Page 98 of Vows of a Mobster

“Sounds good,” he murmured and I sighed in relief. Mateo Agosti was a hard man to read.

I put the book on the nightstand and quickly put on the show, while waiting for Mateo to get ready for bed. It was such a simple but intimate moment, following his movement across the bedroom as he took off his expensive cufflinks and dropped them into a little box. His watch followed, then his clothes. He disappeared into the bathroom and emerged back out in just his boxers. His abs were ripped and strong, his chiseled chest could compete with any top model.

“You don’t look forty-nine,” I blurted out. I licked my lips, as I lifted my gaze to his to find him smiling.He makes me forget everything when I look at him.

“Is that a compliment, Bellissima?” His voice was so sexy, and I loved his endearment.

He strode over and I scooted over, to allow him to get in bed. For some odd reason, I wanted to be on his side of the bed while I waited for him. I went to shift to my side of his king size bed but he pulled me over, flushing my body with his.

“I like you close to me,” he murmured against my hair.

I swallowed hard, my heart in my throat, words stuck. I wanted to tell him I liked to be close to him, that he made me feel alive and amazing but all those words remained locked behind my lips. Instead, I pressed my lips onto his chest, then started the show.

Our legs tangled together, we watched the show and it felt right with one exception. My daughter wasn’t here. There was still a struggle within me, even after I made a decision I’d bring her tomorrow. I had a feeling nothing would ever go back to the way it was before Mateo. It scared me. My mother abandoned me. My stepdad, regardless how close we were, didn’t step in to object. My grandmother was a Godsend but she died not too long after I moved back to Boston. It left me alone with my daughter. I had never dreamt that my time with Emma could be cut short, and now that fear was gripping me. Truth was, I didn’t want to be alone. I wanted a family, like the one I had when my dad, mom, and grandparents all lived together. My mother hated it, but I thrived in it. I was only five when she broke our family but I still remembered that feeling of belonging. I hadn’t felt it since, till now. Things could be good with Mateo and having Emma with us. But fear held me back. If two days around this man could unravel all those feelings, what would a longer-term relationship do to me? Marissa said his longest relationship was seven weeks.

“Brianna, are you okay?” Mateo’s voice startled me and I lifted my head to face him.

“Yes, why?”

His hand covered mine gently. “You are gripping the sheets, like your life depends on it.”

“Oh. Sorry.” I forced a smile. “The show is pretty intense, huh?”

I knew he didn’t buy it, but he let it go. Shit, why was I so scared? Without an ounce of doubt, I knew Emma would be safer here, if there was a threat because of Mateo’s world.

I sat up, bringing my knees to my chest and locking eyes with Mateo.

“I was thinking,” I started and he waited, as if he knew that any pressure would make me rear backwards. “About what you said in the car, keeping Emma safe here.” I swallowed hard, scared to make a wrong decision that could cost my daughter her life. I made a bad decision once before that almost cost both my daughter and me everything. “It makes sense.”

“But you are still uneasy about it,” he finished for me.

“I- I just don’t want to make a bad move,” I muttered. “I’ve made a bad decision before out of des-” I cut myself off. “I don’t want to make a mistake when it comes to her.”

“Brianna, is Emma’s father still involved with your daughter?”

My eyes snapped to him. “No. He was never in the picture.”

I didn’t want to talk about Emma’s father. Just the thought of him made fear run through my veins.

“Are you worried she won’t be safe here?” he asked.

“No, I think she’ll be safer here.” And I meant it. I rested my chin on my knees as I watched him. “I won’t ask what happened today at the restaurant but it is obvious you have enemies. That worries me.”

He pulled me over to him and I eased my knees down, relishing his embrace. “Yours and Emma’s safety will be my first priority.”

“But-”

“But nothing.”

I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d say that knowing everything about me, my whole damned history from the moment I got pregnant. It held me back from completely trusting him.

“I’ll go get her tomorrow,” I commented instead.

“Do you want Marissa and Daphne here too?”

“I don’t want to disrupt your entire household.”

“You won’t and I wouldn’t offer if I thought it was a disruption. But I do want one promise.”