CHAPTER 8
ANGELO
Before I leave our bedroom, I lean against the door jamb and watch her. I can’t help myself. She demands it without even trying. It’s like a switch was flipped the moment I met her.
This obsession was awakened.
This need.
It’s impossible to switch off. Not that I want to. No, it anchors me in something worthwhile. I understand the things dad would say about mom, about how her love made him capable of doing what needs to be done.
I’ve felt the same thing since I happened across Dove and brought her into my world. There was no way I was going to give her a choice because the risk in doing so was far too great. What if she had walked away? I would have had to do worse than I have so far.
And I wouldn’t be sorry about it.
At least this way she knows about my obsession. I don’t hide it, not from her.
My woman turns toward where I should be in bed, her hand sliding along the sheet as if searching for me. I can’t help but grin as I watch her. She’s adorable.
And she’s so much more than she realizes.
Which is part of the reason why I’m up far too early. I only have so much time to get everything ready for her.
She’s going to remember this Christmas, our first, as a good one. I want to give her memories that last a lifetime.
I push away from the doorway and walk silently toward the living room. By now, Salvatore would have ensured that everything was delivered. I’m going to set everything up because my men can deliver them but putting them under the tree is my job.
“Fucking pussy,” I admonish myself, only partially serious since I can’t seem to wipe the grin off my face.
When I find everything is as I expected, I get to work.
All the sneaking around the last few days has been worth it. I’ve been slowly building a Christmas wonderland for my woman. Seeing her light up as she notices the new items which show up in our home makes it all worth it.
This will probably be our last Christmas in this penthouse, at least for a while. Being in the middle of the city isn’t how Christmas should be for our kids. The thought of her already being pregnant has my dick hardening and begging to be Dove.
I had never thought of breeding a woman. Honestly, I wasn’t sure kids were in the cards for me. My parents being disappointed wasn’t even a consideration in the matter either.
With Dove, it’s all I can think about. I want to see her round with my child. The craving I have for it comes from a dark part of me. A part that needs to own her and bind her to me completely.
I’ll take care of slipping my ring on her finger soon enough, but planting my baby in her? It can never be undone.
And you better fucking believe I’ll wrap her up in blankets and bubble wrap to make sure she’s safe while carrying our little one. I shudder at the thought of anything going wrong there. Being out of the city would mean different protection, but I’ll make sure it’s done right.
Before I can rest easy when it comes to my woman, at least when it comes to the imminent threats, my brother will need to be dealt with. But my gut is telling me I can’t do it for my Dove. She needs to slay this demon, or she’ll never be rid of him, not really.
I hate it.
Then I remember the way Romeo sauntered into my office yesterday with far too much swagger for the power he actually has. He smirked like he was expecting to walk out having gained some ground in a competition he’s been in with himself for his entire life.
He thinks he’s competing against me. But he’s not and never has been.
When he came into my office, I glared at my secretary who had escorted my brother in as if he had a right to interrupt my day whenever he felt like it. Romeo showing his face in the office was out of the norm, and she should have asked first. But I knew I’d deal with her later.
He plopped down in a chair and rubbed his hands together.
“So, what are our holiday plans, brother?” When I didn’t react to his question and simply continued to stare at him, he blinked and pushed, “Are we having some sort of family dinner? You know, to welcome your,” he paused and I could see the word he wanted to use on the tip of his tongue while I was begging for a reason to hurt him, “woman to the family.”
“No,” my voice was smooth and measured, “we’ll be staying in for the holiday. I’m sure you already had plans after mom and dad announced their trip. There’s no need to change them.”
He waved his hand dismissively. “I did make plans, but they can be changed easily. I don’t mind. You know how important the family is.”
He might have been trying to hit me with his words, but they had no impact.
“Yes,” I drawled, “I’m very aware of how important family is. With our parents out of the country, I’ll be spending my holiday with my family. At home. With Dove.”
His eyes narrowed and even though I wasn’t budging, he couldn’t walk away completely clean.
He stood up though, smart enough to put more distance between us.
“You can’t even see you’re making a mistake with a woman who isn’t worth a damn thing,” he spit out the words, but I could see the truth in his eyes.
He hated her, but he hated me more. All because he knows I won’t be letting her go.
And he’s no longer as safe as he once thought.
A second son might have started this family’s influence in Seattle, but it doesn’t mean we bow to them for that reason alone. Romeo has never earned the respect needed to lead. He’s never applied himself to the business.
“I would step very carefully going forward, little brother,” I warned him while I looked straight into his eyes so he could see the truth in my threat.
After standing up slowly, I planted my hands on my desk and leaned across it.
“You can hate me all you want, but when you turn your darkness toward my woman, we will have a problem, and nothing will be able to save you.”
He narrowed his eyes but didn’t say anything else before walking out.
I didn’t stay at the office very long after he left. The need to see my woman and hold her in my arms was too much to bear. And then I found her in the kitchen cooking. For me.
She could never know how her taking care of me, of giving me her time and effort, meant in that moment. The beast inside of me, the one who was raging and rattling his cage since the moment Romeo entered my office, calmed.
And that is why she is my peace.
I set the last gift under the tree and stand back to take it all in. The number of presents under the tree borders on obscene. Last night when she looked over to find it empty, I saw relief in her eyes.
She’s going to hate this.
I love it.
When I step into the kitchen, I see a tray of cinnamon rolls which is ready to go in the oven.
This is something I asked Salvatore’s mom to do for me.
My mom always made cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning when I was growing up.
It was a tradition we never missed even when my dad’s obligation to the family meant adapting during the holiday season.
Even though I can cook, I didn’t want to fuck up making the cinnamon rolls. Salvatore’s mom was more than willing to help me out. The note on top of the lid has directions for cooking them and I notice the icing in a separate container.
I’m sure Sal had to tell his mom there was a woman involved. I just hope she doesn’t go off and tell my mom before I get the chance. Talk about a fucking disaster.
But there’s no doubt in my mind that next year my parents won’t be planning any trips around the holidays. They will love Dove and won’t hold her past and the choices she made to survive against her. My mom will probably just hug her harder because of it, knowing she needs a little more love.
As I set the oven to preheat, I start to grind some espresso beans to make a drink to start the day for us. I plan to wake up my woman with some breakfast in bed. Then I’ll be keeping her in bed for a little while.
“What are you putting in the oven?”
Dove’s voice from the doorway has me spinning around to face her. She’s rubbing her eyes and stretching. I blow out a breath because my woman is not observant when she first wakes up. It’s surprising considering she’s normally on edge. I like to think she knows she’s safe here.
If she had seen the presents under the tree already, she would be spitting mad and glaring at me. Fuck, she’s adorable.
Her body is wrapped up in a bright floral silky robe that barely covers her ass. I let out a groan and have to fist my hands at my sides to stop myself from throwing her over my shoulder to carry her back to bed.
“Cinnamon rolls.”
She perks up instantly as she looks at them and licks her lips while tiptoeing closer. Then she looks at me and pouts. “You weren’t in bed.”
I can’t help but chuckle as I hook an arm around her waist and pull her against me. I love feeling the way her curves mold to my body.
There’s a soft smile on her face as she looks up at me with her chin propped on my chest. “You didn’t notice the tree, did you?”
She blinks up at me a few times before glancing over her shoulder toward the kitchen doorway. “No,” she holds out the word as she looks back up at me and shakes her head, “what did you do with the tree? The lights were on, but I kind of just stumbled in here without paying attention.”
Her eyebrows pull together as if she’s confused about why she didn’t pay closer attention. I get it, observing everything was one way she coped and helped protect herself.
I can’t help but grin down at her.
“I think you should work up an appetite by opening some presents.”
Her mouth tips down into a frown while a crease forms between her eyebrows. I reach up and smooth out the skin between her eyes and make a tsking sound.
“What presents?” She tries to pull away from me, probably to go and see for herself, but I don’t let go of her and hold her in place against me. “There wasn’t anything under the tree last night when we went to bed,” her voice is high and tight.
Dove struggles against my hold and there is panic in her eyes. “Take a breath,” I coo. “There was no way I was going to allow our first Christmas to happen without spoiling you. No way in hell.”
When she swallows hard, I watch her throat move and my mouth waters. I want to taste her skin on my tongue, but I hold back. If I indulge in her now, I won’t be able to stop.
And I want her to open her presents.
I pick her up and love the way her arms twine around my neck as she holds on. She doesn’t cling to me like she’s afraid of me dropping her. That hint of trust has my dick throbbing, but I ignore it.
When I step into the living room and move around the couch, Dove’s mouth drops open, and she lets out a gasp.
“Angelo,” she admonishes me, “this is far too much.”
I nuzzle her neck and murmur, “It’s not nearly enough.”
It’s not difficult to sit down next to the tree and position her in my lap. “Wow,” she breathes out, the twinkling lights on the trees reflecting in her eyes.
One shoulder of her robe slips down her arm, and I let out a soft growl of approval. When Dove looks up at me, I can tell that she wants to be mad. But she’s not.
“Come on, la mia pace. Open your gifts and then we’ll have some breakfast.”
Even though Dove finds it difficult to accept that this is her life, she’s just going to have to catch up. I’m not slowing down.