"We have s.e.x every day," he grumbled. "Wait, what do you mean v.a.g.i.n.al s.e.x?"

Mira laughed. "True. Wow. That is true. Except for my menstrual cycle you and I have a lot of s.e.x. I don't think Kei and I did it as much-" she stopped herself. She looked over and he glanced over to her. She saw the spark of jealous anger in his eyes. She chuckled and cut her gaze away. "Never mind."

"Do you think of s.e.x with Kei?" he asked.

"NO! Let it go, Giovanni," she sighed.

"What do you mean v.a.g.i.n.al s.e.x Bella?" Giovanni asked.

She chuckled and reached over to ma.s.sage his groin. "Do you think I will let my husband lay next to me and not touch it, suck it? Whatever I want?"

He laughed. "I can give you ma.s.sages. Make you feel how much I love you," he said trying to change the subject. He removed her hand from his erection and forced images of bunny rabbits into his head.

"I can let you push this into my a.s.s, make you feel like my man," she teased and reached over to touch his groin again.

He dropped his head shaking it with a smile. "You need to talk to me like this more. I like it," he said.

"I think I can handle that," Mira said. "I've gotten a potty mouth since I married you."

Giovanni leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. She closed her eyes and reveled in the tingling of her nipples when the tiny hairs of his mustache brushed her lips. "What have I ever done right in life to deserve a woman like you? Ti voglio bene," he said.

He often said ti amo to express his feelings for her, but when Giovanni said ti voglio bene it was indeed the deepest meaning of love. Sweet as honey, the sweetest expression of the unbreakable love between them. That is how she cherished the translation. No man had ever made her feel more desired and appreciated.

"I love you too," she said.

It was close to five in the afternoon. She knew Catalina and Dominic had to have arrived. Mira couldn't wait to see her. He opened his car door and she opened hers without waiting for a.s.sistance. She could hear him curse inside the car. Mira was able to exit. She held onto the top of the car door to steady herself. "See, baby? I can still handle myself quite well."

"Yes, Bella, you can. I wish you would allow me to do it."

"I do, sometimes, but I gotta pee. And I want to see Catalina. Now move," Mira said and pushed his hands away. She hurried. Giovanni closed the car door and caught up with her. He insisted on holding her hand. She allowed it, even though in her mind she walked fast, her legs didn't quite follow through. It took a full three minutes to reach the door. But as soon as she drew near the door flew open and Catalina let go a piercing scream.

"Mira!"

Catalina rushed Mira and hugged her. Eve raced out the front doors behind her aunt with Cecilia in pursuit. She too went for Mira. She wrapped her arms around her mother's legs. Mira laughed out loud.

"Venga qui, Evie," Giovanni said, and lifted their daughter up into his arms.

Catalina kissed Mira on the lips and tears bordered her eyes. She spoke with tight repressed emotion. It choked her voice. "I've missed you so much."

"What has it been? Almost a month?" Mira grinned and hugged Catalina tightly.

"Inside, ladies," Giovanni ordered. They couldn't break from their embrace. When Giovanni gave Mira a gentle shove Catalina let go of her first and pulled her inside the door by the hand. She placed her free hand to Mira's belly and rubbed it.

"Oh wow, they are growing huh? How much longer do we have?" Catalina asked.

"Eight weeks. I can't wait. These boys weigh a ton. Got a big head like their daddy."

Giovanni winked. He put Eve down and immediately she went to Mira with arms stretched to be picked up.

"Where's Domi?" he asked.

"Oh he had business, or someone to see." Catalina walked over to her brother and grabbed his face. She kissed him on the lips and patted his cheek. "You miss me, Gio?"

He shook his head no.

Catalina laughed. "Liar! You see him, Mira?"

"I see him. He complains all the time about you not being here," Mira said.

Catalina hugged her brother tightly and he hugged her back, kissing the top of her head. "Domi will be here soon," she said before letting him go.

"I'll wait in my office. Send him to me when he arrives."

They watched him go. A crying Eve ran after her father and he stopped to pick her up and carry her with him. Mira headed toward the parlor, which opened to a garden terrace. The day was nice and the breeze had a pleasant cool temperature. "So I want to hear all about it," Mira said.

"First you have to tell me what you and Rosetta are up to? She showed me what you are working on for Fabiana's. It's so fresh. I like it a lot," said Catalina.

"Do you? I was hoping so. Came to me last month in a dream. All I can think of is the color red for Fabiana's. She was such a fireball. I'm thinking the color scheme will span the gentlest shades of pink to blood red. From daywear to evening I want to do the entire collection with her signature flare. Even a shoe line with red bottoms."

"Mira? What are you saying? Carole Montague is working on her collection for Fabiana's. We agreed she'd design the collection for the first year until you had the boys and then we'd talk to Giovanni to let me use your designs for the next year," Catalina said.

"Nope. I don't want to wait. Giovanni knows I've been sketching my ideas and teaching Rosetta to be my sewing needle." Mira laughed. "Once he came in the sewing room and found me on my knees. He raised h.e.l.l so bad the poor girl was scared to come out of her room for two days." Mira shook her head. "He's a handful but I can control my husband. And-" Mira continued.

"Hey. Slow down. I'm only saying that we pace ourselves. There's no hurry. Right? Besides we can do whatever you want. Fabiana's is your house. You tell us what you want and it's done."

Mira looked at Catalina and felt such a surge of love. In a matter of months she had matured, changed, become her Fabiana. She was so proud of her. "What about Teddy? Did you convince him to come to Milano? Is he there?"

"Teddy has no desire to return to Italy."

"Wait? Return? When did he come?" Mira asked.

Catalina bit her tongue. She only accidentally stumbled on the discussion. It was for the grand opening of Fabiana's. Teddy came a few days before. Giovanni forbade him from seeing Mira and Catalina never spoke of a return visit again.

Milano, March "Signorina Catalina, your brother is here."

Catalina stopped in her tracks. She had to pick up Teddy from the airport in half an hour. They had a plan to surprise Mira on the day of Fabiana's opening. Giovanni wasn't expected to bring Mira for three days.

"Here? Where?" Catalina asked her a.s.sistant. The place was a noise factory with drills and hammers pounding the last fixtures in the walls before they brought in the clothes and set up the displays.

The young a.s.sistant she hired was American. She would be at Catalina's side for the next few months to help her launch Fabiana's. They called her a Project Manager. The woman pushed her gla.s.ses up her nose. "They are upstairs with Mr. Tate. They arrived only a few minutes before you."

"They? Tate? Teddy is here?"

"Yes ma'am, I thought you knew. I believe they went up to Mirabella's office." The woman said. Catalina hurried away. She walked fast for the elevator doors, and finger punched the b.u.t.ton. The doors opened and she couldn't stop her heart from slamming a rapid beat in her chest. The elevator took forever to climb three floors. She was out the door and hurrying through the halls.

And then she stopped.

In Mira's office Theodore Tate sat in a chair. There was no furniture, just him and a chair. Above on the wall hung the large portrait of Mira and Fabiana back to back. Before Theodore stood a displeased Giovanni. He wore a dark suit, and a dark cashmere trench coat over it. He glared down at the man with glacier blue eyes.

The scene would have been normal if Catalina hadn't seen Dominic. He stood over Theodore with a large silver gun pressed to the side of the lawyer's head. Catalina put her hand to her mouth. She didn't utter a word. But her brother's gaze lifted. His stare impaled her from across the room. Without a word Catalina turned and walked back toward the elevators.

Later Dominic informed Catalina that Teddy would be returning to America. He would not be allowed to surprise or meet with Mira. She didn't question him. She knew Giovanni was a jealous man, but to threaten Teddy with a gun seemed extreme even for her brother. She also knew not to mention it to Mira. There had to be another reason he and Dominic treated Mira's lifelong friend so horribly.

When Catalina spoke with Teddy he pretended nothing happened. He claimed he had so much to do in America that he could barely keep things straight. And it was true. Mirabella's was thriving. Still Catalina knew differently.

"Uh, he's been to Italy remember? You were the one who told me he and Fabiana scouted out Milano before you came."

"Oh?" Mira said. "I thought maybe you meant he came recently. d.a.m.n him. He has an excuse every time we speak. I'll call and invite him to Sicily." Mira said. "I'm dying to see him."

Catalina forced a smile. "Yes, you do that. Things are going so well. I'm thinking I will have to travel to America soon," Catalina said. "Carole is going to be part of a feature spread in this year's Metropolitan Museum Gala. She's working on that collection for Mirabella's. I have to be included. She can be... you know, how she is," Catalina said.

"I want her gone." Mira exhaled. She placed her hand to her belly. One of the babies kicked her so hard she nearly peed herself. "I want her out of my fashion house. Why do I have to keep explaining this to you all? It's my d.a.m.n company!"

"Mira-"

"Why aren't we interviewing more designers? There's a talented designer over at Fendi that would be perfect for us. He just did a national interview saying he would love to work under me since I've 'risen from the dead'," she said with air quotes. "d.a.m.n it!"

"Giovanni said no, Mira," Catalina sighed. "It's a family business. After Carole it will be you and me. No other designers."

"He doesn't know what he's saying no to! I want the b.i.t.c.h gone!" Mira shouted.

Catalina's brows shot up with surprise. Mira had to laugh at her expression. She rarely cursed. She shook her head smiling.

"Well okay. I think I get it now. Don't go into labor over it," Catalina smiled.

Mira closed her eyes and rubbed her belly to settle the babies. "My temper is getting the best of me lately. I'm sorry. I understand why Giovanni wants us to wait. We're taking on a lot with Fabiana's. We have to make sure there isn't too much of a shakeup in our company. Chaos could affect my brand. But I'm not going to sit here and let my work, my fashion house, the one Fabiana and I built from scratch become Carole Montague's. I'm not going to do it!"

"What do you want me to do?" Catalina asked.

"You said you have been working on your own collection? Right?" Mira asked.

"Yes. I brought my sketches-"

"Perfetto! I have an idea," Mira grinned. "You've seen Rosetta today haven't you? I've taught her to sew and all she wears are clothes she's made. Beautiful dresses. I think she's wearing the blue one today."

"I saw her," Catalina said with a flippant cut of her eyes away.

"She's a good seamstress. Quick learner. And she's helped me with this collection I've been working on. We'll call it The Scarlet Letter, it'll be FWS&S."

"I don't understand?" Catalina frowned.

"We'll release the first line in Fall under the scarlet letter F. Remember the collection is different shades of red. And then we'll do winter and have a line under the letter W with muted shades of dark red, and then we'll launch Spring and Summer with resort and bikini wear, a line under the letters S&S with bright exciting shades of red. It'll be huge. It'll be Fabiana's, and you will be the head designer. With my designs of course."

Catalina's eyes stretched. "And mine? Can I have some of my designs included?"

"We'll see," Mira smiled.

"I love it! But it's lying to Giovanni. If he learns that you are designing while pregnant for me he'll be p.i.s.sed."

"That's the beauty of it. I'm really not. I will give it over to you and Rosetta for final approval. And I will let you manage the launch of the line. I'm really going to stand you up as a designer. And when you emerge using my work you will blow their socks off. It gets Carole Montague out of my company, keeps my husband happy, and protects my babies from me overworking myself. And finally I can out some of these ideas I have in my head while I sit around and wait for my babies to be born."

"So we tell Giovanni?" Catalina asked.

"Let me worry how it is explained to your brother. He's sensitive, hard-headed, but reasonable when I put it to him the right way," Mira smiled.

"One thing, Mira. I want to use some of my work. Per favore. I want to be a true designer. I know I'm not fully ready, but if you are using me as the face of the fashion house, then it's going to be my talent too. I can't be just a mask for you," Catalina said.

Mira hadn't considered Catalina's ambition in her plans. It would be wrong to use her this way and not let her have real creative input. "I'll draw from your ideas if they align with the overall vision. Go get your work. And find Rosetta. Let's put my designs and yours together and see what we come up with."

"Oh my! Oh my goodness! I'm so excited." Catalina put her hands to her mouth. "This is going to be wonderful." Catalina clapped.

"Help me up. I got to pee." Mira tried to push up from the sofa. Catalina helped her rise to her feet. Mira felt so much better with her new idea. It would only be a matter of time before she could get Carole Montague out of her company for good.

* B *

"Lucciola, put it down," Giovanni ordered. He looked up from his desk when he heard the first bang of gla.s.s on a wood surface. Eve turned, sucking her cherry red pacifier. In her hand she held an ashtray made of crystal. She blinked at him and then looked at the ashtray as if trying to decide.

"Put it down," he said in a stern tone.

Eve shoved the pacifier to her cheek with her tongue. "Mine," she said. She plopped down on her b.u.t.t and put the ashtray between her legs to play with it. Giovanni reached for the phone and dialed Santo again when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Catalina stuck her head inside. She smiled at him. "I came for Eve?"

"Take her. She doesn't listen to Papa," Giovanni said.

"Giovanni! You can't let her play with this!" Catalina rushed over to take the ashtray from her. Eve protested. "I also want to talk to you," Catalina said. She put the toddler on her hip.

"Is that so?" he glanced up at her. "Everything okay? How are things at Fabiana's?" he asked. Catalina looked different. Mature. He wasn't sure he liked the change. The more independent his sister became the more he worried. Maybe allowing Dominic and her to marry would settle them both and bring them back into the family? He'd been considering his disgust over their relationship and their future.

Catalina laughed. "As if you don't know how I am. I know you have your men keeping an eye on me. I can't go to the bathroom and they aren't at the door."

"That's not me. Thank Domi for the surveillance." Giovanni corrected her. Though he had to smile at the truth in the statement. He got regular updates on who Catalina kept time with, her schedule, and her bathroom breaks. He wasn't a fool. Milano was `Ndrangheta territory. The friendly binds between them and his clan was fragile since he acquired more territory in the triangle.

Rosetta strolled through the hall. She headed for the stairs, which meant she'd have to pa.s.s Giovanni's office. She had hopes to run into Dominic. If she innocently inquired after him maybe Giovanni would tell her when he was expected. She slowed her steps when she heard Catalina's laughter. Maybe Dominic had returned and they were all gathered in Giovanni's office? She would stick her head in and say hi to him. So he could see how much she had changed. When she stopped outside of Giovanni's office she found the door half open. From where she stood she could see in but they couldn't see her.

Before Giovanni stood Catalina with a fussy Eve on her hip. Rosetta turned to leave when she heard Catalina's request. It gave her reason to pause.

"That's my sweetie. He's always been my protector," Catalina chuckled. "But he worries to much. You both are too overprotective."

"You're my baby sister. I'm allowed to be overprotective," Giovanni replied.

"True." Catalina said. She looked to Eve and gave her a kiss. "I wanted to talk to you. I have a request. You're my G.o.dfather right?"

Giovanni rocked back in his chair and frowned. "What are you up to?"

"Oh wow, so I want to talk to my brother and I'm up to something?"