Turn Towards the Sun: Book Three- Forever in Bloom (The Sunflower Trilogy) (26 page)

STARING AT AVA while she sleeps, I almost can’t believe she’s really here. It’s hard to take my eyes off of her. I’m afraid if I do, somehow she would disappear. The success and happiness of my future is wrapped up in this beautiful, sleeping woman. I stroke her arm gently, watching her stir slightly. God, she’s so stunning- even when she’s sleeps.

I don’t know if she knows what her return has done for me- if she knows that my heart started beating again the moment I saw her standing in that driveway yesterday. Does she know that without her, I would be nothing? I know that I can never go back to the man I was before Ava. He is gone. Only this man remains. This man that loves her more than he loves himself. This man that would die for her.

The past few weeks were sheer hell. I went from wanting to do everything in my power to find Anna, to losing my will to fight without Ava in my life. There were times I honestly thought I would go mad. I know there is still more to do, more battles to fight with Anna, but when my angel returned, my strength returned with her. I will not rest until Anna is dealt with. For now, I just need to make sure that Ava knows returning to me wasn’t a mistake. She needs to feel the depth of my love for her. Starting now.

I WAKE TO the feeling of kisses all over my face and neck. Opening my eyes, I’m met with Enzo smiling down at me, his eyes as cool and serene as the deep blue ocean.

“Buon giorno, principessa,” he says, sweetly.

“Buon giorno, tesoro.”

“Am I your treasure, my love?”

“The most precious one I have.”

Enzo’s smile widens. “I brought you coffee.”

“Lovely. It’s been forever since I’ve had a good strong cup of Italian coffee.” I sit up slightly and rub Enzo’s soft cheek. “You shaved your beard off.”

“I did. Are you sad?”

“No, but I wasn’t sad that you had it either.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Enzo rolls over and takes the coffee from the nightstand, handing it to me. “I have a surprise for you today, bella.”

“Mmm,” I say, sipping the hot, rich liquid. “What kind of surprise?”

“I want to do something special for my beautiful wife.” He gently pushes my hair out of my eyes. “I just want to spend this day worshipping you and making sure that you know you are the most important thing in my life.”

“I do know that, Enzo.”

“You must still have some doubt in your mind about me, or my love for you, or the strength of our bond, or my fidelity and trustworthiness and I don’t blame you if you do.” I start to talk but he stops me. “The decisions I made were wrong and almost tore us apart. I regret deeply the hurt I’ve caused you.”

“I know, Enzo. I do.”

“So,” he smiles even though his eyes still reflect a hint of sadness. “You are ready for your surprise?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Get dressed and meet me in the living room.”

“What should I wear?”

“One of your summer dresses would be perfect.”

“Okay.” I jump out of bed, excited for this surprise. Quickly, I shower, brush my teeth and put a clip in my hair, leaving it down and wavy. In the closet, I select a purple floral dress with ruffled sleeves that falls just to my knees. I grimace a little because it’s just a bit too big, but still cute enough, I think. I slide into some flats and join Enzo in the living room.

He stands in front of the French doors, staring out into the backyard. He’s wearing a light blue button down shirt that he left untucked from the casual slacks he is wearing. I love it when he wears casual clothes. Walking up behind him, I reach around him, wrapping my arms around his waist and laying my head against his back. He quickly turns around to hold me in his arms.

I inhale his scent- so sexy and manly. Lifting my face to his, I gaze into his eyes, so happy to be standing here in his arms. This is home.

“Ready, amore?”

“Yes.”

Enzo picks up a bag then we walk towards the garage which surprises me. I’m pretty sure we always decided to go with bodyguards. I pull back a bit which Enzo notices right away.

“What’s the matter, amore?” he asks.

“Should we go out alone?”

“We aren’t. Grayson will be here any minute. I’m just getting a few things.”

“Okay.”

Enzo leans forward and kisses the top of my head. “I will do everything in my power to keep us safe.”

“I know.”

Enzo opens a storage cabinet and takes out a basket, the contents of which are a mystery to me.

“What’s in there?”

“It’s a surprise, remember?”

“Yes,” I say, giggling.

Enzo opens the garage door where Grayson waits for us in the driveway. We climb in the back and settle into the seats as Grayson drives us to our destination. I assume a conversation was had prior to this since there isn’t one now.

This is fun and I’m thankful for this moment of lightness. It’s nice to not feel the stress and sadness I’ve endured the last few weeks. I don’t know how long this will last but I pray it’s forever.

We drive for some time before arriving to an area of town I’m unfamiliar with. Grayson pulls up to a sidewalk lined with trees. It’s green and pretty and seems very un-desert- like.

“What is this place, Enzo?”

“This is the place where I’m going to make love to you today.”

A thrill shoots through my body at the sound of his words. Stepping out of the car, we walk a small distance to a spot under a big, beautiful tree. Enzo opens the basket he has and takes a blanket out, laying it on the ground. I look up as Grayson appears carrying an ice chest. He sets it down, smiles at me and retreats.

Enzo quickly sets up the most amazing scene while I stand by watching. A tray of my favorite cornetti appears along with various bowls of fruit. He pulls out a tub of whipped cream and winks at me. Patting the blanket, he motions for me to sit. I kick off my sandals and join him.

“Amore,” he says as he pours each of us a glass of Prosecco. “I want you to relax and enjoy yourself. This is private property and we have several people around making sure we are safe.”

“This is absolutely wonderful, thank you.”

“It’s the least I could do.” He lifts his glass to mine offering a toast. “Salute.”

“Salute.”

Enzo drags a large strawberry through the whipped cream and lifts it to my lips, reminding me of that night at Girasole. It seems like a million years ago but in this moment, it feels like it was yesterday. I take a big bite and watch as he eats the rest of it. Next he tears off a section of a cornetto and feeds that to me too.

“It’s been so long since I’ve had the immense satisfaction of feeding you,” he says, softly. “You’re so beautiful, Ava.”

“So are you, Enzo.”

I dip my finger into the whipped cream and lift it to his lips to eat. He dips my finger into his mouth, greedily sucking off the cream. My eyes stay locked on his the entire time. Enzo pulls my arm gently until I’m close to him, face to face.

“You are so perfect, so sexy,” he whispers, as he drags his lips up my neck. His fingers move up the base of my neck and twist in my hair. I lay my head back, exposing my neck to his divine kisses. Ah, it feels so amazing.

“Enzo,” I say with heavy breath. “Make love to me.”

“I plan to, signora.” He unzips my dress and slides it off my shoulders, kissing every area of skin as it is revealed. He buries his face in my cleavage, his tongue teasing me through the lacy fabric of my bra.

How did I manage to go so long without his touch? I feel myself come back to life with each kiss and touch. Running my fingers through his hair, I move closer until I’m almost on Enzo’s lap. His mouth finds mine and we kiss, his grip on the back of my neck tight and possessive. It’s the most comforting feeling I’ve had in a long time.

Enzo’s hands move behind me to unhook my bra and remove the rest of my dress. Opening my eyes, I’m almost startled by the intense expression on Enzo’s face.

“You are everything, Ava,” he says, his voice thick and deep. “Everything.”

I don’t respond but attempt to absorb the magnitude of emotion coming from my husband at the moment. He grabs me by the waist and flips me over so that I’m on my back. Hovering over me, he takes the bottle of Prosecco and carefully, pours a stream of the cool liquid into the curve of my belly. He leans downs and slurps it off of me, sucking my skin into his mouth as he does. God, it feels amazing.

“So good, Enzo, so good,” I murmur.

“I’m not done, amore. Far from it.”

With my eyes closed, I feel a new sensation and open my eyes. Enzo smears whipped cream all over me, paying special attention to my hardened nipples. I raise my arms above my head and smile, begging him with my eyes to continue.

He goes to work, licking and sucking every inch of me. Sliding my panties off, he disappears between my legs, pushing them open as far as they will stretch. His tongue finds the deepest part of me, teasing my clit every so often.

“Ah, oh God, Enzo…” My voice breaks as I pant and writhe below this man- completely lost in pleasure.

He moves back up my body, slowly, taunting me with his kisses. When he reaches my mouth, I pull him down to me and suck his lips into my mouth, causing him to moan softly.

“Now, Enzo. Please.”

“Yes, my love.” Suddenly, his clothes are off and he enters me, filling me completely. Our bodies twist together, entwined in our shared passion, under this magnificent old tree.

My climax hits, causing me to cry out and shake as tears fall down my cheeks. Enzo gazes at me as he continues to move within me.

He rubs my cheek softly. “Everything, Ava. Only you.” I feel his body tense and then settle back against me. He lies on top of me, his breathing heavy at first, then slowing. I rub his back, whispering in his ear that I love him.

Enzo finally looks up at me and smiles and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in ages. Rolling off of me, he pulls my arm as he does so I roll over to the other side of the blanket. He sits up and pours us each a new glass of Prosecco. I lay on my back, staring up at the tree and the sunlight that peeks through the branches as Enzo runs his fingers through my hair.

“Did you like your surprise, amore?”

“It was perfect. I’d like to stay here all day.”

“As long as you want. Your wish is my command.”

We sit quietly for a while simply enjoying our surroundings and each other. As each moment passes I feel my heart heal as Enzo’s love completely overtakes me. There is no room for hurt in there, no room for doubt or fear. Only love. Enzo’s love.

THE NEXT FEW weeks fly by and while I haven’t been able to put my guard down entirely, the constant threat of Stalker Bitch has died down a bit. Enzo seems to think she’s giving up since she must know I came back but I am positive she hasn’t. I think she is just waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike and I believe I know when that is.

Bill Connolly was able to locate her twice and each time she moved to a new location before authorities could get to her. Now she seems to be off the radar and not staying in any commercial locations, but we’re all positive she is still in Arizona. She has made two more attempts to call Enzo, but none to me. I believe she has decided I don’t exist anymore.

The last week has been nothing but preparations for opening night. We’ve had interviews, exclusive tours of the property, and celebrity visits. One of the most exciting nights for me was the soft opening of Dolce, Az. Cassie and I were giddy about the many chefs we drool over on
Food Network
standing right in front of us. I thought Gabby was going to go into a food coma. It was a delightful evening.

Sitting in our shared office at the hotel, I finish some paperwork Francesca asked me to do with Danny standing nearby. I’ve gotten used to his presence and even have conversations with him from time to time. He’s a huge imposing man but seems to have a nice personality underneath it all.

The phone on the desk rings and we both look at it. It rings all the time but I never answer it. Something inside tells me it’s going to be Stalker Bitch. I nod at Danny and carefully lift the receiver to my mouth. “Ava Milano,” I say, hoping I sound confident.