Page 116 of Vows of a Mobster

I scoffed in a soft chuckle, but uneasiness still remained. When we entered the house, Mateo and Antonio were still talking. I headed straight upstairs, while I noticed Daphne went to Antonio’s room. She winked as she passed me by, and I shook my head with a smile on my face.

I checked on Emma as she slept. I always worried about her reaction to treatments. Sometimes they spiked up a fever and sometimes, it just made her sleep for a long time. I was grateful she didn’t have a fever. She’d need plenty of rest to build up her strength. I pulled covers over her and sat on the edge of her bed, watching her. It always brought peace watching her sleep.

Her little sleeping face made my heart full. I was thankful she resembled me more than Kyle. Although her eyes were not mine. I stuck to the idea that they were my father's but deep down I knew they weren’t. I didn’t know Kyle well, but I frequently saw him on campus. There were certain expressions that I remember seeing on his face, and at times, I saw those same expressions on Emma. The way she arched her brow or pouted when she wanted something. I rejected Kyle many times and he would always pout the same way that Emma did. I never fooled myself to think he was hurt by my rejections. He had too many women chasing him.

One night of stupidity was all it took to get pregnant. And then one call of desperation was all it took to bring him into my daughter’s life.

“Brianna.” Mateo’s voice next to me startled me. I never heard him walk up the stairs or come in. “Are you okay?” His arm was on my shoulder and it brought comfort. I needed this man, whether the reasons were good or bad… I wasn’t sure.

I covered his hand with mine and stood up. “Yes, let’s go to bed.”

Our steps were soft on the carpet as we made our way into my bedroom. Shutting the door, Mateo went to put the monitor on the nightstand.

“Thank you for being here today.” I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around him, placing my head on his back. “And for staying the night.”

It was as if a switch was flipped today and he became very important. He turned around, taking my face between his big hands.

“You should have told me she was sick. I forced you to stay with me, and all the while, you worried about her.”

I wasn’t sure what to say. How do I explain secrets that I could never share with him? Marissa told me herself. Mateo could be relentless when he wanted to find out information and ruthless when it came to protecting his own family. This secret would cause war in his world.

“Don’t you trust me?” Mateo’s voice had me focusing on him.

“In many ways I do,” I tried to answer his question honestly. “But not in all matters. And honestly Mateo, we barely know each other. You don’t completely trust me either. It is only natural.”

Emotion flashed across his face and I wondered what he was thinking. Standing up on tiptoes, I reached for his lips. “Please don’t be upset,” I murmured against his lips. I wanted to enjoy that he was here with me. I wanted to soak in his strength, thanking God that he offered me Mateo’s strength. “I just want to be with you.”

“Do you?” he questioned me. “Or is it because I demanded it?”

I swallowed hard, scared how much I could truly open up to him. I wasn’t ready to go all in, and Marissa’s warning of Mateo’s limited time with his mistresses kept at the forefront of my mind. If I gave him my all and then got discarded, it would hurt badly. I would be stupid not to admit that to myself.

“You’d know I was lying if I told you I was happy you demanded it. That morning I spilled coffee on you,” his lips tilted upward in a half-smile, “I totally thought you were hot. I mean, I patted your shirt till it was soaking wet.” We both chuckled softly and he pressed me tighter against him. I relished in his strength. “I regretted not knowing your name. But Emma’s treatment consumed all my thoughts. When you came to Marcus and I realized you were the company owner, I wrote you off since I worked for your company.“

“Ouch,” he spoke softly. “Shouldn’t you have been after me if I was the company owner?”

I rolled my eyes, although I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. “I’ll take note for the next time.”

“You are mine now.” The way he staked claim made me believe in forever but my reason warned it wasn’t true. “I won’t let anyone else take you from me.”

“Want to dance?” I asked him instead. “I quite enjoyed it at Marissa’s birthday.”

“I always want to dance with you. Will you tell me a long story?”

I pressed my lips against his cheek. “Such a demanding negotiator.” My pulse raced and my body responded to his closeness, craving more of him. “Alexa, play “Eyes Closed”by Halsey,” I spoke low.

As the soft tunes played, our bodies moved together.

“You really like this singer, don’t you?” His voice was a soft brush against my neck.

“I might like you more,” I teased gently, brushing my fingers through his hair. I rested my hands around the nape of his head and relished in the heat he provided. We swayed to the music, our bodies flushed together. “What kind of long story do you want?”

“You pick one.” I felt his hand shift down to my butt, and the ache between my legs pulsed with a need only he could sate.

“Hmmm, I could tell you my first phone sex story.” I slowly trailed my hands down to his gun, and took his gun holster off. I’ve seen him take it off plenty of times to know how to do it. “It was pretty hot.”

“Yes?”

His holster was off and I put it in the drawer of the nightstand. “Is it okay to put it in there?” I asked. He nodded.