I shook my head. “Gemma doesn’t need a talk. I’ll show her everything she needs to know.”
Serafina huffed. “Of course, she needs a pep talk. Unlike you, she hasn’t slept with half of Vegas.”
I grinned. “I know. She’s all mine.”
Serafina exchanged a look with Kiara. “Why don’t you return to your groom duties and we’ll handle the girl stuff?”
“As I see it, giving her a good night is my groom duty.”
Fabiano exchanged a look with my brothers as he sauntered toward us with Aurora on his arms.
“I think you need to lower your expectations,” Serafina said.
“Don’t ruin tonight for me.”
Kiara rolled her eyes.
“I’m sure you’ll manage to do that on your own,” Serafina said with a laugh.
“Don’t ruin his night, for fuck’s sake. His fucking blue balls moodiness of the last few months is intolerable. I’ll turn fucking homicidal if he doesn’t get laid soon,” Remo snarled.
“You’re homicidal on the best of days, Remo, let’s be honest here,” Fabiano said, rocking Aurora whose face was red from her last screaming fit. It made her blonde hair and blue eyes stand out even more.
Kiara and Serafina slipped away before I could stop them.
“Damn,” I muttered.
“Maybe you should listen to Fina’s advice and lower your expectations. Maybe Gemma won’t sleep with you tonight, and even if she does, it probably won’t be the fireworks you expect,” Fabiano said.
“Speak for yourself,” I said. “Only because you didn’t give Leona any fireworks in your first night, doesn’t mean I’ll fail too.”
Fabiano rolled his eyes.
Remo smiled twistedly, his eyes following his wife.
“Any tips?” I said.
“Whiskey goes well with the taste of blood.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Thanks.”
Fabiano shook his head, covered Aurora’s ear with his palm. “Aurora will be banned from visiting your mansion once she’s older.”
Diego came over with impressive bags under his eyes. We shook hands and he probably would have uttered another warning if a murmur hadn’t passed the present guests.
I followed their gazes toward the entrance of the church and let out a low whistle.
“That girl is going to get someone killed one day,” I said.
Luca Vitiello towered in the doorway with his stunning wife and even more stunning daughter. His son was already taller than his three years older sister.
“How old is she?” Diego asked.
“Twelve,” Fabiano said in warning. “And you better look at something else when they come over, or Luca’s going to cut you down.”
“Luca won’t cut down anyone in my territory,” Remo said with a dangerous smile.
“If someone checked out Greta in that age, would you hesitate to cut them down if you were in Luca’s territory?” Fabiano asked.
I scoffed. Remo would rip the fucker’s throat out with a smile.
Kiara, followed by Serafina, entered the room, and I wanted to disappear in the ground. Kiara appeared even more flustered than I felt. They both took me in.
“God, you are so beautiful, Gemma,” Kiara said, pressing a palm to her mouth.
Serafina nodded slowly. They both were absolutely stunning. Kiara in a long red dress that contrasted beautifully with her pale skin and dark hair, and Serafina like a regal angel with her straight blonde hair and a dark blue dress. “You will bring Savio to his knees.”
I wasn’t sure how my marriage with Savio would be.
“Your mom asked us to talk to you,” Serafina said, coming closer.
“I really don’t need a talk,” I said quickly. “I already talked to… someone.” I couldn’t really say that I’d talked to Toni because it wasn’t public knowledge that she’d slept with Diego.
“Well, I wouldn’t rely on Savio’s ample knowledge alone, if I were you,” Serafina said.
“Did you ever meet any of the girls?”
Kiara touched my arm. “No. Savio never cared about any girl enough.”
Serafina leaned in. “From this day on, you’re the only girl that matters. Like I said, you need to bring him to his knees.”
“Do you think that’s possible?”
“Oh yes,” she said, exchanging a look with Kiara. “Every man can be brought to his knees.”
They’d have to know. They were married to Nino and Remo.
“So, you’re sure you don’t want to ask us anything?” Kiara asked softly.
“One thing…among Traditionalists the bloody sheets tradition is still upheld but since your family isn’t very conservative, I was wondering if there’s something like that.”
“No!” Both of them said at once.
Serafina touched my shoulder. “You decide if you want to sleep with Savio, only you. There won’t be any bloody sheets or anything else putting pressure on you and please promise me that you won’t let him push you into anything you don’t want to do.”
I smiled at their concern. “I won’t.”
Savio had made me wait a long time before he’d made up his mind, first about our engagement, then about our wedding. He could wait for what he wanted a while.
I loved Gemma in tight clothes that showed off her breathtaking curves, but I’d been expecting her to opt for a modest wedding dress. After all, the spectacle took place in church and her family was in attendance. So, seeing her in her high-collared, long-sleeved dress with the veil covering all of her face didn’t come as a surprise, what did, was that she knocked the breath straight out of me. A hush fell over the crowd.
An apparition of white.
Diego led her toward me. The closer they came, the more of Gemma’s face became visible through the fine material of her veil. They stopped beside me, and Diego pulled back her veil. The tender look that passed between them made me forgive Diego for the veiled threats of the last few weeks. This was his little sister. I’d never had a sister to protect, but I had Greta.
I held out my hand, surprisingly steady, and he handed Gemma over to me with a curt nod. His jaw was locked tightly as he turned and headed to the first row where our families sat.
Gemma’s hand was shaking against mine, beckoning to my protective side. I slid my thumb over her soft skin and was rewarded with a small smile. Leaning down, I whispered. “You look like a princess, Gem.”
The smile got a bit wider, then the priest started his sermon and Gemma’s expression became focused. I zoned out. This spectacle was for Gem, nothing else. I still didn’t believe in any of this hocus pocus.
I caught Remo’s eyes who stood next to me with his arms crossed and a mildly pissed expression. Nino wore a look of mild exasperation. For him, it was completely unreasonable to believe in God. Good thing that he hadn’t involved Gemma’s conservative family into a discussion about the existence of a higher power. Knowing my brothers and my devilish little nephew, it would be a miracle if this wedding ended without a scandal and half of the Bazzolis never talking a word to us again. Only Adamo managed an expression that suggested he actually listened to a word the priest said, though he was probably daydreaming about the next street race in two weeks.
Gemma’s “I do” cut through my thoughts and I quickly returned my focus to the front. The look she sent me made it clear that she knew I hadn’t paid attention.
“I do,” I said firmly, and then ice-cold realization hit me. Right this second, I was a married man. From the corner of my eye, I caught Fabiano and Remo exchange surprised looks. Had they thought I’d say no? I wouldn’t put it past them to have placed bets on the outcome of this day. If that was the case, I wished they’d told me so I could have placed my own wager.
Greta tiptoed toward us in her pale pink flower girl dress, led by Nevio in his tux. Without him, she would have never walked down the aisle with so many people watching. I gave Nevio a warning look. If the little monster did anything to mess up this day, I’d kick his devious ass. In spite of himself, Nevio didn’t as much as make a face. He looked focused on Greta. Those two were like yin and yang. He and Greta stopped in front of us. Greta held up the ring cushion, giving me a tiny smile. She didn’t once look at the priest, Gemma or anyone else.
Gemma leaned down and whispered something that made my niece smile a bit wider, surprising me briefly, but then my eyes were drawn to Gemma’s back, which was bare. Her defined back and elegant shoulder blades, her delicious spine that I wanted to run my tongue over. My pulse sped up. Gemma straightened with the ring in her hand and faced me.
I don’t know what my expression was like, but it must have reflected my hunger because Gemma’s cheeks turned red. “Your hand,” she whispered, and I held out my hand for her.
She slipped the ring on. I bent down to Greta and took the remaining ring. This time I’d opted for a less obnoxious ring, a simple gold band with a few diamonds. “Thank you, dollface.”
Nevio pouted.
“And thanks to you.”
Together they turned around as I straightened. I gripped Gemma’s hand and slid the ring on her finger. A familiar wave of possessiveness washed over me, seeing my ring on Gemma’s hand. Glancing at my own hand, I realized that now I, too, would wear a sign that made me someone else’s. It was a strange feeling, knowing Gemma would be the woman I’d spend the rest of my life with, the only woman I’d have sex with…