Becca.I set Dahlia next to Alessandro in the crib after she stopped fussing, then looked at James. "This is truly the most incredible surprise. I can't believe you did this for me.""I'd do anything for you, Becca," James said fiercely, wrapping me in his arms."Alright." I licked my lips and stared at his. "Make love to me?"James chuckled. "As if you'd ever need to ask."He was about to scoop me up in his arms, when his phone rang. Groaning, James motioned for me to follow him out of the room so the ringing didn't wake the babies."Yes?" James asked in a clipped tone once the nursery door was closed.Frantic Italian was spoken on the other end. Even if I understood Italian, it would have been indecipherable to me."He what?" James growled, which caused me to take a step back. "Of course, he would, that a**hole."'What?' I mouthed, but James just held up a finger."He's going to have a hell of a time proving that," James snorted. "Don't worry, Tony. You've still g
Mona, Private Investigator.James Valentino was one of those clients you just couldn't say no to.I've had a few high-profile cases before, and even those guys didn't pay as well as Mr. Valentino. Sure, it was sometimes hard to get in touch with him, but oh boy, he paid on time and more than what was asked.So, naturally, I wasn't going to complain when his investigation led me to the Sirens dance club at 3;00 AM.The bouncer at the entrance eyed me suspiciously as I approached the door. They probably didn't get a lot of women, and from what I read on its website, it was supposed to be a slow day."Identification." He extended his hand toward me. As if I could pass for someone under 21."Here you go, sir," I said, slipping a $100 bill under it. He glanced at my ID for a split second and returned it, sans the bill. There really was no reason for him to turn me down, but the little extra was just to ensure I got what I wanted. Surely enough, he o
James.I woke to my phone ringing urgently. Only Tony and the PI could break through the silent mode on my phone, so I knew, either way, it was urgent.It turned out, I'd fallen asleep INSIDE Becca, so I had to delicately extricate myself from her. I tried not to wake her as I pulled out and rolled to get my phone. It was the PI."Just a second," I whispered into the phone as I stood and grabbed a robe.My attempts to let Becca sleep were in vain, however, because she rolled on her back and looked up at me. "James?""I'll be back, luscious," I assured her. "I just have to take this call."Becca frowned a little, but nodded. "Okay."I smiled at the love of my life, then stepped out onto the balcony and closed the door behind me. "Yes?" I said."Sir, I think I may have a witness," the PI replied quickly in a no-nonsense tone on the other end. "It's touch and go—I don't know if I can get her to testify—but I'm working on her.""Witness? Witness to what?" I asked eagerly.
Becca.Life at home was strangely, and blessedly, normal. While James took frustrating call after frustrating call, Alessandro and Dahlia were completely oblivious to the danger around them. They played with Layla, James, and me, ate, slept, and had not a care in the world.Antoinette even came over from time to time for coffee, and we'd talk openly about what was going on in our lives. It was refreshing to have someone "normal" to talk to about such things.Two days from the trial, James was looking increasingly harried, but the kids were still happy as could be. Alessandro was sucking down an applesauce pouch and Dahlia was making a mess of some puréed peaches.When the doorbell rang, I assumed it was Antoinette. I put Alessandro on my hip and went to the door.I stumbled back when I saw who it was. "Allegra!"Allegra looked worn down. She had a pack over one shoulder and a sad loneliness in her eyes. "Is she here?" Allegra asked.I blinked several times, then called ba
Becca."F*ck," Alessandro said over breakfast while munching apple slices in his highchair.I kept bottle-feeding Dahlia, mentally counting backwards from twenty and trying not to panic over Alessandro's new obsession. I wished my father was there to help. He'd know how to take care of the swearing.James came into the nursery, then. Alessandro's face lit up and he held out chubby little arms. "F*ck!" he insisted."I think he wants you to pick him up," I muttered."Of course that's what it means," James sighed. He lifted the sticky little boy into his arms and looked around. "Where's Layla?""Allegra invited her to stay at a hotel last night. I know she said she won't leave us until after the trial, but if Allegra has to leave, and Layla wants to go with her…" I said.James groaned and went to the Pack 'n Play to get wet wipes. He started cleaning Alessandro off."F*ck," Alessandro grumped with a pout when James went to clean his face."I think he doesn't want you wip
Becca.I wore a gray pencil skirt and a black blouse, sitting next to James and Ms. Loveless while the judge took the bench. The Cartwright side of the courtroom was made up of a troop of lawyers. I wondered why Ms. Loveless hadn't brought every employee in her office as well. It certainly was intimidating—looking at the other side."All rise for Judge Hopper," the bailiff intoned.Everyone rose, including Layla, who was sitting behind us with the two kids."Please be seated," Judge Hopper said, taking his seat. He wore the black judge's robes, of course, which made me think of depictions of Death.I swallowed, feeling the blood drain from my face. James took my hand."Now, I understand this is a custody hearing," Judge Hopper mumbled. He was a bit elderly, and if not hard of hearing, at least hard to hear."Yes, your honor," Chad's lawyer said, rising in his chair. "We would like to remove Alessandro Valentino from Rebecca Woods's custody and place him with his father an
Becca.James had to take a call as soon as we got back to the house. He said he would be a while, so I decided to take the kids to the park.Layla came with me, pushing the double-stroller with Dahlia in it while I carried Alessandro. I was honestly afraid to put him down, afraid he might be snatched away.I saw Antoinette sitting on the bench again, watching her little girl. I walked over, Layla and the stroller in my wake.Antoinette stood suddenly and looked around. She put her hands on my shoulders. "Becca, you can't be here. They've gone all Stepford Wives—""Well, well, well. If it isn't Rebecca Woods," a new voice sneered.I turned around, noting that Layla had been pushed aside with the stroller and that I was now staring at five blonde, perfectly manicured women who looked as though they had just come from a tennis club."Yes?" I said, while Antoinette fell silent."I hear they're planning to take that little one away from you," the ringleader at the front said
James.I slept nestled into my favorite places—my face nestled in Becca's neck, my hand nestled around one of her breasts, my c*ck nestled between her legs. It was bliss, and it was a necessary reprieve from the Alessandro debacle. I couldn't imagine losing that little boy any more than Becca could. If it came down to it, and it looked as though it would, I was going to talk with Tony about kidnapping. It was an insane move, but this was an insane situation.Speaking of Tony, my cell phone rang on the bedside table. It was Tony's ring, and one of the very few that could bypass the silent mode.Becca stirred, but I kissed the back of her neck as I gently pulled out of her and smoothed the hair away from her cheek. "I'll be right back, baby," I murmured, then went to grab my phone while covering Becca with the blankets."Yes?" I asked in a clipped tone, walking out onto the balcony stark naked and closing the door behind me."We have a problem," Tony said without preamble.
Becca.I didn't need to push much longer until the baby was born. I let out a sigh of relief as a lot of pressure was released as the doctor announced the head was out. I was almost done pushing. Out came the shoulders, and then the doctor was able to pull the baby out. She lifted the baby up and smiled, studying the baby for a moment. "It's a boy!" she said, causing the room to erupt into cheers. I gave a very quiet cheer of my own, my body completely exhausted. I closed my eyes, tears still spilling down my cheeks. I was still worried about how healthy he was, though, since he had come so early. "The baby is healthy, even if a bit underweight. He'll get meat on his bones in no time," the doctor assured me, reaching over to hand the baby to me. Putting a few clips into place, the doctor handed James a pair of scissors, and he cut the umbilical cord. Then, she began the process of helping me pass the afterbirth while the nurses prepared to clean our son up while
Becca.Several months had passed since our honeymoon, and things had been going wonderfully. The baby was developing very healthily, and they were going to be on the way soon. I was tired as I sat on the couch, reading up on some news. The progress with Guatemala went very well. I had made contact with locals who were going to make sure everything ran smoothly and children would be getting what they needed. The thought made me smile. Children deserved wonderful lives. The kids were just put to bed about an hour ago. 8:00 PM was too early for me to go to bed quite yet, but I was feeling tired. Still, I needed a snack, as my cravings were intensifying lately by quite a bit. I walked up to the fridge and rummaged through it, pulling out a jar of pickles and giving a satisfied sigh. I grabbed a plate, taking out several to munch on while I watched television. Maybe this would help me wake up a little bit. I wanted to wait until James got home. He was busy worki
Allegra."I have made a list of reputable centers that we can look into," I said to Layla, leaning on her as we stared at a laptop on the table. At the moment, we were looking into adopting, though not right this instant. We wanted to do a lot of research first. Not to mention, Layla wanted to get another cat so Onyx had a playmate, and they'd need to adapt to our apartment first. The idea of adoption was a prospect both of us adored. Giving a child a loving home would be a wonderful thing. Layla pointed to the screen, saying softly, "I've heard about that one. Good things, thankfully. I think we should be open-minded about teens." She frowned sadly, closing her eyes. "They are often overlooked.""I agree," I said. "They may be a large responsibility, as teenagers can be rowdy, but I'm confident we can handle it. Can't be worse than being captured by the Russian mob," I said with a chuckle. Layla winced but gave a half-smile. "You still think about that, huh
Becca."This place is beautiful," I said, looking around the fancy restaurant in Florence and letting out a happy sigh. Vines practically dripped from the ceiling, making it feel as though we were in a romantic movie. My life was similar enough to one, at this point! Mariano and Neal sat together across the table from James and I, all smiles and warm energy as well. They sipped wine and nodded, agreeing with my observation about the atmosphere. I took a sip of water myself, always mindful of the baby."This is the place where we met!" Mariano exclaimed with excitement. "When I first laid my eyes on Neal, I knew a prince had entered the establishment. A handsome one that made me swoon in my seat," he said. He winked at Neal, and the other man blushed. I giggled, gushing, "You two are so cute! I'm so happy for you. It really does look like you connected, which is wonderful. Just like a storybook!" Mariano nodded, his grin only widening at the idea. This place had a
James. "Look at how wonderful and huge they are, James!" Becca exclaimed, causing me to smile. It was the day after our first engagement on the beach, and I was happy to relax. At the moment, we were looking at some giant tortoises with a deep sense of awe.She was right; they were the size of side tables. A guide handed Becca some lettuce, which she held out to the tortoise. She squealed with delight as the animal took a leaf from her and began munching, causing my smile to widen even further. I was so happy to be able to relax. Security had reported nothing odd happening, and they seemed to be having a ball as well. I was relieved, though I shouldn't have expected anything bad to happen. Not like the Cartwrights tracked our every move. At least, I hoped not. I shook that thought out of my mind as Becca continued to give a ton of attention to the tortoises. One of the security men walked over with a camera in his hand, beaming at us. "Let's get some pictures of
Becca.This was it. The perfect honeymoon, the one where James and I would have the time of our lives. I was thrilled, my heart singing even as I looked out the window of the airplane we were taking. With the money I had, we were able to charter a private jet. Even after all these months, I'd never completely gotten used to always being able to afford the best of everything. The staff was very kind, including the flight attendants who catered to our every need. Our money came with a lot of advantages. I tried not to think about that too much, though. It made me feel guilty.Rather, when my worries became too heavy, I reminded myself of the charity that I was starting off. I realized I couldn't physically go to Guatemala, but with my wealth, I reached out to locals for the best ways to run a charity for kids there. The representative I spoke with had been wonderfully helpful, and it made me beyond happy that I could still help while not being there. I had decided I
James."This is going to be such a wonderful trip, James!" Becca exclaimed, wrapping her arms around me. I smiled, returning the hug and holding her close. When she pulled away, I gave her a tender kiss.At the moment, we were sitting in the living room of the compound with a laptop open on the table showing all the activities we could do in Seychelles. The pictures of beautiful, pristine beaches with shining sand and deep blue water got me excited, too."I think we should see the tortoises and dolphins," Becca said, giving a smile. "The kids are going to love those pictures. Someday, we need to take them with us, to a kid-friendly area." No doubt she would be paying attention to that during our honeymoon. "That is an excellent idea, my love," I said to her, giving her another squeeze. We exchanged another kiss as she continued to scroll through the pictures and destinations. Thankfully, the trip was taken care of flight-wise and hotel-wise. Having money was
Neal.A few weeks had passed since I met Mariano, and the strong sense of attraction I had to both his looks and personality had not faded. In fact, we were hitting it off even harder now, and I couldn't be happier. Thankfully, I was brave enough to call Becca and say I wanted to visit as a friend. I meant it this time. There was no ulterior motive, not that there had been one, to begin with. She may have been stuck in my head a little, but that wasn't an issue anymore. After some hesitation, she agreed to see me. Likely because I wanted to introduce her to Mariano, which put her at ease for me not actually being after her anymore. I accepted that she was with James. Mariano and I were sharing lunch before heading out. I gazed into his eyes, my own full of adoration for the man. "We're really hitting it off, aren't we?" I chuckled, breaking the silence that had formed between us as we ate sandwiches. Mariano winked, saying, "I think we are, yes. I am thrill
James.Still feeling beyond happy about the news of the baby still being healthy, I walked over to the fridge to get myself a quick snack before meeting with Giovani. Becca was dripping with joy, which made me relieved, to say the least. She had no idea what was going on in the background, and I didn't want her to, either. She shouldn't suffer the stress of anything anymore. My wife was looking forward to a wonderful life with our expanding family, and I wouldn't let worry settle in her mind. At least, despite the stress on my end, we were going to have our honeymoon soon. The kids were happy, and that's all I could ask for. Speaking of which, I stopped into the nursery for a visit before heading off to discuss things with my cousin. Alessandro was playing around with a few cars and stuffed animals. Dahlia sat in front of him, doing the same, making happy cooing noises threaded in with a few words. When they saw me, they let out squeals of happiness and hobbled o