Harbour of Refuge (37 page)

“Fine.”

“Okay then.”

But he continued dancing, holding her close and not speaking. As they turned, she saw Mila in Joe’s arms and she sent her a smile and flashed a thumbs-up. Halyn wasn’t nearly so optimistic, but she couldn’t deny it was heaven being back in his arms again. When the song ended, Enzo kept his arm around her and guided her from the floor, out of the ballroom to a small room the groomsmen had been in. She’d been there earlier to make sure they were ready on time.

The door closing behind them sounded loud to her ears and she found herself with a case of the nerves. Smoothing her hands down her dress, she stepped from his side, pivoted and promptly lost her breath.

He’d undone his jacket. She longed to touch him, run her hands over him and undress him.
There’s more to a lasting relationship than just the physical.
Loosely lacing her fingers before her, she waited.

Chapter Twenty-Six

She was there. Halyn. Actually there before him. It took considerable restraint for him to stay where he stood and not rush to her. Kiss her. She took his breath away and she had since he had watched her walk down the aisle with the best man. Her dress fell around her, highlighting everything and yet keeping it hidden. He had seen dresses similar to theirs, with the draping sleeves, in a lot of Greek shows. All the women had been stunning but his gaze had refused to leave Halyn.

He’d watched her mouth move with the vows and he’d seen the tears. Lord, he wanted to marry this woman. First things first.

“Ernest Macklin told Amber about what happened to you. He tracked it down by going to your hometown and speaking to some people.”

The temperature in the room dropped and he wondered if she hadn’t just been coated by ice. Her eyes glinted with raw fury and her jaw clenched.

“That bastard, I warned him.” She took a deep breath and relaxed her hands. “I’m sorry I blamed you for it.”

“That’s not what I wanted from you, Halyn. You had every right to believe it was me. I had a chat with both Ernest and his boss. He loses his job or you’re suing for the paper. My attorney is getting stuff ready for it. She’ll fight hard for you, she’s a bulldog.”

He stepped towards her, watched the flare of desire in her eyes and reached out to touch her simple, pin-up style, which made her so much more elegant than some of the other women there tonight. Her hair was draped over her forehead and down her back, sides drawn back. He loved the feel of her curls on his skin.

“I also had a chat with Amber, and she’ll not be bothering you again.”

She didn’t back away, so he sank his fingers deeper into the hair that spilled out down her back. Beneath his touch, she trembled.

“You don’t need to fight my battles for me.”

“I know. I want to. I want to slay every dragon for you, Halyn. I know you are still unsure, but I’m not. I love you. I’ve loved you for the longest time now. Your inherent grace, your way with others, my son included. You make the sun shine in my world.”

He stopped her from shaking her head. “No, you don’t get to tell me I can’t say things like that, Halyn. I don’t know what to do when there’s this chasm between us. I want to fix it, want to kidnap you—which I was thinking about doing, I’ll admit—get you to just hold still and talk to me.”

Enzo stepped closer and slid his other hand along her face, cupping the nape of her neck, tipping her head up with his thumb. “You, Halyn Jennings, are the one I want in my life. I don’t know how else to say this. I want to marry you, get old and creaky with you by my side.”

Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes but she blinked them back. When she put her hands on his upper arms, he breathed a bit easier.

“What about racing?”

“I don’t want to give up racing but I have no problem taking Liev with me. I will ask you to help me find a better tutor than I had last time. She was useless. But I will have him with me if you feel I’m using you as a babysitter. I want to know you’ll be there when I come home, when
we
come home.”

“I…I don’t know what to say.”

“Do you know the nautical name we give places where ships in transit can find shelter from storms?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“Harbour of refuge.” He dipped his head and kissed her, keeping it tender and brief. “That’s what you are to me. My harbour of refuge. I was moving from place to place, uncaring of what lay in my future until I met you. I know, here”—he touched her hand to his heart—“where I feel the safest and that’s with you, Halyn. I want a future with you in it.”

“What about children?”

“Like I told you on your parents’ roof, if we decide we want another child there are plenty of options out there. Any child we raise, Halyn, will be
ours
, and I will love him or her just as much as I do you and Liev.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.” He hoped she could hear the honesty in his tone. He’d never spoken truer words in his life.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t—”

“Shh, Halyn. Don’t dwell on it. We start fresh.” He found himself holding his breath as he waited for her answer.

It didn’t come verbally but she nodded, her expression a complete opposite from when he’d mentioned Ernest Macklin. Then it had spat fire and daggers, now it overflowed with love.

“I love you, Enzo. Both you and Liev.”

“I know you do, sweetheart, I’m just glad you’re actually saying it. I’ve wanted to hear those words from your mouth for a long time now.”

Their lips met and it went from gentle to explosive in moments. He wrapped her tight, devouring her with an insatiable hunger. Blood thundered to his cock and he thrust against her, loving her whimper as she undulated against him.

“Keep this up,” he murmured against her mouth, unwilling to let her go. “And I’ll have your dress up around your waist and my cock buried deep inside you.”

Her response was to attack his belt and zipper. He got the message, then he was moaning in pure pleasure as he sank balls deep inside her wet heat.

“Oh…Enzo…I… You…”

He thrust into her with hard fast strokes. “Come for me, sweetheart. Coat my cock with your cream.”

Her nails dug into his arms as he utilised the wall behind her for support. He pounded, unrelenting. He watched her face and kissed her fiercely as her internal muscles gripped him hard. She came with a rush, screaming her release into his mouth. Three strokes more and he answered with a roar of his own and spilled his seed into her.

It hadn’t been gentle. It hadn’t been anything more than animalistic mating. Raw and primal. He didn’t care and from the satisfied grin on her face, he’d bet she didn’t either.

He kissed her softly. “I love you, Halyn.”

“You know Mila’s going to kill me if I don’t get back to the party.”

He withdrew and put himself away, watching with hunger as she fixed her dress. When she looked at him, he lifted an eyebrow.

A smile appeared on her face. “I love you too, Enzo. But I really need to get back there.”

“Are we okay?”

She took his hand. “We will be.”

That’s what he needed to hear.

* * * *

Seventeen months later

“Mama!”

Enzo reached out to grab Liev as he thundered past him. “What did I tell you about running in the house?”

“Not to do it, but I have to find Mama.”

Halyn watched them from the corner of her eye as she finished up in the kitchen. “I’m right here, Liev.” She couldn’t get over how it felt to have him call her Mama. It had reduced her to tears the day she had first heard it. “What’s up?”

“Uncle Gio and Aunt Jaydee are here along with Nonna and Nonno.”

“You should go to the door and let them in then. Just make sure you walk, please.”

She shook her head as her husband of a year and their son had a chat in Italian before Liev walked to the door. Enzo came to her side in the kitchen and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“Ready for this?”

“It’s a bit late to be worrying about that now, don’t you think? Your family is invading.”

“It could be worse, Valentino and Zia could be here as well.”

“Aren’t they coming next week?”

“It’s still not all at once.”

She smacked him on the stomach. “Go say hi. I’ll be right there, just have to get the cake out of the fridge and the food out of the oven.”

He kissed her, popped her on the ass then went to greet his family. She took her time, watching everyone as they entered. The triplets were mobile and getting into almost everything and Antonia and Giuseppe looked wonderful, as did Gio and Jaydee. Granted she saw them more often, but it was nice to have family gathered. Her parents were already here.

Once everything sat on the counter, she washed her hands and picked up one more thing before leaving the kitchen.

“Let me see,” Antonia said, hurrying over to her side. “My newest grandbaby.”

As everyone gathered around, Enzo slipped an arm around her and kissed her temple. Halyn moved the blanket back and everyone stared down at the bundle in her arms.

“This is Gina.” She touched her knuckle to the smooth brown cheek of the two-month-old in her arms. At the contact, Gina’s eyes opened and she looked around, almost unsure but then she saw Enzo and smiled at him.

“Meet your family, baby girl,” Enzo said.

In the next minute, Gina had been taken and was being passed around. Liev stayed near whomever had her, hovering protectively over his baby sister. They’d been looking to adopt since they’d got married, and Gina had come to them a week ago. A beautiful, healthy baby girl and Halyn couldn’t have been happier.

“I love you, wife.”

Resting her head on Enzo’s chest she sighed contentedly. Her life was perfect. “Love you, too.” He’d told her she was his harbour of refuge, well, he was hers as well. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Also available from Total-E-Bound Publishing:

In Aeternum: Casanova in Training

Aliyah Burke

Excerpt

Chapter One

Rain ran in rivulets from both his black coat and the brim of his cover. Lieutenant Commander Giovanni Cassano barely moved, even with the loud and angry retorts of gunfire. The noise sounded ominous. Three sets of shots fired by the seven impassive men. He flexed one hand into a fist before relaxing and allowing the smooth glove to straighten.

Through the dreariness, the beginning notes of Taps started to play, weaving in and out of the raindrops with haunting precision. His right hand snapped up in a sharp salute as his shoulders automatically squared even more.

With a deep breath, he fixated on the casket and the two stoic men who had the honour and privilege of folding the flag. Their movements precise and perfected. Each of the thirteen folds corresponded to an important meaning and allowed him to see the wet gloves the men wore. White cotton to his black leather.

First fold was representative of life. He swallowed hard and blinked. Two, three and four took place. The fifth fold, a tribute to the country. Tears burned the corners of his eyes. Six, seven, eight and nine. The tenth fold was a tribute to fathers, for they, too, had given both sons and daughters for the protection of the country since they were first born.

Stiffening his spine, Giovanni clenched his jaw as he watched the remaining three folds to complete the thirteen, so the flag looked like a cocked hat. A reminder of the soldiers who served under George Washington, the sailors and marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, and all those men and women who followed them in the United States Armed Forces, preserving the rights, privileges and freedoms enjoyed today. As the two men finished folding, the final poignant note faded from the air. And the salutes ended.

He stood ramrod straight. Only his gaze moved as he tracked the presenter who paused before the slender auburn-haired woman clad in black. Michelle Walker. She sat there under a canopy beside her father to accept the flag.

None of the military members there seemed affected by the steady downpour.

“On behalf of a grateful nation,” the presenter said, offering the folded flag.

Giovanni saw Michelle hesitate. The man with the flag waited, unmoving, until she finally took it. His hand rose into a salute and, when she gave him a nod, he completed it. The rain increased but Giovanni watched Michelle hold the flag to her chest.

Over the pounding of the rain came the unmistakable sound of fighter jets. He lifted his gaze to see the four planes scream overhead, his heart clenched with a mixture of pain and regrets that he wasn’t even close to being ready to face. A lone jet peeled off and his heart did that same thing again. It should have been him up in the one that honoured the fallen man. But no… He had yet to be cleared for flight status.

He ground his jaw and ignored the threatening tears. One by one people filed away, the rain not allowing the mourners any respite. Finally it was him and the two family members. His legs wouldn’t cooperate and he had to force them to move him closer.

Stopping at the middle of the closed casket, he took a deep breath, and snapped a salute. “Goodbye, my friend,” he murmured before lowering his hand and walking off.

Anger ate at his gut. It was never easy to lose a member of the military. However, when it was a fellow pilot and best friend, it became that much harder.

“Giovanni?” a rattled yet distinctly feminine voice reached him. And halted him.

He swallowed before pivoting around to face her.
Damn it!
For a brief second he was seeing him again. Alive and well. Michael Walker. Sidewinder. Best friend.

She moved closer, the folded flag still clasped tightly to her chest. It hurt looking at her. Mike’s twin. A softer, feminine version of Michael, but he was still there in her delicate features.