A/N: AHHH THE LAST CHAPTER IS HERE! IT'S REALLY HERE! (Unless I decide to add an epilogue...which, right now, I don't really feel the need to do). Please make sure you read Ch. 25 before this one! I'm posting two chapters at once, so make sure you read them in order! Thank you so much for sticking around, I know it's been over two months since the last update...but I hope this is worth it! I wasn't sure how to end Lovina and Antonio's story, but I knew I wanted to end it with them, since I began it with them. This story has been really fun to write, and I'll probably go back and edit it and see if I can improve it a little (it still strikes me as unbearably cheesy, but I may just have to accept that). Anyway, thanks again for reading. Please enjoy!

—One year later. June, 1901.—

"I couldn't eat another bite," Grandpa Roma declared, leaning far back in his chair and patting his full belly appreciatively. "But thank you, young lady."

"Are you sure, sir? Not a slice of tiramisu, or—" The waitress began.

"Oh! Well, that changes things. Yes, a slice of tiramisu for my lovely date and I," he agreed eagerly, winking broadly at his granddaughter.

Lovina chuckled slightly. She found her grandfather's sweet tooth rather endearing; unfortunately, he seemed to have passed it on to her. Feli, on the other hand, seemed to thrive solely on a diet of pasta and bread. It was a miracle she managed to stay so thin. Lovina glanced down at her cream-colored dress self-consciously, patting her midsection. It wasn't easy being the bigger Vargas sister. Damn Grandpa Roma and his indulgent eating habits.

The two of them sat in the shade of an umbrella at one of their favorite restaurants in downtown Rome, enjoying the beautiful day together. Life at their home had been considerably quieter without Feliciana. She was doing very well, of course; she and Ludwig were in Germany visiting his older brother right now, but they would be back home in Rome in less than a month, and Lovi couldn't wait to see her. To her surprise, she had grown even closer to Feli since her marriage. It was nice having her sister living so close by most of the year, and it made her miss her even more when she was gone.

Still, she supposed she enjoyed the extra time she got to spend with her grandfather. It gave him an excuse to dote on her, now that Feli wasn't living with them anymore. It was kind of nice.

When their dessert and coffee arrived, her grandfather began, "So, you're leaving for Naples tomorrow?"

Lovi's heart sank slightly at his disapproving tone. "Yes," she said carefully, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice. She loved her grandpa, she really did, and it would do no good quarreling with him…especially since he had agreed to let her see Antonio for the first time in months. She hadn't seen him since Christmas, when he came up to Rome; they had both been so busy, she with her riding lessons and visiting her parents in Paris, and he with his business in Naples. Really, she was lucky her grandfather was letting her go at all. She knew how much he disliked him, no matter how she might vouch for his honor. It was pretty frustrating, at times. "We've been over this, Grandpa. I'm only going for a few days."

"Hmmm," he grumbled, stabbing at his tiramisu vengefully. "You'll let me know when you get there, of course."

"I'm sure my letter letting you know I've arrived will get back later than I will," she responded saucily, and immediately wished she hadn't. "Ah—sorry, Grandpa. Yes. I'll let you know."

"You have more attitude than your mother sometimes," he said seriously. "And I don't know where she got it from."

"It's a mystery," Lovina agreed, picking at her dessert halfheartedly.

Grandpa Roma sighed. "You really care about him, don't you?"

Lovina looked up and blushed slightly, avoiding his gaze. She looked out past the café, where she could see the ruins of the Coliseum in the distance. She had taken Antonio there the second time he had visited her, and he had been very impressed. He was very interested in Roman history, apparently. He never failed to surprise her. "Yeah," she said quietly. "I do."

Grandpa Roma sighed, polishing off the rest of his dessert. "Well. I guess I shouldn't give you such a hard time about it, then."

She gave him one of her rare smiles, making her amber eyes shine. "You wouldn't be my grandpa if you didn't," she replied teasingly.

He laughed, and she knew that she had been forgiven for her attitude. "Of course! I have to watch out for my granddaughters, don't I? Ah…" He paused as the city clock tower rang out twice. "I guess we had better get back, so you can pack." And so he could take a nap, more importantly.

Lovina nodded. She had left it to the last minute, like she always did. "Thank you for lunch," she said, standing up and leaning over the table to kiss him on the cheek.

They paid for their lunch and left the little café, walking over to the post where their carriage waited. "Would you like to drive?" Grandpa Roma asked, stepping up into the front seat of the carriage and handing her the reins.

"Yeah," Lovina said happily. She took the reins and led the horses down the narrow cobbled streets of the city, passing the shops that were closing for afternoon siestas and the children in the street, smiling for once. She smiled a lot more these days, she realized, and it didn't help that she was pretty excited to visit Antonio tomorrow. Dammit, she really had to work on that. People were going to start mistaking her for Feli.

It was only a fifteen minute drive back to their estate, and then Lovi was back in her cool, refreshing room. She closed her bedroom curtains against the warm-turning-hot afternoon sun and got out her favorite suitcase and began folding her best dresses into it. She wasn't sure what Antonio had planned, but she had to look her best. She was still upset about the fact that she had been stuck with him for months with only that one outfit. She shuddered. As an afterthought, she packed a few undergarments she had picked up with Amelia. They were…a little different from what she usually wore, but she put them away anyway, half wondering if she would be brave enough to show them to Antonio.

She gave up halfway through after attempting to cram in one too many outfits and collapsed on her bed, worn out from a day of laziness. People thought it was easy being an aristocrat, but it really wasn't. It was quite difficult, eating delicious food and riding around in fancy chaises all day. She fell asleep quickly, and only groggily awoke when Giovanni cheerfully informed her that they were having dinner in the formal living room. She sighed and dragged herself downstairs. It was so weird being in the big Vargas estate with only a few servants and her grandpa. Dinner seemed to drag on, despite the food and the wine. The more she tried not to think about leaving for Naples, the harder it was. It bothered her a little how much of an influence Antonio had on her mood, but dammit, it had been six months since she had seen him. She was allowed to be a little impatient.

Grandpa Roma picked up on this, because she was even less talkative than usual, and proceeded to make passive aggressive remarks about certain suspicious Spaniards throughout their otherwise pleasant dinner. By the end of it, Lovina was about to pull her hair out from its roots, but she made it through, not wanting to upset him when she was so close to leaving.

But when the next morning rolled around, she was all too ready to climb into her waiting carriage and head off to Naples. With a quick goodbye to her sluggish grandfather—it was only seven in the morning, and only a few of the household staff were up—she set off alone with the driver, a stupidly giddy smile on her face that fortunately no one else saw. Finally. She was finally going to see him!

"Here, Señora, I'll take that," Antonio Carriedo said helpfully to the older merchant. She was a stout but tiny older lady, and he simply couldn't allow her to carry that massive crate of oranges all by herself. "Thank you again for your business!" The two of them stood in the bustling market sector of Naples, where merchants hawked their wares to the various servants and patrons, each trying to outdo the other. The warm Italian sun was high already, and the noon day heat was starting to get to everyone. Antonio felt rivulets of sweat run down both sides of his face and wiped it carelessly on his once-clean white shirt. It was times like these that he missed working on a ship. At least there, up in the sky, it was a lot cooler.

"Ah, you're a good lad, Antonio," she said affectionately, handing it over to his waiting arms. She was one of his favorite venders; he frequently bought fruits and vegetables from the farm she ran with her three sons, to later sell in the city. He never thought he would have enjoyed being a merchant, but he really did. "Your girl is coming in this week, right?"

"Si," he said happily. He turned to a waiting Heracles and handed over the crate. His friend placed it on the back of their cart and hopped on the back to doze for a few minutes while he waited for his partner to finish up. "I'm very excited! She hasn't seen my new place, though. I hope she likes it," he added anxiously. He had bought a small town home with Heracles on top of their shop in the middle of Naples. Although they both had extra spending money from Moscow, he wanted to conserve it for their business; after all, neither of them knew much about running an honest business. The flat was sweet, but much smaller than what she was used to in Rome. But still, it was only for a few days. Even Lovina wouldn't put up that much of a fuss, right?

"She'll love it, or I'll have words with her," the matron responded severely, planting her hands on her wide hips and frowning severely.

Antonio chuckled slightly. He had somehow endeared himself to the older ladies of the city, quickly earning a reputation as a warm-hearted young man who wasn't afraid to lend a hand. And, as a consequence, they were all rather protective of him. "Ah…thank you, Señora Strozzi." He handed her over the money for the fruit, and smiled at her. "Well, I'll see you next week. Thank you again! Oh, here," he added, pulling out a handful of Italian sweets and placing them in her hand. "For your youngest son!"

"Your Lovina is lucky to have a man with a heart like yours. Thank you," she said, beaming at him and pocketing the sweets. "Have a good time, Antonio!"

He hopped on the back of the cart and took the reins of the horse, waving good-bye to her and the other merchants in the crammed area between the street and the large town hall, before heading back to their home.

When they got back, he had to nudge Heracles awake to help him carry the goods into the cool of their little shop on the first floor.

When they finally unloaded everything, Antonio leaned against one of the counters and sighed happily. "Do you think she'll like it, Heracles?" He asked his friend, who languidly sat down behind the counter and grabbed a bottle of Italian soda from the ice box.

"Hmm, I think so," he said neutrally, taking a long drink of the sweet liquid. "Why wouldn't she?"

"Eh…because she's so wealthy," he confessed, looking nervous. He didn't like to admit it, but he was starting to worry Lovina might think she was too good for him now. Well, obviously she was. She was high born, and he wasn't, and nothing could change that, even if the world wasn't as concerned with that as when his parents had been young. But it was different, when he was a pirate. He was larger than life, cocky, suave…okay, maybe that was taking it a bit far. But he had been a lot more exciting, in his own opinion. Would she still be even remotely interested in a simple fruit merchant? He sat down next to his friend and sighed deeply, reaching for a beer.

"Why are you sighing like that?" Heracles inquired, studying his friend curiously. "I thought you were excited to see her."

"I was," Antonio answered, popping off the cap with his pocketknife. "I mean, I am. I just hope I made the right decision, Heracles."

"Well, I like our business," Heracles said, surveying the interior of the tidy shop with a look of contended pride. Sure, he didn't always get things done in a timely manner, but he cared about the business in his own way, too. It was a steady source of income, and it was a change of pace. He didn't mind. At least he got to sleep between the rushes of customers.

"Yeah," Antonio agreed, a slow smile appearing on his face. "You're right. Thanks, Heracles."

Heracles glanced at the small clock that hung over the door. "Shouldn't you be getting ready? She'll be here soon."

"Ah! Mierda! I have to shower still!" He left his beer on the counter and rushed up the stairs to their flat, stripping as he went. He went over to the basin of fresh water and hurriedly splashed it on his face and body, quickly soaping his hair. "I even forgot to shave this morning," he grumbled to himself, glancing in the little mirror that hung over his dresser. He quickly rubbed some soap into his hands and spread the lather across his face, shaving so quickly that he nicked himself several times. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" But still, not bad, he reasoned, smiling at his reflection. Now, he just had to find something to wear. He slipped into his only spare change of pants and was rummaging through his drawers for a nice, clean shirt when he heard a loud, familiar voice say, "I hope you're decent, because I'm coming in!"

He looked over his shoulder and a huge grin appeared on his face.

Lovina looked wonderful. He wasn't sure if it was the six months that they had been apart, or just the fact that she was a very attractive woman, no longer a girl. She wore his favorite color, a deep red frock that brushed her knees and clung to her curves, with lots of lace at the bodice and the sleeves that came down past her elbow. Her dark brown hair softly curled to her shoulders, except for a single stubborn kink that stuck out to the side, and those golden eyes widened in surprise when she took in his appearance: still slightly sweaty, damp from his wash, with rivulets of water running down from his hair and into his eyes. "Oh," she said, warm color spreading across her plump cheeks. "You're not decent." Her eyes seemed glue to his bare chest, a fact he couldn't help but notice with no small amount of amusement. "Dammit, why didn't you say something?"

"Lovi," he said happily, nearly running over to her. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, ignoring her protests of "You're still wet! Why are you wet?". "You certainly are a sight for sore eyes."

"Did you forget I was coming?" She asked, pulling back and narrowing her eyes at him. She was frowning slightly.

"No, no," he said hurriedly, clasping her hands and beaming at her. "Heracles and I just got a little behind today! We had to go to the market and stock up for tomorrow. Of course I didn't forget."

"Good, because—" she began petulantly, but he leaned forward and kissed her hard on the mouth, tilting her head back and cupping her cheeks. God, he loved holding her face. He hated it when she complained about how round it was. He loved it. After a pause, she kissed him back, sighing through her nose and leaning forward, grabbing his shoulders. Taking that as encouragement, one hand slid down to her back, pulling her flush against him. He had missed the feeling of her small body against his. Had it really been six months since he held her like this? Well, he was going to make up for that now. He gently teased her lips apart, flicking her tongue into his mouth, teasing her. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, and there was no space between them now, no part of him that wasn't somehow touching her. His hand slid lower, cupping her ass, and he expected her to pull back and smack him, but she started kissing him even harder than before, her breath coming in short little gasps now. She tugged on the tight little curls at the nape of his neck, and damn, he could feel his body responding to hers, and all that warm blood in his face was starting to go south pretty damn quickly, so he decided to break the kiss, enjoying the dazed expression on her face.

"Why did you stop?" She demanded, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she struggled to regain her breath. Ah, he loved teasing her. It was too easy. The color was quite high in her cheeks now.

"Did you even say hi to Heracles before you came in here and assaulted me?" He asked, grinning ear to ear now.

"I—yes, briefly," she said, blushing profusely now. "Of course I did. He's my friend, you know. And I did not assault you, you ungrateful bastard." Oh, she hadn't called him a bastard in awhile. He was definitely getting to her, he thought, trying not to laugh.

"Oh, I know," Antonio said, unable to wipe the huge smirk from his face. But he knew he had to try, or she would get feisty again. "Where did you put your things?"

"I just put my luggage down in the entry hall," she answered, gesturing outside. "Heracles said you were in here, so—" She looked slightly embarrassed again, her eyes flickering to his bare chest and away again.

"I'll put something on," he said, taking pity on her, although it was really adorable to see her all flustered.

"No, that's okay," she said, turning even redder, if possible. She cleared her throat and looked away from him, pacing the interior of the small, sunlit room. "So. This is where you live now." She walked around curiously, running her hands over the mahogany dresser and looking out the window of the second story building. They had a lovely view of the city, and with the windows open, a delicious breeze was able to float in, cooling the room a great deal. "You should put some curtains here," she said, tutting slightly as she tapped the plain wall where the window overlooked the street. "It looks kind of bare."

"I'm so glad I have you here to help me with these things," he teased, walking up behind her and resting his chin on her shoulder. She leaned back against him comfortably, exhaling lightly through her nose with a slight humming noise. "So do you like it?"

"I do," she said approvingly, making him laugh again.

"What?" She asked suspiciously, turning around and half-scowling. But she couldn't really scowl; she looked too happy. It made him smile again, making his words come out all spread out and thin-sounding.

"Nothing. I'm glad you approve. I was worried you wouldn't like it," he admitted, and then cursed, smacking his palm against his forehead. Dammit. He forgot how much he rambled around her. She just had that effect on him.

"What?" She demanded, her eyes narrowing. "Why wouldn't I?" She folded her arms against her chest, and he knew he was going to be in trouble if he didn't answer quickly.

"Eh, no reason," he lied, dodging the question. They could address that later. No reason to bring up his insecurities when she just got here. "Listen, what do you want for dinner? I could take you out somewhere, or I could make something—"

"I've never had your cooking before," she said doubtfully, "but I think I'd like to try it. If you don't mind," she added, coaxing another smile out of him. She had been trying, he knew, to be more polite. He appreciated the effort, even if it was forced.

"Excellent, I love cooking!" He said happily. "Let's move your things, then—"

"Where?" She asked. "Do you have a spare room?"

"Eh, no," he said sheepishly, having the decency to blush a little. "You could stay with me, and I could set up an extra bed—"

"Too much work," she interrupted decisively. "Come on, let's get dinner started. I'm starving. I've been in that damn carriage for ten hours!"

Beaming, he followed her downstairs. He couldn't believe he had been nervous about her being here. It was Lovina. What was he afraid of?

Dinner that night was very enjoyable. Antonio made them a wonderful Spanish meal, pisto manchego with a fresh green salad, and a sweet white wine to go with it. He actually was a very good cook, and liked to show off for his friends when he had the opportunity. He set the food down before Lovina and Heracles, glowing with pride, before joining them in the tiny dining room.

"This is good," Heracles said contentedly, scooping up a forkful of the various diced vegetables. "You should cook more often."

"You're just saying that because you're too lazy to do it yourself," Antonio said good naturedly, grinning at his friend.

Heracles shrugged and went back to his food.

"So, Lovina, how is Feli doing? I haven't heard from her since the wedding," Antonio said conversationally as she took a sip of wine.

"Pretty good. She doesn't write me as often as she should," Lovi said with a sigh. "I don't know what she's up to half the time. She's in Berlin right now, but she'll be back soon."

"Good," Antonio said happily. "Ah, I bet they're visiting Gil…I've been meaning to go up there to see him, but I haven't had the time," he said forlornly. "Heracles and I are up every morning at six and we usually don't get to sleep until ten or eleven. And really, the only day we have off is Sunday, and I usually use that day to run my errands."

Lovina looked at him with concern, and he felt a flickering of guilt. "Not that I'm complaining," he added hastily. "I like it here a lot. Naples is a beautiful city. And it's a decent living. Really," he emphasized, when that look didn't go away.

As Heracles stood up to clear their dishes away, Lovina still didn't look convinced, so he changed the subject, inquiring about Amelia, since he knew they kept up a correspondence. She frowned, but willingly answered his questions, relaying an amusing story Amelia had told her about her and Jack getting into trouble with the customs officials in Johannesburg. "That girl is a walking disaster," she concluded with a sigh.

"Ah, but I like her," Antonio commented, smiling. Heracles finished putting away the dishes and turned to his friend.

"Well, I'm heading out," he said in his quiet voice, smiling slightly at them. "See you two on Monday."

"You're leaving?" Lovina asked, looking slightly disappointed. Antonio knew she was quite fond of the Greek man; he had been the first person she really befriended on the Santa Maria.

"Afraid so," he said, straight-faced, but Antonio, with a slightly reddening complexion, had the distinct feeling that he was being sarcastic. Neither of them minded the fact that he was here, of course, but Antonio had to admit, that the idea of having the house to himself and Lovina for the next two days was…rather appealing. "It's my day off tomorrow, so I'm going to visit a friend. Don't worry, I'll see you again before you leave, Lovina."

"Alright," she agreed, squeaking slightly when Antonio placed his hand on her knee under the table. "See you then."

He just barely avoided rolling his eyes before exiting the kitchen. They listened for his footsteps down the stairs and out the shop before Lovina started peppering him with questions.

"Did you tell him to leave?" She asked, a warning note in her voice, smacking his hand away from her leg. "I don't want him to think…" She trailed off, looking embarrassed enough for the two of them.

"I—no," he said guiltily. He honestly hadn't tried to kick him out. Maybe Heracles just didn't want to be around them. He had once remarked mildly that being in the same room as the two of them was exhausting, and Antonio still wasn't sure if he was kidding or not. "Really. I didn't," he added, holding his hands up defensively under her disbelieving stare.

"Well, I needed to talk to you anyway," she said nervously. She downed the rest of her wine and stared at him seriously from across the table, her brown eyes uncertain.

"What's wrong, mi cariña?" He asked, concerned. Was she upset with him? It really wasn't his fault that Heracles was gone…although he couldn't say that he was upset…

"It's just…" She fiddled with the fork left on the table, poking at the secondhand table runner anxiously. "I just…are you happy?" She blurted out.

"Wha—of course, yes, I'm very happy," he said, looking confused. Wasn't that obvious? Hadn't they had a nice dinner? Couldn't she tell how proud she was of his business?

"I just…wanted to make sure," she said in a small voice, staring down at her folded hands in her lap. "That you don't regret…you know. Giving up on your other life." Her eyes flickered up to meet his, slightly defiant, slightly upset. "I don't want you to feel like I forced you into that."

His eyes softened, and a small smile formed on his lips. "Lovina, no, I don't think that," he said tenderly, reaching for her hands and running his thumb over her small knuckles. "I made this choice myself. You didn't pressure me into anything."

"Well…I just know how much you loved being the captain of your own ship, and—" She began, but he stopped her, placing a finger against her lips. She scowled against his touch, affronted at being interrupted.

"Lovina," he said quietly. "I mean it. I don't regret it. Anything." His eyes bored into hers, and he saw the strong emotions burning in her gaze as well.

"Good," she said finally. "Me either." She pushed him back into his chair with surprising force, and clambered into his lap, straddling him. She claimed his mouth hungrily, making him quite glad that they were alone with the way she was kissing him.

"Ah…Lovina…" He said, pulling back slightly, "maybe we should go to my room?"

"Yes," she agreed immediately, and her rather husky voice hastened his footsteps to get there.

They had barely made it into his room before he was pushing her against the bed, the only piece of furniture he had bothered to splurge on, uncaring of her protests that she had a food belly after eating so much of his damn cooking. Of course she would find a way to complain. Oh well. It's not like she meant it, and they both knew that by now.

Her arms reached up to wrap around his neck, pulling him down against her for another heated kiss. His knees pressed into the soft quilt on either side of her hips as he leaned down, trailing kisses from the corner of her mouth to her collarbone, ignoring her attempts to kiss his mouth. He gently pinned her wrists to the bed, planting little kisses from her shoulder to the tips of her fingers, sucking the tips of the digits in his mouth softly.

She let out a soft moan, her eyes slightly glazed over with lust. He forgot how much he loved to tease his partners. God, but she looked so beautiful, sprawled beneath him, with her nice evening dress scrunched up around her knees and her hair unpinned and fanning out behind her like a dark halo. He leaned down to murmur in her ear, "I'm glad you're here, Lovina."

"You talk too much," she grumbled, her hands reaching up to unbutton the top of his shirt.

He captured her wrists in his hand, staring down at her seriously. "Lovina…do you…are you ready to do this?" She was a virgin, he knew, and he didn't want to rush her, although certain parts of his body already wanted her, wanting to be closer to her. "You're going to be here for a whole week, and—"

"Yeah," she said, with surprising confidence. Her eyes shone fiercely as she said, in a quieter voice, "I want to be with you, Antonio. You're the only one I want to be with." That last part seemed to have been inadvertent, because she blushed again, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Me, too," he said softly, wishing he had a better response. Lacking that, he went back to kissing along her neck carefully, allowing her to hurriedly peel his upper garment off of him. He eased her up off of the bed, pulling her into his lap, so he could start unraveling the ribbons that held her dress up. His hands scorched her skin as he moved lower down her back, eventually sliding the dress off of her shoulders so she sat in front of him in her chemise.

"God, you're beautiful," he whispered, shifting forward to kiss her nose sweetly.

"Do you think so?" She asked uncertainly. She looked so vulnerable and self-conscious, he felt a wave of protectiveness wash over him as he leaned forward and kissed her softly.

"Yes. The most beautiful woman I've ever seen." He gently slid her dress off, and she wrapped her legs around him, their kisses growing sloppier and sloppier.

Lovina's hands felt so soft against his face, and he wondered if she had ever kissed anyone else the way she was kissing him now. He didn't think so, but it didn't matter anyway. She cared about him. She wanted to be with him. It was almost unreal. He gently lowered her back onto the bed, his hands moving down to her waist as he leaned forward and planted mumbled kisses against her sternum, her breasts, her full stomach. He could feel her trembling, and he could feel himself shaking a little, too. Not in a bad way, but it had been awhile for him, and he was nervous. He wanted everything to be perfect for her. Dammit, he should've gotten roses or something.

She looked up at him with slightly clouded eyes, her gaze burning a little feverishly. "I want you," she said, tugging his hips down to her body. He complied, ignoring the hardening member in his trousers as he gently palmed her breasts, teasing her until she was biting her lip and sighing.

"So impatient, Lovina," he said, grinning as he kissed her hot lips again.

"Well, don't make me wait, then," she said bossily. Damn. That shouldn't have been such a turn on, that she was so demanding, but it definitely was.

"Alright, alright," he said obediently, standing up quickly so he could step out of his trousers, letting them pool around his ankles on the floor as he kicked them away. He went over to his drawers and reached in the far back for a condom, swiftly slipping it on. He would have to fold those trousers in the morning, he knew. Those were his only clean pair of pants. But that thought was pushed to the far ends of his mind when Lovina wriggled out of her undergarments and tossed them off of the bed, sitting there expectantly, completely naked, and watching him with raised eyebrows.

"What?" He asked, feeling slightly self-conscious as her gaze raked over his body hungrily.

She swallowed and met his eyes. "Nothing."

He climbed back onto the bed, eyeing her seriously. "Lovina…I mean it…if you don't want to, if you want to wait…"

"It's okay," she interrupted, leaning over to kiss him. "I mean it." Seeing his uncertainty, she added with a tiny smile, "I'm Italian. Don't worry."

He grinned, kissing her back, sucking on her tongue as they fell back onto the soft sheets, limbs tangling until he was hovering over her body, sucking on her neck and enjoying very much the small, soft sounds she was making. He slipped a finger inside her body, stroking her gently until he felt her back arch against his body and heard her gasp. "Antonio," she breathed unevenly, and he grinned against her mouth, enjoying her reactions, when everything was so new for her. He toyed with her, making her moan a little as he stroked harder, until she was grinding her hips against his hand, her eyes dark with lust. His other hand caressed her arms, her plump stomach, every inch of her body, trying to memorize every bit of skin that he could.

When she was ready, he held her as he eased into her body, as gently as possible, feeling her nails tighten into his shoulder blades almost painfully, but he dismissed it, knowing the discomfort she must be feeling. "Are you alright?" He murmured, shifting deeper into her body.

"Fine," she gasped. "I'm fine." She kissed him feverishly, clinging to him like a drowning woman clinging to a raft.

He didn't reply, but kissed her again, thrusting again and again, until both of them were breathing in quick, ragged breaths, damp and sweaty, and he felt her hands on his ass and her legs wrapped around his waist and every bit of them was pressed flush against the other and he buried his face in the crook of her neck and cried her name, and he could feel her smile against his neck.

"Are you alright?" He asked again, staring into her lovely golden eyes.

"Yeah," she said, grinning. "I'm okay."

"Just okay?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, trying not to feel offended. He was a lot of things, but okay in bed was definitely not one of them.

She threw back her head and laughed, and he grinned despite himself because he hardly ever heard her laugh, genuinely laugh, and it warmed his heart. "Okay," she repeated coyly. "We have two more nights to ourselves." She grinned deviously, and he felt his face flush in embarrassment. Damn Lovina, surprising him again. For a girl who was so recently a virgin, she could be pretty lascivious. It was really attractive, actually.

"True," he agreed, leaning forward to kiss her on the forehead. He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her up alongside himself, and she snuggled against him, sighing contentedly. "You know, I'm kind of glad it's just the two of us."

"You should be," she agreed saucily, making him laugh again. She nuzzled against his chest, sighing again. "Antonio…"

"Yeah?" He asked sleepily.

"You don't…need to be insecure."

"What?" He asked blankly, blinking and looking down at her.

She stared up at him, her mouth pursed, her cheeks still flushed from their lovemaking. Those dark eyebrows sloped down dramatically over her eyes as she looked at him forcefully. "You heard me. Heracles hinted that, well, maybe I wouldn't want you, as a lowly merchant…or whatever."

He felt a slight sting to his pride at the 'lowly merchant' comment, but let it slide. He stared at her pensively, absently twirling a dark curl around his finger, waiting for her to continue.

"But that's not true. So don't go thinking stupid stuff like that, okay?" She demanded, eyes flashing.

He relaxed, his smile lighting up his entire face. "Si. I believe you."

"Good," she said smugly, wrapping her free arm around his waist. "What do you have planned for tomorrow?"

"I don't know yet," he admitted. "I thought I'd leave that up to you." He continued to thread his hand through her curls, and she hummed in satisfaction.

"Well, you could start by making me breakfast in bed," she suggested.

"Is that a request, or a demand?" He teased.

"What do you think, Antonio?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Alright," he acquiesced, laughing. He kissed her on the nose affectionately.

Her eyes started to close against the silken cream pillows of his bed, and he said softly, so softly he thought she might not hear, "I love you, Lovina."

Those lovely, cat-like eyes opened slightly, her dark eyelashes fluttering, before she kissed him gently, her lips barely brushing his. She closed her eyes, smiling, giving him the only answer he needed.

I love you too.

'Bella donna' is Italian for 'beautiful woman' (saxophone solo playing in the background).

Mierda is Spanish for 'shit', I believe. It's pretty close to 'merde' (French). Yay Romance languages!

At some point in this story, I turned into Heracles; that is, I became a really big Spamano shipper. When I started the story, I thought it was a cute ship, and now I'm like: Spamano is everything. Spamano is SO IMPORTANT TO ME. Dang it, that happened with GerIta too. You try to write a simple story, and look what happens...

Anyway, I think I'm going to end it there! :) If you like my writing, please read two of the other fics I'm working on, my PruCan story (What I Like About You) and my historical story about Denmark, There is a Lovely Land. Please R&R if you liked it, I love to hear from y'all! And thanks again for sticking around to see this finished!