It was our first full day in Italy. My allergy had completely died down after the third glass of that tea Lucas had made me though I was sure it had more to do with me being enfolded in Lucas's arms as he took me in every way through the night. Lucas got the kids ready for our day at the beach, while I packed all the stuff we needed.
I rolled my window down, sucking in the sharp crisp air through my nose as we took the drive through the quaint town leading to the beach. Despite the rowdiness of the tourists and visitors making their way about, taking pictures of the timbered buildings on the sidewalk next to the narrow road, it still retained its old-fashioned yet attractive vibe and that charm of a small town. It was different from everything I had always known and I was grateful for the change, having lived all of my life in the noisy and overcrowded atmosphere of the city.
"How are you feeling now?" Lucas's voice startled me back to the present.
I turned to find him staring at me as he maneuvered the car through the streets.
"Much better, all thanks to you." I gave him a small smile and leaned back into the seat, turning to the kids who were focused on their Ipads in the back seat. They had successfully convinced Elmo's owners that they could take care of him for one day and from the look of it, the dog seemed to be glad to tag along as he sat between the twins. "So who's excited for the beach today?"
"Me," they chorused in an excited tone but did not bother to look up from their gadgets.
"What are you both watching?' I asked curiously.
"We want to make a sandcastle at the beach so we're learning how to," Abby answered first.
Aiden raised his head briefly asked, "Daddy we can make a sandcastle can't we?"
"Of course you can buddy, and don't worry, Chris and I will be right here to help you with that."
"I wish Zoey were here," Abby spoke, finally looking up. Without her asking, I could already tell what she was thinking from the grim expression replacing her smile.
"And aunt Mia too," Aiden chipped in.
Lucas adjusted his mirror so he could see their faces, "They'll be joining us next week."
While the kids expressed their excitement, I raised an amused brow at him, "Next week?"
"Hmm-hmm," he nodded. "You don't want them to come?"
"Of course I do," I chuckled, "I was just hoping we could get some...some alone time before you know...they're here."
He gave me an amused yet charming smile, "who said we won't get any alone time?"
I looked behind at the kids—they were now researching the different kinds of sea life they could find here in Milan and the dog who was trying to take a peek too—and back at Lucas, "we won't be getting any."
He chuckled and with one hand on the wheel, he took my hand in his other, brushing a light kiss on my fingers, "Don't freak out, but I have something special planned out for you, " he leaned closer., dropping his voice lower and said suggestively, "and trust me, it will give us plenty of alone time."
My cheeks burned at the thought of what he could mean by that and even more, my curiosity inched higher as I considered what surprise he could possibly be planning. Joy and curiousity invaded my heart and a giggle burst out as I managed to let an "Okay," slip past my lips.
"Okay?" he raised a brow.
"That's all I'm going to say if you do not want me to freak out," I said, smiling so hard I thought my face would freeze any moment.
***
We arrived at the beach and everyone piled out of the car. Abby and Aiden were on their heels first, racing and hoping as fast as their tiny legs could carry them towards the turquoise blue waters.
"Hey wait up!" I called, attempting to go after them, but not before Lucas caught me in his firm hold. "Lucas, I need to stop them from going in the water with their clothes on."'
"It's not a mortal sin f they do," he grinned, holding me firmly to his chest. "we're on vacation, anything is allowed. Actually, I might just decide to go swimming in these," he waved his hand over his body covered in a pair of white jeans and an Aloha shirt that did not do the least to hide his taut muscled body. "You should try it too."
"Of course I will, I mean it's not like I spent two hours trying to find the perfect outfit to impress a certain someone today," I feigned annoyance and yanked my hand away from his.
He held me back, brushing his lips over my collar bone, "You don't have to try too hard to impress me, Chris. I love you and I want you any way I can have you, you know that."
"Well, it doesn't hurt to try once in a while," I said teasingly and fingered the hem of the maxi dress I had thrown on this morning. The blue, light cotton fabric was anything but suggestive or lewd, I could not say the same though for the bikini I had thoughtfully picked out this morning with the sole purpose of driving my boyfriend crazy.
"Now I'm dying to see what you have on underneath this,"
I stood on my toes and pressed a soft kiss on his chin, then muttered, "Patience," With a light giggle, I stalked away from him to meet the kids.
Finding a great spot was easy, seeing as we were the only occupants on the beach. That was a little confusing, seeing as on our way here tourists piled the way and I was sure a few of them would have loved to spend some time here at the beach on this warm and humid day.
Lucas was busy laying out the contents of the picnic basket I had taken along, while I set up towels on the smooth white sand. "Is the beach closed today?" I asked, curiously.
"Yup, for us it is."
I frowned as I tried to articulate my confusion. "For us?"
"I rented it out." he said with a shrug, "We're the only ones allowed into this property for the next few hours, and maybe the security I had at the entrance."
"Is it even possible to rent out a public property?" I said, staring at him. There were only a few moments like these when I got to remember that my boyfriend was not only the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company but also had more money and power than most people could ever dream of having in three lifetimes.
And he was mine, just like I was his.
"It's private." he corrected, wiping some sand off his palm, "it cost a fortune, but I do not mind spending that a hundred times more as long as I get to keep that smile on your face."
It was my turn to reassure him. "You do not have to do so much to make me happy, Lucas. I am happy as long as we're together."
"Then I can assure that you will always be happy because I never intend to leave you ever again." his gaze sharpened as his eyes held mine, "I belong to you and I will never leave you."
His word hit me like a blow in the lungs and I sucked in a sharp breath, willing my legs not to give out from all the emotion coursing through me.
I belong to you.
What could I have done so good to deserve this man? Because in all honesty, I did not deserve Lucas.
"I love you," I whispered, stepping closer to cup his cheeks and press a soft kiss on his lips.
I felt him suck in a sharp breath through our kiss, but he said nothing else. He said nothing else, but I could feel him pour the unspoken words in the way his arms wrapped possessively around my waist, the way he claimed my mouth like it was his, invading my mouth and sucking my tongue in his. He did not have to say anything else, he loved me and I had more than enough proof.
"Let's get into the water," he said huskily when we pulled apart.
If my thoughts were not all messed up from our kiss, I would have bothered to remember we had an audience of two very underaged kids who probably should not be seeing their dad and his girlfriend making out on the beach. Thankfully, Lucas reminded me before my dirty mind advised me to take it forward.
"The kids must be waiting."
"Yeah, the kids." I said chuckling, "I totally forgot."
'I know," he grinned, like he knew exactly what effect his body so close to mine had around me. Well, he was not the only one that was great at torture.
In a smooth move, I pushed the dress over my head, grinning at Lucas's expression as I discarded the coverup.
He growled, eyes roaming hungrily over my body. When I picked out the green bikini this morning, I knew it was just the perfect one and I was getting the exact reaction I dreamed of. Turning around, I got to my knees giving him a better view of my ass and ignoring his light growl as I reached for the sunscreen.
Finally, he spoke and when he did his voice told me he wanted to do anything but keep his hands to himself. "Jesus, Christine! Are you trying to drive me crazy?"
"Well that was the first part of the plan," I said with a wink.
"And the second part?"
"You'll just have to wait to find out later." I turned in the direction of the kids before he had the chance to reach out for me.
***
We spent all afternoon playing with the kids. It was easier for Lucas to focus on any other thing when most of my body was submerged underwater so I stayed swimming longer than the others. We had chicken fights and played a game Aiden called, "who can stay underwater longer." He lost terribly though since neither he nor Abby could stay for longer than five seconds.
It was surprising to see how easily the kids got comfortable with the water, I for one did not know the first thing about swimming until 18. Abby, being Abby had made a new friend in a crab she saw struggling to crawl. A closer inspection by Lucas revealed that it had broken one limb and although she could not get close enough to touch it, she had insisted we made a home for it. So we spent the next hour building a fortified sandcastle for Mr crab. I did not want to ruin her high hopes by telling her once the waves rose the castle would crumble to its feet and Mr. Crabby—as she named it— just might be homeless again.
After making the sandcastle, Lucas suggested we settled for lunch. By Lunch, the term meant was a variety of every possible picnic meal, courtesy of Mrs. Bambilla. She had insisted on having every item on the menu packed for us and although I felt the need to inform her that we really did not need so much food, I did not bother with it. The woman had a mind of her own.
"Whoa!" Abby said eyes wide as she tried to lift the large crab laid on the tray. "Is this Mr crabby?"
Lucas shook his head, chuckling, "No princess, this is not Mr. Crabby."
"Mr. Crabby is way smaller," Aiden noted, he had no problem eating. He held Elmo next to him, as he tried to stuff some cheese down the poor canine's throat. I made a mental note to get some real dog food on our way back home.
"But it looks like him," she got to her feet and raced to the sandcastle, possibly to make sure it was not her dear new friend laid out as lunch for us.
"See?" Lucas said when she returned.
With a more convincing smile, she took her seat again. And just when we thought the crab phase was over she paused, staring at her plate. "I don't think it's right to eat him."
"Abby, this is not Mr. Crabby. I promise." I said softly. urging her to eat her meal.
"But it might be his mommy or daddy," she gasped at the last part. On most days, her innocence was the most adorable.
"Yes sweetie, but it's not wrong to eat it, it's made for eating," I explained. Lucas had already given up.
"But then it won't have a mommy if we eat this now, just like me." her face slowly morphed into sadness at the reminder. It was the usual reaction and I was sure Aiden would have reacted the same if his focus was no completely on feeding Elmo.
I looked at Lucas, weighing his reaction. He said nothing, his expression was stoic, betraying no emotion, but I knew without a doubt what seeing Abby or Aiden did to him. I took could feel my blood boiling at the reminder of the large void Sarah had left in both Lucas and the twins' lives. But how I felt was the least important right now. Lucas might have recovered from that woman but the kid's though they never met her still had a long way to go, especially if they got on the brink of tears every time they remembered her non-existence in their lives. I licked my dry lips, thinking of how to steer the ship around quickly.
"It's fine if you do not want to eat this," I said quickly, exchanging her plate with another full of berries. "We don't have to eat your friend's mommy. And I have a great idea on how to make Mr. Crabby recover even faster."
She looked at me, her sky blue eyes wide and bright with hope, "You do?"
I nodded, returning the smile that now crept up her face, "We'll feed it some of these," I held up a berry, "fruits always help anyone recover fast."
"Really?"
"Yes princess," I said, and ran my fingers through her blonde hair, "come on now, eat quickly we have a crab to feed."
Feeling satisfied at having changed the sour topic, I looked at Lucas again. His expression had not changed but he still mouthed a small thanks to me. We would deal with the issue of how the kids felt on this topic later, but for now, all I could do was offer him a small smile that I hope said loud enough that I was here for him.
****
That evening, I joined Lucas on the balcony of our bedroom after putting the kids to sleep. He had one hand in his pocket as he stared out into the fields. After we had christened it last night, it had a different outlook, but it was still my favorite spot in this mansion.
I held out a cup of coffee for him. "Are you reciprocating last night?" he asked, his smile faint as he took the cup from me.
"Blow on it, it's hot," I said, imitating his words last night. My light-hearted comment elicited a soft chuckle from him.
"The kids in bed?"
"Hmm," I nodded, taking a sip.
He turned back to the fields and muttered a "Thank you." after a brief pause.
"No thank you, for today. I really loved the beach." he did not answer, instead, he shrugged. With a small sigh, I reached for his chin and made him look at me. "But you do know you did not have to hide your real reaction from me today."
"What are you talking about?" the way his body stiffened at the reminder of what happened today betrayed his feigned ignorance.
"Lucas I was not joking when I said I trust you. I love you and I trust you and I know now that I'm the one you love not Sarah. It's okay for you to show how upset her name makes you. Unlike before, I know now that it's not because you love her or miss her. It's not wrong for you to feel indifferent to a woman who hurt you and the twins so much."
Finally, he conceded to his feelings and he wore his emotions on his face. "I just hate seeing my kid's so upset because of her."
"That's natural. She left them." with a small voice, I added, "and you too."
"That part does not matter anymore because I have you, forever right?"
"Forever," I promised, resisting the urge to kiss him. I still had one more thing to tell him before I got drunk on a kiss from him. "And you need to know that even though I have no intentions of taking her place in their lives, I love Aiden and Abby and I will always be here for them too."
"Are you saying you never want them to call you mom?" he sounded hurt.
He left me lost for words for a second. I wanted more than anything to hear Abby and Aiden call me mom, but I was not sure Lucas was ready for the implication that would mean. "Of course not." I finally found my voice, "I was just of the opinion that you enjoyed being their only parent." and I'm not sure you want to marry me.
"I do," he cupped my chin and kissed me briefly, "but if I ever want to share that role with anyone I would not think twice about making that person you Chris."
"Really?"
"Really. I know I have made terrible relationship choices in the past, but I know I am not wrong when I say that I want you to be the mother of my children and I'm not just talking about Abigail and Aiden."
Oh God, this man.
I blinked back the tears swimming in my eyes. Hold it together Chris. He's not fucking asking you to marry him so don't go screwing this up by making any dumb statements.
"Please say something," Lucas spoke drawing me from my thoughts and I realized I had gone a few seconds without responding to his words.
And when I spoke, it was just a jumbled stutter. "I-I don't know what to say."
With a defeated sigh, he pulled back and raked his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry for springing that up on you like that. I know you shouldn't have to be coerced into accepting that invitation."
I could sense a pattern coming up, I had had the same reaction the day he asked me to be his girlfriend and he had initially mistaken it as my refusal. "You don't have to coerce me, Lucas," I said softly, intertwining my hands in his, "I would gladly carry an entire battalion of babies for you." Actually, if Celine's calculation was right, I just might be carrying the first of that battalion already.
A slow grin spread across his face, but behind that, I could see the relief. "A battalion seems like much, but I'm not complaining."
Tugging on his hands, I pulled him along and led him back into our bedroom.
"We're going somewhere?" he looked at me, confused.
"Well Mr. Maxwell, you may or may not know this, but to make an army of little soldiers running around the place, we need some practice," to emphasize, I reached for the hem of my shirt and tugged it off, I had never been more thankful for a braless dress.
"Oh really?" he stepped closer, eyes narrowing on my hardened nubs, "I wonder what that practice would involve."
"Well I would like to tell you but why say when you can show instead," I dropped to my knees and reached for the button on his slacks.
With a lustful groan, he said, "I definitely don't mind some show not tell."