“That sounds good to me,” she said.
River clung to him tightly then leaned down and kissed him again, feeling like the luckiest woman in the world. Her life was an unexpected blessing, but a bigger blessing than she ever expected. It wasn’t perfect. Nothing ever was. But it was closer to perfect than River ever thought she’d have. Some days, closer to perfect than she thought she deserved. But now that she had it, she wasn’t going to let it go. Not for anything.
Extended Epilogue
Five years later…
“How is everything at home?”
River stepped out onto the balcony of their villa on the Amalfi Coast and handed Nico a mimosa. She sat down on the deck chair and looked out at the view of pristine blue waters dotted with sailboats. The sun glinted off the surface of the ocean dazzlingly and a cool wind blew softly, carrying the heady scent of the sea.
“Everything is good,” she said. “The kids seem to be behaving themselves. At least, that’s what Nadia said.”
“I’m sure they’re being little terrors.”
“Well, they are your children,” she said with a laugh.
As she looked out over the Gulf of Salerno and the houses that lined the stepped cliffs all around them, it was hard for River to believe that this was her life. She often had to pinch herself just to be sure. She was married to the most amazing man she’d ever known, and they had three beautiful children—Aldo, Tobias, and Sienna.
River was glad they’d had Aldo before Nico’s father had passed a few years back. He’d been touched they named their first-born son after him and River was happy that they’d gotten to spend some time together. In the wake of his father’s passing, Nico had assumed control of the family and all its operations. And in the years, he’d been in charge, although he still dealt in some illicit goods, he’d taken the organization in a different direction, operating a lot of legitimate and lucrative businesses. His portfolio was more legit and charitable than shady anymore and River was glad for that. Mostly because her kids weren’t part of a real mob family anymore.
As for her, several years of toiling away at the keyboard had paid off in a big way. Her last two books had hit the New York Times Bestseller list. She’d taken to writing action and mob thrillers and was roundly lauded for its gritty realism. It was something that had always amused her. If they only knew.
Nico’s head was leaned back against his chair, and he had sunglasses on. He was wearing a pair of board shorts and no shirt, and if the houses all around them didn’t have a terrific view of their deck, River would have jumped him right then and there. As it was, all she could do was admire his amazing body. Even in his early forties now, he was still corded with muscle and didn’t seem to have an ounce of fat on him. He was all hard angles and planes and yet, he still managed to be soft.
The only flaw on his golden body was the white scar that ran along his ribs—a parting gift from Emiliano Vittore. Every time River saw that scar, she thought of that night. It had been the most terrifying experience of her life and yet, it had brought the greatest joy she’d ever experienced. That night had bonded them together. Since that night, they’d been inseparable, and their love only seemed to grow deeper with every passing day.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Nico said.
“I was just thinking it was too bad people can see our deck right now,” she replied.
He turned his head to her and pulled his glasses halfway down his nose, a flirty smile on his lips and a soft chuckle drifting from his mouth.
“My God, woman, you are insatiable,” he said. “Three times last night and you’re ready to go again? You’re a sexual beast.”
“That’s the downside of marrying a much younger woman,” she said with a grin.
“I didn’t say it was a downside. Far from it.”
“What? Can’t you keep up with me, old man?”
“You should know better than that by now,” he said with a laugh. “I just thought you might want to go get some breakfast and do a little sightseeing before I bring you back here and ravish you again and again. I do know how much you like to sightsee.”
That much was true. She and Nico had been all over the world and River had fallen in love with almost every place they visited. She spent a lot of time walking the streets and immersing herself in the local culture. It was something that although Nico grumbled about the amount of walking, she knew he loved. He called it their little adventures and he was always as up for them as she was. He sometimes said he enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes.
"That sounds like a pretty good plan," she said.
He shrugged. “Of course, it does. Especially that last part.”
She laughed. “You sound pretty confident about that.”
“Because I am. And that’s because I know you so well.”
River’s eyes lingered on his for a long moment and a small smile played across her lips. She reached out and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“You really do,” she said. “You know me better than anybody has ever known me. And I’m grateful for you.”
He gave her a gentle smile in return. “And I’m even more grateful for you, River. You saved me, you know.”