Lexi and Dani drove silently, both lost in thoughts until they'd reached the firm. Lexi stopped the the car and looked at Dani with teary eyes.

"Dani, I'm so sorry; I convinced Rocco to make you hate him. I lied about him not wanting you. He's crazy about you."

"I know, Lexi," Dani patted her knee. "Rocco and I talked about it last night."

"What? You two are always a step ahead of me!"

Dani smiled softly, "Rocco told me you were trying to help me. I get it; it's crazy  and if the roles were reversed. I'd worry about you too, but Rocco and I--"

"You're going to make it," Lexi smiled.

"I hope so."

"I know so," Lexi said firmly. "You were right, I think, by the way, about Dante."

"You talked to him?" Dani asked as they got out of the car and started walking inside.

"No, but I started seeing things and now I think I feel the same."

"Really?" The girls stalled outside the doors to the firm.

"I think maybe I always have," Lexi confessed. "Nothing ever works out and I blame Dante for picking at them, but... why do I let him?"

"That's a good question to ask yourself and him," Dani pointed out.

"I broke it off with Bobby."

"Whoa."

"Yeah... I have a feeling about this, Dani," She blushed slightly. "Thanks for opening my eyes."

"Lexi, of course, this is amazing!" Dani squealed.

"I'm nervous as hell, but I'm going to talk to him this weekend." 

"It'll be perfect I know it. You have to tell me everything," Dani gushed.

Lexi took her arm and pulled her inside the lobby where they stepped unto the elevator.

"I hope Rocco won't be upset. I went behind his back." Dani said worriedly.

"You won his case. He can't be," Lexi insisted as they exited the elevator; she saw Rocco in the conference room and gasped. Lexi pulled her forward and when he saw her, he raced towards her grabbing her hands in his.

"Uh, come on, Lexi," she heard Dante say, and then the door closed, leaving her and Rocco alone.

"Rocco—"

"What were you thinking?" He cut her off. "You could have been hurt."

"Lexi was right outside," she said feebly.

"But, Dani, why didn't you tell me?"

"You'd have never gone for it."

"Of course not; it was dangerous," he stressed.

"Are you mad I didn't tell you?"

"I could never be mad at you, baby," his eyes washed over her as his hands gently stroked her cheeks. "I was out of my head with worry, though."

"Lexi would have run in the second things went bad," Dani assured him. "Rocco, I spent the last few weeks, watching her while she was putting on a fake sisterly act. I knew something was up with how she'd go somewhere every night. I suspected it was Edward because he never came over, but she talked about him a lot. I knew to trick her I had to take a page from her book. But first I needed to get her emotional so I could a step ahead. I needed her to see Edward hitting on me."

"It was smart, sweetheart, but that guy is dangerous and you were alone with him, I was freaking the hell out."

"What do you mean?"

"Jeanie told me a guy was living at the apartment the entire time I paid for it. Her description made me realize it was Edward," Rocco told her. "But she also told me she heard a lot of fights from that apartment, loud ones with the man yelling and screaming. She also told me that some younger women in the building said they got a bad vibe from him."

"I did too," Dani confessed.

"If anything happened to you. I don't know what I would do."

"Nothing did, Rocco, and it worked," Dani said softly, "but I'm sorry I scared you."

"I thought he was going to kiss you, and I almost broke the door off the hinges. Dante had to hold me back."

"I'd have never let him, not in a million years."

"I wouldn't let anyone but you," she added in a whisper.

"That's a good thing, Valentine," Rocco's voice grew huskier as his eyes fell to her lips. "I've never been a possessive man... until now."

He devoured her lips with his own in a possessive kiss as she wound her arms around the back of his neck, pulling him closer still. His hands begun to entangle in her hair as he deepened the kiss, both of them forgetting where they were.

The door flew open, and Rocco's eyes widened in horror as he jumped back from Dani, and she turned to find Alyssa standing there.

"Don't bother parting on my account," Alysa said tiredly. "It's all out now, right? I have been fucking my manager-- you're banging my sister. Sounds like a trashy reality show."

"I'm not sleeping with your sister," Rocco corrected, to which she gave him a dubious look.

"But," Rocco continued, "I am in love with her and I let myself fall in love with her while claiming I wanted to fix things.  We both fucked up. I take my share in it."

"I'm not mad, Rocco. I'm not anything anymore; I'm just done," Alyssa said.

"I'm...same, I'm just done," he peered at her. "...But - was it all a long con?"

"Not exactly, more of a contingency plan," Alyssa explained. "Katherine's idea. Marry rich until the modeling thing takes off. Eddy liked the idea so much that he thought Becks should do it too; it's how I met you and how it almost blew it up when Becks backed out. Getting pregnant was Katherine's idea to salvage and secure your proposal."

She crossed her arms over her chest, pausing momentarily as Rocco stiffened from her words.

"Then my career tanked, and I found myself funding Eddy; the stresses started to mount. I became miserable and hateful and wanted out but didn't see a way. Over time I blamed and resented you."

"You could have just asked me; I'd have given you an out."

"I was afraid to screw Eddy over, but I'm not anymore; he's been using me as bad as Katherine, and I didn't see it," Alyssa said irritably. "I'm tired of everyone riding on my back."

"What are you saying?"

"Sell the house, give me half." she said so calmly Dani was stunned. "I want to start over in Paris,  so I need a decent sum of money, and I'll leave you alone forever."

"What?" Dani gasped. "Paris?"

"What about Gavi?" Rocco asked.

"Katherine was selfish shitty mother and I am just like her," Alyssa confessed. "Gavin is loving, and sensitive. I don't mean to, but I hurt him. Every time I snap. Every time I dismiss him. I hurt him and won't stop because that's who I am."

She let out a long breath, and her eyes became watery. "So fuck it then, I'll break the stupid pattern and just go. I know he'll be better off."

"Lys, no, we can set up a visitation schedule and- "Rocco interjected.

"I don't want it, Rocco," she cut him off.  "I want to put all my energy into my career with zero guilt and no one counting on me."

"Alyssa." Dani sniffled.

"Stop pretending this isn't exactly what you want, Danielle." Alyssa snapped, and Dani flinched, taking a step back. "What you both want," she added, shifting her gaze to Rocco.

"Have Dante draw up the paperwork and rush it, and I'll sign—"

"Here," Dante was already in the room frantically holding the papers, and Alyssa laughed.

"That fast?"

"He's had them drawn up for weeks," Rocco admitted.

"I'll have Rocco wire money into your account by day end," Dante said as Alyssa ripped the papers from his hand and signed them, she then handed them to Rocco to do the same, set her ring down, and left.

Dani raced after her.

"Lys wait!"

"What?" Alyssa whirled around, pain in her eyes.

"Aren't you even going to say goodbye to Gavin?" Dani asked. "I never meant for you to leave your son."

"I hated your Pollyanna act from the start, but today you showed the side of you we get from Katherine. You manipulated, connived and lied, but you did it for Gavin. That's when I knew it would be alright to leave him with you. You'll fight for him when needed."

"You're still his mother."

"He needs you, not me."

"Alyssa, I don't know what to say."

"Don't fuck him up, just say that."

"I won't," Dani promised. "I will love him enough for both of us."

Alyssa's face twisted at that, and she whirled around and ducked away.

**

An hour later, Rocco and Dani were sitting at the beach with Gavin preparing to tell him about his mom and them as best as they could, being his age. Rocco was still shocked that she left and he was free.

Well, free wasn't quite the right word; as he glanced at Dani smiling at Gavin, he knew his heart had belonged to her for a long time, maybe even always.

Gavin raced back over from the sandcastle he was making, all smiles to have both of them with him again.

"Hi, Bud, can you pop a seat here in the sand?" Rocco asked. "Dani and I got to talk to you."

"Okay, Daddy." As he plopped down, Dani sat close to him, and Rocco sat on the other side.

"So, you know how Mommy and Daddy don't live together anymore, right?"

"Yeah," Gavin nodded.

"Well, Mommy decided to move somewhere far away, so um, now it's going to be just us, you, Daddy, and Auntie Dani. So one good thing is you won't have to go back and forth anymore."

"We live in daddy's 'partment?"

"Yes, for now," Rocco said, then regretted the, for now, no need to confuse him more. "Yes, you, me and Dani are going to live at the apartment."

"Auntie Dani too!" Gavin lit up, and she smiled and hugged him.

"Yes, me too. Is that okay if I live with you and your daddy?"

"Yes! Auntie Dani," he jumped in her lap, and she held him for a long moment. "Can we build a fort? and I can help make cookies?"

"We sure can, Tiger," she promised him.

"Are you okay, Buddy?" Rocco asked. "I know it's confusing, but you won't see your mommy anymore, and I'm very sorry about that, but she loves you so much."

Gavin took a moment. "Yeah is okay, Daddy." He didn't seem too upset but Rocco wasn't sure if he fully got that part yet. They'd probably talk about it again when he was older.

Gavin looked up and noticed Lexi and Dante on the deck and stood.

"Unkey! Lexi!" Gavin cheered.

"Come on, up, bud!" Dante called, winking at Rocco. "We can watch a movie."

He nudged Lexi then, and she grinned as well. "Yeah, don't worry about us. We'll all be busy watching a, movie!"

"We can keep him overnight, too," Dante added with a smirk.

Dani giggled as Gavin raced up the deck to join them, "subtle."

Rocco wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him, laying a soft kiss on her neck, she turned in his arms so she was facing him, and for once he could gaze adoringly at her face without worrying about being seen.

"Rocco, are you okay?" she asked. "The end of a marriage is a lot, and if you need a second to—"

"The only thing I need is right here," he cut her off. "In my arms where she belongs."

"It feels kind of surreal," she confessed.

He brushed his lips softly against hers. "Feel more real now?"

"Almost," she smiled against his lips. "I think I need more convincing than that."

"I think I can make that happen." He crushed his lips down on hers in an earth-scorching kiss, as she gripped unto the back of his neck for dear life. Her chest pressed up against his as he pulled her closer, and he could feel her pebbled nipples against his hard chest.

He was hardening against her as his lips trailed down her neck, pressing soft kisses all over it. His hands draped down the small of her back to her perfect shapely butt, and he lifted her. She wrapped her thighs around his waist as he lifted her, gazing down at him with hooded eyes and swollen lips. This time her lips devoured his as her hands entangled in his hair, and he happily let her claim him.

He fell backward in the sand, and she landed on top of him, laughing softly as they landed.

"So beautiful." He gazed at her. "I could stare at you for hours."

"Stop," she blushed.

"Nope," he quipped as he pressed little kisses all over her neck. "Never."

He flipped them over so he was laying on top of her, her eyes pooled with desire as he  gently lowered his weight on top of her.

"I love you, Dani Valentine."

"I love you, too," she breathed as his lips began pressing and sucking softly on the nape of her neck. The sweetest moan escaped her lips, and he pulled back enough to gaze into her eyes.

"I made you a promise," he reminded her.

"Say it again," she said breathily.

" Farò l'amore con la mia donna tutta la notte."

"What does it mean?"

"It means I'm going to make love to my woman all night long," he said huskily as he trailed his lips back up to hers.

"Right here on the beach?"

"To start with," he said as he devoured her lips with his own.

✨✨✨

The end

**The end

Thank you SOOO much for delving into this story! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it!! Thank you again!

Thank you!!

Much love!

Heidi Mae

💖

A cute little epi follows this one to top if all off with a sweet ending on the next page >>>>