Mafia Betrayal

Chapter Forty Six

Charlotte

Two months later, I was lying by the pool of an Italian Villa that made our old apartment in Savannah look like a linen closet. Luca was right. Once we handed over the reins and let our mothers plan a reception for us, they were over the moon. However, our small reception had already turned into a giant spectacle, and was growing by the minute.

Carmen flew us all out to Italy, insisting that it be held in our homeland, and rented out several cliff side villas. She and my mother were organizing a makeshift ceremony, also insisting on us saying actual vows. Stuck in tradition, they weren't thrilled at the unconventional way we had gone about it. I was hesitant at first, but Luca reminded me that this was more for them than it was for us. We were already married, and none of this hoopla really mattered. He had a calming effect on me I didn't anticipate, but welcomed. For the first time in my life, I was content giving up control and fully trusting him.

Everything in Italy felt like a dream. The weather was perfect, and the air seemed to feel lighter, like we didn't have anything looming over us like we did back home. It was ironic, considering we were in the midst of several Mafia families and in a foreign country, that Luca didn't have as much pull in. The food was to die for. I was eating more carbs than I ever had in my life, but it was all just too good to pass up. Layla was soaking up all the attention and was spending all kinds of time with her grandmothers. It seemed she had quite a few opinions about the party-turned-extravagant-wedding as well.

To his credit, Luca had worked minimally and when he wasn't with me, he spent a lot of time exploring his old stomping grounds with Angelo and the boys. It was nice to see him letting loose a bit, too. Being here brought back a lot of memories for him and not all of them were good. I had been fighting the urge to pry about his father, but my conversation with Carmen only got my mind spinning.

For the first part of our relationship, we'd been more focused on my family and everything that had gone on, and I realized Luca hadn't opened up much about his at all. I was waiting for the right time to bring it up, but it hadn't presented itself yet.

I felt a dark shadow block my sun and opened my eyes, squinting from under the brim of my sun hat through the blazing sun.

"You know, most real Italians sunbathe in the nude." Luca grinned down at me.

I smirked. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

He held his hands up. "I'm just looking out for you. Can't have tan lines showing in your wedding dress." He sat down on the lounge chair next to me. "Mom asked if she could keep Layla tonight. Apparently, they're going into town to a special farmer's market for flowers."

"So much for simple." I laughed, proving myself up. "Whatever will we do with a whole night to ourselves without our darling daughter?" I batted my eyelashes at him as innocently as possible.

"I've got some ideas." He palmed my thigh, giving it a tight squeeze.

"Do any of them involve anything other than sex?" I gave him a knowing grin. If it was even possible, Luca had become even more insatiable since we'd been married. Not that I was complaining. Somehow he managed to make each time feel better and different from the one before, like we were discovering each other for the first time again.

"You underestimate me, Mrs. Catalano." He slapped my butt playfully. "I want to take you sightseeing. I've always wanted to take you to Italy, and I figure now that we're here, we can make the most of it. If sex happens to follow that..." He shrugged his shoulders, chuckling.

"Sightseeing?" I arched an eyebrow at him. "You continue to surprise me. I didn't think that was your kind of thing."

"My thing..." He pressed his lips to mine and then left a trail of kisses all the way up to my ear. "Is anything to do with you. I'd sit through the fucking ballet if it meant getting to be with you."