The Mafia Boss Who Captivated Me

I take Kat's hand and lead her to the dance-floor, a sea of faces watching us as we prepare to have our first dance. Suddenly, I'm regretting allowing her to plan every aspect of this wedding with no input, because if she makes me dance to One Direction or a country music ballad, I might never forgive her.

I slip my arms around her waist and pull her as close as I can, but our child growing inside her is making it increasingly difficult to get her body as pressed up against mine as I'd usually like. I have had to be way more creative when I'm fucking her too, because I can't stop doing that every single chance I get.

She loops her arms around my neck and the opening bars of "At Last" by Etta James begin to play.

I smile at her as I move her around the floor to a chorus of clapping, sighing and cheering. "I love this song."

"I know. Joey told me. I love it too. She said you used to listen to it with your mom."

"Hmm." I kiss her forehead. "I was worried you were going to make me dance to Harry Styles or Taylor Swift." "Hey, Taylor is an icon."

She rests her head on my shoulder. I press my lips against her ear. "Have I told you how beautiful you look today?"

"Only half a dozen times, so not nearly enough." She laughs softly.

"I am the most envied man in this room, kitten."

"I don't doubt that for a second, Mr. Moretti," she purrs.

"Only because I have you, Mrs. Moretti," I tell her, and she shivers in my arms.

"Well, I'm pretty sure half of the women in this room would trade places with me in a heartbeat because you are looking pretty hot yourself in that tuxedo."

"Half of the women in this room are related to me," I remind her.

"Yeah, so I'm talking about the other half, obviously," she says with a wicked grin.

"Wife or not, I will still fuck that attitude out of you," I whisper in her ear.

"I'm counting on it, now stop talking and listen to the song."

I slide one hand to the back of her neck, gripping her possessively as Etta James sings that last line. It's perfect for us.

As soon as the song is over, the floor is filled with our guests who join us for the next one. It's then that I feel his hand on my shoulder, and I bristle.

"How about a dance with your father-in-law?" my father says to Kat. And because she is a nice person, who has no idea what a piece of work my old man really is, she goes to take the hand he is offering her while giving him one of her killer smiles.

I yank her back before he can touch her. "You ever lay a finger on her and I will crush your skull, old man."

His face twists in confusion and anger, and I pull Kat behind me as she stares at me, bewildered.

"Who do you think you're talking to, ragazzo?" he snaps.

"Just stay the fuck away from my wife."

I turn around to face Kat and wrap my arms around her again.

"What was that about?" she whispers.

"Nothing for you to be concerned about, kitten."

She doesn't believe me, but she doesn't push me any further. Instead, we dance to a slow song, and I bury my face in her hair as I try to forget about my former fiancee the reason I hate my father so much. Kat

My cheeks are hurting from smiling so much. Despite this not being in any way the wedding that I'd imagined for myself, it's been an incredible day.

Dante has been charming and attentive. I finally met his half sister, Toni, and if I thought that Joey was a whole ball of trouble it was only because I hadn't met Toni. She is funny as hell and she teases Dante like no-one else I have ever met. Dante's friends and extended family have been so welcoming. Aside from him threatening to crush his father's skull for asking to dance with me, which was weird, there has been no drama at all.

We cut the cake. We had our first dance where he held me close and looked into my eyes like I was the most important person in the world. And even if I'm not, even if he'll never love me the way that I want him to, in that moment I felt it. I will remember this day with nothing but a smile for the rest of my life.

The only sad part was when Mia had to leave early. She made up some excuse about not being able to stay over because of work, but I know it was probably more to do with Brad.

"Your dress is beautiful, Katerina," a cousin of Dante's says as she walks toward me.

"Thank you," I say with a genuine smile. I was worried about getting a dress that would hide my increasing belly, but the stylist persuaded me to make the most of my pregnancy figure, so we went with something that accentuated my bump instead.

I feel his presence before he even touches me. It's like my body is hardwired to his. Then his hands are on my waist and his mouth is against my ear.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful that smile is?" Dante whispers in my ear.

"No," I say, my cheeks turning pink as his cousin stares at us.

He laughs softly before lifting his head. "Say goodnight, Beth," he says to his cousin. "I think it's time we called it a night, amore mio."

"You can't go yet. It's not even ten," Beth whines.

"You guys can party as long as you want to, but my wife is seven months pregnant and she needs her rest," he says, his tone clipped. She rolls her eyes and stalks off across the dance-floor.

I turn around to face him, and he wraps his arms around me. "I'm not even a bit tired yet. Can't we stay a little longer?" "Don't worry, kitten. Now, we're headed to the real party," he says with a wicked grin.

"That is not a party," I say, trying to fake a scowl, but still, I can't stop smiling. "Um, it is if you do it right. But that's not what I was talking about." "Then?"

He takes my hand in his and gives me a soft kiss on the lips. "Come find out."

Then he leads me out of the room, along the hallway and toward the main house. The guard stationed outside the door that leads to the living quarters opens it as we reach it, giving us a quiet word of congratulations as we pass. "Thank you," I whisper before Dante leads me to the kitchen. I hear muffled voices and laughter as we approach.

But when we walk inside a few seconds later, we are showered with rice and congratulatory cheers. Lorenzo, Anya, Joey, Maximo and Toni clap for us. Lorenzo even has a faint smile on his face.

Dante has his arm around my waist, and I stand on my tiptoe so I can whisper to him. "Is Lorenzo smiling?"

"Yup," he says with a grin. "You should take a picture.

It's a rare thing."

"We have drinks," Toni shouts as she walks to the table and picks up a bottle of incredibly expensive Scotch.

"And iced tea for the bride," Anya adds as Dante frowns at his half-sister.

"Because this definitely calls for a toast," Maximo says as he heads to the table too and helps Toni pour everyone a drink.

Maximo holds out a glass of Scotch in one hand and a tall glass of iced tea in the other, and with his hand on the small of my back, Dante guides us both to the wooden table. I take the drink and then have a seat on the bench, but my husband remains standing behind me with a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"Toast!" Joey declares, drumming her fists on the table.

"We did the toasts already," I remind them. Dante and Maximo each made one. They were beautiful too. Simple but beautiful.

Anya places her warm hand over mine and smiles.

"These are the real toasts, Kat."

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"Oh?" I look around at their grinning faces. "Is this another tradition I don't know about?"

"We did this after Lorenzo and Anya's wedding," Dante tells me.

"And we'll do it after Toni's, and mine and Maximo's," Joey says with a wicked grin. Did I hear that right? I glance at Maximo and his jaw ticks as he stares at her.

"You're never getting married, Guiseppina," Lorenzo says with a scowl.

"And I'm definitely not," Toni snorts.

"I guess it's all on you then, buddy," Dante says to Maximo before he takes a sip of his Scotch, "or the tradition ends here."

Maximo clears his throat. "To the end of tradition then," he laughs and then downs his whisky in one before pouring himself another.

"I'll start," Joey says with a sigh and a roll of her eyes.

"To my favorite big brother and my second favorite sister-in-law," she giggles as she holds up her glass.

"How much has she been drinking?" Dante asks, directing his question to Maximo.

"It's your wedding. She's twenty-one," Maximo replies with a shrug.

"Not like I can ever get into any trouble with my constant bodyguard," Joey adds. "Anyway, I was playing.

That wasn't my toast."

"Get on with it." Lorenzo sighs.

"Fine," Joey snaps. Then she raises her glass again. "I never thought that any woman would capture my brother's heart, Kat. I know I was kind of a bitch to you when we met -" "Kind of?" Dante says with an arch of an eyebrow. "Yes, but that was before I knew how much you meant to him, and also before I knew how much you would come to mean to me," she adds as her eyes shine with tears. She shakes her head, as though annoyed with herself for getting so emotional. "I cannot wait to be an aunt and corrupt your little angel, and I'm so glad that you're here to dilute some of the testosterone and toxic masculinity in this house," she adds triumphantly. "To Dante and Kat." "Dante and Kat," the others echo before they all down their Scotch and Maximo pours more.

"Anya," Lorenzo says quietly, and she obediently raises her glass.

"You two are made for each other, like the moon and the stars. You fit together so beautifully. I'm so glad you found a great love, Dante. And Kat, you are the only woman I have ever met who is strong enough to stand by his side. To Dante and Kat." Everyone toasts again and downs their shot while I slug my iced tea.

"Me next," Toni insists. "Kat, I don't know you very well yet, but I do know Dante. When he told me he was getting married, I almost fell off my damn chair. I thought Sal had finally convinced him to do the unthinkable. That was the only explanation that made sense to me. But then I met you and I saw the way he looked at you, and it all fell into place.

The only explanation is you. You two are so meant to be, it's kind of sickening. And I hope you know what you're letting yourself into, honey. To Kat and Dante," she adds with a wink and the shot/ toast process is repeated. "Ah, I guess I'm up next," Maximo says with a sigh.

"You sure are," Dante replies.

Maximo turns in his seat and looks at us both. "Kat. You stole my best friend," he says with a shake of his head, and everyone laughs. "But you made him a better man for loving you. He's way less grumpy these days..." I laugh now too. "And he no longer works one hundred hours a week, which means that I don't either. I'm not gonna lie, I really wanted to not like you, Kat, but you make it kind of impossible. And now you're Dante and Kat and I don't know when that happened but you're just a part of him now, and I can't imagine you not being a part of my life too."

"Aw," Joey says, staring up at him with a huge dopey grin on her face.

"To Kante," Maximo finishes.

"Kante? Fuck no," Dante says with a scowl.

"Dat?" Anya chuckles.

"True dat," Joey giggles, and I almost snort the liquid out of my nose.

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"Dante and Kat is fine." Dante sighs.

"Dante and Kat then," Maximo says with a wink before he stands and gives his best buddy a bear hug.

"It's all on you now, big guy," Joey says to her oldest brother with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

I swallow as I look at Lorenzo. He didn't do a toast at the wedding. Dante told me it's because he doesn't like speaking in public, but I figure he doesn't like speaking much in private either. Because he barely does. He observes. Maximo refills everyone's glasses again and Lorenzo raises his. "Katerina, you're one of us now. I don't mean just a Moretti, it's more than bearing our name. I would die for every single person in this room. You'll be one of us until your dying breath. It can be a blessing or a curse, but only you get to decide which. Choose wisely."

"Fuck, Lorenzo," Dante says with a shake of his head and a dark laugh.

"Jeez, dude," Joey giggles while Toni and Maximo laugh too.

"No, I get it," I say as Lorenzo's dark eyes burn into mine from across the table. I understand what he's telling me about the family I've become part of. Being the object of Dante's affection could well be considered a curse, but not to me. "There's no choice though. It can't be anything but a blessing to me. I've never felt part of a real family since my mom died. Not one who looks out for and protects each other like you all do. My whole adult life, I've never really felt like I belonged anywhere. And now I do. So thank you all," and now I've given my own toast and everybody except me drinks a shot of whiskey.

Thank God there is only Dante left or they would all need to be carried out of this room.

Lorenzo nods his head and gives me a faint smile. Wow, two of those in one day.

"I guess it's my turn," Dante says as he takes a seat beside me. He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me closer so that I shuffle a few inches along the bench until I'm almost sitting on his knee.

"I guess it is," I smile at him, almost breathless with anticipation at what he's about to say.

"The only people I truly care about in this entire world are here in this room, but until a few months ago, I thought this circle would never get any bigger than this. Because let's face it, I'm not going to like anyone that either of my sisters marry, and the chances of Maximo finding a woman to handle his crazy are slim to none." He turns and winks at his best friend. "But then I met this incredible woman, and she changed my life in so many ways that I would never have imagined. So, this final toast is just for her." He raises his glass and the rest of them do the same while I press my face against his shoulder. I'm so unused to being the center of attention. "To Kat, my best friend. My wife. The woman who made me a father. Vita mia. Sei la cosa più bella che mi sia mai capitata."

I don't know what it means, but it makes Anya sigh softly and Joey sniff loudly. "To Kat," they all say as Dante hugs me tighter.

He kisses the top of my head and I find the courage to look up and see them all drinking and smiling, except for Lorenzo who has already used up his lifetime quota of smiles today.

"But now it really is getting late and I can't have any more to drink because it's my wedding night," Dante says.

"Of course. You have duties to take care of," Lorenzo replies, and it's met with more laughter.

"If it's a duty, then you're doing it wrong, brother," Dante retorts.

Lorenzo snorts and his shoulders start shaking, and for a second, I worry that he's about to have a stroke, but he's not. He's laughing. Lorenzo Moretti is laughing.

"Ah, it's the whiskey," Anya says to me as I stare at her husband, open mouthed.

Dante stands and takes my hand, pulling me up with him before he scoops me into his arms to a chorus of whistles and cheers that does nothing for my embarrassment levels. "I can walk," I whisper.

"I know," he replies, kissing the tip of my nose before he carries me out of the kitchen and leaves the rest of our family to go on drinking and talking into the night.

I loop my arms around his neck as he carries me up the stairs. He's not even breathing any heavier with the effort, which is a feat in itself considering how huge I've gotten. "Hey, I forgot something," I tell him.

"What's that, kitten?"

"I thanked everyone in there, but I didn't thank you. Not by name. And not enough," I admit as I stare at him.

"You don't have to thank me for anything."

"Yeah, I do. I wouldn't have any of this without you."

His brow furrows in a frown, but he doesn't say anything else until he's carried me into our bedroom and closed the door behind him. He puts me on my feet and cups my face in his hands. "I need you to know something, Kat," his eyes

narrowed as he stares into mine. "I never thought today would happen for me. I never wanted a wife. Never wanted to be tied to anyone and have to make decisions based on somebody else's wants and needs..." "But the baby changed that," I whisper.