Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Taylor
“Don’t even think about getting dressed,” Marco growls at me from his bed. He’s naked and glorious—all cut muscle with a tattoo of a snake and flowers winding around one shoulder.
After declaring he needed more of me last night at Sins, he brought me home where we had a second round of the hottest sex of my life.
Now we’ve just finished round three and I’m coming back from using the bathroom.
I drop his T-shirt back on the floor. “Yes, Sir.”
“Mmm,” he rumbles, reaching for me. “You are such a good little submissive, aren’t you?” He tugs me over his body.
I fall on top of him, laughing. My body is buzzing—warm, and sated from all the attention he’s given it.
He holds the back of my head and thrusts his tongue in my mouth as I squirm over him seeking pleasure when my clit finds the root of his cock. Marco’s phone buzzes from the nightstand. He ignores it, kissing me, deeply, but it buzzes again and then again.
“Sorry, angel.” He reaches for the phone. “I just need to check this.” After quickly scanning the screen, he exclaims, “Oh, damn!” but there’s a ring of joy in it.
“What?”
“My cousin had his baby!” He quirks a boyish grin at me and my heart squeezes. He’s no longer the powerful and dangerous mafia boss, but a three dimensional person with cousins and babies and ordinary joy.
“Your cousin had the baby?” I tease.
“Well, his wife did.” Marco’s grin is infectious.
“I’m so fucking happy for him. The last five years of Armando’s life have been pure misery and then he meets this girl—under terrible circumstances—and knocks her up, and suddenly…
well, she changed him. It’s amazing to see what love can do to a man. ”
I sit up on the bed, leaning on one hand and drinking in the sight of him in his naked beauty. “I love that,” I say.
Marco‘s eyes lock on mine, and for a moment, I wonder if he’s thinking the same thing I am—whether love could change him, too.
“Hey, do you want to come with me to the hospital to welcome the new baby? Her name is Daisy Jane.”
My heart skips a beat. He’s asking me to do something that isn’t just about sex. It’s not even somewhere you would take a new date. It’s the kind of activity reserved for a steady girlfriend or partner.
I hop off the bed. “I would love to meet Daisy Jane!” I throw on a pair of jeans and a top.
Marco puts on his clothes from last night, minus the jacket and we head out to his car. It’s a rental he’s using while his is getting fixed–a sweet convertible Mercedes.
“So why were the last five years so bad for Armando?” I ask after we hit a drive-thru coffee shop for bagels and coffee.
Marco gives me a sidelong glance, like he’s deciding whether to tell me the truth or not. “He was in prison,” he says after a moment’s hesitation.
“Oh, wow.”
“And when he got out, there was a hit out on him. He holed up at Hannah’s place until he straightened things out.”
I don’t ask how things were straightened out. I have a feeling that even if Marco told me, I wouldn’t want to know. I’m just honored he’s being real with me. I like him as the demanding dominant, but I like this glimpse into his ordinary life even more.
We get to the hospital and Marco buys a huge flower arrangement from the on-site florist.
“Hannah’s going to kill me for this,” he says.
“Why? Is she allergic?”
He grins. “No, she’s an award-winning florist. She’s going to be insulted I brought her flowers.”
He laces his fingers with mine on the elevator ride up. “Thanks for coming with me.”
I step closer to him so he can wrap an arm around me. “I’m actually surprised you asked me.”
“Why?”
“I thought you’d be the type to leave my place before dawn.”
The elevator doors open on Armando and Hannah’s floor but Marco prevents me from getting off. “Hold up, angel. What do you mean?”
I shrug. The elevator doors close and we start to ascend further. “I mean you’re a player. I work at Sins–I know you have a different girl every weekend. So you don’t strike me as the let’s-get-breakfast-together on the morning after type.”
“You’re right, I’m not.”
A sick feeling starts in the pit of my stomach and I suddenly wish I hadn’t come along. I’m starting to really fall for this guy and he’s clearly not a safe choice for me. I hit the button for our floor again, over and over again.
“Hey.” Marco catches my arm and pulls me back against him. “I don’t usually spend the night.” He looks down at me, his warm brown gaze searching mine like he wants to be sure I catch his meaning.
I want to be sure, too. “Why did you spend it with me?”
He lowers his head and nuzzles his nose along mine. “You’re special, Taylor.”
The elevator dings and this time, Marco moves to exit. His words ricochet around my head as we walk down the sterile hallway to find Armando and Hannah’s room.
I’m special.
I’m almost afraid to admit how much I hoped that was true.
Marco
“I hope I look that good after being in labor for sixteen hours,” Taylor says as we leave the hospital room and head to the elevator. “She was simply glowing.”
Pulling Taylor against my side, I kiss the top of her head. “I can’t imagine you ever looking anything but stunning.”
The thought of her pregnant with a baby– my baby–has my cock hardening. I don’t want a baby yet , but I sure as fuck want to practice in the baby making. And the idea of Taylor having my baby–
Jesus. Who the fuck am I? Soft kisses, loving compliments, and feeling as if I can’t get enough of this woman is just not me. Never has been, and yet, here I am.
The surprised look on both Armando and Hannah’s face when I entered the room with a girlfriend , reminded me of the fact that I was acting completely out of the norm for me.
Luckily for me, they were both so wrapped up in the baby that I didn’t get interrogated, but I’m pretty sure it’s just a matter of time until I do.
But fuck it. I like it. And I really like her.
The elevator opens and the don steps out with Leo by his side. They are both carrying a bouquet of pink and yellow flowers and look as out of place in the hospital hallway as I’m sure I do.
I immediately disentangle myself from Taylor. Leo knows I didn’t spend the night at home, but the don doesn’t need to find out.
“Oh hey. You coming from Mando’s room? How’s the mama?” Leo asks.
Trying to avoid the narrow-eyed scrutiny the don is giving Taylor, I answer, “Great. I’ve never seen her so happy. And wait until you see our cousin. He’s grinning from ear to ear. Fatherhood looks good on him.”
“The delivery went well? The baby?” the don asks.
“Everything went smoothly. They’re also enjoying the larger suite you arranged for them. Armando is very appreciative.”
Don G’s gaze is still locked on Taylor, and without thinking about it, I take a step away, opening the space between us. It’s probably too late to give off the appearance that we aren’t anything more than friends, but I’d rather avoid a conversation about it.
“Who’s this?” the don asks.
So much for avoiding the conversation.
He isn’t exactly being rude, but he isn’t being friendly either. I know the don well enough to know he’s not happy to see me with a girl after I just promised I’d never have a girlfriend and would keep my head in the game.
I distance myself a little more. “My car’s in the shop, and I needed a ride,” I say. “She works at Sins.”
Taylor’s eyes dart to me, and I see a flash of pain, but then it’s quickly replaced with anger.
She then plasters a smile on her face, turns to the don, reaches her hand out to his, and says, “My name is Taylor.” She then glares at me again and adds, “We should get going. I need to get back to work. ”
Fuck.
I totally fucked up.
“Yeah, definitely.” To the don and Leo, I say, “You both should get in there. Visiting hours are almost over.”
Seemingly satisfied with my answer, the don and Leo head to the hospital room, and I silently hit the elevator button trying to think of a way to soothe the stormy waters that I obviously caused.
“I can explain,” I begin.
Taylor raises her hand as the ding of the elevator fills the silence. “No need. I’m just a girl who works at Sins.”
Her words ooze from her lips like venom, and I know I just fucked myself.
“Taylor–”
She steps into the elevator, not saying another word.