He wished he’d seen her pregnant with Eve. He would have loved to be the first to hold his daughter and peer down into her face when she opened her eyes for the first time. Sighing he closed his and let go of his disappointments, vowing to make new firsts with her. After a long insufferable hour of sitting next to the dimming fire he rose from the sofa and headed to the bedroom. The door was partly open and he pushed it wider gently. They slept on their sides. Eve’s face was buried in her breasts, a place he wished he was.
Going to the bed he pulled back the covers and sidled up beside Mira. He laid his head on the pillow and pushed his face into her hair inhaling the soft clean smell of her. Running his hand up and down her hip he pushed his desire up against her lower curves. Mira opened her eyes sleepily confused by the contact. She looked back over her shoulder, and he seized her mouth with his. She kissed him back as he slid his hand under her nightshirt to her center. Stopping the kiss she grabbed his hand. “Don’t,” she said softly. “Eve.”
She turned over and faced him. He touched her face. “I have not forgotten how special you are to me. I want to earn your forgiveness. Give me the chance.”
“You’ve been pretty shitty to me.” She whispered back. “I don’t want to trust you, Giovanni, only to be hurt again.”
“Shhh, you won’t. I will prove myself to you. For our daughter. I swear to you it’ll be different this time. I swear it. Blame me Bella. I can take it. Just promise me you won’t leave, ever again.”
She closed her eyes. He kissed her lids and rubbed his nose over hers. Her arm went around his waist, and her body became flush up against his. He cupped her ass and squeezed. “Ti amo.”
“I love you too. I’ve been so lonely for you. I missed you,” she whispered back.
In the darkness of the room with their daughter sleeping beside them Giovanni told her everything. The night he learned she died, the way he closed himself off to people. How often he prayed for her soul and his. She listened, kissed his lips, and stroked his jaw. She pressed her sweet body up against him and told him her secrets. How she often cried after she left him. How painting was the only freedom she had. And she shocked him when she shared that she left breadcrumbs for him. She thought herself weak for wishing to return to him, but now she believed differently. They shared a soul tie with Eve and she never wanted to sever that bond. She’d been waiting for him. Only him.
Listening to her truths released him. And eventually he found peace in her arms and slept.
Chapter Five
One, two, three, taps against his cheek. Giovanni blinked several times before opening his eyes. A new day shone brightly through the bedroom window with his disheveled hair in his eyes he focused on the tiny pair of blue eyes peering into his. Eve swung her hand and smacked him lightly against the nose and mouth.
Giovanni laughed at his little girl’s eager welcoming. “Good morning, cara.” He gently took her wrist and pressed her chubby hand to his mouth to kiss her open palm.
Eve pulled her wrist free. She reached to touch the beard covering his jaw. She rubbed the spry hairs between her fingers. Giovanni moved his face closer to hers so their foreheads bumped. She smelled of fresh baby sweetness. Apparently he had come too close. Eve pushed his face away sitting up. Sucking on her pacifier she scanned the room curiously. This would be the most wonderful way to wake up. He’d make sure his baby girl’s crib was placed in the room with him and Mira so he could see her sweet face every morning. “You looking for Ma-ma?”
Quick, her head shot around on her small shoulders at the mention of her mother. He wondered if she would talk more if she didn’t constantly have the little plug in her mouth. He reached to remove it, but found his daughter was a mind reader too. She ducked and then suddenly backed away. Before she could scoot off the bed, Giovanni reached for her and pulled her back to him.