She burst out laughing.
“What? Too much?”
“Erm, it might be ever so slightly excessive.”
He kissed the tip of her nose.
“But also, kind of perfect,” she said on a sigh. “Let’s start with one more and go from there?”
“Deal.” He pushed forward, rolling her onto his back, bringing his body over hers.
Her eyes flared wide. “Now?”
His eyes shone with love and with the promise of the future they were both welcoming with open arms, and he nodded slowly. “There’s no time like the present, right?”
Elodie Gardiner had known extreme loneliness, and she never hoped she would find herself in the middle of a family again, but with Fiero and Jack, she was complete. The promise of any other children was almost too much to hope for. Nonetheless, she did hope, because she had ample proof that dreams do come true.
“Thank Christ,” Nico laughed down the phone line. Then, there was a muffle as he covered the receiver. Fiero heard the words and his own smile spread like wildfire. They’re getting married.
Cheers met the pronouncement. Over his shoulder, Fiero studied Elodie, her beautiful body sound asleep, and for a moment, a rush of fear spread through him – a tremble of panic. Because he’d come so close to losing her, to ruining this, and he’d never forgive himself for that. But he would learn from it. He would make sure he spent every day showing her how much he loved her. He would resist the fear of pain in preference of the gift of happiness, because his love for Elodie demanded that of him.
He moved into her living room, closing her bedroom door gently. “Listen, Nico, anything I’ve said about Elodie…”
“Consider it forgotten,” Nico promised.
Fiero shook his head. “I was angry—,”
“You were hurt. I know what losing Andreo did to you. I was there. I’ve been waiting for you to come back to life ever since and finally you have.”
Fiero’s chest swelled. “I love her.”
“Lo so. And we will love her too. Any woman who can make you smile again has earned a debt of gratitude from us. When will you be home?”
Home. Nico’s stomach felt as though it were filled with birds. He grinned. Home. With his fiancé and his son. His family. “As soon as we can be. If that suits Elodie.”
Nico’s laugh crackled down the phone line. “You’re a changed man, Fiero.” Then, more seriously, “Just don’t take too long. Yaya is already planning the wedding.”
Fiero laughed. “Maybe you should follow suit, Nico? Give her another reason to smile?”
Nico’s response was predic
table and immediate. “Nah. You might be crazy enough to try the whole marriage thing but it’s as much an anathema to me now as ever.”
Fiero’s smile was confident, because while Nico had sworn off love and commitment many years ago, Fiero was pretty confident it would just take meeting the right woman to shake him of that certainty. “I’ll let you know when we make our plans.”
“Do. And Fiero? I’m happy for you, my friend.”
Nine months to the day later, they welcomed Gianfelice and Nico Jr. to their fold, twin brothers for Jack, who was besotted with them from the moment of their birth. One sunny afternoon, Elodie found herself sitting in a chair beneath the shade of a poplar tree on the lawn at Gianfelice’s Villa Fortuna, her three children just across the lawn under the watchful eye of their father and uncles and beloved Yaya, and she smiled without realising it. It was so much better than a fairy tale because this happiness was real, and it was hers and she knew, without a single shred of doubt, that it would be everlasting…
THE END
REGRET ME NOT is the first book in a seven book series: THE MONTEBELLOS. I hope you loved the introduction to this glamorous family.
Read on for an exclusive excerpt from Book Two, JUST THIS ONE SUMMER, which will be available in October 2019.
You can pre-order the book for the special price of 99c until its release date.
Happy reading, and don’t forget to leave a review if you have a moment.