Damon watched her, and he couldn’t tear his gaze away.
She wore a beautiful pastel-blue summer dress with thin straps. When the sun shone on it at just the right angle, he saw her bare flesh beneath.
Her stomach was rounding nicely, but again, no real sign that there was anything in there. That would take time. He found himself getting excited about the future. At watching his baby grow within her stomach.
Throwing caution to the wind, he ran the small distance between them and rushed toward Milah.
She saw him running, released a scream, and started trying to get away from him, but he wasn’t going to let her get away this time. He captured her in his arms, pulling her against him. Spinning her around, he lifted her, and Milah wrapped her legs around his waist. He lowered her slowly to her feet, cupping her face.
Milah tilted her head back to look at him, and as he stared at her lips, he just couldn’t resist claiming them. Kissing her mouth, he traced his tongue across her lip, and when she opened, he took full advantage, plunging inside.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Damon tugged her to the sand, moving her to straddle his waist.
He didn’t break the kiss once.
Milah’s pussy rocked against his dick, and he wished they didn’t have fucking clothes on, but there would be plenty of time to fuck her when they got back to his villa. For now, he just wanted to kiss her.
“Wow,” she said, breaking from the kiss.
“I missed you.”
She burst out laughing. “We haven’t parted, Damon. You were watching me from the beach.”
“And then I wanted to kiss you. Why did you run?”
“I don’t know. I think I wanted you to catch me.”
“Always.” He pushed some of her hair behind her ear. He was quite happy to stay out here for the rest of their lives, but her stomach started to rumble.
“Embarrassing.” She buried her head against his neck.
“Not at all. I have a question. In or out?”
“I think I’d like to eat in.”
“Done.”
He got to his feet and tucked Milah into his side, placing his hand on her hip as they walked back toward his gate. “Are you having fun?” he asked.
“The best kind.” She rested her head against his chest. “I don’t know why you brought me here, but I do love it.”
“My dad bought this place for my mom as a wedding present.”
“He did?”
“Yeah. They had their vacation in Italy. I think in that very villa, but it was rented at the time. She loved it that much, and talked about how perfect it was, my dad wanted to recreate it for her, so he bought it. They spent their anniversaries here. Even after my mom passed, my dad would come here, just to be closer to her.”
Milah didn’t say anything, and Damon cursed himself for bringing up his parents.
Raoul had advised that he didn’t bring up any … bad memories. Anything that could bring the De Luca and Russo feud into play.
“It is a beautiful home,” Milah said. “I can see why she liked it.”
“My mom would have liked you.”
Milah stopped, and even though he could have forced her to keep on moving, he stopped right along with her.
“Don’t, Damon.”
“It’s my life, Milah.”
“I know, and I know what happened, so we don’t have to keep repeating it.”
“I’m not. I’m just sharing this with you, and our baby. That’s all.”
She nibbled on her lips, and he tugged her close, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “You’re going to have to learn to trust me. I haven’t said everything to be bad.” He kissed her cheek again, and this time, they started to walk, heading back to the house.
Neither of them spoke as they arrived, and Milah excused herself to shower. She had sand in places that really shouldn’t have it.
He chuckled, and as she went to the shower, he went into the kitchen, grabbing some food to fire up on the grill. Milah had already made a salad, and there were cheeses, fruits, and some sliced meats. He picked them all up, taking them outside.
The wine was there, but he hadn’t opened a bottle as Milah couldn’t drink, so he poured them both a glass of water.
By the time Milah arrived, he’d already fired up the grill and had their steaks in the oven.
“Something smells good,” Milah said, moving toward him and surprising him as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Just doing the grilling.”
“A man’s job?”
“There’s not much I can do to feed us, but grilling is something I can.” He was about to tell her that his father taught him, but he decided to keep it to himself.
Milah had no fond parental memories, other than when her father wasn’t around, but even then, her mother put training above everything else.
Turning over the steaks, he glanced over at Milah as she walked toward the table. Their lives had been totally different. He was surrounded by war but filled with love in his home. Milah had been surrounded by war everywhere. Her parents’ hatred for one another.
“I see you grabbed everything out of the fridge,” she said.
“I didn’t know what you’d enjoy today.” Her food preferences changed daily.
She grabbed a grape, putting it in her mouth with a smile. “I love it all today.”
Damon finished with the steaks, putting them on their plates to rest. After setting a plate in front of Milah, he sat down opposite her. She picked up her water and took a sip.
“Are you enjoying it here?” he asked.
“Yes, very much so. I didn’t think I would, but this place is so beautiful.”
“To us and to the future,” he said, lifting his glass.
Milah hesitated.
“What is it?” Raoul had also told him to find the strength to be calm, even when she infuriated him. In the beginning, when he first took her, he found everything about her to be infuriating. The past few weeks, he didn’t find her to be like that. Not anymore. He enjoyed her company.
He never admitted this to Raoul or to his father, but there were things about Milah he found adorable, cute, and some he loved.
Like the pups back home. They were still growing, and every single day, Milah played mother to them. Or she did until he recommended they go away together. He had no doubt once they got home, she’d be back to babying the pups. It was something his father would have loved her for. Then there was the fact she loved to cook and bake. Even though it was costing him sleep back home, he loved to watch her in the kitchen. There he got to see her smile, which was another thing he loved.
She had the cutest dimples on her cheeks when she let go and smiled. He’d seen them a lot more in the past few days of being at the villa. What he hadn’t gotten the pleasure of seeing was her dancing, and he hoped to see that soon enough.
Milah had the Russo name, but not the true nature of the beast. Her mother had stopped that awful grip of taking hold of her daughter, and Damon was so fucking happy with that.
“I … do you think we should toast to the future with us?”
“Milah, the last few days have told me that when we’re not fighting or allowing this family feud to get in the way, you and I are good together. Haven’t you enjoyed the past couple of days?”
She nodded.