Liliana hadn't touched a drop of alcohol for a year. Tonight, out with Sophia and Sophia's cousin, Anfisa Volkova, Liliana had drank far more than what was sensible as if to make up for that fact. Liliana's head had been spinning for the entire car journey home, and her entire body felt flushed with the alcohol. Even now, was the stumbled up to the front door of her home, her steps were staggered and unsteady. Liliana glared down at her heels. 

She could count on one hand the number of times she had drank this much. In fact, there was only one other instance where she had been this intoxicated, and that had been with Sophia too. Clearly her friend was a horrible influence on her. But, she hadn't once regretted that night - even if the hangover had been immense. It had been somewhat of a turning point in her relationship with her husband; it had been the first time Liliana had truly believed that Marcello cared for her with no ulterior motive. 

With Sophia giggling beside her, the two women entered the grand home, a home that was usually silent in such early morning hours, until their return had dispelled all sense of tranquillity. They were both rather clumsy as they tackled the overwhelming task that was the main staircase. Liliana's feet felt so heavy with every step, and she crumbled to her knees mid way. Sophia following her decent as her own body splayed across the steps, her grip on the bannister futile.

They continued to laugh, uttering inside jokes from the night's conversations, not even attempting to keep their voices quiet. She didn't want to be quiet; not when she was having so much fun; not when she wanted Marcello to hear them and come looking for her.

They would never scale the staircase any time soon, not when the whole room was still spinning around her. But she missed him so much, despite having only endured a few hours of separation, and she wanted to seem him now.

Then there was her baby, the little monster who had lungs strong enough to scream for days, the fussiest appetite she had ever known, and the most inconsistent sleep schedule, and who she loved with every fibre of her being. She wanted to see her baby, those little chubby fingers and toes so small and cute they should be illegal. And those fat cheeks that dimpled with every smile. Just thinking about that smile made her heart ache. Thankfully she wasn't so drunk, that waking a three-month old baby at 2am sounded like a good idea. Marcello certainly wouldn't be happy at having to put the baby down again. He already hadn't been happy at the prospect of being left alone with the baby the entire evening; mostly from fear of doing something wrong in her absence. Most of his time spent as a father was filled with the fear of fucking up. Hell, most of her time as a mother was filled with those same fears.

They'd hardly had the right parental role models in their life. So far their entire parenting strategy had been to simply pray they were doing something, anything at all, right. 

"You're so heavy," Liliana grunted, words slurred as her friend fell into her side.

"Take my shoes off," Sophia urged, completely ignoring anything Liliana said. She thrust her heeled feet towards Liliana, just as Liliana swung her legs towards Sophia.

"Only if you take mine off."

They had been sat down for most of the night, drinking cocktails while Liliana listened to Anfisa's wild tales of drunken college experiences. But still her feet ached from the heels.

Sophia grabbed at her foot but did nothing to remove the shoes, instead hugging Liliana's leg to her chest while muttering, "Let's sleep here."

"You're drunk," Liliana scoffed, eyes clenched shut to escape the spinning of the room but it only made it so much worse.

"So? You're drunk too," Sophia scoffed.

So drunk that Liliana didn't think it was possible for her to stand up again anytime soon. Suddenly sleeping on the stairs seemed like a very good idea after all. Sophia was always full of such good ideas.

"I think it's safe to say you're both drunk," a deep voice cut through their giggling.

Liliana placed all her efforts into shifting her sights towards the top of the staircase, where her husband stood with a smirk. How was it fair for someone to look so good? He was dressed in sweatpants, something he had come to wear a lot since the sleepless nights of early fatherhood, and a plain white t-shirt. The fabric of the shirt fit him so perfectly, the material stretched over his broad shoulders, the fabric so bright against his warm olive skin. The first time Lilian had seen him dressed in such an outfit she had nearly fainted. 

"Amore mio," Liliana greeted with a wide grin that stretched her flushed cheeks. She watched him roll his eyes and begin approaching her.

It took a while for Marcello to gather both Sophia and herself to their feet. He directed Sophia to her bedroom - an empty room that was rarely used - while he carried Liliana to theirs. Her arms were wound tightly around his neck, her legs wrapped around his waist. She rested her head against her arm, face pressed to the curve of his jaw as she relished in the comfort of his arms around her, and the heat of his hands supporting her thighs.

When they were in the privacy of their room, Marcello dropped her gently to their bed - or attempted to as her arms seemed unwilling to unwind themselves from his neck.

"Liliana," he grumbled, in that tone of his that she knew contained more amusement than actual irritation. He was leant over her, between her legs, captive in her arms. "Liliana, baby, let go."

"Kiss, please."

The rumble of his throaty chuckled vibrated in her ear, and she couldn't help the way her arms tightened around him, pulling his body impossibly closer to hers. When she felt the soft heat of his lips press to the tender skin of her neck, a shiver racked through her entire body. The tension in her arms eased, and Marcello slowly pulled back just enough to allow their eyes to meet.

She offered her husband a slow, lazy smile, the alcohol in her system still very present.

"So handsome," she cooed, a hand lifting to cup his stubbled cheek. Marcello leant into her touch, and despite her somewhat blurry vision she could see the sparkle of amusement in his eyes.

"I think we need to get you ready for bed before you try to seduce me," he teased, with narrowed eyes.

"What a boring, grumpy man you've become in your old age," she pouted. Marcello had turned twenty-five a week ago, much to his irritation. Being twenty-five with a twenty year old wife apparently made him an old lecher - never mind that she had been nineteen when they'd married. If anything, he had always been an old lecher. Unsurprisingly he didn't like it when she pointed that out. 

She didn't really care if it annoyed him. She was still mad about the fact that he had kept his birthday a secret from her. This year, she had only known because of some offhand comment Angelo had made a few weeks before. That was how she had discovered Marcello's birthday was on August 27th, a day that came just seventeen days after the anniversary of their first wedding. Which meant, of course, that Marcello had been twenty-three when he married her, and had celebrated his twenty-fourth birthday without telling her. It also meant, that it had been his birthday the first time they had slept together. They'd conceived their child on his birthday. 

Liliana had spent a good few days not speaking to him after that discovery. 

Marcello grunted, his displeasure clear in the way his mouth tightened and his jaw tensed beneath her hand. "I'm not sure what I've done to deserve such callous teasing from my wife," he grumbled as his face came close enough for their noses to brush. When Liliana opened her mouth to protest, his lips pressed to hers teasingly. "Perhaps I should punish her." 

Marcello gripped her tighter without warning, his fingers digging into the space beneath her ribs and Liliana gave a loud shriek in response. 

"Mar!" Liliana laughed, and tried to wiggled away from his hold. God, the room was spinning again. If he kept this up, she might very well be sick. He wouldn't find it so funny then, would he? He didn't relent and Liliana couldn't contain her laughter, shrieking again, louder this time. 

Marcello froze, and his wide-eyed gaze snapped to the bedside table. 

"What?" She asked, breathlessly, giggling. Following his gaze she noted the baby monitor. Of course, the nursery was just next door. He was terrified their little monster would wake up with the noise. 

She giggled again, reaching out to pull his face back towards her. "How is little Addy?" 

Marcello's scowl was instantaneous. "You know I hate that nickname." 

"Did Addy miss me?" Liliana giggled, ignoring him. "Did you miss me?" 

"You were gone for barely four hours, mia amore."

"Is that a yes?" Liliana kissed the tips of her fingers, and reached out to place them on his lips but missed and landed on the corner of his mouth instead. He smirked. 

"You're such a needy wife," he teased, turning his head to place a kiss against her fingers. His tone dropped into a low, sensual murmur as he added, "Always so greedy for my affection." 

He planted his hands firmly against the mattress on either side of her head. The lazy smirk on his expression never changed, and Liliana's attention focussed on the movement of his tongue dragging across his lower lip.  His head dipped, and Liliana could feel his breath against her cheek, and then against her neck. He placed a gentle kiss there, barely noticeable, against the delicate place between her ear and the curve of her jaw. Liliana shivered, her lips parting silently. 

She felt his teeth graze her throat. Then, his tongue. 

"Marcello..." she breathed, eyes wide. Something was building within her. 

His hands on her sides moved, one arm wrapping around her waist as the other cupped the back of her neck. Liliana breathed deeply, that same familiar sensation rising from her stomach. He placed another gently kiss against her jaw. Then her cheek. Then the corner of her mouth. 

"Marcello," she said again, more urgently this time. His mouth hovered over hers, his eyes bright as he watched her. 

That feeling within her became too strong to ignore. 

In a second she was pushing him away, shooting up to sit upright, a hand clasped to her mouth. Her eyes clenched shut at the sudden movement, her queasiness only building. The damn room was spinning again. And that feeling... 

"Liliana?" Marcello had staggered back a few steps, his hands up in surrender. 

Liliana hunched forward. "I think I'm going to be sick." 

No baby gender or name reveal, but you can have a little peak it the baby's nickname. Don't know if there will be anymore bonus chapters after this, but I am hoping to continue with the sequel book Tainted Affair following Sophia and Gio (baby Addy will eventually feature). Please stop asking when or if I'm continuing TA though, I've posted numerous messages on my profile people just aren't reading. 

I am going to continue with TA. No, I do not know when. I don't know what I'm doing with the plot yet. And if I just forced myself to write it, it's going to be the shittest thing ever. In the mean time, check out my new story that I'm updating every friday called Sparring Partners.