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I kick myself for not thinking about that sooner. Of course, the big monstrosity of a dress she's wearing is uncomfortable. I should have offered to let her change before we sat down to talk. Note to self, I need to do better and take better care of my new bride.
"Please take as long as you need." I stand and put the chair back, but she stands there looking hesitant and unsure.
"What do you need?" I ask softly. It's going to take me a while to get to know her, but eventually I won't have to ask, I will just know.
"It took two other people to get me into this dress. I don't think I can get out of it on my own. Would you mind at least unbuttoning the back?" she asks. Then she turns her back to me and I can see a long row of buttons topped with pearls.
"Absolutely," I say. Then I step up behind her to start the unbuttoning.
"Be gentle, please. I don't want to ruin the dress," she says.
I nod even though she can't see me and gently start unbuttoning her dress. The last time I removed clothing from her, the dress fit her like a glove. But it was stretchy, so there were no buttons or zipper to undo. This is definitely a much different experience. But the more buttons I undo, the quicker her breathing gets. When I accidentally on purpose brush my finger along the skin of her back, goose bumps form. She's not unaffected by me. I was hoping that was the case since we did sleep together. Even though her mind is on overdrive with the wedding and how all this came about, her body still remembers me so that is something for me to work with.
As I get to the last of the buttons, she tenses up. Gently placing my hands on her shoulders, I kiss the top of her head.
"I will not force you tonight, baby girl. What's the point as you're already carrying my baby? But let's get one thing clear. I will not force you to be with me, but you will not be with anyone else either. Right now, I will make you that promise."
Turning to look at me, she studied my face as if trying to decide if she could believe me or not. While I wish she would take me at my word, in this world it's best that she doesn't. It will keep her safe.
Finally, she nods and while awkwardly holding her dress to her, she grabs her duffel bag and goes into the bathroom. Taking the time that she's in there, I remove my suit and change into sweatpants and a t-shirt. Then double check that my gun is loaded and put it under my pillow. Then I pull the gun that I had in my suitcase, check it and place it on the dresser by the door.
After making sure that the door is locked and secured, I look to check that my men are in their places. Then I sit down on the edge of the bed and wait for her. A few minutes later, she steps in the doorway also wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt.
"Is this okay?" she asks, still standing in the doorway.
"I want you to be comfortable. You never have to ask. If you're comfortable sleeping in a full snowsuit, then do it. If you'd rather sleep naked, I'm not going to stop you. The only time that I might say something about what you wear is if you're wearing something too revealing while we're in public. Otherwise, when we're around our house or it's just you and me, I want you comfortable, especially as you get further along in the pregnancy."
She offers me a shy smile, walking over to the other side of the bed. Before climbing in, she looks at it and then looks at me and around the room. I want to ask her what she needs, but before I can say anything, she walks over to the couch and grabs the pillows. Finally, satisfied, she carries them to the bed, makes a pillow wall between us and then climbs in.
It's a king-size bed, so there's plenty of room, but I just smile and don’t make an issue out of it. After she’s settled, I lie down too, turning off the light.
"You could have asked me to just stay on my side of the bed. But if a wall of pillows makes you feel safe, then so be it. You're going to have to get used to me in your bed eventually because there will be no separate bedrooms when we get home."
Even though I know she heard me, she didn't say a word. There's going to be a lot of changes for her in the coming weeks and I wish to make it as easy as possible.
Though I'd give just about anything to hold her in my arms tonight. I'll give her the space that she wants... for now.
Chapter 8
Aria
As promised, we went on an amazing honeymoon travelling all over Europe, hitting some of the places that have been on my bucket list for years. Even though Eric was planning a weekend in New York City and there were a few things I wanted to see, it just didn't feel like a romantic honeymoon.
We spent Christmas in Paris and enjoyed the Eiffel Tower all decked out with Christmas lights and visited the Notre Dame Christmas Market. I wanted to go ice skating but couldn't because I was pregnant, so he promised to bring me back again once the baby was born.
We celebrated the New Year in London with a breathtaking midnight firework shower before coming back home.
Matteo was true to his word. There was no sex on our honeymoon. It was like going on a vacation with a friend. Eventually, I ditched the pillow wall, and he stayed to his side of the bed for the most part. Every now and then I'd wake up and our feet would be tangled together, but otherwise he would give me my space.
He, of course, had a few Christmas gifts for me, mostly jewelry. They were stunning pieces, and I told him they were too much. His response was that he was going to make sure his wife has pieces to show off. Then he made sure of it.
I felt bad that I didn't have anything for him. He said the only thing that I could give him that he wanted was answers. When I asked what type of answers he meant, he spent the whole day asking me questions.
He said he wanted to learn everything about me. Favorite food, favorite drinks, what I do when I'm bored, what I like to read, what movies I liked, favorite childhood memories. The types of things you would normally know about someone that you were dating, much less someone you married.
Now that we're home, I have been quite unsure of what to do with myself. All I know is Matteo's mission to figure out who killed his father. His friend Orlando, and his wife Ruby have been around to help.
Ruby, much like me, is also a mafia princess and had been locked away. She was imprisoned for years, not a few weeks. Orlando helped free her, and they have been together ever since. Though not without some trials along the way. The mafia life isn't easy.
