Page 86 of The Clover Chapel (Jamison Valley 2)
He started his thrusts again. It didn’t take either of us long to come together. My orgasm wasn’t as hard or long as the other two had been, but it still left me limp.
Gently lowering one leg and then the other, Nick kept our connection and brought his chest down on mine. The sweat from our bodies mixed as we both panted to calm our racing hearts.
Nick chuckled. “Fuck of a lot better end to the day than the beginning.”
I laughed. “You are not wrong.”
Laughing with Nick after hot sex? Absolutely better.
He settled me on my side and took care of the condom before joining me in bed.
“I like your mom,” Nick said into my hair. His naked body was cradling mine. “I pictured her differently. Not as down to earth.”
“She wasn’t always that way. In the city, she played her part as the wealthy heiress. But Alesso mellows her.”
“He’s a nice guy. That name he calls her, la mia vita, what’s it mean?” he asked.
“It’s Italian for ‘my life.’ ”
“And bella is ‘beautiful’?”
I nodded. Alesso had started calling me bella when I was a teenager. Though it had been strange, getting introduced to my mother’s boyfriend while she had been married to my father, I had adjusted quickly to Alesso being in my life. He was so different than my father. Calm. Patient. Affectionate. He didn’t let my mother get carried away and it was obvious that his love for her ran deep.
“Accurate endearment,” Nick said.
“He’s a bit biased since I look so much like my mother.”
“No. He’s just got eyes.”
I smiled and relaxed further into his arms.
It felt like a lifetime ago that we had been at my house dealing with the break-in. My mom’s visit was perfectly timed. Having her here helped put everything into perspective. If someone was determined to steal my jewelry or fancy heirlooms, what did it matter? I had wonderful people in my life, and the material things were just not important.
And she had been right about my father. He had always made sure we were safe. Maybe calling him and getting his advice wasn’t such a bad idea.
“Never met the guy, but I can’t see your mom with your dad,” Nick said. “Not after everything you’ve told me about him.”
“They never fit. I can’t remember a time when they seemed to enjoy one another’s company. I think she married him because he was ambitious. I know he married her for the prestige of her family name. Why they stayed married is the mystery.”
“At least now she’s found a better fit,” he said.
“Much better.”
“I’m glad they could be here today. Too bad they live so far away.”
“It is. Although Frannie told me in confidence tonight that Mom and Alesso are scoping out the area for potential real estate purposes. When they get married, his immigration status will change and they won’t need to spend so much time in Italy.”
I left out the part of my conversation where Frannie had also mentioned the word “grandchild.” Apparently, Mom and her crew were wagering how long it would take for me to get pregnant. Though it would be nice to see my mother more often, I could do without her pressure to procreate.
“Let’s hope for no drama tomorrow,” Ni
ck said.
“Absolutely. We’ll have to postpone our visit to The Black Bull but at least we can relax tomorrow night. Samuel is making a big dinner so you won’t have to cook for me.”
“I like cooking for you,” he said. “But I am interested to see how he makes that trout. I’ve never gotten the hang of fish.”
“Well, after you learn, you can start adding salmon into the rotation. It’s a favorite.”
