ELENORA

I walk into Rico's office. "Okay, I've got everything set up if you can give me like half an hour max."

He looks up from the stack of papers on his desk. "Is Mateo up?"

"No, he's sleeping but that's why taking newborn pictures at two, or three weeks like Matty is, is ideal. He's already posed for several pictures. Now, I just need this handsome face of yours with your delicious body for the rest." I come around his desk and sit on his lap.

"You want me undressed?" Rico gives me an amused look, adjusting me so I straddle him on the chair.

I chuckle as he nuzzles my chest. "No, not undressed, but I want some pictures of Matty lying on your back and then your chest and cradled in these big, muscular arms of yours." I rest my hands against his chest and then glide them up over his broad shoulders and down his arms. I smile as I start unbuttoning his shirt.

"Elenora."

His husky voice creates a pulsing sensation in between my legs, and it intensifies as he dips his head to my neck and skims his nose along my throat.

"What? I'm just prepping you." I untuck his shirt, unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. I open it, and pull my lips in, admiring the dips and hard planes of his toned body.

"I think we should get you naked and you can pose with me." His voice sends a shiver through me and he grabs my head to kiss me.

His firm lips are confident in their movements and his tongue skims across my bottom lip before I let him in; enjoying the sounds he's making.

I make slow grinding movements with my hips and he groans grow louder as he deepens the kiss. I let myself get lost in the heat of the moment, but then we hear Matty's cries come through the monitor.

I sigh and Rico pulls my face up from his chest. "It's not like we were going to get very far, amore." He smiles before giving me a soft kiss. "We still have three weeks and four days before I can have all of you, mia patatina."

"And you say you're not keeping track." I cross my arms laughing.

He lifts me up on the desk and places his hands on either side of me as he leans in.

"I lied." A devilish smile breaks across his handsome face. "I'm counting down to the last second and then there will be no saving you."

I wrap my legs around his hips, pulling him closer. "It's not me who's going to need saving, Federico." I whisper into the hollow of his ear and then graze his ear with my teeth while I palm his erection through his pants. "You'll get a sneak peek tonight for your birthday."

Mateo starts crying louder. "Until tonight then." He gives me a quick kiss and pulls away calling out to the baby. "I'm coming Mateo!"

I laugh, shaking my head. "You know he can't hear you!" I yell after him but he's already out of his office and I hop down to follow him.

When I walk into our bedroom, Rico is holding Matty in his arms in front of him as he talks to him in a quiet tone and bops his nose with his.

"Your crazy mama has you all dressed up in these silly outfits, doesn't she? Meanwhile, she wants me practically naked." He clicks his tongue. I smile, narrowing my eyes at him.

"First of all, the outfits aren't silly, they're adorable," I defend. "And you'll only be shirtless in some of the photos."

"Mateo, did you notice how mamma completely skipped over the fact that I called her crazy?" He asks our baby as he holds him facing me.

"We both know your crazy tops my crazy," I state, chuckling as I angle the camera and change the position of the layout I have set up. He chuckles and turns Mateo in his arms again and kisses his little head.

"Oh, man." Rico gasps and then he hisses. "Ahh, oh, god, how do I get him to stop?" I look up and burst out laughing. Matty is latched on Rico's chest while Rico looks at me horrified.

"Here, just slip your finger in like this to break the seal, see?" I show him and Matty begins crying.

"Looks like I better feed him first then I'll do the photos with you two." I take him and sit in the large cushioned chair in our room. "Hand me the boppy, please?"

He walks over to me and hands the nursing pillow as he looks down at his chest. "That's gonna leave a mark."

I chuckle when I see the small hickey-like bruise on his left peck. "Now you know why my nipples were so raw and sore the first little while."

His phone rings and he kisses us both on the head. "I'll be back, amores." He answers his phone on the way out.

"Daddy's been busy the last few weeks, hasn't he?" I look down at Matty with his eyes focused on me. I hold on to his little hand and he grips my finger tight. "He loves you so much, Matty. Sometimes we need to remind him, it's okay to take breaks from work, though."

I begin humming quietly as he continues to eat. After he finishes eating from both sides, I'm burping him when Rico returns. The serious look on his face has me worried, but I decide to wait until after I take pictures to ask him about it.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to do this while he sleeps?"

I brush the icy tone in his voice aside knowing it's not directed at me, but I look back at him with a serious look of my own. "Yes, Rico, it's perfectly fine."

I undress Matty and keep him in his diaper, carrying him over to Rico. I instruct how I'd like him to carry Matty for the first set. The change that comes over Rico as he holds our son in his hands and arms warms my heart.

I walk back to the camera and watch as Rico leans down and inhales our baby's scent deeply. A soft smile plays on his lips and I begin taking pictures.

Several poses later we finish and I dress Matty back in his onesie and set him in his bassinet to continue sleeping.

I start laughing as I remember a few nights ago how sleep deprived Rico and I were when we both panicked not seeing Matty right away.

I woke up startled still leaning up against the headboard and I looked down thinking I had dropped Matty after I fell asleep but I couldn't see him. Rico was sitting on his side of the bed facing away from me. His arms were bent like he was cradling the baby and I breathed a sigh of relief but then the panic doubled when I looked around him and didn't see Matty in his arms.

I shook Rico to wake up, screaming at him where Matty was and he startled awake looking down at his arms. He frantically felt around in the bed and we both ran to the bassinet and found him sleeping soundly.

"What are you laughing about?"

"The other night when we both thought we had Matty in our arms only he was actually in his bassinet," I state still laughing out how crazy we must have appeared.

"I don't know that it's that funny, I was scared shitless, thinking I had dropped him or that we smothered him in the bed, Elenora." He runs his fingertips over Matty's head and Matty moves at the touch and yawns.

We both smile as we watch him sleep. "Next to you, he's the best thing that's ever happened to me." Rico keeps his voice quiet. "I never wanted to be a father, let alone thought about it." He turns to me and holds me by my hips to face him. "Until you."

He caresses my face, trailing down my jaw and then my lips. "You make me feel like I can do anything. I get lost in your eyes and the endless possibilities I see in them, Elenora." He brings my hands to his lips and kisses each of them. "I feel hope when I'm with you and I never want to be away from you again."

"You won't be, Federico." I wrap my arms around his neck. We hold each other for a long time, just listening to each other's soft breathing, taking in each other's love and energy and I never want to let him go.

However, a soft knock at our door causes us to pull away and he interlaces his hand with mine, walking us to the door. One of the housemaids smiles when he opens the door. "Sorry to disturb you Mr. and Mrs. Di Maggio, but you have a guest here to see you."

"Thank you Jimena, we'll be down in a few minutes. Please offer them something to drink." He tells her and she nods, walking away.

"I will never get tired of hearing that," I hug him from the side and kiss his cheek.

"What's that?"

"Hearing people refer to us as Mr and Mrs." I smile wide and he pecks my lips in his signature pattern of three.

"Me neither." He smiles and picks up the monitor before we head downstairs.

"It's probably my ma and Jackie, they were going to watch Matty while we go out for your birthday, amore," I tell him, but notice the time as we walk out."But they're a little early."

"You're mom just wants to spend as much time with Mateo as she can. But I can't blame her. Our baby boy is the best," He says with pride.

Our small moment of bliss is halted when we walk into the sitting room and come face to face with an unexpected guest.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Rico demands, shielding me from his cousin Gabriel.

Gabriel stands from the couch, hesitating before he approaches Rico.

"I came to apologize for everything that's happened since...since your wedding." Gabriel's eyes move over Rico's shoulder to look at me. "And to let you know even though it was Angela's idea to take the pictures with you, she is just as much a victim as you two."

"Could have fucking fooled me with how she acted the morning after the bachelor party," Rico seethes. But the memory of her crying at the wedding comes to my mind.

"Look cuz, you don't have to believe me, but I initially went along with Rosetta's plan to get back at you for what happened when we were kids. But I swear I had no idea she'd trick me or Angela. Her need to get back at Tiziano also made Angela a victim, she blackmailed her into going along with her plan," Gabriel explains and shocks us with new information. "Rosetta threatened to put a hit out on Angela's nonna if she didn't go along with her plan. You know she's the only family she has left."

"She had Luca plant the hidden cameras in our room—mine and Angela's. I didn't realize I was going to be a pawn in her game, too," He sighs. "Listen Federico. I just came to tell you that I'm sorry. Truly I am, to both of you." He looks over at me. "But don't make the mistake I did and underestimate Rosetta. She has more allies and connections than you realize."

Mateo's whimpers and baby sounds come through the monitor in my hand. Gabriel's eyes move to my hand.

"What's his name?"

"Mateo." I bring the monitor out to show him.

"He's tiny." He says with a small smile.

"He was born three weeks early; today was his due date actually," I inform him.

The doorbell rings and my mother's loud voice travels to us after we hear the door open.

"Where is he? Where is my little meatball? I know he knows I'm here."

"Excuse us, we have plans tonight," Rico tells Gabriel rather bluntly. I squeeze his hip after I wrap my arm around him. "But...thank you for stopping by and...for your apology for what happened." He adds; I roll my eyes at his attempt to not sound as cold.

Gabriel chuckles. "No worries, cuz, you must be going out for your birthday."

He gives me a small wink that I hope Rico doesn't catch before he pulls Rico into a man hug. "Happy Birthday, cuz."

"Thanks," Rico mutters.

"What's going on?" I turn to my mother who walks in the room. "What's he doing here?"

"I was just leaving, Signora Borelli, but I came to offer my apologies and wish Rico a Happy Birthday," Gabriel replies in a cordial manner.

"Hmm." My mother hums in disbelief, but she's distracted when Mateo starts crying. "My bambino needs me!" She rushes out of the room and I shake my head at her as Jackie chuckles following her. (baby boy)

Turning back to Gabriel and Rico, I excuse myself. "I'm going to go feed Mateo and then get ready before we go. I'm glad you came." I smile at Gabriel and then Rico pulls me in for a kiss.

"I'll be up in a minute," He tells me. I nod and make my way back to our room while he continues talking with Gabriel.