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I eye the large diamond on my hand, holding it up into the sunlight. It's beautiful. It fits perfectly. My sister will love it even more than I do.
"Mrs Bianca Sainte," Valentino whispers, his head buried in my shoulder. His arms are wrapped around me, holding me close as we drift through the pool.
We got back to the house this morning, but neither of us was ready to part ways yet. I didn't want him to leave me to go to work and he didn't either. I don't think either of us wants to be here right now. There are far too many people around. I want to be alone with him. I want to make love on the couch and in the kitchen and right here in the pool. I don't want to leave our perfect little world.
"Who says I'll take your last name?" I tease. He pulls away, eyeing me in concern. He's not good at picking up jokes.
"Won't you?"
"No, I will, but only because I want the same surname as my children, and they'll have to be Saintes, won't they?"
"They wouldn't have to be. There's always room for discussion," he says. "But I would appreciate it. I'd like to continue the family name and have the next Padrone be a Sainte, too."
"I like it," I run my fingers across the skin on his back. "A little Sainte."
"A little Bianca."
"You want girls?"
"Of course."
I can see it already — him holding hands with a little girl in a pink tutu, or him sitting on the floor playing with dolls, or even him getting his fingernails painted. It's comical. He's such a big, manly guy, but he would make an excellent father.
"What type of dad do you think you would be?" I ask. "Would you work fewer hours?"
"I hope so. I'd certainly pass more responsibility to Francisco. Catarina may also be ready when the time comes," he leans me against the edge of the pool, still holding me in his lap underwater. "I don't think I could handle a family on top of my current workload. I'm already struggling to have enough time for you, and when we have children... I don't want to be absent. I want to see them grow up. I want to see them take their first steps and be there for their first day of school. I want to be someone they can rely on."
"I love that!" I gush, my heart still fluttering. That's so much more than I expected, but it's exactly what I want. "I want you to be as involved as you can be. I want to have a close relationship with my kids, and I hope you have the same goal."
"Absolutely. I know I won't be their main caregiver, but I still want to have a role in raising them. Not just for them, but for you, too. I don't want you to feel you have to do it all alone."
"That's sweet," I smile. He's always so good with that — always so considerate. "I understand dividing the tasks and each having our own responsibilities, but it's nice to do things together, especially when it comes to the kids."
"Precisely. They're our children, not just yours. It's only fair for me to take on my fair share of parenting."
"I like it," I can't stop smiling. I feel like a child. Valentino eyes my expression, a small smile of his own appearing on his face."
"Besides," he continues. "When it comes to our relationship... I want it to be a partnership. I don't want you to be raising the kids on your own while I'm at work. I want to be involved with the kids, and I'd like you involved with the family, too."
"You want me involved in the business?" I furrow my eyebrows. We haven't really spoken about that yet.
"Of course I do. You're as crucial to the family as I am now."
"But I don't know anything about business."
"You can learn," he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "If you'd like, that is. You aren't required."
"No, I'd like to. I want to do good things for the family — make positive changes."
"Whatever it is, I'll support you," he places a kiss on my forehead. "I'll support you in whatever you'd like to do."
"Yeah?" I run my fingers through his hair. "What if— What if I wanted to have sex right now, here in the pool in front of everyone?"
"Well..." his breath stifles. He lifts his head up to scan the area. "It looks like everyone went back inside, so I think we could make it happen."
"Really?" I grin excitedly.
"If you want to," he starts to lean in, a small smile on his face. I press my lips against his, leaving mine slightly parted to deepen it right away. I feel his tongue move against mine. He pulls me closer, our chests tightly pressed together. I grind my crotch into his, his bulge slowly rising.
"Excuse me, Sainte?"
We both ignore the voice, our tongues continuing to wrestle. Neither of us wants it to stop. We want more.
"Sainte, sir?" they persist.
Valentino lets out a frustrated groan, begrudgingly releasing me from his grip. I refuse to move, staying as close to him as I can. I don't care what this guy sees.
"What?" Valentino spits. "Can't you see I'm busy?"
"My apologies, sir. It's quite urgent."
"I'm sure it can wait," he turns back towards me, but it doesn't last.
"I don't think it can," they respond.
"Then call Francisco. He'll handle it," Valentino tries again, returning his attention to me. He eyes me apologetically, but I don't care. He leans forward, ready to continue where he left off, but we don't even get the chance.
"Sir..." they continue. "I really think it's best if you come to see this."
"I said I was busy," Valentino insists.
"It's fine," I finally pull away. "You should go."
"Bianca..."
"I don't mind. They need you more than I do."
Valentino scoffs. He raises his brows, a teasing smirk pulling at his lips. He leans in to whisper in my ear.
"Are you sure about that?" he asks. The feel of his breath sends shivers up my spine.
"Stop," I laugh. "You need to go."
"And you need to wait here for me, okay?" he gives me a pointed look. "I'll be right back."
He removes his hands from my waist, my legs falling to the floor as he swims away from me. I keep my eyes on him as he climbs out of the pool, enjoying the sight of the water droplets dripping down his abs. I don't need to be embarrassed anymore. I can check him out as much as I want now. We're engaged.
******
"I thought I told you to wait in the pool," Valentino steps into the room, an amused smile on his face. He eyes me up and down, clearly disappointed to see me fully dressed. He's not half-nude anymore, either. He must've had a meeting. He's back in his usual suit, but he's already discarded the jacket.
"You did," I smile teasingly. "But I don't have to follow your orders anymore."
"Oh, is that so?" he heads my way, joining me in the reflection of the mirror. We look good together. He's tall and strong, and just about twice my size. He looks like he could protect me, and keep me safe. And I know he will.
"Absolutely," I nod. "It's one of the best parts of being with you."
"Yeah? What else is there?"
"Well... there's the food, the money, the sex, and... you."
"What about me?"
"You're caring, protective, sweet, and romantic..."
"Tell me more."
"Your body," I smirk, eyeing him up and down in the mirror. He really is an Italian Stallion. "I really like your body."
"Oh, you do, huh?"
"I really, really do," I turn to face him. He instantly pulls me closer. "But not as much as I like the way you treat me."
"How do I treat you?" he places his hand at the base of my jaw.
"Like you love me," I glance up at his eyes to gauge his expression, but he doesn't flinch. A smile pulls at his lips.
"Maybe I do."
"Maybe."
"You'll have to wait and see, darling," he leans in for a kiss, but I pull away when he moves his hand to the back of my head.
"I'm still wet," I protest.
"I hope so," he says, unfazed by the dampness of my hair. He tires again, but this time, he stops himself. He pulls away from me, a deep scowl on his face.
"What is it?" I ask.
"Something's wrong."
"What?" I listen closely, trying to pick up on what he's hearing, but I don't hear anything. Not until a loud alarm starts to blare — so loud I can't even make out in what pattern it's beeping. It's unbearable. "What the fuck is that?"
"Come with me," Valentino takes my arm, preventing me from blocking my ears to stop the noise.
"Valentino!" I complain. "Can you turn it off?!"
He drags me into the bathroom, not letting go until he's forced to. He opens the cabinet beneath the sink, pulling out a plank of wood to reveal a manhole. There's a steel ladder downwards, into a black hole.
"Get in," he says.
"What? No—."
"Get in!" he orders.
"Valentino!" I protest. He must've heard the desperation in my voice because he immediately changes his tone. He climbs back to his feet and takes my hand.
"Bianca, please," he begs. "We are under attack right now, and I need you to get in there. They've found where we are and are coming to kill us, okay? Do you understand?"
"Uh-hmm," I nod, still processing his words.
"So please listen to what I'm saying and get down there. It's the only place I know you'll be safe. I need you to trust me on this, okay?"
"Okay," I take the hand he offers me, following him towards the hidden entryway. I climb in feet first, heading down the ladder one step at a time. It's not far down, but it's pitch black. Valentino joins me down here, flicking the light on at the wall. It's a small space — a hallway to the next door. Valentino types a code into the keypad beside it. He pulls it open and ushers me inside. This isn't much better.
It's a bunker. It's about 9 by 9 feet, made entirely of concrete, with a camping stretcher on one side and an open cupboard of canned food on the other. There's another doorway beside it. I can still hear the alarm, but it's nothing compared to the gunshots.
"Here," Valentino hands me a gun from his waistband. "You know how to use this, don't you?"
"I do."
"Good. Do not hesitate to use it, okay? If anyone gets in here, you shoot them. Straight away. Shoot first, ask questions later."
"Wait, you're leaving?"
"I have to go out there."
"No, you have to stay!"
"I'll be back soon, okay?"
"No! You can't leave me here!"
"I have to. It's my duty to fight," he insists. "If you need to leave here, go out that door. There's a car there. It's bulletproof. There's an address in the GPS and you follow it."
"No!" I object. "You can't go out there!"
"I'm sorry, Bianca, I have to. I need to take care of this," he cups my face with his hands. "I promise I'll be back soon, okay?"
"No, you're going to get hurt!"
"I will be fine, darling," he gives me a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be back in no time."
"Fine," I give in. "But you need to hurry."
"I will. Of course I will. I'll be right back," he presses his lips against mine, but his touch is gone far too soon. He walks back towards the hallway. "Do not open the door for anyone. Not Seth, not Gino, no one."
"Okay," I nod. "Just come back soon."
"Bianca?" he pauses just as he's about to close the door. "I love you."
He shuts the door before I can react.