Page 76 of Heaven Help Me

Birdie smirks. “That right there is what you call a good ol’-fashioned Southern flowering. We tried vegetables when it was Rhett’s granddaddy being an idiot, but have you seen the price of vegetables lately? We got some old flowers on their way out from the florist.”

“Plus it’s environmentally friendly,” Mary London chirps.

“Y’all are crazy,” Valentina sputters, still laughing over the sight of flowers being chucked at Bettina’s head.

“Did you just use y’all?” Betsy shouts, then whoops it up.

The crowd cheers again before dispersing. They’re probably off to call their friends and tell them all about their Mafia Maven sighting. Papa lingers, waving at Tommy to roll him closer to the porch.

“We won’t stand for Bettina pestering you two. You may feel a bit helpless when it comes to that woman—believe me, I know the feeling—but I think you’ll find that Heaven has your back, and that’s all you really need.”

Valentina lets go of my hand and flies down the stairs to wrap her arms around Papa’s neck. They both come away from that hug with tears in their eyes.

Her broken voice is barely audible. “Thank you, Marcel.”

“Always, girl.” Papa pats her hand and I think he knows exactly what his acceptance and support of Valentina means to her.

“I got something for you.”

I frown at Valentina as she walks backward from the bathroom to our bedroom. She insisted we had to brush teeth before we could go on with our day. Tossing the toothbrush into the sink, I follow her. She’s got a look in her eyes that I want to investigate.

She stops when the back of her calves hit the bed. Reaching down for the hemline of her dress, she whips it up and over her head, letting it fall to the floor. She didn’t have time to put on a bra before we dealt with Bettina and I’m damn grateful for the dawn interruption.

“In all the craziness of yesterday, I forgot to give it to you.”

My gaze wanders up and down her body several times before I register what she just said. “I’m pretty sure you gave it to me all night long, baby.”

She grins, a confident woman who knows the man before her likes what he’s seeing. “No, not that.” She turns and walks to the nightstand, taking out a cardboard box. “This.”

I whip my polo shirt over my head, wanting to be as nearly naked as she is. Whatever’s in that box can wait. My hands barely get to skimming over her hips when she jabs the box in my stomach.

“It’s not polite to ignore an offered present,” she singsongs.

“I’ve got a present too,” I growl, pressing my hips into hers. She grins again, but isn’t deterred.

“This first.”

With a sigh, I release her hips and step back, taking the box. I rip it open and pull out two round things. I have to flip them right side up to see what they are, and when I get a good look at them, I let out a loud guffaw.

Valentina gave me two battery-operated candles.

“So we don’t burn the house down when we make love,” she explains as I continue to laugh.

She takes them out of my hands one at a time and flips a switch on the bottom. A fake flame begins to flicker. She sets them on the nightstand, and I have to admit, they look damn good. Basically like the real thing. And most importantly, not flammable.

“The batteries are supposed to last a hundred hours of use.” Valentina grabs me through my boxers, making me lurch. “Think you can last that long?”

I was already hard from looking at her naked breasts, but add in a challenge? Damn, this woman knows how to make me perform my best. My hands slide over her bare shoulders. Then I pick her up and toss her onto the bed, flipping her over and running my fingers over the black lace thong that covers nothing. I pull and let it snap back against her skin. She moans into the mattress.

I won’t last an hour, let alone a hundred.

“Only one way to find out,” I answer through gritted teeth.

Pulling her hips up and back to the edge of the bed, I shove my boxers down around my ankles and enter her in one swift thrust. She yells my name and I send up silent praise that it wasn’t ciuccio that fell from her lips.

She meets me thrust for thrust, her lush curves slapping against my hips, always so eager for more. Then again, I am too. I’m eager for more time, more years, more experiences, just more Valentina.

When I feel her tighten around me, I pull out entirely and flip her over onto her back. She pouts, her cheeks flushed and her breath coming in rapid gulps of air.