Bound By Blood Anthology

Matteo pulled me against his side as he led me outside. I could tell by the tension in his body that he was already eager to continue where we’d left off before dinner. We got into the back seat of his car and kissed, Matteo shoved up my dress and slid his fingers under my panties, finding me ready for him. He unzipped his pants and pushed up my legs, then kissed me again.

“Condom,” I pressed out.

I hadn’t had my period yet since giving birth but I didn’t want to risk anything. Matteo cursed then fumbled in his pants until he pulled out a wrapper. The tear of the material made me shiver, then he was back on top of me again. His tip nudged my opening and I froze up, just like that.

Matteo raised his eyes. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No,” I said needily. “I’m ready. I’m just a bit nervous. Ignore it.”

Matteo kissed me but this time it was slower, less desperate and hungry, and then he began to slide into me at a torturously slow pace. His eyes held mine and my breathing deepened as I felt him inside of me. It felt perfect. No discomfort, no scary birth memories, nothing.

Matteo groaned when he was sheathed in me. “Fuck. This feels like heaven.”

I moaned my agreement.

“Can I move?” he rasped.

“God, yes. Move.”

Matteo chuckled and then he slid out of me and thrust back in. With every thrust he hit deeper and harder, and soon the entire car was shaking with our lovemaking and my feet hit the ceiling and the back of my head the door, but I didn’t care.

I clawed at Matteo’s shoulders, needing him closer and he complied, pressed down on me, sliding even deeper and I exploded around him. Matteo jerked and with a low hiss I felt him release into me.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

I giggled. Matteo silenced me with his tongue, a slow and languid kiss as he slowly softened inside me. I loved the feel of it. For some reason the aftermath of sex was when I felt closest to him, I wasn’t even sure why.

Afterward, we lay in each other’s arms, awkwardly squeezed into the back seat. “I’ll make an appointment for the vasectomy,” Matteo murmured.

I looked up, surprised. So far he hadn’t been too enthused about a vasectomy, or being castrated, how he put it. “Really?”

“Really,” he said. “I don’t want you to stuff your body with hormones and I hate condoms, so a vasectomy is the easiest and fairest option for both of us. Or do you want the option for kid number two?” His grin told me he knew the answer.

“Hell, no!” I muttered. “I definitely don’t want more kids. I love Isa and I’m glad she’s part of our life, but if I could live my life again, I’d still decide not to be a mom. It’s not my mission in life and it won’t ever be.”

“Yeah, let’s leave the baby producing to our siblings. They seem only too keen to fill the earth with more inhabitants.”

I kissed Matteo long and slow. “Thank you. I know most mobsters would lose their shit if their wife suggested something like that. You wanting to do this is the greatest proof of your love I can imagine.”

“Do I really still need to prove my love for you?”

“No.” I pressed closer to him. “If anyone’s got more proving to do then it’s me. But I love you so much, it’s hard to put into words.”We drove to the Hamptons afterward, even if Aria had given us the option to join them in the morning. I wanted to be under the same roof as Isa in the night. When we arrived at the mansion after midnight, the windows were dark. We headed straight for our bedroom as not to disturb anyone and went for another round of fucking, this time far less gentle, in our bed. Afterward we lay in each other’s arms, staring into each other’s eyes.

“Maybe we should relieve Aria and Luca,” I whispered. It was strange not to have the baby monitor at my side to listen to every sound Isa made.

Matteo chuckled. “Missing our little poo machine?”

I shrugged. “I do. It’s the first time we left her with someone else for so many hours.”

Matteo stroked my hair. “She’s fine. Luca and Aria are taking care of her.”

“We’re lucky,” I said quietly. “Without them, we wouldn’t be here today.”

“Yeah, they are our better halves,” Matteo joked.

“They are.” I traced Matteo’s tattoo. “Sometimes I worry about Isa.”

Matteo’s eyes became sharp. “Why? You know I’ll protect her.”

“I don’t mean an outside attack. I worry about her growing up in the Famiglia with all its old-fashioned rules. The outside world changes but our world remains mostly the same. Girls still remain virgins until they marry. Even if we don’t teach her those values, she’ll be surrounded by them.”