't drink champagne," she said, taking the glass he handed her. He turned the bottle so the label faced her and she laughed. "Sparkling apple cider?"
"Only the best for my girl," he said with a wink.
After a few heartbeats, she twisted to face him. "Am I?" At his raised questioning eyebrow, she elaborated. "Am I your girl?"
She didn't miss the slight flare of panic that widened his eyes and quickly said, "Wait," while covering his lips with her fingers. "Don't answer that." She didn't want to know. She was happy with how things were.
He was sweet to her, always looking out for her. He might even really love her a little bit, so it was easy for her to pretend he loved her a lot. She didn't want him to answer and maybe burst the bubble of happiness she'd surrounded herself in.
Fireworks exploded overhead, brightening the sky, so close it felt as if she could reach out and touch them. Looking up at them in awe, she watched as the starbursts of light slowly blinked out just in time for new ones to appear.
He circled her wrist with his hand, sliding her fingers from his mouth. "Happy New Year, baby."
His lips claimed hers before she could speak. She'd said all she dared to say anyway.