Second Chance at Love (Love Conquers All) (31 page)

Now it was his turn to take control as he lifted her hips giving him deeper penetration. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and the cords of muscles in his neck strained as he drove into his wife over and over again, each time going deeper and deeper.

He grabbed her hands and held them over her head when she tried to stroke his chest with her fingertips. “You had your turn, now it’s mine,” he roughly grunted as he buried his head in the crook of her neck.

Karen could hardly catch her breath as his hips became pistons. She didn’t think he would ever stop. Just as she was about to beg for mercy, his body stiffened before shaking with the magnitude of a category seven earthquake. She didn’t know if it was the violent convulsing of his large frame or the loud roar going through her, but one of them sent her falling over the cliff right along with him.

The following week Karen and Dom enjoyed every minute of their unconventional honeymoon. One would have thought with such a honeymoon the bride would get saddled down with the chores of preparing meals, making the bed, washing dishes and such. But that was not the case for Karen. Her groom had planned well.

For starters, he hired a staff of two from one of those maid services to cater to their every need for the week. Karen didn’t have to lift a finger to do anything.

They enjoyed days sleeping in past nine, which was very late for them, and nights of making love and talking into the wee hours of the morning about any and anything. One of the conversations Karen had been itching to have with Dom was his ability to afford buying the brownstone, renovating it, and the expensive bedroom furnishings.

She’d pick what she thought was the perfect timing to broach the subject. They had just finished making love for the third time that night. Propping herself up on her elbow, she gently stroked the five o’clock shadow on his jaw. “Um…Dom?”

Eyes closed while enjoying her tender touch, he answered, “Yeah, babe?”

She squirmed, pulling the sheet up to cover her breasts. She rolled her eyes when Dom yanked the sheet back down. “How can you afford the house, this furniture and that bathroom?” she questioned pointing to the luxurious dwelling. “It’s almost exactly like the one we were watching on HGTV.”

She thought she’d been dreaming the first night she got up and went to the bathroom. Flicking on the light, she immediately noticed that the area had been extended by knocking down the wall of the adjacent bedroom, making that bedroom much smaller than the others. This made the master bathroom enormous. The flooring, double vanity top, and corner whirlpool tub were a gorgeous beige Italian marble. Tipping onto the natural stone flooring she had expected it to be chilly. To her amazement the floor was warm! Running over to the wall near the door to check, sure enough, there was a timer to heat the flooring in the winter months.

The walk-in shower stall surrounded by glass tile in warm earth tones was designed for two with individual showerheads and faucets. What she really loved about the shower stall was that it doubled as a steam bath, wooden bench and all.

Between the espresso drawers on the double vanity and the two large linen closets with espresso shutter doors, there was plenty of storage for linen and other things. Karen couldn’t help yelling, “Shut up!” when she opened one of the closet doors to find a contraption resembling a small microwave. Karen slowing pulled the door open on the microwave-looking appliance to find bath towels neatly folded and toasty warm. A towel warmer! She was tempted to take a shower just to feel the warm cotton against her skin.

Dom propped up on his elbow. Staring in her eyes, his tone became serious. “Babe, I didn’t want to tell you this until after we got married.”

Karen’s heart began to pound with anxiety. This man was not about to tell her he was some shady character. “Oh, God. What, Dom?”

“I’m a made man.”

“You’re what! As in a made man with the mafia!” Karen shrieked loud enough to wake the dead. Immediately the television show
Who the Bleep Did I Marry?
came to mind.

Dom fell over, roaring with laughter. The look on her face was priceless. She looked as if she didn’t know if she wanted to run, cry or scratch his eyes out. Knowing his wife, she wanted to do all of the above.

Grabbing the closest pillow, Karen started to beat him with it. “You are so not funny Dominic Peretti, Jr.!”

Wrestling the pillow from her, Dom pinned her down beneath his weight. “Baby, I’m sorry, but you walked into that one wide open. I couldn’t resist.”

“Get off!” she kicked and shoved. She scooted over to the other side of the bed, snatching the sheet to cover her naked body. Crossing her arms over her chest, she wanted to be mad, but couldn’t. Dom was still howling with laughter…at her. She used her foot to nudge him. “Stop laughing at me.”

“Baby, I’m all legit. My dad put money away for me and Ava when we were born to be used for our education and marriages. Ava’s was to pay for her wedding and mine was to buy a home for my new wife.”

“Oh,” Karen said, feeling like a big idiot.

Dom lifted a thick brow at her. “That’s all you can say is “Oh?”

Tucking her head in embarrassment, she apologized. “I’m sorry. It’s just that you’ve put so much money into this house.” What she didn’t say was that she felt bad she hadn’t contributed to the purchasing of their new home. She would have liked to help out with something, especially since he made it clear that he would be responsible for the household finances once they married.

Wrapping his large hand around her slender ankle, he pulled her until she was in his arms again. “I just told you money wasn’t an issue. My pop invested well. We’re cool. I didn’t break the bank.”

“Promise?”

Easing Karen on her back, he began kissing her neck. “Promise.”

Ashley and Kyle were ecstatic about the move to their new home. Of course they were a little sad about leaving their friends from the old neighborhood. At least they didn’t have to make new friends at school. Lucky for them they would remain at their old school until the end of the school year.

All these things were minor details to the siblings, because they had gotten what they planned and schemed for – a father. And what a father he’d turned out to be. It was as if Dom had been there all along. Never once did they feel they had to share Dom with their mother or vice versa. The four of them were a perfectly blended family.

To say Dom took to fatherhood like a fish to water was an understatement. Every decision he made, his family was his number one priority, even when it came to decisions concerning his career. After talking things over with Karen, he decided to take his father up on his offer to run Peretti Construction. Making the move was a win-win situation. The company was financially stable and now led by a third generation Peretti. Dominic had the flexibility to set his own schedule to fit the needs of his family. The best perk was the salary his father had agreed to pay him.

As winter blossomed into spring, Dom made sure he picked Kyle up from every soccer practice and was at every game in the stands with Karen and Ashley cheering him on. And you couldn’t tell him he wasn’t the proudest father as he escorted Ashley to the Father-Daughter Spring Dance. Each morning before he left out for work, he walked through the living room and admired the 8x10 of him and his princess on the mantle. He’d never forget how happy she was that night introducing him to all her friends and teachers.

The greatest joy for the family came in May when the adoption was finalized and Ashley and Kyle became Perettis. Of course, this was another reason for the family to come together for a celebration.

Ashley and Kyle officially becoming Perettis wasn’t the only cause for celebration. After the children and babysitter had gone up to the third floor to play, Ava and Langston made their announcement. “We’re pregnant.”

“The baby is due in late September,” Ava said.

“I knew it! I told you Henry!” Joan laughed, nudging her husband.

Henry hugged his wife, teasing, “So there’s some truth to those crazy fish dreams.”

“Absolutely!” Her wise eyes settled on each of the younger women. “And she ain’t the only one either. I had me another dream the other night about a big old fat fish.”

Summer, Karen and Starr suspiciously eyed each other. Before the sisters could deny it was either of them, Summer blurted out, “Okay, it’s me! I’m the other one.” Turning on Karen, she playfully accused, “It’s all your fault.”

“My fault!” Laughing, she said, “You better talk to your husband.”

Summer waved her hand. She gave Nick a demur smile. “Oh, it’s his fault, too.”

“You wasn’t saying that when—”

The room erupted in laughter as Summer dashed across the room, jumped in Nick’s lap, and slapped her hand across his mouth. “As I was saying Karen, it’s your fault,” eying Dom, “and your fault, too. I’m due in December, so that means I probably got pregnant in March. The night of your wedding.” Removing her hand from her husband’s mouth, she gave him a peck on his full lips. “That was the most romantic wedding. I just couldn’t help myself.”

Ava smirked. “Yeah, I bet you couldn’t. Everybody knows you and Nick hump like rabbits.”

Summer flushed with embarrassment. “Do not!”

Nick flashed a devilish grin. Burying his head in the crook of her neck, he whispered for her ears only, “Yes, we do. Girl, you know you love it.”

Giggling, Summer swatted his arm. Hopping off his lap, she scolded, “Stop being so fresh!”

Smoothing the invisible wrinkles from her navy dress, Summer beamed, “So Ava, when are we going shopping for maternity clothes?”

Kevin slapped Nick and Langston on the back. “Better you than me,” he barked with laughter. He and Starr had decided that twenty-three-month-old Sydney, Kalvin and Shayla were a handful. If another baby was in their future, it would have to wait until the tots were at least four years old.

Starr lifted an amused brow.
Putting her hands on full, curvy hips, she cocked her head to the side, grinning at her husband. “Sucker, I know you ain’t even trying to play me up in here.”

“Baby—” Kevin nervously chuckled. The gleam in his wife’s eyes told him she was about to put him on full blast. He didn’t have time to plead his case.

All the women in the room snickered when Starr cut him off with the universal talk to the hand cause I ain’t trying to hear it sign. “Um… wasn’t it you just last night bragging, ‘damn girl, I’m ‘bout to make a baby up in here.’”

This time all the men roared. It was Kevin’s best friend Nick who ribbed, “Man, you got the woman why you still using those corny ass player lines.”

Another roar of laughter went up when Kevin flipped his middle finger at Nick.

Dom slapped Kevin on the back. “Come on man, let’s go in the kitchen and grab a beer.”

Standing, Kevin rolled his eyes at Nick. “At least
somebody
got my back.”

Nick grabbed his chest as he and the other men followed Dom, “Brother, you wound me.”

Donna waited until the men exited the room. She had news she had been busting at the seams for months to share with her daughters and new sisterhood. What she had to tell them, she and Patrick didn’t want to disclose until there was absolute proof.

“Alright ladies, I have something I’ve been dying to tell you.”

Nita reached forward from her place on the sofa. Picking up a napkin from the coffee table, she dropped two petite spring rolls in the center. “Ooh, this sounds good.”

Donna winked at her. “It is.”

Karen gestured with her hand to hurry the story long. “Mommy, please.”

“For real,” Starr cosigned. She and Karen talked amongst themselves about the many mysterious trips Patrick had taken back and forth to New Orleans. When they questioned their mother, her lips were superglue sealed.

“Don’t you two start on me. I’ll take my own good time.”

“Donna, would you please just spit it out,” Janet sighed. The suspense was killing her like everyone else in the room.

Donna chuckled. “Oh, alright. But y’all are not going to believe me.”