Taboo Flames (The Sicilian Sins #2)

Epilogue

Aurora

G io is still asleep when I wake up. The first traces of dawn are beginning to filter into the room, bathing it in soft, ethereal lights. I lean up on my elbow and stare at him, tracing the contours of his face and body with my eyes.

His lashes fan over his cheeks, and his expression is relaxed and peaceful. His chest rises up and down in his sleep. He’s the most beautiful thing on earth, and I can’t believe he’s all mine.

After the whole drama with Giordano, Gio whisked us off to his oceanside house in Ortigia the next day. We’ve been here for three perfect days now.

I haven’t touched or seen my phone in days, and it’s the first time I’ve been so cut off from the world since becoming an adult. I’m enjoying the solitude with Gio a lot and also spending every waking minute having sex with my boyfriend.

It feels weird to call him my boyfriend. This thing between Gio and I is too large for the word boyfriend to encompass.

Feeling mischievous, I crawl down the bed, pulling the covers thrown over Gio’s hips with me until he’s fully exposed to my view. I lick my lips in anticipation at the thought of his thick cock filling my mouth.

I bend over him and press an open-mouthed kiss on one side of his hip, then trail the kisses to where his cock is lying flaccid. With a smirk, I stick my tongue out and swipe it over the slit on the head of his cock.

He jerks slightly but continues to sleep.

Spreading my knees to make myself more comfortable, I take him into my mouth, sucking lightly.

“Hnnngh,” he groans, making a rumbly sound deep in his throat.

His cock starts to fill up, and a moment later, it’s as hard as a steel pipe inside my mouth.

“Fuckkk…did I die and wake up in heaven?” he mumbles in a rough, sleepy voice.

I flick my eyes up to see him staring down at me with a half-lidded gaze.

I pop him out of my mouth and grin. “I have a feeling you’re not a candidate for the pearly gates.”

He opens his mouth to say something, but I suck him back deep into my mouth, this time taking him all the way back to my throat. His words come out as a strangled garble.

I cup his balls, rolling them in my hands, and he jerks, groaning above me.

“Fuck me, that feels so good, princess,” he moans, pushing his hips up.

I push deeper until my mouth is at the base of his cock, and my eyes are watering. Then I begin to bob my head, humming and moaning around him.

He lets out a guttural cry. “Your mouth, princess. Your mouth is heaven.”

I pull away to lick along his length. Then I mouth the underside of him before taking his balls into my mouth. His fingers dig into my hair, but he doesn’t take charge. Instead, he just tightens his grip, allowing me to take the lead.

After torturing him for a while, I finally push him back into my mouth and peek up at him to gauge his reaction. He doesn’t disappoint.

Gio’s head is thrown back in pleasure, his neck straining and mouth gaping open as I fuck him with my mouth.

“You feel so good,” he cries, his hips jerking hard. “I can’t hold it, baby. I’m gonna cum.”

“Hmm,” I moan around him.

“I’m gonna fill your mouth with my cum, and you’re going to swallow every last drop.”

I moan longer and louder, tightening my throat around him.

“Oh fuck, Aurora!” he bellows and cums down my throat, spurting hot cum into my mouth. I swallow him dutifully and finally release his spent length with a pop. I lick my lips to catch every drop, and I give him a satisfied smile.

“Good morning, baby,” I purr.

With a growl, he drags me up by my hair and presses his mouth to mine, his tongue invading my mouth and tasting himself on me. I instantly melt into the kiss, letting him consume me.

“That’s the best damn good morning I’ve ever gotten,” he rasps breathlessly when he finally pulls away from the kiss.

“It’s the girlfriend premium.” I wink at him, scooting closer and sitting astride him, my hands trailing over his pecs and strong shoulders.

He frowns, then leans over the bed and begins to dig around inside the bedside table.

“What is it?” I ask, confused by the sudden mood change.

He finally finds what he’s searching for and sits up. Then, he grabs my hand and slides a ring on my ring finger. “There, now we’re engaged.”

I stare down at the huge diamond on my finger in surprise. When did he even have time to buy this? And also, the stone is so large and shiny that I’m sure people all the way over in Africa are being blinded by it.

“It’s too small,” I say sarcastically.

“I knew the bastard was talking shit when he said this was the largest they had,” he snarls. “When I find him, I’ll?—”

“Oh, God, I’m kidding.” I cut in immediately. “If it’s any larger, a truck will have to be hired and kept on standby to transport my hand.”

“Do you like it?” he asks.

“What’s it for?” I feign confusion. “I’m not really the ring type.”

He gives me a dry look. “I can tattoo my name on your ring finger if you prefer that, princess.”

I laugh, but when he doesn’t join in, I immediately sober up. “Y—you’re not kidding?” I squeak in shock. “You’re crazy! And you never asked me to marry you. You have to ask me properly.”

“Marry me,” he says.

I huff. “That’s not how it’s done. I’m this close to leaving you for someone who actually knows how to propose to a woman. I want to be romanticized as much as the next woman, Gio. I want a beach wedding. No, I want a destination wedding. Wait, or maybe something on a ship. What would you like?”

“I just want to marry you.”

My heart melts instantly at his simple answer and the honesty shining in his eyes.

“I can settle for a church wedding,” I tell him. “But I’m not negotiating on my dress. A girl has to have standards.”

“Hmm,” he hums, his hands sliding up to cup my breasts with his large hands.

“What’s your dream wedding?” I ask him, curious.

He peers up at me. “A wedding is not something I ever thought would be a part of my future. In fact, I never really thought much of a future. I took every day in stride. What do you think of kids?”

I blink at the sudden change in topic. “Well, I’m not sure about that right now.”

I try to calculate when I last had my period, but his hands on my body are far too distracting. Fuck it. Whatever comes out of it, I’m going to take it in stride.

“Hmm,” he hums again before he lifts his head and takes one of my hard nipples into his mouth.

I moan. “You’re not even listening to me. Is sex the only thing on your mind? Don’t you ever get tired of it?”

“I always listen to you,” he says, licking across the mounds of my breasts. “You were saying something about me pushing you down on all fours and making you scream. And no, princess, the day I get tired of worshipping this body, shoot me in the head and toss my body into a ditch.”

I give him an exasperated look, but on the inside, I enjoy how obsessed he is with my body, how he always wants to have his hands on me, and how insatiable he is for me.

“You have to ask my brother for permission for my hand,” I tease.

Gio pulls away and glowers at me. “Fuck that. I’m not asking Leo for permission to do anything. I own you, and I have my full permission to marry you.”

I giggle at how ridiculous he’s being. “The days of slavery are over, baby. You can’t legally own a human being these days.”

My serious speech is ruined by the sound of my stomach grumbling.

“Up,” he orders. “Food first, burying myself in your pussy second.”

“Who said romance is dead?” I shake my head at him and climb out of the bed. “I’m going to shower first. I think I have cum in my hair.”

He slaps my ass as I walk past him to the bathroom, and I yelp. “I’ll join you in a minute. I have to make a call first,” he says to me.

I raise my brows inquisitively, wondering what’s so important, but he just grabs his phone wordlessly and stalks off to the balcony.

I’m halfway through my shower when Gio’s large, hot body presses up behind me.

“I was beginning to feel a little bit abandoned,” I tell him.

Wordlessly, he turns me around and kisses me hungrily. Then, he pushes me against the wall, hikes one of my legs up around his hip, and pushes his rock-hard length into me. It all happens so fast and leaves me crying out, unprepared for the sudden fullness.

“Oh, God,” I pant. “Gio! Gio!”

I dig my fingers into his muscular back as he fucks me hard and rough without a word. I cry and scream and moan as he gives me exactly what I need, driving into me over and over again like a desperate animal until I’m orgasming with a broken cry and whispering my love for him against his hungry mouth.

As we get dressed later, I notice Gio keeps looking over at me.

“What is it?” I snap at him as I pull up my denim shorts.

He shrugs. “Nothing. I just didn’t think you’d want to get married in that.”

I look down at myself. “What are you talking about?” I ask, perplexed.

“There’s a chapel less than an hour’s drive from here, and I’ve arranged for a priest to be on standby. We’re going to get married there.”

“What?!” I screech. “Are you crazy? I’m not marrying you today or even this week. We can’t just go from being boyfriend and girlfriend to being engaged to getting married, all in the span of a freaking day. You better call off whatever arrangements you’ve made."

“And waste the poor priest’s time?” he tuts. “I think not.”

“Forget about it, Gio.” I give him an uncompromising look. “It’s not happening.”

“Aren’t you going to put on your shoes? We’re going to be late,” he says, ignoring everything I say.

I gape at him, astonished by how irrational he is being. “Are you listening to me? I’m not going with you to the chapel. We are not getting married today. I’m not getting married in a beach print T-shirt and denim shorts. End of story.”

“I didn’t think you’d want to,” he says with a nod, “A dress may be more appropriate.”

“I’m leaving,” I tell him angrily. “There’s no reasoning with you right now. You’ve completely lost your senses.”

I turn to walk away but I’m suddenly swooped up by large hands and thrown over Gio’s broad shoulders.

“Put me down, you Neanderthal!” I scream, beating at his back with my fists.

“Princess, I lost my senses the second I saw you in that dress at the masked party. You aren’t telling me anything new,” he tells me as he grabs his car keys and walks out the door.

“This is kidnapping,” I bite out. “You can’t make me say I do. I won’t do it.”

“I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it,” he says with a chuckle.

“You’re not ending today as Miss Vitale, though, that’s for sure.”

He drops me into the passenger seat and buckles me into the car while I glare at him. If looks can kill, he’ll be six feet under at the moment.

“I hate you,” I tell him petulantly.

He brushes his mouth over mine, achingly soft. “You’ll get over it.”

He walks around the car and gets into the driver’s side. “Shall I have Carlos wait for us at the chapel with shoes?”

“No.”

“You don’t want to marry me?” he asks. The thread of uncertainty I detect in his voice causes me to turn to face him, my anger immediately melting away.

The truth is that I love Gio. I’m so madly, indisputably, and irrevocably in love with him. Does it really matter if it’s today or two years from now or if I’m barefoot and wearing denim shorts? Being with him and belonging to him is all I want, and it’s obvious he wants the same.

Even if his methods are less than ideal, he’s doing this because he genuinely loves and wants me.

Our relationship has never been ideal, so why should we have an ideal wedding anyway?

“Carlos can’t wait for us because I need him to get me a five-inch silver Chanel sandals. This season or last season’s shoes. Nothing older than that,” I tell Gio. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he murmurs and smiles, pressing his mouth to mine briefly.

“Let’s go get married, Mr. Lombardi,” I relent with a laugh.

“Let’s go get married, Mrs. Lombardi,” he replies excitedly.

He turns the car on and brings the top down. I stand up with my hands in the air, feeling the wind whip through my hair as Gio drives off toward our future.

A future I’m still totally clueless about, but well, I’m going to have lots of fun finding out just how amazing it can be.