rubbing right against her clit. I needed to make her come before I slipped up again. “Baby.” I held my face above her and watched her enjoy me. I moved hard and fast the second we began, wanting to drive her into the kind of climax that made her toes curl.
It didn’t take long. She cupped my face as she moaned. “Cato…I love you. God, I love you.”
Fuck. Just as I pushed her into an orgasm, she forced me to have another. I joined her in the climax, both of us moaning with pleasure. I gave her more come, and she took it deep. I kept thrusting until we were both completely finished, our bodies softening together.
She slid her hands up my chest then cupped my face. The look of love in her eyes said everything her lips didn’t utter. Her soft fingertips stroked my jawline, and then she brought my mouth to hers for another kiss.
Even though we were both satisfied and I had an early morning tomorrow, I matched her kisses. I kissed her slowly, my mouth moving with hers like there was nothing else I’d rather be doing. Even if sex was off the table, this intimacy was more than enough. I could kiss her forever, enjoy her for a lifetime.
2
Siena
I ordered Cato a holiday sweater online and got myself one too. Mine had Santas on it, and his had reindeer. I knew he would never want to wear something like that, so I would definitely have to talk him into it.
Giovanni watched me open everything at the kitchen counter. “I’ve got to be honest, Miss Siena. I don’t think Mr. Marino is going to wear that.”
“I’ll have to talk him into it, I know.”
“You’ve changed that man a lot, but I’m not sure if you can make miracles.”
“You never know.” I held up the sweater against my body. “Cute, huh?”
“Very.”
“Once I talk him into this, I want you to take a picture of us in front of the tree.”
Giovanni laughed like I’d made a joke. “Mr. Marino would fire me.”
“He would not. Come on, please? It’s his Christmas gift.”
“Torturing him?”
“No, I’m making him something for Christmas. I think he’ll like it.” He liked my sonogram picture, so he should like this too. “But I need to get this picture first.”
“Good luck with that, Miss Siena.”
I folded up the boxes and placed them in the recycling bin. “What are your plans for Christmas?”
“I’ll make Christmas dinner for Mr. Marino then see my children at their mother’s house.”
“He didn’t give you the whole day off?” I asked incredulously. “It’s Christmas.”
“It’s fine,” he said, always smiling. “Mr. Marino doesn’t know how to cook.”
“But I do.”
“You’re pregnant, Miss Siena. You should rest.”
“I’m not disabled. I can put a bird in the oven and make stuffing.”
Giovanni dropped the subject. “It’s interesting to think there will be a baby here this time next year.”
“Yes…a little girl.” I still had a long way to go, but I was very excited about getting my daughter at the end. “Martina Marino.”
“Very cute name.”
“Yes. Cato loves it.” I rubbed my hand across my stomach. “You’ve known Cato for a long time. Anything interesting you can tell me about him?”
“I don’t know him as well as I thought I did.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well…” He finished placing the sugar cookies on the baking sheet before he carried them to the oven. They were cut out into candy canes, sleighs, and reindeer. He took off the oven mitts and returned to me. “If someone had asked me if Mr. Marino would settle down with a woman, I would have said no. If someone had asked me if Mr. Marino would have a family, I would have said no too. He’s turned into a man I never thought I would meet. So, in the end…I think you know him better than I do.”
I smiled. “He’s turned into a big sweetheart, hasn’t he?”
Giovanni shrugged. “He’s not trying to hide it as much.”
“Sometimes I wonder if we would be here right now if I weren’t pregnant. But with our connection, I think it would have happened anyway. I think Cato took advantage of my pregnancy to spare my life…just so he had an excuse to do it.”
Giovanni grabbed his alarm and set the timer for the cookies. “I think everything would have been exactly the same. Mr. Marino is a very paranoid man. The fact that he stopped wearing protection with anyone is an indicator of how he felt about you. He