It was a beautiful spring day. The roses in the garden were bright and lively, and the olive trees were in full bloom. The grass had been neatly trimmed the day before, and the shady spot beneath the oak trees was the perfect place to marry my muse.

It was just me standing in front of the gazebo, in a black suit with a matching tie. Mama pinned a flower to my jacket, a soft pink that complemented the beautiful day. Muse was so pregnant that she couldn’t wear heels anymore, so Lars hemmed her dress a little shorter so she could walk barefoot across the grass covered in pink rose petals. She’d wanted to get married sooner, before her stomach became too big, but I thought the timing worked out perfectly.

She’d never looked as beautiful as she did now.

There wasn’t even a slight hint of a breeze, and the world was completely quiet. It was one of the things I loved about growing up in this house. It was away from the city and the road, so all you could hear was nature and the sounds of the grape leaves shifting in the wind.

There was nowhere else I’d rather get married.

Mama was dressed in a blue dress with the same flower pinned to the front. She walked up to me, her eyes wet like they were earlier that day. She’d never been an emotional person, hardly ever shedding a tear as the years passed. Strong like my father, she chose to be fearless. But today, those rules didn’t seem to apply.

She stopped in front of me and gripped my biceps, her chin tilted up as she looked at me. I was over a foot taller than her, twice her size, and she seemed so small in comparison. “My son…” She moved into me and rested her face against my chest. “So happy for you…”

I wrapped my arms around my mom and held her.

Uncle Cane and Aunt Adelina sat in the row of chairs with Lars and Carter and Carmen. We had a small family, but it was nice having it just be us. My father stood on the other side of me, watching us together.

“I know, Mama.” I rubbed her back. “Thanks for raising me to be a man.”

She chuckled slightly and swiped a finger under her eye. “A good man.” She took a deep breath to steady her tears. “And a man I love so much.”

“I love you too.”

She pulled away and composed herself as much as possible. “It feels like it was just yesterday when your father and I got married in this very spot. And it seems like yesterday when I sat on the porch and told him I was pregnant with you. Now here you are…starting your own family. I feel very…lucky.” She rose on her tiptoes and kissed me on the cheek before she sat down with Vanessa.

Father turned to me next. He rested his hand on my back, a smile in his eyes. “I don’t think there’s any advice I have left to give you.”

“I don’t know about that. I’m not a father yet… I’m sure I’ll need some help.”

“You never needed my help becoming the successful man you are now. I’m sure you’ll be fine. But I’m here if you ever need anything.” He patted my back before he pulled away. “I never had anyone to ask for advice when I had you. I had to figure it out on my own.”

“I think you did okay.”

He chuckled. “I did more than okay. I have two perfect children. I wouldn’t change anything about either one of you.”

“Not even Vanessa’s brattiness?”

He laughed, knowing I was joking. “Not even that.”

“At least I have a good role model to look up to.”

He patted my back before he stepped away. “Thanks, son. Something I learned about raising both of you…something I learned just today…as long as you love your kids, everything will be alright.”

“That doesn’t sound too difficult.”

He shook his head. “It’s not.” He walked away and took the seat beside my mother, his arm moving around her shoulders as they waited for me to marry the love of my life. He gave me a slight nod of approval, along with a smile.

The harpist began to play, and the music started. I turned my attention to the house, where a beautiful woman in a white dress emerged. Glowing like the setting sun, she stepped onto the grass in her elegant white dress, her baby bump as lovely as the rest of her. She held a bundle of pink roses, and her eyes were stuck on me like I was the only person there. She looked at me the way I looked at her, like there was no one else in the world that really mattered.

She came closer to me, her movements just as elegant as they were on the catwalk. Her smile was true and radiant, but her eyes welled with emotional tears. Her hair was in large curls that trailed down her front, and the diamond necklace around her throat looked familiar, but I couldn’t recall where I’d seen it before.

As she came closer, the world seemed to stop. I’d never imagined what my wedding day would be like. I thought marriage was for people who couldn’t make it on their own. They needed someone to depend on, someone to give them self-worth. But once I’d fallen in love with Muse, I couldn’t imagine my life without her. She made me weak, but in a good way.

My life was about to be different forever. I would have to love and protect two people instead of one, and I wasn’t included in that number. Muse made me feel insignificant, because her life was much more important than mine. I used to be arrogant and selfish, thinking I had the world in the palm of my hand. And then this woman auditioned to be a model, and nothing was ever the same.

I realized I would do anything for her, even sacrifice my own life.

My body wasn’t hit with doubts. I was strong and confident like always, eager to make this woman my wife.

To call her Mrs. Barsetti.

I wanted to smother her with my life, wealth, and protection. I wanted to put her on a pedestal and make all her dreams come true. I wanted to give her as many children as she wanted, especially when I got to enjoy her looking that way for nine months.

She approached me, her eyes coated with unshed tears. She seemed to be deep in thought the way I was, thinking about our lives together and the family we would make. When she reached me, she stepped closer to me, her face moving to my chest.

My arms wrapped around her, and I held her in front of the priest and my family. I should take her hand and face her so I could say the vows that would bind us together forever. But now, I needed to hold her, to take this moment to cherish the woman I’d already committed to for the rest of my life. “You sure you want to marry me?”

She looked up from my chest, her tears thickening into drops. “Never been so sure of anything in my life.”

Five hours later, we arrived in Positano, a small village on the Amalfi coast. Just an hour away from Naples, it was a scenic route along the mountainside. With windy turns with gorgeous views of the Mediterranean, it was a beautiful sight—even in the darkness.

I would have preferred to fly, but Muse was far too pregnant for that. At seven months, she couldn’t board a plane. So I drove through the night, letting her sleep in the passenger seat, still in her wedding dress. I advised her to take it off for the drive.

But she wanted me to take it off.

We checked in to our hotel, a luxurious place in the heart of the city. Our honeymoon suite had an eye-catching view of the harbor with the sailboats. I carried her over the threshold and into the large suite that we would probably never leave.

I lay her on the bed, her white gown still as stunning as it was earlier.

She was tired on the drive, but now that we were alone in our suite, she was wide awake. She looked up at me with her hair across the bed, her eyes bright and playful. I was leaning over her, so she ran her palms up my chest to my tie. She slowly loosened it, her eyes locked on mine.

I watched her as her fingers worked the silk, my cock already hard in my slacks because I knew what was coming next. I’d been waiting all day for this moment. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I’d been waiting my whole life for this moment.

She pulled the silk from around my neck then unbuttoned my collared shirt, slowly making her way to my stomach. As each button came unfastened, our breathing grew deeper and louder. My eyes never left hers, and I felt the intensity stretch between us, the desire and the desperation.

I couldn’t wait to be inside her.

Inside my wife.

Fuck, I have a wife.

When my shirt was undone, she pushed my jacket off my shoulders with the shirt. Everything hit the tile floor with a dull thud.

Her hands explored my chest, pausing over my beating heart. I’d worked out hard that week, taking on more weight than I ever had. I wanted my ripped body to be in perfect shape for tonight, so she could enjoy me the way I enjoyed her.

She moved to my slacks next, unbuckling my belt and then opening the zipper. She pushed them down, making my thick cock emerge. With a slight tint of red, he was hard and stretched, ready to be inside the cunt that officially belonged to me.

I would just fuck her like that, but not tonight. Now I wanted to peel off that dress, remove every piece of clothing, and make her come the second I was inside her. I loved her pregnancy because it made her even hornier than she used to be.

She couldn’t get enough of me.

I pulled her to her feet and then undid the thousands of buttons along the back. I unbuttoned each one, moving until I reached the top of her ass. I pushed the dress over her shoulders and watched it crumple to the floor.

Beautiful.

In a little white thong, she looked as untouched as ever. I was the only man she’d ever had. And I would be the only man she’d ever have.

I pressed kisses from the back of her neck down to her shoulder. My hands moved to her thong, and I twisted it in my fingertips, playing with the material. I forced myself to slow down even though I was anxious to be inside her. I couldn’t skip to the end when the beginning was more important. I didn’t want to fuck her, but I wanted to be inside her as quickly as possible.

I kept kissing her, listened to her breathe. And then I worked her panties, pulling them down until her perfect ass appeared. Her round belly was her sexiest feature, full of the life I’d put inside her. Her birth control couldn’t stop me from knocking her up, from putting a baby inside her.

I was prouder of that than any of my other accomplishments.

I knelt as I pulled down her panties, moving them to her ankles and kissing her as I went. This woman had brought me to my knees more times than I could count—and I never minded one bit.

How could I?

I turned her around and pressed my face close to hers, but I didn’t kiss her, regardless of how much my lips ached for that beautiful mouth. I paused, letting the intensity increase between us. The intimacy was hot, the way we looked at each other in expectation. I’d already taken her virginity once, but I felt like I was about to do it again.

My cock twitched.

“Mrs. Barsetti.” I guided her back to the bed, my bare feet planted on the tile floor. I placed her at the very edge of the mattress, her sexy ass hanging over. Her stomach was so big that it was difficult to make love in any other position.

But I didn’t mind.

I pinned her knees near her stomach and then pressed my cock inside. She was soaking wet, tight, and absolutely perfect. A quiet moan of pleasure escaped my lips, and my cock twitched once I was inside.

I moved all the way, hitting her until only my balls hung out.

She dug her nails into my arms and took a deep breath. “Con…” She bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath, her nipples hard like diamonds.

“Mrs. Barsetti.” I slowly started to move, my eyes on hers. My hands gripped her hips, and I dragged her toward me slightly, hitting her deep with every thrust. I took her gently, taking pleasure in the sight of her tits and her stomach. My hands moved to her belly next, where the baby we made together was growing deep inside. Knowing I put this life inside her aroused me in a carnal way I couldn’t explain.

Her hands rested on top of mine as she took my length over and over again. She continued to bite her lip and moan for me, her breaths coming out deep and shaky. There wasn’t just desire in her eyes, but overwhelming love that could block out the sun. This woman loved me despite my imperfections. She loved me because of the man I was, not the size of my wallet or package.

I already wanted to come inside her wet cunt. Her pregnancy made my threshold even lower. Every time I was with her, it was the best sex I’d ever had. Now that she was my wife, I could barely control myself at all.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, her mouth opening. “God…”

I shoved myself deeper inside her, plunging into the tight pussy that belonged exclusively to me. I’d been the only one to take her this way, to both fuck her and make love to her. My pure bride was my exclusive property, only touched by me.

She tightened around me, just the way my fingers tightened around my dick when I came. Musical moans erupted from her lips, high-pitched and beautiful. With closed eyes and a gaping mouth, she looked like a woman well pleased. She gripped my wrists and rocked with my movements, taking my dick deep and hard. “Con…”

I rubbed my thumb against her clit, making her writhe even more. I pushed her over the edge, made her orgasm last a lifetime. I watched her tits shake, watched her pant from the ecstasy. Focusing on her pleasure controlled mine. Like a good husband, I managed to wait until she was completely done before I allowed myself to finish. After a few pumps, my head exploded inside her, and I pumped her with my come, dumping a pile of it deep inside her. We’d agreed not to sleep together before the wedding, and now my body was catching up. I gripped her swollen tits with my palms as I finished, feeling my cock thicken as I released. When every drop was exactly where it should be, I started to soften. But the pleasure seemed to continue on after my dick lost its hardness, because the euphoria seemed to exist beyond the physical satisfaction of sex. It seemed to continue on indefinitely because of the connection between us, because of the bond between our souls. Intertwined and locked together, we were a single person. We made a life together, something that would carry on after we were dead and gone. My pleasure wouldn’t stop because I was happy, happier than I’d ever been my entire life. Finding Muse completed me, filled in the holes I never realized I had. She was my whole world, my reason for living. My purpose used to lie in my work, the success of my business and my designs. I used to work day and night, obsessing over my next piece and the world’s reaction to it. But once Muse was mine, she became my priority. Work didn’t seem important anymore, more like an afterthought.

Now my wife was my whole world.

And the baby we made together.

My family was everything to me.

They say at some point you turn into your parents. I always thought my father and I were distinctly different, despite our physical similarities. But now I realized I’d become just like him, walking away from a life I used to think was important because I’d found something so much more vital.

I found my family.