Perfect Match (Vice Club Nights #2)

Epilogue - Tori

One Year Later

Swoosh . The elevator door opens to the foyer of the penthouse, the home I’ve shared with Gio for the last year, and I’m welcomed by the sound of deep male voices talking in the kitchen. It probably means our dinner plans have shifted, which isn’t great since I missed lunch today. I drop my shopping bags under the hall table before wandering in that direction. Gio and I only spoke about ten minutes ago, and he didn’t mention that there was a visitor, so hopefully they won’t be long.

But as I come around the corner, the rich aroma of something delicious cooking sets off a loud rumble in my stomach. I try to restrain the sound with my hand on my belly but it’s too late, and both men turn in my direction.

Gio is standing with his arms braced against the edge of the dark-marble-topped island and Leo is on the kitchen side with a ladle in his hand. Both men are grinning at me with a similar crooked tilt of their mouths. The difference is that Gio’s smile is fully dimpled, and my heart skips a beat at the sight. It’s a familiar reaction to seeing my boyfriend, even though I’m greeted in the same way every morning.

My cheeks heat with the attention. “Sorry. But damn that smells good.”

Leo releases a low chuckle. “Please don’t apologize for showing your appreciation of my cooking.”

Whenever Leo is in your kitchen, you know you’re in for a treat. We’ve hosted a few dinner parties with our family and friends, and every time, Leo has insisted on cooking. You’d think he’d hate the idea of basically working at these social gatherings, but he doesn’t. The kitchen is his happy place he tells us, especially when he’s cooking for his brothers. And my belly and I are truly grateful for it.

Gio steps toward me, drawing my attention. “Hi, bella,” he murmurs, losing the words in my hair as I slip straight into his waiting arms, and he nuzzles my neck. My body quivers beneath his touch, and I drag his lips up to meet mine. I’ll never tire of the fluttering butterflies that take flight whenever my man’s hands and mouth are on me, even briefly, like now, and with his brother looking on. Gio reluctantly releases me, and I skirt around the island to properly greet Leo with a traditional Italian kiss on both cheeks.

“This is a surprise. I thought we’d be seeing you at the restaurant later.”

Leo just grins, then pointedly looks to his older brother.

Gio rises from where he’s perched on the stool at the end of the island and comes to stand behind me, wraps his arms around my waist, and pulls me close so my back leans against his solid chest.

His breath tickles my ear as he whispers close to it in his panty-melting bedroom voice, “There’s been a change of plan.”

Three featherlight kisses on the column of my neck are the full stop to the promise there is something more in his words. It triggers a delighted shiver, skittering up my spine, and my lashes close briefly.

Leo’s dramatic eye roll defies the grin spreading across the lower half of his face. “I’m off before I see things I’ll never be able to unsee. Enjoy your dinner and G, twenty minutes is all it needs.” He then picks up a small bag which jangles with the sound of metal against metal. I don’t think Leo has ever arrived at our home without his trusty set of sharp knives and basic utensils, even though our kitchen is fully fitted with everything a cook would need.

“Thanks, bro, I appreciate you doing this,” Gio responds, stepping to my side but not letting me go as he fist-pumps his brother’s hand.

Leo is barely out of the kitchen before I’m turning in Gio’s loose hold. “Okay, what’s going on? You said we had dinner plans tonight.”

“We do … right here.”

“I like the sound of that.” While going out for dinner is nice, staying in is much more enticing. Takeout on the sofa followed by a movie while snuggled against Gio’s chest is my favorite way to relax.

Wrapping my arms around Gio, I bury my nose in his chest and breathe in. The cologne I gave him for his last birthday clings to the fabric of his shirt, and against his warm skin it’s even more delicious than whatever is in our oven.

Gio tips my chin up to look at him. “Leo has cooked for us, and you heard him, you’ve only got twenty minutes if you want to jump in the shower quickly.” He places a light kiss on my forehead, and his voice lacks conviction when he adds, “I don’t want to have to tell him I fucked up the dinner he prepared by not following his instructions.”

My mouth waters and it’s clear that it’s not the food I’m craving.

“Okay, okay. But what should I wear?” I tap a finger to my cheek, “Something sexy? Casual? Or … maybe nothing at all?”

Gio’s hand slides beneath the waistband of my Lycra leggings to cup my bare butt cheek and his heated touch is like a branding iron marking me as his. “Have I mentioned how much I love your dirty mind?” he asks.

“Only a few hundred times,” I tease as my fingers thread through the hair on the back of his head, from where it curls against the collar of his shirt all the way up to the crown. “And it’s almost as many times as I’ve told you how much I love your wandering hands.” I pull his head down to claim his mouth in a deep passionate kiss that leaves us both gasping for air.

“You and me in the shower now,” he growls then spins me around with a tap on the butt and a single word demand, “Go.”

I don’t need to be told twice before I’m racing off down the hallway, my jumper, T-shirt, and bra ripped off one by one and falling behind me to the hardwood floor, as are his tie, white business shirt, and belt. My striptease only slows when I stop at the bed to take off my shoes and the remaining clothes. Thoughts of making my moves seductive have been replaced by a desperate need to have him touching my bare skin, filling me with his hard cock, and making me beg for release as only Gio can. Every one of those twenty minutes we have on the clock will not be wasted.

We reach the shower at the same time, naked. And the water has barely had a chance to warm before he’s tugging me under it and pressing my back to the cold white-marble tiles on the wall.

“Up,” he orders, and I spring immediately into his muscled arms, my legs pinning me to his waist as he hoists me higher.

When he gets all bossy and alpha male like this, I’m putty in his hands. Everything in this moment is about feeding a shared need that’s so innate in us. A fundamental part of the bond that has existed between Gio and me from that first moment our gazes connected across the tables at his cousin’s pizzeria.

His blue-gray eyes smolder as he positions the tip of his cock at my entrance. My pussy weeps for him, and in one breath, he thrusts his hips up and pushes into me, while his hands on my hips pull me down onto him.

The sudden coming together stretches my inner walls in the most exquisite way around his cock and has me gasping out his name.

He groans, and it’s a low tortured sound. “Fuck, bella, I’m about ready to explode.” His words are labored as I grind my body more firmly against his.

The warm water continues to cascade over us, making our skin as slippery as satin as we rub against each other. We slide slowly up and down with the seductive rhythm of a tango, my breasts squished against his chest and my nipples achingly hard.

A shuddering breath escapes my lungs. “Me too. Oh my God, me too. Please touch me,” I plead, my eyes still glued to his. I know he sees me all the way to the depths of my soul, like no one else ever has, not even Charli.

His thumb presses firmly against my clit, and my head drops back against the tiles. And when his mouth ravishes the exposed column of my neck, I release a moan that reverberates around the steamy space like a ship on a foggy night being guided home.

He jerks his hips faster, more determinedly, and I’m literally bouncing up and down on his shaft, my nails digging deeper into his shoulders as I absorb every thrust.

“Fuck, Gio, more,” I beg, and he rubs his thumb in circles over my nub. His body is demanding my release and I respond, my pussy tightening around him.

And then I’m flying—a fourth of July display of fireworks going off behind my closed eyelids as my head drops forward, and I bury my scream of release into his shoulder.

The spectacle of lights is still present when Gio jerks up hard into me once more and releases a long, deep roar that seems to come from a place that he’s never tapped in to before as thick streams of cum fill me.

An overwhelming sense of power squeezes my heart. This amazing, tough man just exposed everything to me, showing his vulnerability and love. And my love for Gio in this one singular moment is so full tears well and stream down my cheeks, mixing with the warm water.

Gio’s shoulders stiffen beneath my hands. “Bella, what’s wrong?” And when I look up, worry creases his brow.

“I love you so much—” I hiccup. “—it sometimes feels like it’s too much to hold in my heart. So, I have to let it … out.” The last word exits my mouth on a sob.

“I love you that much too ...” He looks like he was going to say more but stops, and I watch the Adam’s apple in his throat move up, then drop quickly back down. There’s something about tonight that feels different, like we’ve forged a deeper connection.

For a few moments, we just let the emotion in our eyes do the talking, until with a blink I remember. “Oh my God, has it been twenty minutes?”

“Fuck. Leo is going to kill me.” He unseats me to stand on my own wobbly legs, then after a quick kiss, he says, “You finish your shower while I save dinner.” And with that he disappears, grabbing a towel as he rushes from the en suite.

Soon after, my new Louboutin heels are tapping out a rapid beat along the polished parquet floor of the hallway. We might not be leaving the apartment but as Gio has gone to the trouble of asking Leo to prepare us a special meal, I’ve dressed like I was going out. The gold satin mini slip dress is simple in style but shimmers in the downlights. It’s what I’d planned on wearing but minus the matching gold lace underwear. Gio has his surprises and I have mine. My makeup is light and as there wasn’t enough time to style my hair, I’ve tied it back in a sleek ponytail. A couple of gold bangles on my wrist are my only jewelry.

What I wasn’t expecting to see as I round the corner into the kitchen is my boyfriend’s naked rock-hard butt, and I know that it’s rock-hard because I like to take every opportunity to grab it. Though, I never realized how sexy it would look with the tied bow of the apron he’s wearing resting above it, especially when it’s the only thing breaking up the expanse of bare skin from the top of his strong shoulders down to his heels.

“Wow, you really should spend more time in the kitchen. It suits you.”

He smiles at me over his shoulder. “Stop objectifying me while I save our dinner.”

Moving to stand close behind him, I place my hands on his butt cheeks, and say in my best Marilyn Monroe impression, “You love it when I objectify you.” My hands slide around his hips beneath the apron flap to rest against his lower abdomen.

“You’re about two inches away from not getting any dinner at all,” he warns.

“Laters then. But only because I’m hungry.” And I remove my hands from temptation. “Now, what do you need me to do while you get dressed?”

“You can pour the wine.”

I wander back to the island where a bottle of red and two glasses have been set out. “Ah, the good stuff,” I say, picking up the bottle and reading the label. Gio turns and wipes his hands on the front of his apron, giving me a tantalizing glimpse beneath it. He looks so damn sexy in that apron; I may have to insist he puts it on more often.

“That, is an award-winning wine from my Tuscan winery.”

A grin stretches my lips wide. “Sorry I was distracted by the chef.”

His chuckle can be heard as he makes his way back to the bedroom.

Minutes later, he is back in the kitchen, fully dressed and ladling a generous helping of osso buco into the two shallow bowls. He then adds a side of greens and polenta mash while I watch on from a stool on the other side of the island. The rich, spicy veal stew is my absolute favorite when we dine at Leo’s.

“Did you have fun shopping with Charli and Sadie?” he asks as he works.

“Yes but I’m not going to show you what I got because I want to keep it as a surprise for the masquerade party.” This Christmas, the club is hosting a masquerade party for the members and their guests. Membership has nearly doubled in the last year and the guys feel that it’s time to start hosting special events. Charlie, Sadie, and I spent the afternoon shopping for our outfits, and what we bought wasn’t something you would find in a department store.

“And I’m going to like the surprise?”

“Totally and that’s the last I’m going to say about it because I don’t want to ruin the surprise. What are you going to wear?”

He looks up, confusion painting his features. “A tux?”

“What no rubber or leather?” I tease. “Or maybe an apron?”

“Nooo. Absolutely not. If you want me in that stuff then that will be in the privacy of our home. I have a reputation to uphold,” he claims with mock disgust.

I shake my head. “And you call yourself an owner of a sex club.”

“I’m a silent partner for a reason.” He picks up the two bowls of steamy stew. “Can you bring our wine glasses, and we’ll eat in the dining room tonight.”

“This is all very fancy.” I trail along behind him to the formal dining room that we only ever use for hosting dinner parties.

When I reach the doorway, my eyes widen. “Gio, this looks beautiful.”

He has laid the table with crisp white linens, sparkling silver flatware, and a crystal candelabra with five thin white candles. On the buffet is an arrangement of fresh flowers, red roses and pink daisies, more of my favorite things.

I place the wine glasses on the table. “This is all really special, have I missed an important date?”

Gio grins. “You have. It’s one year to the day that you agreed to move into my apartment.”

“Sorry, I didn’t realise we were celebrating that milestone.” Gio promised me a year ago that we would wake up next to each other every day, and apart from two short trips Gio had to take to Italy, he’s stuck to that commitment. “But thank you. You’re right, it is worth celebrating.” With a hand on each of his cheeks, I reach up to kiss him long and hard.

“We should probably eat before it gets cold,” he murmurs against my lips when we stop to catch our breath.

Everything is perfect. The meal, the wine, the setting. But most importantly, the man beside me.

“Please tell Leo, when you message him next time, that it was delicious.” The Barbieri brothers have welcomed me warmly into their close-knit family circle and we all gather every couple of months for dinner at Leo’s restaurant. It’s always a treat but tonight, this meal at our home with just the two of us has been very romantic.

“Are you ready for dessert?” Gio asks, knowing I have a sweet tooth, and even as full as I am, I can’t say no. “Wait here and I’ll be right back.”

He gathers our plates and leaves me alone to stare out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the city skyline. It’s a wall of lights that twinkle against the nearly black sky and it adds to the romantic ambiance of our meal.

Gio returns carrying two plates with a berry-topped panna cotta on each. He places one in front of me and my mouth waters in anticipation. Of course it’s my favorite dessert. I wait for him to take his seat but he doesn’t.

“Before we have dessert could you stand up please?”

“Is dessert going to get sexy?” I tease. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time that dessert didn’t come in a bowl.

He chuckles as he takes my hands. “There’s that dirty mind again. I love it. In fact, Tori, I love everything about you. Your quick wit, clever mind, big heart, and your strength when facing the scariest shit, are all beautiful to me. And when everything you are comes in a sexy, beautiful package then I’m the luckiest man alive to be the person you come home to.”

“I’m kind of enjoying all of you too.”

His face turns serious, but his gaze never wavers from mine. “I can’t imagine you not being beside me always and forever. So …”

Gio drops to one knee before me and it finally all makes sense. My hand goes to my mouth and my vision turns misty.

“Victoria Jones, will you marry me, please?” He fumbles to open the small black velvet box in his hands, and before he can, I drop to my knees in front of him and wrap my hands around his.

“Yes, Gio. Yes. A thousand million times, yes. I love you and I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”

He grins. “You don’t want to see the ring?”

“I’m sure it’s beautiful but I just want you to hold me and kiss me.”

“Fuck, I love you, bella.” He seals his words of love between us along with a promise of our future.

This man has made my life an adventure and already given me a library of beautiful memories. I can’t wait to see what comes next because he always was and always will be my perfect match.

***