I close Romeo's door over quietly, tiptoeing across the landing and back into the bedroom. We're at the safe house while the renovations take place in our house and the floors are unnaturally squeaky.
"Why are you tiptoeing?" Luca raises an eyebrow.
"Because children sleeping." I look at the empty bed, Roman and Asher had a problem with some of the Japanese gangs, they're sorting that out now and staying at the house because i don't want them to bring their work back to where the kids are.
I smile at Luca, "Have rubbers?"
He smiles back, "You just told me to be quiet."
"I can keep quiet." I get into bed, "If you go slow."
"Arabella Reign, you dirty girl." He opens a drawer, pulling out a box of condoms.
I pull my thongs off, only wearing Asher's shirt anyway, i stay under the covers because the last thing i need is for one of the children to walk in while i'm riding Luca like there's no tomorrow.
He takes his pants and shirt off, getting on top of me but under the covers too. I take the condom off him, holding his jaw as i kiss him softly.
Haven't had time to fuck them with everything going on, or when we try to, something comes up. The kids usually don't interrupt us.
One time, I was about to get on my knees to suck Romans cock, Romeo walked into my room and i had to pretend i was cleaning under the bed while Roman quickly pulled a blanket over him.
It was funny.
But now, i hope Luca and I get this time for ourselves.
I pull away from the kiss, "You don't have to wear a rubber if you don't want, by the way. I'm more than happy to have a child of yours too."
He stops kissing my neck, looking at me with wide eyes, "Really? You said you only wanted three kids." He looks around my eyes.
I smile, "I want one to you as well, so if you want, we can scrap the rubber and fuck like rabbits."
He laughs, his smile making his eyes crease, "Can we give it until the house is all made up again? And i think Roman and Ash would want to watch if we did." He says, true.
"We can go at whatever pace you want." I rip the rubber wrapper open, taking the condom out and finding his dick while looking at his eyes.
I slide it on, but then remember something and flip us around.
I sit on his hips, looking at the tattoo of my name. "You still have it." I trace my fingers over it.
"Never gonna get rid of it." He trails my hand to a free spot where his ribs are, "Gonna get the kids names here."
I smile widely, pulling the shirt off my body and pressing our chests together as we make out roughly.
The slow and steady didn't last.
The sexual tension was too high.
I get on my hands and knees, facing the headboard as enters me from behind.
I made sure he locked the door.
I bite down on my lip while he thrusts in and out of me, God i forget how good this felt. Fucking in general was something i stopped, this... this needs to become a regular thing.
"Give me your arm." I say quickly.
He holds onto the headboard with one hand and i bite down on his arm, able to muffle my moans a little more.
Fuck me he's so good at this.
I feel myself clench around him, his own small whimpers filling up the room. "Fuck, princess. I can't hold on any longer."
"Let go." I look at my teeth marks on his arm.
His body slouches, sweaty skin over mine as he brings his hand in front to stimulate my clit.
I come straight after him, literally falling. He falls on top of me, still inside of me, both of us breathing heavily.
"Armani, if you don't wake me up with your tongue tomorrow we're going to have problems." I turn my head to the side, looking at his flushed cheeks and tired eyes.
His eyes open a crack, "Return the favour or it won't happen."
I smile, letting him pull out of me and discard of the condom in the trash can. I get up, unlocking the door and walking to the shower quickly.
He follows me, running his hand down my stomach, "How'd you keep in such good shape?"
"Definitely genetics." I face him, looking at his abs. "I missed this." I wrap my arms around him. "Sometimes i think it'll never be the same because of the kids."
He starts washing my back for me, "It's always gonna be the same, princess."
"I hard such a hard time with the pregnancy, just... like. I kept thinking, i have the kids i'm only going to have them. I'm going to choose them over you all and i didn't want to think that." I remember admitting so much to my therapist, i thought i was gonna be a horrible mom. "Can i tell you what i told my therapist?"
"Tell me anything." He starts washing my hair.
"I hate admitting it but i said i would choose you guys over them... merely for the fact that i could have other kids but i could never have another you guys." I pull away, looking at him. "Does that make me a horrible person?"
He shakes his head no , "Roman said the same, you know."
"He did?"
"He was talking to me when we were feeding the horses. He said he'd rather save you over the kids because you can always have more kids but he can never have another you."
Roman would say something like that. I always felt it was so selfish of me to say it but my therapist told me it was actually quite normal. Of course i wouldn't be the same if i lost my babies, but god knows i would never recover if i lost my men.
"It took me so long to come back here, not only because i was working on myself, but because i thought you guys would love them more than me and i couldn't handle being forgotten."
"Arabella, you're my life, princess. You are my love, i never forgot you once and i will never forget you, ever." He holds my face in my hands.
I smile, "I don't care anymore, i think i was just trying to make excuses to postpone seeing you guys but i don't know, it makes me feel like a horrible person."
"You're not a horrible person." He kisses my head.
I know. Everything i was experiencing was normal.
It took me ages to accept that.
We shower silently.
More like, he showers me and i let him baby over me like old times, i put a silk night dress on and slip into bed. He kisses me slowly, "Gonna go check on them." He whispers, walking out of the room.
I close my eyes.
I'm glad they're here. So glad.
Sometimes i need a break from parenting. It's stressful. They can help.
He walks back in a couple minutes later, "Romeos awake." He whispers.
"If you sit by his bed and play with his hair, he'll fall asleep faster." I yawn.
I'm exhausted wow.
"Get some rest, princess." He walks out of the room.
I do end up falling asleep and waking up to Matteo snuggling up to me, the bed empty and not touched.
"Hello." I stretch.
"Hungry." He pinches my stomach.
I smile, pinching his back, "Where's your brother and sister?"
"Sleeping." He pokes my tummy this time, "Hungry."
I know Katrina's staying here with us, along with white a few of Romans men. "Katrina should be downstairs, i'll be there in a second." I kiss his head.
He jumps on the bed before getting off it and runs out of the room.
I force myself to sit up, walking out of the room and into Ilarias room. She had just woke up and was putting her stuffed animals around the bed. "Matty is downstairs getting breakfast." I switch her light on.
She runs over to me with her nightgown on. I lift her up, "Sleep well?"
"Yes." She rests her head in my neck. "Going to Matty."
I let her down and watch as she walks down the stairs before walking into Romeos room.
My heart jumped.
Luca was sleeping on the bed, against the wall with Romeo in front of him.
Luca mustn't have came back to bed with me.
Romeo was sleeping facing him but what was cuter was that Luca was asleep on top of the blanket and there was another blanket over him which meant Romeo put a blanket over him.
Strange enough, because Romeo doesn't sleep with his brother and sister.
I felt like crying, Luca must have did something special for Romeo to let him sleep in the same bed as him.
I leave them be, walking down the stairs to see Asher and Roman were home, Ilaria was voluntarily sitting with Roman.
"Where's pretty boy?" Asher asks.
"Sleeping, Romeo too." I sit on the dining table.
"You wanna rest, love? We got this." Roman smiles at Ilaria. "You look tired."
"I'm okay, just woke up." I look at the pancakes.
I cut them up for the kids, and keep some for Romeo and Luca.
After they eat, i bathe them and braid Ilarias hair while tying Matteo's up at the top of his head, then change them into cute summer clothes.
They're 4 in two weeks.
That's crazy.
I let them run off and eat their leftovers.
Roman watches me, "You only eat their leftovers."
I shake my head, "I eat more than just their leftovers."
"No, i watch you love, you only eat their leftovers. Do you have problems with food?" He frowns.
I smile, he's so cute when he's in caring mood.
"Blondie if you cooked me a four course meal here i would eat all of it and you know that. Their leftovers is easier sometimes." I get off the stool, "Wanna see something cute?"
"I'll stay down here." Asher smiles at his kids.
Roman follows me up the stairs and i open the door to Romeos room, "He put the blanket over Luca." I smile, leaning against him.
His chest raises and falls under me, "What did Armani do for him to do that?"
I look at him, "Don't know, but you should know it isn't a competition. He'll come around in his own time."
He nods his head and like he heard us, Romeos eyes open. He looks at me straight away, "You okay mommy?" He asks.
"I'm good, Roro." I walk to him, "You slept with Luca."
He nods his head, looking at the sleeping man next to him but then at me again, "Sorry."
"Don't be sorry, it's a good thing." I reach over and stroke Luca's hair. He has a meeting in an hour. I should wake him.
Romeo gets off the bed and i shake Luca until his eyes open, "Hm?" He stretches.
"Need to get ready for your meeting." I tap his chin, standing up, Romeo was making his way to the bathroom.
Luca takes a while to get up and i help Romeo shower, assist. He showers on his own.
He picks out his outfit and changes and then grabs onto my pinky as i take him down the stairs, "Hungry?" I ask.
He nods his head, i heat up the pancakes for him and let him eat them.
Luca walks down in a suit, doing up his tie. "Gotta go in early, princess." He kisses my cheek, "Want anything bought home?"
"Sushi." I grab his belt hoop, "What did you do to my baby to let him sleep with you?"
He looks at Romeo still eating, "I pinky promised him i wouldn't tell."
My face drops, "Luca Armani!"
"Gotta go, princess. I'll call you later." He walks to Romeo, ruffling his hair, "See you later, buddy."
"Goodbye papa." Romeo says quietly and Luca stops dead in his tracks.
Roman tenses beside me and Asher looks up.
Luca pouts a little, i could feel he was trying to hold his tears back. "Goodbye." He chokes on his words, looking at Ilaria and Matteo who were completely obnoxious to this situation. "Bye little ones." He kisses them both on the head, wiping his cheeks as he leaves the room.
I look at Romeo who was eating, not realising the effect his words had, or if he did he was masking it.
I look at Roman, bless him he looked a little upset. I nudge his shoulder, "He'll get there, Ro."
"I'm not mad." He pulls me closer to him, "I'm happy."
"Your resting bitch face is telling me otherwise." I scratch the back of his neck. He rests his head on my boobs, i'm noticing he does that a lot more.
"I'm happy he can connect with someone, it's better than nothing." He closes his eyes, speaking from experience.
I look over at Asher who was....
"Ash, baby." I raise an eyebrow, lifting my chin so Roman can turn his head to look at his friend.
Carrying our child by the ankle.
Ash smiles widely, shaking Matteo a little bit which makes his giggle fill up the living room while Ilaria watched, smiling.
It's not dangerous, Asher knows that. Fucking hell, Matteo slides down the stairs on his stomach some times because he can't be bothered to walk down them.
But what the fuck?
He sets Matteo down gently but Matty only laughs, "Again, again." He claps.
And Asher does it again, by both ankles this time.
I feel Romans lips curl on my chest as Matty laughs loudly.
Romeo even turns around to look at what's happening.
"I want too." Ilaria claps.
"Gonna let your sister have a go." Asher puts Matty down, lifting Ilaria up the same way.
Her laugh is the exact same as Matteo's as Asher hangs her upside down for a couple of seconds.
He flips her the right way and then looks at Romeo, "Want to try?"
Romeo shakes his head no and pushes his plate away, "Mommy." He stands up, "Come with me."
"Up, big boy." I tap Roman.
He groans, sitting up and then glaring at me as if i betrayed him.
I let Romeo grab me and he pulls me away from everyone into Romans old office, this was the house i came to whenever i was 17, when my papa died.
"Sit down, mommy." He points to the chair.
I sit down and he walks to the old chest and opens it, pulling open the latch and taking out a sheet of paper.
He walks over and i smile when i see it.
He drew a family picture. It was a stick portrait but i know what it is. I think that's a talent parents get, Ilaria likes drawing, can she draw? No. But i'm able to piece together what is what. Ilaria and Matteo's are scribbles, Romeos actually looks like a family. The last time Ilaria drew me i was a orange pile of glob.
Me, in pink crayon. Him standing beside me in blue crayon, Matteo and Ilaria beside him also in blue. Asher was in yellow and Luca was in green. He put the initials of our names under the characters so i knew who was who.
"Where's papa?" I ask.
He picks his crayons up and then walks over to sit on my lap, pulling out a black crayon.
He draws Roman beside me, adding a small R underneath it. "Papa Roman."
I smile.
"Who's this one?" I point to the one of Asher.
"Papa Asher."
I kiss his cheek, "And the last one?"
"Papa Luca." He looks at me, "Papa can sing."
I raise and eyebrow and he senses my confusion, "Luca." He says quietly.
"Luca can sing?"
He nods his head, "He sings with me."
I didn't know Romeo likes singing.
"What song?"
"Vienna."
I smile, "By Billy Joel?"
He nods his head.
One of my favourite songs.
"Do you like that song?"
He nods his head, "Best one."
"It's mommy's favourite too."
"I know." He kisses my cheek back.
"You didn't tell me you like singing. I would have sang to you."
"You can't sing."
Well, okay then.
I hear laughing outside the door and Roman walks in, "I was eaves dropping, sorry, but that was funny." He holds his hand up to high five Romeo.
Romeo high fives him back, "Go away now." He says to Roman.
Roman looks at me.
"He does the same to Ilaria and Matteo when he wants to spend time with just me." I explain, "But he can ask papa a little nicer to leave."
Romeo glares at me, the same deadly glare his father has.
"Go on."
"Go away, please." Romeo says.
"Can i take Ilaria shopping?"
"Asher just bought her $400 worth of toys?"
"You can take me." Romeo looks at him.
Roman just nods his head, "I'll be back in a minute." He leaves the room.
"What do you want?" I ask.
Romeo takes a breath, "Trying to be better."
I smile, only because he's so much like Roman. "You don't have to if you don't want to go, papa will understand." I don't want to force him.
He nods his head, getting off me, "I want to."
"Good boy, want me to make any food when you're back?"
He shakes his head no, "Just mommy and Romeo time."
I mess his hair, "Of course, let's go."
Roman walks over, "Okay, I said i'd take Ilaria shopping another day, you ready to go, little man?"
"In a minute." He says, he's so cute.
"You better have security, Roman."
"I do, Katrina is coming for grocery shopping so if anything happens then i'll give him to her and Alek, they'll bring him straight back here."
"He gets overwhelmed sometimes and-"
"Love." He holds my face in his hands, "I was the same as him, i know how to deal with it, i'll call you if i think somethings wrong but Asher's looking after Ari and Matty, you should rest, you look tired." He kisses my head. "I promise. Ash is going to take them out later as well to the play park so please relax, have some... Arabella time."
They've not been out of the house without me before.
I'm really nervous.
"You're overthinking." Roman forces me to look at him. "Look, i promise i'll be home with them, all of them, i'll take Romeo to the play park after we're done and-"
"Ilaria doesn't like the swings, she gets scared. Romeo likes soccer so play with him and Matteo is scared of heights, so don't push him too high-"
"Baby i got this, i promise."
"And you be safe too." I slap his chest.
"Of course." He smiles.
I tie my hair back, i'm getting sweaty because i'm nervous.
I pick Romeo off the last couple of stairs, kissing his cheek, "Tell papa if you feel bad, okay."
"Love you, mommy." He hugs my legs once i put him down.
"Love you too." I watch them leave and then walk into the living room where Asher was pretend wrestling with Ilaria and Matty.
"We're gonna get changed in a minute." Asher says.
I nod my head, picking up Ilaria, "Be good for papa and please, please don't jump in muddy puddles."
She laughs, kissing my cheek and Matteo didn't want picked up so i just ruffled his hair, "And you be good for papa too."
"I will." He blows me a kiss, then dives onto Asher's back again.
I go upstairs quickly and find myself watching them from the window until they leave, Asher holding their both of their hands and security leaving with them too.
I'm home alone.
I'm able to rest.
And so i make myself a cup of fruit tea and get into bed again, picking up a book as i relax.
And I do exactly that.
For twenty minutes.
Before my mind goes all crazy and i decide to tidy the entire house from top to bottom.
=
=
=
=
=
Romeo is my favourite idc he's the best anyways i'm drafting some many books i need to stop
word count: 3425