Marry Me Mafia

The Elevator

After dinner, the four retired to the main living room. The girls picked up coloring books and crayons from the coffee table and began busying themselves, chattering away. Nico and Renee took their wine glasses, refilled, with them to the living room and sat beside each other on the sofa, watching the girls. Nico picked up a small remote and pressed a few buttons; soft classical music began playing through a hidden speaker somewhere. He took Renee's hand in his, and sitting beside the girls, they began talking quietly together about each other's lives, their birthdays, his brother and sister's-in-law's death, his life in New York City, hers in the military, all the places she traveled to, and her mom who still lived outside of Memphis. She learned that the scar on his arm was from a fight in a bar when he was 28. He and his brother had gone out after the bachelor party, and a guy pulled a knife. He stepped between his brother and the drunk and got cut for his trouble. The wait at the ER almost made the two of them late for his brother's wedding the next day. 27 stitches, but at least the doctor managed to line up the tattoo. Renee had already shown him the scar of the .45; she didn't think he needed to see the long thin scar down her spine from the back surgery that caused her to get discharged from the Navy, nor did she want to talk about why she had emergency back surgery anyway.

The two talked for what seemed like forever, not realizing that, at some point, Nico had begun tracing small circles in her palm. Nico absently glanced at the clock. The time made him jump. "Holy sh—" he looked over at the girls; both were sound asleep curled on the sofa, "damn it's almost 11 o'clock, they should be in bed." Renee looked at the little bundles, "Want you some help?" She offered. "Yeah," Nico whispered. "Can you get Ava, and I'll take Hannah?" She nodded, standing up, Renee walked over to the sleeping child, picking her up and cradling her against her chest. Nico did the same, and they walked to the elevator with the girls. Once inside, Nico tapped the second floor, and the door closed softly behind them. The two stood in awkward silence for 20 seconds until the door opened once again onto a hallway. Nico took the lead, carrying the precious cargo to the second door on the left. When he opened the door, Renee took in the carefully decorated room. Drawings lined the pale yellow walls of two little girls with pink bows holding the hands of their mother and father. The floor was covered in a soft white plush carpet, and the girls' twin-sized beds each took up the left and right side of the room. The overhead fan was moving the air in silence, and tiny LED string lights twinkled against each headboard. A small fairy-style nightlight sparkled, catching the reflection in the glass of old framed photos of their parents from the shared dresser between the beds. Nico carefully laid his cargo down on the bed to the left; Renee followed suit on the bed to the right. Both little girls were covered with soft chenille coverlets of pink and lavender. Hannah had gotten her thumb into her mouth at some point. Renee smiled down at the two little angels, as Nico came up behind her, "Come on, let them sleep." He took her hand and guided her out of the bedroom back into the hallway. "Been a busy day, huh? Sorry if I was maybe out of line with the proposal. I just said what was on my mind," he continued, "I meant what I said, in case you had doubts. You've done so much for me and the girls already, and I know this is a crazy situation...but I meant it." Renee's smile softened, "No, I understand, and I want you to know I will do everything I can to make certain those little angels stay with you." Nico took her hand again and walked back to the elevator. The door chimed as it opened, and the two stepped inside in silence. Nico felt her hand in his; it was warm and soft, the engagement ring sliding as he played with it on her finger. She looked up into his eyes, with all of that warmth and depth behind them, feeling as if she could get lost. Nico took a steadying breath and returned her gaze, wondering how such an amazing woman hadn't been picked up by some other lucky man. Though the idea of her with someone else made his stomach turn. Without thinking, Nico took her chin in his fingers, and dipped his head, his lips brushing hers, "So beautiful." He breathed. Renee felt those soft lips brush hers, as her eyes fluttered closed. Oh s**t, he's kissing me, she thought. Her heart began to hammer in her chest. His lips were so firm and warm, she thought, his tongue dipped against her mouth, wanting more, DING! As quickly as it began, the elevator chimed, and the door slid opened. Renee practically flung herself out of the elevator. "Oh, s**t," she was licking those beautiful lips, "You know I have to go walk my dog before bed... My bed! Before I go to sleep in my own bed," she stumbled on, Nico walking behind her seeming very amused, his fingers at his lips, and that damn self-satisfied smile on his perfect face. She managed the stairs to the lower kitchen without breaking an ankle. Nico, on her heels holding her hand, kissing her fingers, and making her lose her sanity. Listening to her nervous rambling was adorable, he decided. This woman who took down pedophiles single-handedly, walked over two miles with a hole through her lung, drove like a Formula One champion, and had a mouth he couldn't get enough of would be the death of him, but oh he thought, what a way to go.

Renee's brain kept misfiring. She managed to make it out of the main house and across the courtyard to the outer staircase of her apartment, this delectably sexy man on her heels with an almost predatory smile. He kept taking her hand, and kissing her fingers. Nico stopped at the base of the staircase and watched her slowly as she went upstairs. She was blushing, and her ear lobes were a deep pink that reminded him of the inside of a conch shell he'd picked up off a beach during spring break. Renee looked down at Nico, "What time is the interview tomorrow?" SNAP! The spell between them seemed to break as reality set in that the performance tomorrow would set the stage for everything to come. Nico rubbed his scarred forearm absently, "9am, but breakfast is going to be at 8." Renee nodded, "OK, so I'll see you and the girls at 8. Good night, Nico." Nico lowered his eyes for a moment, and sighed before looking back into hers,"Good night, Bella." He turned and walked slowly back into the house. Renee went into the apartment and stood there with her back against the door. He kissed me, she thought. "Wow," she took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Bug jumped off the bed and came to her side. Renee looked down at the big dog. That Pitbull's head of hers was like a cement block, but behind incredibly intelligent eyes, it was as if she was saying, 'Everything is OK, mom, and I'm here.' Renee picked up the dog's leash, collar, and bags for her business. They walked out of the door and down the steps, going into the grass just behind the carriage house. Thankfully, Bug wasted no time doing what she needed to, and after a quick clean up, Renee and Bug went back upstairs and prepared for bed. She had no idea that Nico had been watching from the balcony outside the master suite. His wine glass sitting empty on the patio table, he wished he'd asked her to stay with him, but he also didn't want to make her feel cheap, or obligated to him. Nico wanted her to want him back, because it was her choice. Not for the money, and not just for the girls, because in the short time he had known her, Renee had made him aware in her own simple way, that there were things in his life he was missing, and he wanted those things. He wanted her.