Saving Innocence (Luca and Caden #2) (manxman) (boyxboy)

Chapter Two

Caden

That damn letter. I swear to God, I wish we could forget that letter even exists. It's caused nothing but problems since. Problems we don't need.

We've been happy. So happy my heart aches even thinking about the last few years.

Sometimes I find it hard to believe that we've come this far. Luca, my beautiful, sweet, sexy Luca is my husband. He's come so far since all that stuff with his father. The man I lie next to every night is a man so totally different, yet so totally the person I fell in love with. He shows everyone how strong he is every single day and I feel lucky, blessed even, that I get to share his life with him.

"Where's daddy?" Aria's soft voice snaps me out of my daydream.

I peal open my eyes and look down at her and then at the empty space in the bed beside me. Luca must have decided to give his mom a heads up before we bring the girls.

"Daddy's gone out for a little while. But he'll be back soon and we'll bring you to your grandma's house then."

She doesn't look happy, so I reach out and pull her up into the bed with me. Thankfully the covers are hiding my nakedness.

"Can we go now?"

"No, sweetheart. But soon, I promise."

"Love you, dad."

"Love you, too, baby girl."

"I'm gonna watch TV."

She jumps off the bed and races out the door, leaving it open. I grab my boxers from the floor and put them on as discretely as I can before heading over to close the door.

I hear the TV going in the playroom and the sound of my little girl's happy chatter flowing up the hall.

I can't believe I'm actually a father. It seems so unreal.

I get dressed, check on the girls and then I head downstairs to the kitchen. Smiling, my eyes fall on the pancakes beside the microwave. I remove the tin foil and start tearing strips off and popping them in my mouth. I glance at the clock that reads eight fifteen and wonder if Luca is really gone to his moms. It seems a little early to be going over, but I know Maria is an early riser, too.

One thing I haven't gotten the hang of is the early mornings. Before the girls, we used to stay in bed for hours and just make out and make love, not rushing or feeling the need to get up or do anything else. Those days were amazing. But these ones are equally amazing, just a little different.

Once I pop the last bit of pancake in my mouth, the front door opens. I smile and look down the hall as Luca closes the door behind himself and heads in my direction. He takes my breath away even now. The attraction hasn't died in the slightest. If anything, it's grown stronger and far more powerful with all the years we've been together.

"Morning."

"Morning, angel."

I pull him against me and press my mouth to his. Our tongues explore each other's mouth. My hands move down his back to his ass and I squeeze the round globes in my hands.

He tastes like Pepsi and has that uniquely Luca scent that drives me insane. I push him up against the countertop and tangle my fingers in his hair, deepening the kiss. Lust surges through my body and I claw at his clothes, stripping them off his body before lowering my mouth. I kiss his neck and his chest and every part of his body I can reach.

"Jesus fuck," he groans, which makes me smile. I love hearing my angel cursing. And I love knowing I'm the reason he's cursing.

"You taste so good," I growl.

"Caden!"

He starts tugging off my clothes. So I pull back and strip out of my clothes before going back and attacking him with my mouth. He grunts and groans and whispers "yes" and "Oh God, Caden" several times. The words act as an accelerant and make me crave him even more. So much so, that we find ourselves on the floor, with me thrusting in him, our fingers laced together, and our mouths together.

I keep trusting and trusting and I feel myself growing close. His head falls back and his neck arches and he lets out a semi-loud cry of pleasure and then the two of us come together. Me deep inside him and him all over the two of us.

I collapse on top him and he wraps his arms around me, holding me close.

"That was..."

"Yeah," he pants.

Upstairs, we hear the sound of the girls calling for us. Their voices as sweet as ever. But right this moment, I wish they weren't calling for us. It means we have to move and I want more kitchen sex.

The voices grow even louder so I pull away from Luca and kiss the tip of his nose. "Tonight?"

He shoots me this breathtakingly beautiful smile and nods. "Tonight."

"Miei piccoli tesori," Maria says when she opens the door to us. She leans down and holds out her arms for the girls to jump into them. Of course the girls leap into her arms like they always do and she carries them inside, practically forgetting about us.

"I'm so happy to see you both." She showers them in kisses and they giggle.

"Nonnina, stop."

"Never!"

Luca smiles at me and presses a kiss to the side of my head before sitting on the couch.

"Caden, sit down, you're making me nervous."

"Yes, mam."

She rolls her eyes and acts like she's going to kick me. I jump over her foot, smiling and she shakes her head.

"You'd think you were afraid of little old me."

"Little old you? Heh. You might be little, but you're still my mother-in-law, so scary comes with the territory," I tease.

"And what are you here for exactly? To give me my grandbabies like I always hoped."

"Sure. You can have them."

"Dad!" The girls sound offended. It's funny. Hilarious, even.

I roll my eyes and lean over to kiss each of their cheeks. "Sorry, babies." I look at Maria, who can't help but smile. "Sorry, Maria. They wanted to see their granny, so here we are."

"I suppose I can put up with you both to see my girls."

"Jeez, nice to know we're wanted."

I sit beside Luca on the couch and watch as Maria plays with the girls. Luca's smiling, he almost always is these days, but there's something there, a sadness, a fear. I hate seeing it there. It shouldn't be there. But I know there's nothing I can do to chase it away. Not after yesterday.

"You okay?" I whisper.

He blinks, like he's not even here with us, and smiles ruefully. "Yeah, sorry. I guess I got lost in my head again."

I bump my nose against his. "Want to go somewhere and talk while your mom has the girls?"

He presses his lips together in a thin line, his expression thoughtful. Part of me expects him to say no and leave it at that, but another part hopes deeply that he'll say yes and we'll go somewhere quiet and discuss it. I don't like the idea of him facing this alone. It means the demons from the past could win. Alone, we're both easily destroyed. But together we can face anything.

"Mamma?"

"Yes, il mio tesoro."

"Could you watch the girls for a little while? Caden and I need to talk."