FEDERICO

"Is it me or did this trip seem incredibly long?" Domani asks as we get into the SUV waiting for us on the tarmac.

I smirk at him. "It's funny how you said I was pussy whipped with Elenora before I even slept with her and here you are dying to see Clara after only four days."

"Unlike you, I will proudly admit that I am whipped," Domani sighs. "But she's a little harder to convince. It's like she keeps waiting for the chance to cut me loose and it fucking drives me nuts."

"Why don't you talk to her about it?" I check phone, and smile at the picture Elenora sent me of Mateo smiling with the text captioning:

Patatina: Matty's first smile :)

Patatina: Well, when he's awake and we know it's not just gas lol

"I've tried but she usually tries to brush it off or makes a joke about it," Domani responds next to me. "Why are you smiling like an idiot?"

I hand him my phone and he smiles at the picture of Matty, too. "Damn, he just makes you forget about everything that's buggin' you doesn't he?" Domani leans over and shows Mostro who's deep chuckle resonates in the car.

"Yeah," I state, rubbing my face, even though the comment makes me think about how Elenora and I are in a strange place right now.

The demands of nursing have been rough on her and her talking in her sleep, let alone late at night, during her nightly feeds have taken on a whole new level. She cries a lot too, but she doesn't think I notice.

I've learned to just give her space because asking her what I can do to help only seems to add fuel to the fire and she snaps at me. I constantly feel useless. But I've been reading a lot during this trip and hope I can apply some of what I've read.

"Today is the big day then?"

I look over at him, coming out of my wandering thoughts. "What do you mean?"

"It's the day you'll get the green light, isn't it?"

"Green light?" I'm even more confused.

"Nora's six week check up?"

I groan. "Fuck, I forgot. We need to make a stop, Mostro."

"Sure, where to, boss?" He asks over his shoulder. I tell him the few different stops we need to make, hoping after tonight Elenora and I can get back to being us again.

We pull up to the house a couple of hours later and Domani and Mostro help me unload everything and take it up to our room. They help me set up a few things before I end up kicking them out with their comments and jokes about some of the things I got.

I check my watch, it's almost dinner time and they're still not back, but then my phone chimes with a text from Mostro.

Mostro: They just pulled up, boss.

After a quick freshening up, I head out of the room and walk down the hallway, but when I get to the top of the stairs I hear the arguing voices of Domani, Clara and Ciccio. I wait to hear what is going on.

"He's going to fucking lose it when he hears about it," Domani mutters. "Why Nora? Why would you do it?"

"Dom, Matty is her son, too, she has a say in what happens. I mean, I tried to stop it but what's done is done. Nothing happened. I wouldn't let her do anything to Matty," Ciccio states.

"Well, if it's any consolation Matty proved Rosetta's evil. He started crying while she was holding him," Clara adds.

I let the words sink in, before everything becomes clouded in red and I storm down the stairs.

"Why the fuck was Rosetta holding my son?" I fume.

Everyone turns startled. Elenora is holding Mateo and her apprehensive eyes meet my furious ones when I approach her but then her eyes flash, with fire in them.

"He's our son, Rico," She responds. I move towards her but Ciccio stops me from confronting her. I shift my angry eyes to meet him.

"Get the fuck out of my way, Ciccio."

"I can't Boss, not when you're like this."

"Get out of my way," I growl but he continues standing there. I react out of anger and grab him by his collar. Elenora gasps but that doesn't stop me from punching Ciccio.

He staggers back, dropping to his knee and wipes at his mouth before he stands upright again. There isn't anger on his face, only a fierce determination to keep me from Elenora, I move forward again.

"Rico, stop it." Elenora stands in front of him this time, she must have handed Matty to Clara. "You're angry at me, not Ciccio."

"He defied an order," I seeth, glaring at him.

"No." Elenora states firmly. "Ciccio is doing what you pay him to do, protecting me and Matty, even if that means from you."

I blink as the implication of her words register in my head.

"You...you think I would hurt you or Matty?" I ask, the sharpness of her words tear through me.

"No. Of course not," She takes a step towards me, but there's hesitation in her movements and that only adds to the pain I feel. "But you told me once you don't trust yourself when you let your anger control you, Rico."

I push past the hurt and look back at her. "You took Matty to see Rosetta?"

"No, she didn't. We were at the mall and she came out of nowhere while we were eating," Clara hands Matty to Domani and stands next to Elenora.

"What were you two doing?" I focus on Ciccio and Smiley, but they don't meet my eyes.

"They were eating with us," Elenora tells me and the two guards look down in shame.

"Well, Ciccio was holding Matty so I could eat," Elenora clarifies. "Rosetta seemed surprised to see us, Rico. Frankly, I didn't think I'd see her at the mall let alone the food court of all places."

"You wouldn't," I reply in a clipped tone and look at Domani, he knows she would have had to be following them.

"Anyway, she asked if she could hold him and I figured I would show her something she's never shown me since I've met her." Elenora looks back at me holding my gaze.

"Kindness," She states. "She may not deserve it but I get to choose if I offer it to her or anyone else, Rico. Between me, Clara, and the guys, we wouldn't let her do anything to Matty."

"You don't know her, Elenora," I respond through my clenched jaw. "Do you realize what could have happened?"

"But it didn't." She cups my face to look at her.

Mateo begins whimpering and Elenora walks away towards our son. "I'm going to feed him and put him down for the night. Ciccio go put some ice on your mouth please. Smiley, can you bring our bags in, too, please?"

Clara grabs Ciccio by the arm and takes him to the kitchen, Mostro follows them while Smiley saunters out the front door to grab their shopping bags. Domani and I stand in the foyer alone looking at each other.

"Would you have told me, if I didn't overhear it?"

"You know I would have," Domani answers without hesitating. I look down at my hand, it's red and throbbing from punching Ciccio.

"Let's get some ice on your hand."

I follow Domani into the kitchen and Clara is finishing cleaning up Ciccio's lip. She walks to the freezer and pulls out a bag of frozen peas and hands it to Ciccio as he sits at the island. I sit next to him not saying anything and look up just in time to catch the flying frozen bag of peas coming straight for my head.

"Whoops; heads up, Rico," Clara says with a fake smile on her face. "Excuse me fellas, I'm gonna go check on Nora."

She starts heading out the door and Smiley walks in with a few bags on each hand. "Gracias, Chuckles; I'll take these."

I place the bag of peas on my hand grimacing as the pain radiates from my knuckles. The awkward minutes tick by before I clear my throat.

"Thank you, Ciccio," I turn to face him. "And..." I fight through the natural instinct I have against apologizing.

Ciccio stands. "No need, Boss, I don't regret what I did, but I don't need an apology either. I ain't no bitch, I can take a hit."

"I know you can Ciccio. But I took out my anger on you and I shouldn't have and I'm sorry." I extend my hand out to him. He looks at my hand before he looks at the others in the room and then shakes my hand.

"Thanks boss."

Domani opens the fridge and starts handing out beers to the guys and then to me. I pop the cap and take a long drink of it.

"Mr. Di Maggio, dinner is served in the dining room when you're ready," Jemina walks in and begins filling a tray with glasses with a pitcher of water.

"Nora says she's not hungry, she's still full from our lunch." Clara announces as she walks back in the room. I notice she has the baby monitor with her, too.

"And she's beat from the exhausting day it's been, unexpectedly running into Rosetta, shopping, getting felt up and fingered by her hot Gyno, being at the beck and call to little Matty, running on little to no sleep, phew! I'm exhausted for her." She drapes her arm over Domani's shoulder, leaning heavily on him.

I stand. "What did you say?"

"What?" Clara looks back at me in confusion. "You know she ran into Rosetta, it's why the big lug over here has a split lip." She hooks her thumb over at Ciccio.

"After that," I say through my teeth.

"Being at the beck and call to little Matty? That shouldn't be a surprise to you by now, Rico," Clara shrugs in an infuriatingly casual manner.

"Before that," I growl.

She smiles. "Oh you mean, shopping! Well you know, us girls always find that's a good form of therapy..." She says nonchalantly as she places herself in between Domani's legs and wraps his arms around her waist.

"About the fucking Gynecologist, Clara!" I slam the beer bottle down on the counter.

"Oh right, right, right. Dr. I'm too hot and I know it," She chuckles, adding to my growing irritation with her. "The man was dreamy. I never wanted to trade places with Nora more than today; I had no idea what a postpartum pelvic exam entails but sign me up! No offense, Dom." She kisses him, even though his mouth is hanging open. She sighs with a faraway look on her face.

"I think he forgot Matty and I were in the room as I watched his big strong hands move over her bare breasts expertly, checking for 'lumps or abnormalities'." She uses air quotations and continues telling us what the doctor was doing. "I mean, I know Nora's said you haven't touched her in weeks, but the man knows what he was doing—he didn't even have to use lube to get up in there." She gestures with her fingers.

Beer comes flying out in different directions as Mostro, Ciccio and Smiley all choke and sputter on their drinks.

"I want the doctor's name!" I yell at them, growling as I storm out of the kitchen and fly up the stairs like a possessed beast.

I burst through our bedroom door and come to an abrupt stop. The candles I had set up are all lit now and there's soft music playing. I walk in further not seeing Elenora in the room but then the door shuts behind me and the lock engages.

"Took you long enough."

I turn around and Elenora is leaning up against the bedroom door and I forget why I was so angry.

She looks...incredible. Her hair is down now and in a deep side part; it's brushed out so her curls are more loose, giving her hair a sensual wildness to it.

She's removed the light make up she was wearing earlier with the exception of the blush-like color on her lips, but it gives her a more soft sultry look and it's making me hard just by looking at her.

My eyes travel over the dark pink satin slip material with black lace trim that hugs her figure perfectly and ends at the middle of her thighs.

She pushes herself away from the door and walks towards me. I suddenly remember to swallow and take in a deep breath in and exhale.

When she stands in front of me she reaches for my hands which are in closed, tight fists, but her own hands come over mine and open my hands in hers.

Her fingers trail up my arms and over my shoulders before she lays her hands flat on my chest and pushes me back until my legs hit the bed and she presses on my shoulders to have me sit.

"I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, Federico." Her fingers skim over the sides of my face and lift my chin to look at her. "I know I've been off too. I didn't mean to push you away when you only want to help. I'm sorry I've been cranky and short with you." The pads of her thumb run lightly across my bottom lip.

"I don't know what I'm doing—"

She stops me, placing her finger over my lips. "Shh, I'm not finished, amore." She tucks her bottom lip in between her teeth for a moment and I focus on her lips as she smiles.

"You and I need to reconnect." She reaches for the hem of my polo shirt and lifts it over my head and tosses it on the floor.

"The night of your birthday you said you were going to enjoy making me yours all over again, but we never got the chance to have that happen. Tonight..." She climbs on the bed and straddles me. "I'm going to make you mine, Rico."

My hands find their way onto her thighs but she grips on to my hands and pushes them off of her.

"No touching until I say," She whispers next to my head and then nips my ear. A disgruntled sound comes from the back of my throat but she begins kissing my neck, sucking gently as her teeth graze the sensitive part of my neck and my hands itch to touch her.

Her hands travel up my arms and then find their way up through my hair and she tugs it back and then kisses me. She's never kissed me like this; demanding and dominating.

Her tongue sweeps over mine while she moves her hips into me achingly slow, rubbing against my raging erection. She pushes me back into the bed lifting my hands over my head.

Her lips move over my throat and I gasp when she bites down on my chest. Her tongue flicks over each of my nipples before she makes her way down my stomach, unbuckling and undoing my pants at the same time. I groan when she reaches the sensitive area just above the band of my boxer briefs.

She tugs at my pants and then slides her hands under and pulls at my boxer briefs. Her eyes darken as her finger touches the tip of my standing cock before she trails her nails soft down my shaft and I exhale slowly at the fucking sensation she's creating.

She lowers to her knees and takes the tip of my dick into her mouth slowly and begins sucking on it for a moment before taking me in further. She gags slightly before she begins moving her mouth over me, while using her hand at the same time.

Her other hand takes my balls and massages them, and I focus on not losing control. But then she pops off as she pushes my legs more open and I sit up to watch as she licks my balls, tasting and sucking on them. I hiss at how amazing it feels, but I also want to touch her desperately.

"Fuck it," I grunt and pull her up, pushing her onto the bed.

"Hey!" She gives a throaty sexy laugh.

I kick off my shoes, discarding the rest of my clothing hastily before I come over her and she gasps when I kiss her swollen lips. "I said no touching."

She tries to argue in between our kissing, but I deepen the kiss wanting her to know and feel everything she means to me.

When I pull away she's panting hard, her chest rising and falling quickly, but that only makes me want to see all of her. I sit up as I grip the satin material and tear it open, she gasps and I can see her fight with herself, wanting to cover up.

The confidence she had only a few seconds ago is quickly vanishing, but I want her to know she looks and is beautiful. I hold her hands away from herself.

I lean over her and hold her face with my hand. "You're fucking beautiful, Elenora." I press a soft kiss on her lips before I move down her neck and collarbone. I have to be careful with how sensitive her breasts are but I move my hands over their fullness and then flick my tongue against each of her nipples.

"Your body is amazing, amore," I tell her while one of her breasts is in my mouth. I taste a little of the milk when I suckle them, and am surprised at the sweetness of it. I groan and suck a little harder and she arches herself against me.

She moans as I move down her stomach and lean back as I rip off the thin thong she was wearing. I push her legs open and bury my face into her wet and inviting pussy. I slide my tongue over her folds and then flick my tongue quickly against her opening before I focus on her clit. Her legs begin to shake on either side of me and I lap at her wet folds before I reach in the nightstand for a condom.

"Rico, I got the shot, it's okay," She says breathlessly. "I...I need you inside of me right now." She pulls at me to come back over her.

I thrust into her in a fluid motion and she makes the most sensual sound I've heard come out of her and I want to hear it again and again.

I kiss her passionately, swallowing her moans as I move in and out of her. She wraps her legs around my waist, and pulls me in more with each thrust; a shudder runs through me when her nails scratch down my back.

"Oh god, don't stop!" Her voice is driving me insane and I give her more, grunting with the force I drive into her with. She clenches around my dick when she comes again and I groan knowing I'm close, too before I release myself inside of her.

We lay there, breathing heavily. I start to move away but she holds onto me. "Not yet, please." The emotion is thick in her voice and I sit up on my elbows to look at her.

"Did I hurt you, baby?" I wipe the tears from her face.

"No," She shakes her head. "I've just missed you and my thoughts have been running wild with us not connecting, not just like this, but in talking, holding hands, holding each other. A part of me feels like..."

She stops and I see the worry and even shame cross her face. "I felt like you weren't attracted to me anymore because of how my body's changed since having Matty."

I start to shake my head at her but she continues on. "I probably won't look the way I did again, but I'm proud of what my body went through to carry and bring Mateo into the world."

"I'm sorry if I did anything that made you feel that way, Elenora." I brush her hair back. "You are beautiful, baby." I give her a soft kiss.

"Hang on." I slide out of her as gently as I can, and see her wince before heading to the bathroom to clean off and then bring a warm washcloth to clean her and then I lay back next to her, pulling her into me.

"I've felt useless the last few weeks," I confess to her. "I didn't know what I could do to help more with Mateo since he seems to just want and need to be nursed most of the time, but I could see that it's been taking a toll on you, too, amore."

She turns her head and kisses my chest. "You've been great, with helping changing him and getting him first to give a few extra minutes of sleep. I love you and appreciate you for that, Rico. It's all new to me, to us. But I feel like there's something else going on that you're not telling me." She leans away to look at me and I sigh, running my hand through my hair.

"I didn't want to worry you with anything else," I look over at her. "Rosetta is still trying to take down your dad, more so coming after his reputation as a credible and ethical attorney and that's probably my doing to be honest. And Gabriel is practically losing his mind not knowing where Angela is."

Elenora stops tracing over my chest and rests her chin on me. "What can I do?"

"Nothing, baby. I want you to focus on Matty and the work you need to do, your jobs are going to start coming in for the holiday season," I tell her, trailing my fingers down her back and up her side.

"Would you tell me if there was anything I could do?"

"If there was then yes I would." I move us so I lay over her chest now, wanting to hear my favorite sound. I close my eyes as I focus on the steady rhythm of her heart as she runs her hands through my hair, completely relaxing me.

______________

"Rico." Her soft voice calls to me and I nuzzle her chest, but then I feel a wetness on my cheek. I sit up and she chuckles.

"You fell asleep but I could feel my boobs filling up and getting hard from the milk."

"How long have I been sleeping?"

"A while; I fell asleep, too, but then my boobs started aching. I need to pump or feed Matty, they're starting to leak as you can see." She sits up on her elbows and I'm shocked to see the one I was laying on is dripping while the other one is spraying out.

"Holy shit, that's crazy," I say mesmerized.

"Yeah, well, help a girl out and get me something to clean up with or grab the pump bag for me, please," She laughs at my still shocked face.

I snap out of my trance when she yells my name. I grab another wash cloth and then bring the pump over to her.

I slip on a pair of sweats. "So...Clara made all that shit up about the Dr. feeling you up and touching you inappropriately just to get me up here?"

"Hmm?" She says distractedly as she plugs in the pump and places the cups over her breasts, turning on the machine.

"The Doctor?"

"Oh, yeah, he was handsome for sure."

I face her after I pull a clean T-shirt over my head. "What?"

"The doctor, he was cute, probably around your age," She tells me as if I needed to know this fucking information.

"Wait, so he really did feel you up? Fingered you and shit?" I walk slowly toward her.

Elenora laughs. "Well, that's a pretty crude way of putting it."

"Clara said she watched him touch your breasts and finger you," I state hoping she tells me Clara really made all that up.

"You do know what a breast exam is, right? Come here."

I walk closer to her and she reaches out with her hand. "This is what he did to feel for abnormalities or lumps." Repeating what Clara said.

But I start to breathe heavily, getting angry as she moves her hand over one of my pecs and then she bursts out laughing.

"I'm kidding Rico. It was more like this." She uses her finger tips this time and alternates them in a circular motion working her way in towards the nipple. "See, not at all sexy."

"What about feeling you up...inside?"

"Wow, she really got to you, didn't she?" Elenora shakes her head chuckling. "He did have to check my cervix and uterus so while he had two fingers inside he also pushed on my lower belly. It was very quick; the whole exam took less than five minutes, but then he also had to give me a pap smear."

"A what?" I ask, more frustrated.

She sighs. "He had to collect a sample of cells from my cervix to test for any abnormalities that could mean cancer. It's a preventative measure, Rico. Calm down, geez."

"I'm still calling Pia to get other recommendations." I tell her not wanting to be around this Dr. ever again; Elenora laughs lightly.

"Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

"I'll bring you something to eat."

"No, I'll head down. I just need to use the restroom and get dressed. You go on ahead," She tells me as she turns off the machine and then removes the pump away from her.

She grabs her robe at the end of the bed and slips it on over herself loosely then walks to me, giving me a kiss. I untie her sash and slip the robe off of her soft shoulders and press her up against me.

I move my hands down over her bare ass and squeeze hard as I kiss with just as much force. My hands drag back up and over her breasts that are now soft and supple.

"You know the more you stimulate them, the more milk they produce."

"Wow, my hands are like magic then."

She laughs, throwing her head back. "You're so damn cute sometimes, Rico," She pecks my lips before she heads to the bathroom.

"I love you, mia patatina."

She looks over her shoulder. "I love you more, mio polpetta," She winks before closing the bathroom door behind her.

***

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