“Promises made to dead people don’t count. They’re a way of dealing with our own grief, but when they cause more sadness than consolation, you have to let them go.”
“You sound like you know what you are talking about.”
“I do. I made a promise to Tay after he died.”
“What was it?”
“That I wouldn’t try to make a family with someone else.” She sighed and kissed the underside of Tino’s jaw. “The promise was for my protection, not his. I made it so I couldn’t be hurt again, and when I realized that, I let it go.”
“I am glad you were wiser than I.”
“I’ll remind you that the next time we argue you said that.”
“You have my permission, just never remind me what a selfish bastard I was when we were lovers only. I will never forget. But I do not know if I could stand the thought that you won’t.”
“Tino, we all make mistakes, but real love forgives and forgets.”
“You are more than I deserve.”
“You just keep believing that, but remember, you are my miracle.”
“I love you, cuore mio.”
“I love you, Tino, more than life.”
They married on their one-year anniversary.
Agata had managed to pull together an amazing church wedding and fill said church with family and friends. Faith didn’t realize how many friends she’d made in the artistic community and at Gio’s school until she saw them all sitting in the pews as she walked up the aisle.
Once her gaze locked on Tino, though, she looked neither to the right nor the left. His expression was filled with love and joy and peace.
It was the peace that made her feel so good. So right.
He was happy to be marrying her, and the guilt he’d felt at loving her was gone now. They’d visited Maura’s grave together along with Gio. The trip had seemed to give both males a sense of closure.
Gio was his father’s best man, and Agata was Faith’s matron of honor. Rocco was giving her away, and the wedding was what she’d always dreamed of and had been sure she could never have. A ceremony celebrating the love and commitment between her and Tino, witnessed by their family.
He had been right about one thing—maybe more than one, but she wasn’t telling him that and letting him get a swelled head—that she did have a family now. The Grisafis accepted her as one of their own and unconditionally. Even his brother who lived in New York came home to make her feel welcome and witness his brother’s second marriage.
Calogero had insisted on helping Tino by overseeing the transformation of a first-floor room with lots of windows into Faith’s new studio. Thereby managing to avoid the brunt of his mother’s attempts at changing his single status since returning to Italy. Faith could only be happy that Agata had not made that effort with Tino. Perhaps the older woman had known instinctively her eldest son had already found his second love.
That was all before, though.
Right now Faith hesitated with her hand on the door between the en suite and Tino’s—their—bedroom. They had not made love, even when her first trimester had officially ended two weeks before.
Tino had said he wanted to wait for their wedding night. He wanted it to be right. His patience despite his obvious arousal every night when they went to sleep had forever cemented Faith’s trust and appreciation for this amazing man she now called husband.
She opened the door and stepped into the bedroom.
Tino stood beside the bed wearing a pair of white silk pajama bottoms.
“White?” she asked with a smile, even though her own lace peignoir was the color of fresh snow.
“It is our first time.”
“As husband and wife.”
“As a man and a woman who have admitted their love and promised to hold each other in their hearts for a lifetime.”
Oh. “I’m going to cry.”
“No…you are going to love.”
She nodded, too choked up to speak.
He put his arms out. “Come here, cuore mio.”
She went to him, straight into his arms. He held her there for the longest time, saying nothing. Doing nothing.
Except looking into her eyes, his that dark Hershey-brown that meant his emotions were close to the surface. Finally he said, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being mine. For putting up with me. For falling in love with me and not walking away with my baby. For being just who you are, you incredibly precious woman.”
The tears rolled then, but they were filled with joy and she made no effort to stop them. “Thank you, Tino, for being mine. For giving me a family again. For being you, but mostly for loving me.”
“I will always love you.”
“I believe you.”
Her fear that she could never have a family was almost completely gone now. His love had given her hope unlike any she’d known since the death of her parents. She’d loved Tay, but she was in love with Tino, and she couldn’t help feeling Heaven blessed their union.
His mouth came down on hers, the kiss so incredibly tender and yet sensual, too.
Their tongues played a lazy dance together, getting reacquainted after so much time apart. Their bodies strained together of their own accord as if the very molecules that made up their skin and nerve endings could no longer stand any sort of separation.
Although they had slept curled together for the past few weeks, she felt the need to relearn his body. She let her hands roam freely over hot, silky flesh covering defined muscles. The hair on his chest rubbed her through her lacey peignoir, reminding her just how susceptible she was to the barest touch by this man.
His rapid heartbeat and heavy breathing said he was equally impacted.
He was no slouch in the caressing department, either, his big hands mapping her body in a way that made her ache deep in her core. She needed him.
He cupped the barely there bump in her stomach. “I have this image of you rounded with my baby, wearing one of my shirts and nothing else while you work on your art.”
“Fantasizing, Tino?” she asked with a husky laugh.
“Prophesying, I hope.”
“You are silly.”
“Because I crave seeing you large with child?”
“It’s not exactly sexy.”
“So, this is not the time to tell you that the image makes my knees weak with lust.”
“Are you serious?”
“I love you, Faith. Seeing you that way, seeing the evidence of our love changing your body—it’s the biggest turn-on I’ve ever known.”
“I’ll remind you of that when I look like a balloon.”
“Trust me, I’m not likely to forget.”
“I do trust you, Tino.”
“Thank you.” Then he kissed her again.
They undressed each other slowly, each treating the other like a treasure to be unwrapped.
Then Tino carried her to the bed and laid her down with tender care. He kissed and caressed her body, gently manipulating her breasts since they were sensitive. She returned the favor, holding the velvet hardness of his arousal with both hands.
“I want you,” she whispered.
He nodded, the moment profound as he gave in to her desire.
He made love to her slowly, pleasuring her body and building to the peak of perfect oneness with a measured rhythm that drove her insane and made her feel incredibly cherished all at the same time.
Despite the slow build, her climax surprised her, tightening her body and sending convulsions of pleasure through her. He came a second later, calling out his love.
It was the most perfect moment of Faith’s life.
She belonged to him completely, just as he belonged to her.
“I love you, Tino. With all my heart and soul.”
“Ti amo, Faith, who is my heart and reminds me I have a soul.”
EPILOGUE
RAFAELLA AGATA GRISAFI was born six months to the day after her parents’ marriage. A healthy eight pounds, four ounces, she caused her mother a bit of a problem in the delivery room. Faith was so happy her daughter was healthy and strong, she didn’t care how hard the delivery of her precious child had been.
Giosue adored his younger sister and his new mother, often telling anyone who would listen that God must love him an awful lot to give him the
best mommy and little sister in the world. Valentino couldn’t help agreeing.
He’d lost his first love, but reveled in his second chance at happiness with a woman he looked forward to spending the rest of his life loving.
They were what Faith had always craved—a family.