Nothing to Lose (BWWM)

Thirty Three

"VINCENT!"

The two adults were startled by the loud yell as they reached the last stair. Vincent's face eased into a large grin as LJ raced down the stairs before jumping into his arms.

Imani watched as her son hugged him tightly and Vincent reciprocated the action.

"Hey buddy! How's it going?"

"Where've you been?! I've had no one to play Xbox with and there was nobody to teach me how to fight."

Whipping her head round as they walked towards the kitchen, Imani raised an eyebrow. "You've been teaching my son to fight?"

They both sheepishly shook their heads.

"What else have I missed?" Vincent asked, diverting the subject when Imani cut her eyes at him.

Setting him down on the breakfast bar, he listened as LJ filled him in on all the goings on whilst he was away. As they chatted, Imani started cooking breakfast, knowing that they'd all be hungry - especially after the amount of times Vincent had devoured her body a few hours earlier.

Luke spoke animatedly and Vincent tried to keep up as best as he could but at the rate the seven year old was going, that was nearly impossible.

"And I tried to protect mommy every night but sometimes I couldn't and I would hear her crying."

The sound of the spatula hitting the surface mirrored the sound of Vincent's heart dropping into his stomach.

"You wouldn't stop crying, would you mommy?"

Refusing to turn around, Imani said -"it wasn't everyday baby," over her shoulder.

"It was! I counted. You left the door open and I could hear you crying."

"Why didn't you come in then, LJ?" Imani said, still facing the hot stove.

"I thought that Vincent would show up."

He replied quietly just as Imani felt Vincent's warmth pressing against her back, lips on the top of her head.

She squeezed his arms gently as he whispered "I'm sorry," into the dark and messy tresses on her head.

"Ooh and I lost another tooth!" LJ squealed as Vincent stepped away before his body responded to her heat. Instead leaning on the counter beside her, he continued to listen to LJ. "I put it under my pillow and mom gave me $5."

Imani's mouth popped open. "What? LJ that wasn't me. It was the tooth fairy."

LJ stared at her knowingly. "Mom, come on. I'm seven and three months. I know that the tooth fairy isn't real."

Vincent laughed heartily at the young child and Imani couldn't help but chuckle. "So what, now you don't believe in Santa Claus either?"

The look of bewilderment her son gave her was priceless.

"Mom, those are two different things. The tooth fairy doesn't exist but Santa? Of course he does - come on, mom!" He exclaimed. "How else is it that whenever I leave cookies and a note for him, when I wake up - the cookies are gone and there's a reply on the note."

Hopping down from the stool, LJ skipped out of the room, headed for his room. "I take last year's note everywhere with me!" He said as his voice disappeared up the large house.

"I guess I'm going to have to don the red suit this year and keep up the charade, huh?" Vincent quipped as he watched her crack some eggs into a bowl.

She shrugged. "Depends." Imani smirked. "If you can put up with us for that long."

"I plan on 'putting up' with you for a very long time, Imani."

He wasn't promising her marriage, more kids or anything else but he was promising her a future together - no matter what that included.

And to be honest, she loved the thought that they could see where things went without any pretences. Just be with each other and enjoy each other and only each other.

Sure, she wanted marriage and more kids... In the future. When she was ready. When he was ready.

But she would be happy either way, married to Vincent or not - so long as she was with him.

Holding her tightly from behind and burying his face in her hair, he inhaled her sweet scent lightly.

"Believe me, I don't plan on letting you go."


Three months later


"Potrei guardarti tutto il giorno."

Imani gave him a perplexed look, indicating that she wanted a translation. "I could watch you all day, bella."

Flushed cheeks and all, she returned to her task. "Well we don't have all day," Vincent watched as Imani stood in front of the wardrobe naked as the day she was born. Her head tilted back as she looked for something to wear. Now that he had given her a large side of his wardrobe to utilise as her own as well as the wardrobe in the guest bedroom, she was spoilt for choice.

"Where are we going?"

When she ignored him, he asked the question again. Only to gain the same result as before. "Are you going to answer me or...?"

"You'll see when we get there." She said, placing both hands on her hips. "If you could get dressed, I would appreciate it greatly."

Vincent rolled his eyes and threw the covers off him, revealing the glorious physique that had kept Imani entertained throughout the entire morning.

Stretching and running thick fingers through his unruly dark hair, Vincent stood up.

"I'd rather stay here." Moving stealthily, he slid his arms around her waist and placed his mouth right by her ear. "Con voi."

With you.

As tempting as the thought of staying inside with Vincent all day sounded, today was the one day they both agreed to have away from work in order to do something together. As soon as she felt him begin to swell against her behind she jumped up and away from his reach.

"Please get ready, Vincent. You promised me that we would go out and do something together."

Kissing his teeth, the grown man pouted. "I regret ever saying anything."

"Too late now, go and shower."

"Join me."

Imani knew better than to agree to his request. "No chance, Vincent." He groaned and left her to go a shower.

By the time he came out, she was checking herself out in the mirror, pleased with her choice of outfit. Sensing his eyes on her, she looked at his reflection and felt her heart lurch.

No matter how many times she looked at him, he would always have the same effect on her. And as he nonchalantly dried his hair with a white fluffy towel wrapped around his waist, beads of water sliding down his torso, disappearing into a place that she loved to explore, Imani felt hot again.

He gave her a wicked grin, winking at her knowingly before standing in front of the wardrobe as she had done earlier.

Trying to keep the heat that was clawing up her body in check, Imani stopped watching his form in the mirror.

"Imani, could you help me over here please?"

This was a trap.

She knew it. He knew it and yet she still tottered over to him and stood by his side. The moment she did it she regretted the action. Vincent knew her weaknesses and he knew them well. As soon as she reached his side the scent of his cologne reached all of her senses, sending all of them into a frenzy.

"I don't know whether to wear the black jeans or the blue jeans." He said innocently.

The bastard.

"I think the blue ones will look good."

Just as she tried to side step him and get out of the danger zone, he moved behind her, encasing her in the hot steel of his torso.

He did not play fair.

"See, that's what I thought until I realised that I'm wearing a grey tee." Vincent spoke lowly into her ear, his smile widening with every word as she melted into him.

"In that case, I think you should uh, you should wear the blacks."

When had his fingers started to unbutton her blouse? When had his towel fallen to his feet? And at what point exactly did Imani lose all control of the situation and give in to her seducer?

His mouth took hers in a passionate kiss, fingers tangling in her hand and pulling her head back to open her mouth for him.

With a strength that still managed to amaze her, he placed two large hands on her thighs and lifted her so that she was straddling him.

She didn't care that she was getting her clothes wet.

She didn't care that he was ruining her plans.

All she cared about was satisfying the inferno he had started in her core.


Two weeks later

Happy.

He hadn't been able to use that word to describe how he was feeling in a very long time.

But he was happy. Ecstatic. On top of the world.

Although he missed his mother with everything within him, his weekly visits to her grave consoled him and kept him from diving back into the dark place that he had formerly put himself into.

It felt as if she was still there with him and it gave him a peace of mind to know that she was no longer in pain and no longer suffering.

Vincent had a functioning relationship with someone who loved him which was something he never would have thought would happen. Not in a million years did he ever picture himself saying 'I love you' to someone and meaning it then having them say it back.

He knew now that the reason why he didn't have faith in the whole idea of love was because he hadn't met the right person yet.

He hadn't met Imani Forde.

They were taking each day as it came and he loved the fact that she didn't expect him to propose soon, she was letting him get adjusted to the whole idea of it. Much like it had taken him some time to adjust to her declaration of falling in love with him.

Feeling eyes on him, Vincent looked up. He was the only one in his office yet he could sense that someone was looking at him.

As soon as he lifted his head, he saw Giovanni standing in the doorway, a baby in his hands. Heather was stood behind him, interacting with Imani.

He wanted to kick him out, he did.

He wanted to yell at them to leave him alone but he couldn't.

The moment he saw the little gurgling bundle of joy in his father's arms, he knew he couldn't do it.

"Vincent."

"Giovanni." He replied curtly, leaning back in his seat.

The three of them walked into the large office, Imani staying towards the back.

"You haven't come to see your brother since he was born." Vincent nodded.

He had avoided them like the plague. Imani never brought it up because she knew he would only go when he was ready to forgive.

"His name is Luciano Paul Vincenzio Pellegrino." Vincent froze. The last time he had checked, the boy was going to be called Giovanni Jr.

He stood from his seat and slowly approached them. "What happened to Giovanni Jr?"

"Heather suggested to me that perhaps that was not the best thing to name him - especially in the circumstances."

Heather smiled sheepishly when Vincent cast a glance towards her.

"He's beautiful." Imani added from her position in the background.

Vincent beckoned for her to come closer. She was a part of his life now, she didn't need to be in the background when it came to family matters.

"You can hold him if you like." Giovanni gently handed the little boy to Imani who held him cautiously, a warm smile immediately spreading over her face.

She had not held a child so young in years.

Vincent was floored by the stunning image of Imani holding a young baby. It was beautiful.

He couldn't resist the thought of seeing her holding his child in her arms. Seeing her pregnant with his child and watching LJ having a little brother or sister to play with.

The thought scared him yet warmed him at the same time.

What type of a father would he be? He was doing an okay job with LJ but that was because LJ treated him more like the fun uncle and he wasn't trying to push the image of 'dad' to the young boy.

He wanted to be a dad.

He wanted to be a better one than Giovanni ever was to him.

And that's when something clicked for Vincent.

If he ever wanted to be the amazing father he hoped to be, he had to forgive his own.

"I'll come and see him often." He croaked much to Giovanni's surprise.

The older man stared at him in bewilderment. "You will?" He sputtered. Vincent nodded. "Vincent that is all I wanted!" Giovanni pulled his son in for a hug and it was a massive shock for everyone in the room to see Vincent hug his father back tightly.

Imani was just as confused as Heather, the women looking at each other at a loss for words.

Giovanni pulled back, tears streaming down his cheeks, a large smile plastered on his face. "Thank you."

Again, Vincent simply nodded but this time he smiled back at the man that had been a target of his hate for so long.

"I'm proud of you."

And there it was. The words Vincent had so longed to hear for most of his life. The words he had worked hard to hear the moment he took over the company.

He had no real interest in it at first but then he suddenly started to enjoy his job. At first he put it down to him just wanting to make Giovanni proud but then he realised he really did enjoy working for the company.

"The work you are doing here is incredible and I want you to know that I have always been proud of the man that you are." Giovanni stated. "Although you may have thought otherwise, I've always admired your passion for your art even when I didn't want you to go down that route." He continued, reaching for his handkerchief to wipe away his tears. "And God knows I will forever be sorry for all the pain I put you and your mother through."

Vincent couldn't say anything so he nodded again. The road to forgiveness was going to be long and hard but they had to start somewhere.

"We should be leaving, Luciano has a doctor's appointment at 1." He announced. "Thank you, son, I appreciate it." Hugging him once more, he let go of Vincent and stepped back.

Heather stood awkwardly beside Imani, not knowing whether or not to go in for a hug. It was still too early for a hug, so Vincent extended a hand towards her and shook her had.

Little progress was better than no progress.

"You want to hold him?" Imani asked him, walking over to him with Luciano still in her arms.

"I don't think I can-." Before he could protest, Imani had handed him his little brother. Vincent gulped as he stared down at him, unsure of what to do.

As two pairs of brown eyes met, something washed over Vincent and he felt an instant bond to the boy. Luciano gave his older brother a toothless grin and began to giggle, flapping his arms around everywhere.

How could he have ever hated this child?

So sweet and innocent.

"He's cute, right?" Imani said, breaking the trance that Vincent was in.

"Beautiful." His giggles were so infectious that Vincent started to laugh himself.

It almost hurt when Vincent had to say goodbye to Luciano and let him go.

But he promised he would see him again soon.

"I'm proud of you."

Vincent turned towards Imani who was looking up at him in adoration. "You made progress with your dad and you finally met Luc, I am proud of you."

"Venire qui." From the many times he had summoned her, Imani knew what that meant.

Standing in front of him, she let him wrap his arms around her and didn't say anything when he stared into her eyes, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

Vincent kissed her lightly, sending a shiver up her spine. "I love you." He whispered against her lips.

"I love you too."

"I can't wait till we have some children of our own." Imani reared back in shock. That was random. He usually skirted around such issues or never brought them up. "Don't look so shocked, I think we would make some pretty good looking kids, don't you?"

Blinking in amazement, Imani chuckled.

"You never cease to amaze me, Vincent Pellegrino."



*a little tear slides down my cheek* not only has it been two years since I joined this website but this is now story number two that I have finished. I have loved writing this story because your comments are the best and I loved reading them.

I'd like to thank EVERYONE who read, silent or not (extra thanks to those who did comment) but I love you all.

This hopefully isn't the end for Vincent and Imani.

Might be though.

Who knows?

Mwahahahaha.

MissPerfectFlaws