Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 38670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 193(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 193(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
He smirked, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “While you were sleeping, before I headed into the shower.”
A laugh bubbled out of me, full of joy. “You sneaky, overbearing—”
He flashed me a cocky grin. “I told you, my angel. I’m never letting you go.”
“Good. Because now you’ve put a ring on it, I’m all yours. And there are no take backs.”
EPILOGUE
RAFFAELE
My gaze swept around the long table that filled my home’s very large dining room. We often still gathered at my mamma’s house for Sunday dinners, but when we knew a larger crowd of family would be here, we shifted to the mansion.
It was perfect timing on this particular Sunday.
All of my siblings were home, a ton of my cousins, and Nic and his family were here for our wedding.
“Are you excited about this weekend?” Gabbi asked my fiancée with a dreamy expression.
I’d been floored when Vivienne had decided to have our wedding in three months. Then I kissed the hell out of her for being so fucking amazing.
The reason hadn’t mattered to me because all I cared about was making her my wife. And while my mamma didn’t want to make Vivienne uncomfortable, she had no such qualms with me and made it very clear every time we were alone that she disapproved of us living in sin.
It amazed me that she seemed to think I still had a shot at getting into heaven. Whenever I told her that, she made the sign of the cross and muttered, “Can’t hurt to hedge your bets, figlio.”
She wasn’t going to care so much about Vivienne and me spending the past three months living together when she heard why my angel had chosen to rush the ceremony. Although, I didn’t know how anyone could call this a rushed wedding. Waiting to marry Vivienne had been slow and torturous.
“Yes. I can’t wait,” Vivienne replied to my sister.
I gently squeezed her thigh to get her attention and raised my brow. She blushed adorably and nodded.
Clearing my throat, I grabbed everyone’s attention by getting to my feet.
“I have a few things to say,” I told them with a straight face. “Domenico,” I said, looking at my friend sitting across from Gabriella. “Matteo and I are officially off the market, so I’m not sorry to say that you’re the most likely candidate for the mammas to expend all their matchmaking efforts on.”
Domenico scowled and shook his head.
“Waste of their time,” he grunted. “Move on to Dario or Marcello.”
“Way to throw a guy under the bus, amico,” Dario groused.
Domenico shrugged.
“I’m just going to point out that you and Matteo haven’t fully fulfilled your duties,” my aunt Emillia said in a sly voice.
“What the fuck?” Matteo grumbled, earning himself a slap upside the head from Aunt Emillia. “Ouch, Mamma!”
“Don’t worry, Mamma,” Gabbi piped up. “Your girls will give you grandbabies. I’m working on it.”
I whipped around to stare at my sister, but before I could say anything, Domenico growled, “That better be a fucking joke.”
Gabbi’s face turned red when she realized how that had sounded, and I exhaled with relief. “I just meant, um, that I’m dating and will hopefully find the right man soon.”
“I want his name,” Domenico demanded, glaring at my sister.
“Perdono?” she snapped back at him.
“His name.” Domenico’s voice was threaded with steel. I wasn’t all that surprised that he was so fiercely protective of my sister. We’d been friends a long time, and he was family. He probably felt the same brotherly responsibility to keep my sisters as safe as I did.
“Absolutely not!” Gabbi retorted. “I’m not going to let you run a background check or terrorize my boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” I inquired in a deathly calm tone.
Gabbi peeked up at me nervously. “I mean, we haven’t labeled it or anything.”
Vivienne tugged on my sleeve, and while Gabbi and Domenico went back to bickering, I leaned down to hear my angel. “I think you’ve jumped off the train track, babe.”
She was right. I’d deal with the Gabbi situation later.
“Anyway,” I said loudly, drawing everyone’s attention back to me. “Vivienne and I are incredibly happy to have so many of you home for the wedding. With such a crowd, we figured it was a good time to make an announcement.”
Mamma clasped her hands together and straightened in her seat, her face glowing with hope.
“You’re absolutely right, Aunt Emillia,” I told her with a smirk. “I haven’t been a good and dutiful son.”
Vivienne giggled, and I shot her a warm, loving smile and a wink.
I gave Gabbi a meaningful look. “And my sisters don’t have to think about babies for a very, very long time.”
“Good grief,” Gabbi muttered.
“Besides, Vivienne and I are ahead of the game.”
My mamma shot to her feet, beaming at me and my fiancée. “You’re giving me a grandbaby, mio figlio?”
I grinned. “Nope.”
Her face fell, and her eyes filled with confusion.