Becoming Mrs DeLuca novel Chapter 52

VALENTINA

That afternoon, Stefan and I were on the floor of the living room. It had become our little ritual–this quiet time together in the afternoons while Sofia took her nap upstairs. The soft hum of the baby monitor filled the background, and sunlight streamed through the wide windows, pooling in golden squares across the carpet.

Milo trotted toward us with her tail wagging and a slobbery ball clamped proudly between her teeth. She always knew when I was about to sit down. Somehow, it had become her signal that playtime was about to

start.

I took the ball from her mouth and rolled it across the rug. She darted after it, nails clicking on the wood. Stefan’s eyes followed her every move, wide and fascinated.

“See how fast she is?” I said softly.

He nodded once, shy but curious.

After a few more rounds, I offered the ball to him. He hesitated, then grabbed it and threw awkwardly, but with surprising force. The ball bounced off the wall, and Milo pounced after it. Stefan’s small but bright laugh filled the room. My heart swelled at the sound.

We kept going until both of them began to tire. I tucked the ball away, then patted the rug in front of me. Milo padded over, her tongue lolling happily. I crossed my legs, and she circled once before curling up in my lap. She felt like a soft little bundle of warmth and fur. My fingers traced over her silky ears; I still couldn’t get over how delicate she felt.

Stefan crept closer until his knees brushed against my thigh. His body language was cautious and hesitant, but the longing in his eyes was unmistakable.

I watched Milo carefully. In the last few days, she’d stopped avoiding him. She was no longer growling or hiding behind me. Now, she looked peaceful with her eyes half–closed, completely at ease.

“Do

you want to touch her?” I asked quietly.

He nodded, just once.

“Move slowly,” I said. “Let her see that she can trust you.”

He gave another nod, this one even more determined.

“She’s shy,” I continued gently. “You have to show her that you’re her friend.”

I took his small hand and guided it to Milo’s back. Her ears flicked curiously, but she didn’t move away. Slowly, I helped him stroke her, careful to avoid her head. “See? She likes it. Just be gentle. Don’t pull on her ears or tail, all right?”

Stefan nodded, transfixed by the way his fingers sank into the dog’s fur. His whole face softened. I let go of his hand and leaned back, letting him do it on his own.

It was such a simple thing- a boy and a dog- but it felt monumental. Maybe we really were finding our rhythm.

Even Adrian hadn’t complained about Milo lately. Sofia had started letting me calm her at night more often too, giving Adrian at least a few uninterrupted hours of sleep.

I smiled to myself, feeling something I hadn’t felt in weeks: hope.

That night, I was half–asleep when I heard the faint click of the door. Adrian had come home late again. It had been like this for a week now- long nights, brief mornings, the kids and I moving through the days without him.

I watched him in the dim light as he undressed and changed, every movement deliberate and heavy with exhaustion.

“When will you be home for dinner again?” I asked softly.

Adrian’s hand paused on his belt. He looked over, then crossed the room and sat beside me on the bed. His fingers brushed my hip, pulling me closer. His lips found mine before I could say anything else. The way he kissed me was immediate and urgent.

But I turned my face away.

Lately, this touch, desire, and skin had become our only language. It wasn’t enough anymore.

He exhaled sharply. The sound was halfway between a sigh and a growl. “Work is important, Valentina. You know that. I have too much to do. When I come home, I just want to take my mind off things, not argue with you.”

He kissed me again, and again I pulled back, feeling the heat give way to frustration.

“You treat me like a nanny and a whore,” I said quietly, my voice shaking more than I wanted it to. “I deserve better.”

Adrian froze, then his jaw tightened. “I would never treat you like a whore,” he said, his voice was low and dangerous. “You’re my wife. I want you. And if I remember correctly, you enjoy it just as much as I do.”

My cheeks burned. “That doesn’t mean that’s all I want, Adrian. I need more than sex. I need us. I thought we were getting there, but lately you’ve been pulling away again.”

He was silent for a long time, long enough that I thought he might walk out. Then he said, almost reluctantly, “I’m trying to make sure you and my children are safe. To do that, I have to be in control of everything. Every threat and every single move.”

I searched his face, but there were walls again… always those invisible walls between us.

Finally, he leaned forward and kissed me again. This time his lips were softer and slower, but the urgency still burned beneath the surface, that constant tension that never seemed to leave him.

“I’ll try to be home for dinner,” he murmured against my mouth. “I promise.”

Was it to appease me? Probably. Still, when he deepened the kiss, I let him. When his hands slid down my nightgown and his mouth found my skin, I let the worry, the loneliness, and the longing dissolve into the heat

between us.

Because despite everything, despite the secrets, the danger, and the distance, when Adrian touched me, the world felt quiet again.