Letters to the Baumgarters

Chapter Nine

Dear Carrie and Doc,

I made my decision. I made it before I even received your letter, but of course, you suggested the very thing I ultimately decided on. Go figure! I can’t thank you enough for being courageous enough to tell me what to do. I know I was being crazy. I was crazy. Maybe I still am! But it takes quite a friend to shake another one awake and tell them… what was it? “Making choices means making commitments.”

Yes, it does. And I’ve committed. Some people may say I need to be committed, but I’ve chosen what works for me, for us. Mason was and is and always will be my first love, just like Doc is yours. I can’t deny that. But I love Nico too, and thankfully, so does Mason. And both of them love me. What could be more perfect than that?

I don’t know what will happen in the future, what it may bring. Italy beckons and Nico’s home and family are here, but Mason can’t speak a word of Italian (although Nico is working hard on helping him learn!) and his parents, although he claims he’s not their slave anymore, don’t want him to stay here, and they’ve made that pretty unequivocally clear.

What happens if Mason and I move back to the states? Will Nico follow? What happens if I find a job in Italy? Will Mason be willing to stay? So much is up in the air.

But at least now I know. My choice is made. I have committed myself to this, and I have two men who love me beyond words. I am a very, very lucky woman.

“I told her we’d come by for half an hour or so.” Nico squeezed my hand as we climbed the stairs to his mother’s flat. I could hear Mama Dorotea calling to one of Nico’s siblings, something about setting the table. “She wanted to do something nice for your graduation.”

“Are you sure you guys want me tagging along?” Mason asked, standing behind us as we stopped at the door. “I don’t think your mother likes me very much.”

“I don’t care.” Nico’s jaw tightened. “Besides, we won’t stay long, I promise.”

Everyone was already there, Nico’s sisters busying themselves setting the table, except for the younger Caprice, who was holding the baby in her lap. He was smiling and laughing, almost sitting up by himself already. Anna’s husband, Sal, and Giulia’s husband, Will, were parked in front of the television, and Anna’s two kids were on the floor playing a card game.

“There she is!” Mama Dorotea spoke in English, her accent thick. “The graduation girl!”

There was a big banner “CONGRATULATIONS DANIELLA” hanging on the wall. I didn’t quibble about the spelling.

Mama Dorotea hugged me, rocking back and forth, patting me on the back, saying “Congratulazioni!” again and again. I thanked her, finally disengaging myself, only to have her turn her attentions to her son, hugging him even harder than she had me, crooning over him.

Mason watched this with a mixture of unease and amusement on his face. I took his hand and squeezed it, leading him into the room.

“Cute kid.” Mason sat on the sofa, looking down at Caprice playing with Luka on the floor. “He’s getting big.”

“Want to hold him?” Caprice offered, lifting the baby up. I glanced over to see Mama Dorotea whispering something intently in Nico’s ear.

“Ummm.” Mason didn’t have much choice. Caprice plopped the baby in his lap, standing and brushing off her jeans.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, heading down the hallway toward her room.

“Okay then.” Mason lifted Luka up under the arms, looking at him. The baby drooled, giving us a toothless smile. God, it still made my uterus hurt to look at a baby, but it was different than before. Now it was the pain of wanting, instead of the pain of loss.

“You look good with a baby in your arms,” I teased him.

He smiled over at me, letting the baby bounce on his knees.

“How’s the heir to the throne?” Nico asked, joining us in the living room. Mama Dorotea had finally let him go and had busied herself instructing her daughters to rearrange place settings at the table.

“Drooling,” Mason informed him, watching a dark spot growing on the thigh of his dress pants where a pool of Luka’s saliva had fallen.

“He’s teething,” Giulia called from the dining room where I could see her folding napkins. “Breastfeeding is murder nowadays.”

“Oh.” Mason blinked. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“At least he’s getting some,” Will grumbled. He said it in Italian and Mason raised his eyebrows at me when I laughed.

“Tell you later,” I whispered.

“So Daniella, what are you going to do now that you’ve graduated?” Anna asked, coming into the living room. She sat on the arm of the chair her husband was kicked back in. Everyone was speaking English for Mason’s benefit.

I shrugged. “Look for a job, I guess.”

“In Italy or back in the states?” Giulia joined her sister in the living room, reaching for the baby. Mason gave Luka back and I smiled at his reluctance.

“I’m not really sure…” I glanced at Mason and then at Nico.

“You have to hear this!” Caprice came into the room waving a CD case. “I’m in looooooove with this singer!”

Will and Sal protested but she put it on the stereo anyway, some American pop singer I’d never heard of named Rick Astley.

“Everything okay?” I leaned in so just Nico could hear me over the sound of the music.

He shrugged one shoulder, looking up as Mama Dorotea appeared in the doorway.

“Well, in honor of Daniella’s graduation,” she said, her accent heavy. “I have something to give to her.”

Nico and I exchanged amused looks. She was talking like I wasn’t even in the room.

“Girls, help me,” she said, urging them to follow her.

“What in the world?” I mused, watching as Anna and Caprice followed their mother out the door. It wasn’t long before I found out. All three of them reappeared in the doorway carrying a ton of cream-colored satin and lace.

Nico half-stood, his jaw dropped. I just stared, aghast, as all of them held up the dress, spreading the train out on the floor. It was the most beautiful dress I’d ever seen, and looking at Mama Dorotea’s face, I knew I was going to have to break her heart.

“For you,” she said proudly. “I made it myself. I can’t wait for you to be my new daughter.”

She was actually blinking back tears, which just made it worse, and brought tears to my own eyes.

“Nico,” I whispered, gulping.

“Mama, you shouldn’t have done this.” He stood fully now, looking back at me. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“Well I know it’s a little premature,” she said by way of apology. “But your sister said you bought her a ring, and I know she’s going to say yes.”

Mama Dorotea beamed at me and I smiled weakly back, feeling sick. Then it dawned on me, exactly what she’d just said.

“You… what?” I blinked up at Nico. “A ring?”

He shrugged, reddening. “It was before… before I knew.”

“Knew what?” Mama Dorotea demanded, arms crossed over her chest.

Mason cleared his throat, standing. “That Dani’s agreed to marry me.”

“Again?” Anna exclaimed.

“Yes,” I replied. “Again.”

Mama Dorotea drew herself up to her full height-all of about five-foot-two-and shook her finger at me. “How dare you come into my house! How dare you do this to my son!”

Nico stepped between her and me-she was heading straight for me, like a cat, claws out-grabbing her wrists. Everyone stared-even the baby had stopped fussing to watch.

“Mama, it’s fine.”

She frowned up at him. “What?”

“It’s fine,” he said again, letting her go, but not letting her get to me either. “I knew about it. Dani told me. She’s made her decision and it’s final.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, blinking back tears.

I felt Mason’s hand on my shoulder. “Maybe we should go.”

“No!” Nico turned to me, frowning. “I want you to stay.”

I looked up at him, pleading with my eyes, and then he sighed.

“I’m sorry you went through all this work.” I looked at the dress then at Mama Dorotea. “I’m so… so sorry.”

“You should be.” She glared at me around her son. “You’re going to regret this!” Then she turned and stalked off toward the kitchen, leaving her daughters holding the dress.

“Let’s go.” Nico sighed.

Mama Dorotea reappeared in the doorway. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Home,” he said, taking my hand. Mason already had my other one.

“Don’t you walk out that door!” Mama Dorotea pulled at Nico’s shirt as we started for the door. “Don’t you dare!”

“Mama!” He spoke Italian back to her. “Listen to me. I’m a grown man. I’ve been old enough to make my own decisions for a long time. I love you, but I’m your child, not your possession. You don’t own me. You don’t get to say where I go or what I do. Please. Just… let me go.”

She stood in the doorway, tears streaming down her face, and I felt horrible for her in that moment. I wanted to put my arms around her and comfort her, but I knew I was the last person she wanted sympathy from.

She proved that at the last moment, calling, “He’s far too good for you anyway!” before slamming the door behind us.

“Well,” Mason said as we went down the stairs. “That was awful.”

“She’s just pouting,” Nico replied, taking my hand again as we started to walk, Mason on my other side. “She’ll get over it.”

“But…” I swallowed, glancing up at Nico. “I have to know. Are you really okay with this?”

“I told you, it’s just a piece of paper,” he replied, swinging my hand. The day was bright and beautiful, the water of the canal dappled with afternoon sunshine. “I know you love me, and I don’t care, as long as we’re together.”

“Let’s go home,” Mason said.

And that’s just what we did.

Lunch with Cara Lucia went far better than I thought it would. She wasn’t angry with me. In fact, she sounded truly happy when I told her that I was getting married again.

It was when I told her, a bit reluctantly, about Nico that she really surprised me.

“You are a very blessed woman,” she said. “Not many women get to be Beatrice to one man’s Dante-let alone two.”

And she was right. Of course she was.

“I don’t know… why me?” I wondered aloud, touching the necklace I always wore now-the emerald eye of Beatrice, who went to hell and was redeemed in the end.

“The real Beatrice was an inspiration to Dante Alighieri, the man,” she reminded me. “She was his savior, the woman who saved him from himself.”

I shrugged. “I don’t think I’m saving anyone.”

“Sure you are.” Cara Lucia smiled and poured more tea. “Yourself.”

I stormed into our flat, ready to tell both Mason and Nico the story of my job interview, which included a fat, old Italian man who looked down my blouse the whole time and put his hand on my knee and asked if I liked cream- cream, emphasized with waggling eyebrows and all-in my tea, but by the time I’d put my purse down and taken off my heels, I realized no one was home.

At least, that’s what I thought at first.

I started back to our bedroom-we’d been sleeping in Mason’s room, although it really belonged to all three of us now-when I saw the bathroom door was ajar. The shower was running.

Well, I decided, at least I could tell someone about my horrible interview.

I pushed the door open, ready to tell my story, when I heard Mason moan.

“Ahhh god, that’s good,” he groaned.“Where the hell did you learn to do that?”

Do what? I wondered. I stood still in the doorway, my head cocked, listening.

“It’s not hard.” That was Nico’s voice. He was in the shower too.

“I beg to differ.”

Nico chuckled. “You can try if you want.”

Try…what? I crept closer, glancing at the mirror, so fogged with steam I couldn’t see myself. How long had they been in there?

Now Nico was moaning.

“Yes, yes,” he urged. “Oh that’s good. Suck it!”

My jaw dropped and I took another step toward the shower, too curious for my own good. I probably should have just walked away, but I couldn’t. The sound of them together made my heart pound and my ass clench. It was so hot I could have melted into a puddle right there on the bathroom floor.

“Fuck,” Mason panted. “This makes my dick so hard.”

And my pussy wet, I thought, my fingers reaching for the edge of the shower curtain. It was a light powder blue color to match the rugs-a hand-me-down from Nico’s other sister, Giulia. I knew what I was going to see if I pulled that curtain aside, and yes, god yes, I did want to see it… but I was hesitant to let them know I was there.

“That’s it,” Nico encouraged. “Stroke that hard cock while you suck my dick. That’s so good!”

I bit my lip, using one finger to pull the curtain, just an inch or two, enough so I could peek in. Mason was on his knees, Nico’s cock buried in his mouth, his own cock a blur, his fist moving like lightning between his legs. The water poured down over Nico’s shoulders and chest and belly. Thankfully, his eyes were closed, his head back, a hand on Mason’s head, guiding him. Mason’s back was to me, and he was too busy to notice me standing there watching.

“Come here.” Nico’s eyes opened and I shrank back, but I couldn’t stop watching. The two of them together like that was too compelling. Thankfully they didn’t see me. Mason stood and the two men kissed, their tongues thrashing, the shower beating down on their wet heads. I watched Nico reach down and grab Mason’s cock in his hand, tugging gently. Mason did the same to Nico, stroking nice and easy as they kissed.

“I’ll let you fuck my ass if you want it,” Nico whispered, hooking his leg around Mason, pulling him in close. I heard Mason moan, heard the lust in it, and I couldn’t help lifting my skirt, nudging my panties aside so I could touch myself while I watched.

“I don’t know if I’m ready for that…” Mason hesitated, running a hand through his hair, but the hand yanking on his cock looked like it was really beginning to change his mind.

“Whenever you want.” Nico smiled, his eyes searching Mason’s under the heat of the water, and that’s when he saw me. I had my fingers in my panties, rubbing at my little clit, but he couldn’t see any of that-just the top part of my head at the edge of the curtain. His eyebrows went up and he grinned. “Well, it looks like we have company.”

I shrank back, swallowing hard, calling out, “I’m sorry. I just got back from my interview.”

Mason peeked his head out, blinking and wiping water out of his eyes. “How did it go?”

“I didn’t get the job.” Telling them about the old, perverted Italian man seemed irrelevant now.

Mason grimaced. “I told you not to go. You were far too overqualified for that job.”

“Poor bella.” Nico was looking out at me over Mason’s head. “Why don’t you come in here and let us cheer you up?”

“Really?” I stood, hesitant. “I don’t want to…interrupt.”

“Get in here,” Mason insisted, rolling his eyes.

I stripped down to nothing, leaving my skirt and blouse and stockings on the floor, joining them naked in the shower. Mason wrapped me in his arms, kissing me deeply, and Nico slid his arms around my waist from behind. I could feel the press of his cock against my ass, so very hard. They must have been playing for a long time. They were both full to bursting, cocks red and balls drawn tight.

“Are you mad?” Mason whispered, brushing a wet strand of hair from my face.

I looked at him, confused. “About what?”

He looked over at Nico and shrugged. “About… this? Us together?”

It took me a moment to realize what he meant. “Are you kidding me?” I grinned. “That was the hottest thing I’ve ever walked in on. And I just got invited to the party. I’m pretty sure I’m the luckiest woman on the planet.”

Mason smiled, his hands roaming over my breasts. Nico was already cupping my mound from behind, his fingers working between the slippery lips of my pussy. I moaned and leaned back against Nico as his fingers slipped inside, fingering me gently. Mason thumbed my nipples and then leaned in to tongue them, the heat of the shower and my own lust making me dizzy.

“I want that pussy.” Mason looked at Nico. “Hold her.”

Nico grabbed me around the waist, lifting, and Mason squatted down, putting my legs over his shoulders, and then stood. I squealed, feeling my whole body rising into the air, Nico holding me from behind and Mason from the front, his face buried between my legs. The water was beating down on his head, spraying my belly and pussy, threatening to drown him, but he didn’t let me go, his tongue thrashing against my clit, a ruthless storm.

Then he sank his fingers into me, the wet slosh of my pussy as he fucked me echoing against the tile. I cried out, straining and bucking in their arms, caught between the two of them, feeling my orgasm rising like a swell.

“Oh yes!” I cried, throwing my head back against Nico’s shoulder, Mason’s mouth fastened over my mound, relentless. “Oh I’m gonna come!”

The rapid pulse of my pussy around Mason’s fingers told him that much. My climax was a rolling assault from every nerve in my body, shaking me to my core. Mason slowly lowered my limp body, but he didn’t let me go. Instead, he wrapped my legs around his waist, aiming his cock for my center. Nico was nestled in behind me, and I remembered being like this that first time, when we all had taken a shower together. It felt like so long ago, a lifetime.

“I’m going to fuck her cunt.” Mason met Nico’s eyes as he slid his cock into my pussy. His next words sent a jolt through me. “You can have her ass for now… Maybe someday you can have mine.”

I groaned, clinging to him, feeling his cock throbbing inside of me as Nico soaped up his cock, using it as lubricant. When I felt him pressing against my ass, I cried out, my teeth grazing Mason’s shoulder. He held me still, holding my ass open and steady.

“Easy,” Mason urged. “Oh god. I can feel your cock going into her ass…”

So could I. My nails dug into Mason’s back, the stretch and burn between my legs almost too much to bear.

“Ohhh god oh god ohgodohgodohgod!” I gasped as Nico pressed his cock in deep, only a thin membrane separating his cock from Mason’s inside of him.

“Oh she’s so tight,” Nico groaned, his hands on my ass too, both of them holding me up.

“Her pussy feels like a fifteen-year-old’s,” Mason gasped.

“So big,” I managed to choke out, holding on for dear life as they both began to fuck me, filling me completely with their cocks.

“Are you all right?” Nico panted, but he didn’t stop fucking my ass. “Oh god, bella, your fucking ass is so good!”

“Yes!” I turned my head, kissing him, sucking at his tongue. “It’s good! Oh yes! So good!”

Mason groaned and his fingers dug into my ass, leaving instant bruises. “Fuck! Fuck! Gonna come!”

They were both raising and lowering me on their dicks in rhythm, thrusting up hard.

Nico broke our kiss to cry out, “Me too! Oh god! I’m going to fill your little asshole!”

And then they were both bombarding me with cum, fucking me with brutal, primal lust, all thought gone. I felt each pulsing swell of their cocks together inside of me, emptying themselves with astonishing force. I just hung on and whimpered until it was over and they slowly pulled out, lowering my feet to the tub floor and sandwiching me between them with kisses.

Then we actually showered, washing our own bodies and each other’s, teasing and playful, slowly coming back to some semblance of reality. They both got out first, toweling off, while I washed my hair. By the time I joined them in the bedroom, they were already getting dressed.

“I’m hungry,” I complained. I’d been too nervous to eat before the interview. Now I was starving.

“You’re always hungry.” Nico buttoned his jeans, reaching for a shirt.

I perked up. “Are you cooking?”

“I thought we’d go out to dinner,” Mason suggested. “Down in the Piazza.”

“Where?” Nico frowned. He was so picky about where he would eat. “The tourists are coming back. I don’t want to go anywhere trendy.”

Mason smiled. “It’s a surprise.”

So we went.

The sun was high and bright. The weather had shifted from spring to early summer, the shade of the canopy on the water-bus a welcome relief from the sun, a breeze off the water cooling my skin as I sat between the two of them, holding each of their hands. I saw a blond woman looking at us curiously. She’d noticed Mason getting on, helping me in, and then I’d seen her looking appreciatively at Nico as well.

They’re mine, I thought, hiding a secret smile. I could hardly believe it myself.

“So where is this surprise?” Nico followed Mason through the crowds in the Piazza and I tagged along behind. Tourist season was in full swing, vendors at every corner of the square, people crowded on benches, standing together and smiling, taking pictures near the statues.

Mason halted abruptly and Nico managed to stop, but I didn’t. It was like running into a wall.

“There’s nothing here.” Nico stated the obvious.

Shops and restaurants lined the square, but we’d stopped in front of an empty building, a sign in the window: Vendita.

For sale.

“How do you like our new restaurant?” Mason was trying to hide a smile.

My jaw dropped. “What did you do?”

“Instead of investing my money in my father’s franchise, I thought I’d invest it here.” Mason turned to Nico. “And of course, I’ll need a good local chef.”

“You’re kidding me?” Nico said in English, turning to look at the front of the restaurant. It was in the old part of the Piazza, the architecture traditional, beautiful high arches and decorative scrollwork.

“What shall we call it?” Mason asked, pulling a key out of his pocket and opening the door. Inside was even more beautiful that out.

“How about Dani’s?” Nico offered, putting an arm around my waist.

I looked at Mason with tears in my eyes, overwhelmed with his generosity. “How about Bella’s?”

“Beautiful,” he said, and it was.

Mason turned to me, slipping his arm around my waist too. “You know, I’m also going to need a hostess. Someone to run the front of the restaurant. Someone who speaks fluent Italian…”

I grinned up at him. “I may know someone who could fill that position for you.”

“I thought you might.” Mason kissed the top of my head.

“Bella’s,” Nico said softly, glancing down at me. “It’s perfect.”

And it was.