Gael's Naughty Angel: A Mafia Prince Romance

I suddenly wake up in the middle of the night, feeling thirsty as heck. We're at the apartment in Manhattan and it's currently three in the morning according to the clock on my bedside table. I grab the tumbler and take a generous sip, my parched throat immediately satiated at the coolness of the water.     

My husband is still sleeping next to me. We got in a little late last night because we were out partying with friends. I lay back down in bed and turn to face him. He's on his back, but his face is tilted towards me, and he's slightly snoring. We had a very busy week during the holidays, meeting a lot of people while we're here in the city. We almost canceled last night to stay in, but Giovanni—the party-loving fool convinced us to go out, saying we don't get to hang out as much anymore since Gael moved to Mayne.     

Gael's finally having his much-deserved sleep and I don't want to wake him. So I'm just going to keep staring at his gorgeous face.     

I think about my book "Black Heart" which was released a week after my wedding. I can still remember Gael's reaction when I gave him a physical copy on our first night on the island.     

He congratulated and kissed me hard. Then I told him to read the dedication page while I slipped out of the room.     

[ To my husband.     

I'm falling in love with you more times than I can count. I keep falling for you every single day. And I wouldn't want it any other way.     

Thanks for being my walking encyclopedia when I have questions while writing this book, for being my taste-tester for all the recipes I'm trying to learn to cook for you, and for being there when I wake up each day. I'm so happy I get to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you always.     

Now meet me at the beach and let's go swimming under the moonlight. ;) ]     

And he did meet me there where we made love again. It was definitely the best honeymoon ever.     

We're married for seven months now and honestly, it's all been so…good. And Gael loved being in Mayne. He told me the air is significantly cleaner there than in New York, and coming home to our house has been something he always looked forward to after work.     

We spent Christmas at my father's house with his new wife, Dorothy, and Oliver's new girlfriend, Olivia. My brother and his girlfriend are so cute together, even their names are similar. Apparently, that's how they met too—because of their names.     

Today is New Year's Day, and I guess we kinda made it a tradition to fly here for the New Year's celebration. We'll see how it goes in the following years, but so far, this has worked for us, considering our families live in different states. We may switch it up from time to time.     

It's been amazing since we got married. Actually, we're still yet to enjoy the rest of the gifts we've received.     

You see, some of the wedding gifts we got from our friends and families were paid vacation holidays and activities to use when we had time to get away from our busy life. We're extremely grateful for their generosity and I think it's sweet for them to give us experiences and moments that we could keep in our memories forever.      

The first one we enjoyed was the Chos' giving us a week's stay in a Villa in SDC Resort since they knew that's where Gael and I met for the first time. And Oliver's gifts were some adventurous beach activities like parasailing, shallow diving, and flyboarding. Seriously, we had so much fun, we're looking forward to visiting the island again.      

Gael's family gave us trips to some islands in Italy where we went after Hillberry Isle. And then for a couple of days, we stayed in Gael's house in Venice, and then we drove North for about 68 miles—for an hour and a half—to Gael's estate for the rest of the week.     

That place was so beautiful with over 6000 sqm of land with nothing but mountains and trees as a backdrop, but it was just a stone's throw away from the center of Belluno. The estate was a gift from his grandfather when he passed away, written in the will. And apparently, he and his family were there when he found my book that Gabby was so engrossed in reading.     

The last leg of our honeymoon was a trip to China, courtesy of my father. He says it's important to pay tribute to our ancestors even though our family isn't really traditional. There were so many places to visit, but most importantly, so many more foods to taste. Really, Gael and I enjoyed eating the most. Though he got to grill me every morning for workouts to make up for it. He said it's to shred what we ate; I said it's to make room for more.     

Gael stirs beside me while I reminisce about our trips and I smile when he pulls me to his chest. I instantly snuggle with him and nuzzle my face into his neck, kissing him there. "Happy New Year…" I say, though it's not the first time I greeted him. I just feel like this year is going to be good.     

"Happy New Year, Baby," he replies in a sleepy voice and presses a kiss on my forehead.     

I plan to tell him in the morning, but now, it's all I can think of. I bite my lip before calling him, "Babe…"     

"Yes, baby?" He begins rubbing my back up and down in delicious strokes, making me want to purr in satisfaction.     

I breathe in and slowly release air through my mouth. "We're going to have a baby."     

"Okay, baby."     

"…"     

I want to giggle, but I stop myself, giving him time to process my words.     

And then his hand stops moving on my back. I slowly pull away, just enough that I can see his face. He blinks a few times as he looks at me a little weirdly as if he's wondering if he's awake or dreaming.     

"Wait." Gael opens his mouth a few times, totally out of it. "What did you say?"     

I can't help it. I chuckle and tell him again. "I'm pregnant."