Page 46 of Secret Baby for the Mafia Don

"Yes, sir. She's quite insistent."

Roman and I exchange glances. "Show her in," I tell Carlo, then turn to Roman. "Stay."

I hate that I need Roman to remain with me.

It makes me feel weak, like I can't handle Gabriella on my own.

But the truth is, I can't trust myself around her.

Not completely.

She gets under my skin in ways no one else can, and that makes her dangerous.

The door opens, and there she is.

Gabriella Monti, with snow melting in her dark hair and determination in her eyes.

Beautiful and fierce, and completely unaware of how much power she holds over me.

"Don Calabresi," she says formally, nodding to me, then to Roman. "Mr. Ginetti."

"Miss Monti," I respond, matching her tone. "This is unexpected."

“My ears are burning. It seems you can’t stop talking about me.”

“Do you need a plane ticket to Italy?” Please, God, have her tell me she’s leaving town.

"I have a proposal for you," she says, her chin lifting slightly.

I raise an eyebrow. "I'm not marrying you."

A ghost of a smile touches Gabriella's lips. "That's not what I'm proposing."

Roman clears his throat, probably to cover the smirk. I’ve been caught twice assuming people are talking about marriage.

"I should check on that shipment issue." Roman nods Gabriella. "Miss Monti."

The door shuts behind him, leaving us alone.

The room suddenly feels smaller, charged with an electricity that seems to supercharge when we’re in proximity to each other.

"Well?" I keep my voice neutral, leaning against my desk and crossing my arms. "What's this proposal that couldn't wait?"

Gabriella steps closer, her dark eyes fixed on mine with unsettling intensity. "I want to help protect my father," she says. "And I think we can work together to do that."

I laugh, short and sharp. "You've spent the past year convinced I'm plotting against him. Now you want to work together?"

"I'm not saying I trust you. But I trust the FBI even less. And if someone is targeting my father's business, I need to be involved."

"Involved?" I repeat. "Antonio wants you nowhere near this." I don’t want her anywhere near this.

"That's not his decision to make anymore." Her voice softens. "We both know he's not well, Marco."

The truth of her words saddens me.

Antonio's condition seems to be deteriorating faster these days.

"My proposal is simple," she continues. "I'll stay with you. You can be the misogynistic guardian you all seem to think I need, keeping me in line as La Corona wants. But I'll also be keeping an eye on you, and together, we can protect my father."