"Harder."

Valerie demanded begrudgingly.

Luca took a deep breath, closing his eyes tightly as he pounded in another peg for the tent he was setting up.

"See what happens when you put a lil power in your swing?" Valerie chirped, putting her hands on her waist admiring her husband's handiwork like she'd done it herself.

Wiping a light glow of sweat off of his brow, Luca grabbed Valerie by her waist and went in for a hard peck on the lips. He then released her with a sharp smack on her ass. Valerie felt like she needed him to pound a few other things in as the sting on her ass spread through her whole body.

"I definitely know the power in my swing. You do too." He kisses her forehead before nodding at someone in the distance. When Valerie breathlessly turns to see who he was greeting, she saw a mischievously grinning Nicki.

She was approaching Valerie in a light gray fitted suit and skirt ensemble with a jade green snake skin briefcase in hand. The formerly blonde streaked brunette roommate now had dark ginger hair. It brought out the green flecks in her hazel eyes.

"Now I see why you guys had a shot gun wedding." She joked, pulling Valerie in for a tight embrace, the briefcase dropping at their feet.

Valerie squeezed Nicki with all the strength she could, so glad to see her again. Nicki had moved quite a bit away after starting her own law firm in Washington D.C.

When the women separated, Nicki smiled warmly at Valerie before looking around. The whole reason Nicki had come to town was because S & G Corp had sponsored the building of a community center back in Valerie's hometown. The center of Longwood, in the Bronx.

The ribbon cutting ceremony was almost in full swing. Luca and Valerie were out helping the last of the vendors and food trucks they invited to help celebrate the event. The S & G Corp Ground Up project involved most of the money of the company going towards community centers, after school programs, and free lunch programs in New York's underprivileged communities.

Luca had retreated to a group of his colleagues he invited to the opening.

The man in a suit will always have me falling on my kne—

"This place looks amazing. I know Camille and Erik are gonna drive you guys up a fucking wall to come back here. I mean shit, you can see the water slide through the roof of the building." Nicki started in disbelief, pulling Valerie back to attention, as Nicki appraised the new building.

Valerie turned around to face the same direction Nicki was and she beamed at the sight of the almost 60 million dollar community center. It came with a daycare, indoor pools with water slides, two computer labs, state-of-the-art gym, and only just a few blocks down from a major public high school.

After school activities as well as sports teams would run year around at the facility. This would bring enrichment to the community for decades to come.

Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

Valerie complimented the building in her head, but aloud all she did was beam proudly.

"Valerie! These babies need a snack. Are the food trucks open yet?" Valerie's mother, Jean, called out. Both of her arms were outstretched in front of her as Camille and Erik pulled her towards their mother.

Camille and Erik were russet brown babies with obsidian curls. Camille's were shaping up to be more on the 4B side while Erik had a looser 3C. Luca found the mini durags Valerie put him at night to be the funniest thing in the world.

Today they wore bright neon green t-shirts with their own multicolored handprints stained across it from the arts and craft bar. Camille wore light washed blue jean overalls with her shirt and Erik was in khaki cargo shorts.

"Ma, I'm hungry!" Erik declared. His brow was furrowed just like his father's when they were displeased about something. It was hard to be threatening when you're a 4 year old who's clinging very closely to his grandmother.

However, Erik was committed to the role.

"Nicoletta. Nice to see you, baby." Valerie's mom started in her greeting to Nicki,"I'm so happy you got off that crystal worshipping stuff and went back to school because honey child I almost told Valerie to stuff those crystals up your—"

"Nice to see you too, Mrs. Stevens." Nicki cut in with a tight smile.

Paying them no mind, Valerie stooped to her children's level and brought them in closer to her. She brushed dirt off of Erik's cheek while smiling at him. "We'll get you some food in that grumpy tummy of yours." She assured her son, tickling his stomach as she did so.

Erik squirmed and giggled loudly, the hangry attitude from minutes ago long gone.

"And how about you, babygirl? Is your tummy grumpy too?" Valerie asked Camille, a faux threatening hand approaching to tickle Camille too if she said yes. Camille grinned a huge grin and shook her head no vigorously.

Valerie knew Camille was doing it so violently because she would take any excuse to hear her barrettes click clack against each other.

When she did stop, her nose was running, but her smile was even bigger almost.

"I'm not grumpy mommy! Nana said we could get ice cream!" The girl squealed next which caused Valerie's head to look up to her mother. Her mother cocked her head with attitude and nodded surely. "Yes I did tell my baby we were gonna get her some ice cream and I dare ya to say I can't!" Jean proclaimed matter-of-factly.

Valerie's mother had been attached to her at the hip since the babies were born. She felt as if she didn't get to really bond with Susan's children because she rarely visited. Valerie, however, fully embraced her mother's willingness to help and retired her just so she could watch the kids to her heart's content.

Valerie's father on the other hand shook his head every time her mother called him saying she'd be sleeping over another night at their house instead of home with him.

Valerie couldn't help but roll her eyes at her mother and laugh at the same time. Standing back to her full height, she looked around at the food trucks in the area. They seemed to be fully open.

"Yeah go ahead ma, just please make sure they don't have too much dairy. They get cranky when their gassy."

Grabbing the two children's hand from either side, Jean tsked at Valeries warning. "That's because you're cranky when you're gassy and I raised you just fine. Go! Enjoy your event!" Her mother shoo'd her off and Valerie had no choice but to watch as her kids were brought up to a truck selling cheese fries.

Nicki laughed, watching Jean and the kids walk away as well. She linked arms with Valerie and gestured for them to walk towards where a crowd was forming by the stage. "Well, let us enjoy the event like Mrs.Stevens ordered."

"Sorry she lit into you like that." Valerie annoyedly griped. Nicki just squeezed her shoulder and smiled ahead. "No, she's right. If I had been through what you'd been through with me, you'd have a chunk of rose quartz up your ass no doubt."

If Valerie had a drink in her mouth she would've spit it all over the grass.

"Good. Because that's exactly what you deserved."

The two women laughed loudly as they walked up to the stage and watched as Luca stood with a crowd of other men in suits. Standing front and center, Valerie watched as Luca tightened his cuff links and raked his hands through his hair. The sexiest thing about him now wasn't his tawny tanned skin, but the way his wedding band glinted in the sun.

Married life looked good on Mr.Giovanni if she did say so herself.

Just as she watched their son do a couple of minutes ago, Luca's brow was furrowed, looking around with dissatisfaction.

The crowd around the stage was growing bigger and bigger as two men brought out gigantic scissors and two other men were carrying a huge stretch of ribbon. It was finally time for the dedication speech.

"Mama! Icre cream!" Valerie heard the voice of Camille from behind her. There was her mother and the kids making their way to the front of the crowd to stand with them. As soon as they were in arm's reach of Valerie, she scooped both of them up and placed them on her hips.

It seemed like carrying two 40 pound weights came naturally to her now.

The children grinned at their mother, their hands and mouths darkened brown from the brownie part of an icecream sandwich. Valerie looked at the sides of her own lime green t-shirt and knew it'd be covered in their hand prints soon as well.

"Good evening everybody, how y'all doing tonight?" A bald man in a plaid button down came to the front of the stage with a mic in hand. A hush came over the crowd as they recognized the man speaking.

"We'd like to welcome the man of the hour to the stage... Mr.Luca Giovanni, the community cannot thank you and S & G Corp enough!" The host exclaimed with gratitude initiating the audience to applaud as Luca walked up and received the microphone.

"Woo! You go, baby!" Valerie found herself shouting from the audience like a crazed fan as he took center stage.

Like a bloodhound recognizes a scent, Luca's head dropped into the audience and pinpointed his wife in the crowd with no problem. His furrowed brow turning into a gleaming white smile as he laid eyes on his family.

"Good evening everyone," Luca began.

Most of the audience returned the greeting.

"Today we open up a center that should breathe new life into this community. A community that my wife was born and raised in, so I am forever in your debt. I thank you Longwood, for molding the mother of my children into the woman she is today."

A low lull of awww's could be heard from the audience.

"I want Longwood to keep creating good people, intelligent people, extraordinary individuals. The only way I can put my mark on making that happen is giving back in the best way I know how and that's in resources. I cannot wait to see the amazing things that come out of the STEM lab we've placed in the afterschool area—"

Some kids from the community began to cheer at the mention of this feature. Valerie's heart was so happy for them.

She remembered her elementary school days where she didn't have anywhere to access a computer. Her parents didn't own a car for a long time growing up and the library was too far a distance to walk alone as a child. Valerie was a lover of science when she was little and she could only imagine what she would've done with the resources this center would put in this neighborhood.

Hell, I wouldn't have been running around with the mafia. I'll tell you that.

"Longwood, I hope you all enjoy the center for years to come. Before we cut the ribbon, I'd like us all to give a round of applause to my wife first. Little do you all know, but the S is first in S & G Corp because she's the one who cuts the checks!"

Immediately laughter and applause surrounded Valerie as the people around her shook her hand or touched her shoulder in appreciation. Camille and Erik squealed and shrieked like they were in a mosh pit at a rave.

"And without further a do...." The bald host was back at the mic again, someone was now handing the ribbon cutters to Luca. In movie star fashion, a photographer counted down and Luca smiled as he cut the ribbon to the center.

More cheers and happy exclamations came from the crowd as they all walked towards the entrance of the center to go in for the first look.

Camille and Erik began to squirm, wanting to follow the hustle and bustle. Nicki looked at them fondly and gestured to Valerie to let her take them. "Here, I'll walk them around. Luca looks beat." She added, nodding up to him still on stage.

Valerie agreed and allowed her children to go with Nicki. They squealed with glee at being reunited with their Aunt Nicki.

When Luca did come off the stage after a few more hand shakes and camera flashes, he grabbed Valerie's face and kissed her forehead. Breathing in the top of her head for a second. Valerie wrapped her arms around him and held him as tight as she could.

They'd been up since 6 am traveling with the kids and setting up for this event all day. It was now 5 in the evening. The Giovanni's were beat.

Valerie's lovingly rubbed Luca's back as they embraced a couple seconds longer. She felt his lips at her ear, "You don't know how sexy you are when you're holding our children. I swear if I could've gotten you alone the moment I heard your voice on stage..."

Gasping at his boldness, Valerie laughed and pushed against his chest. "And here I thought you were resting on me because you were tired. You tryna feel me up or something?" She asked him with a raised brow, putting some distance between them.

Luca closed it immediately and proceeded to painstakingly drag his hands up her body until he held her by her throat loosely before dropping it. Valerie was now a hot and bothered mess. He looked down at her with that same arrogance he had when he first held her like this.

All because he knew what he did to her.

"I don't need to try. I married you for a reason—"

"And what was that?" Valerie breathily cut in.

"So, I could feel you up without a lawsuit." He rakishly joked, swooping in for a kiss before Valerie could swat him away.

"Ha. Ha. Ha." She deadpanned.

Then the quietness around them set in.

The crowd had now filed into the center. There was only custodial staff sweeping the stage and tidying up around the grounds.

The couple immediately locked eyes again. Electricity seeming to crackle in the air as the realization of the time on their hands dawned on them.

Childless alone time.

"Race you to the car!"

They both yelled at the top of their lungs before sprinting towards their vehicle.

***
Hi guys!

I's back and may be writing more bonus chapters in the future depending on how this one does. However, I need scene ideas.

Comment scenes you'd like to see Luca and Valerie in HERE.

I'm willing to do four more bonus chapters at most.

If you're idea inspires a chapter, I'll give you a shoutout. :)

Also, if you want more frequent updates from me try reading my newest book Bodies. It's seeing the most frequent updates right now and it's waaay faster paced than HWAS.

TTYLXOX ;)

K.