Page 63 of Secret Baby for the Mafia Don

I remember that fiery love making session and my heart leaps a little in my chest at the thought of getting to do that again with him.

As my eyes adjust to the bright lights, I realize that Elio is leaning against the bed, his cheek resting on the mattress.

I can only see the thick, tousled mass of his dark hair because his face is turned away from me. I try to lift my other hand that he isn’t holding so I can stroke his hair.

Mateo has the same thick mop of hair. It’s one of the things that he got from his father.

As I lift my hand, I realize that there is an IV connected to it. I stare at it for a moment or two, confused. Why would I need an IV? That doesn’t make sense. I was just sleeping next to Elio after spending the night with him.

I don’t need an IV. Did I drink so much that I got sick enough to end up in the hospital? That doesn’t make sense to me either. I would never do that.

I ignore the IV and force my arm to move across my body. The movement is very difficult. I feel like I’m barely strong enough to lift the dead weight of my arm.

I have so many questions, but my focus has been reduced to a desire to touch Elio’s thick hair.

I finally manage to place my hand on Elio’s head, but my fingers aren’t cooperating well enough for me to sift them through his hair as I wanted to do. I give up on that part of my goal and simply stroke my hand gently over the top of his head, loving the feeling of his silky hair beneath my fingers.

His hair smells unfamiliar, like hotel shampoo, I think. Another detail that I don’t understand. There’s so much I don’t understand about what is going on, but Elio is here and that means things can’t be too dire.

Elio stirs in his sleep, feeling my touch. He turns his head and I see his handsome face for the first time and my heart leaps in my chest.

He’s too handsome to be real.

I want to say something, but for some reason, I can’t make my tongue form words. I smile at him instead.

“Kate?” he says, his tone full of wonder.

I just smile, still unable to speak for some reason.

The effort to make words come from my lips feels far too complicated to be accomplished. That should worry me, but for some reason, it doesn’t seem like a major concern right now.

“Oh my God, Kate!” Elio cries out. I see the shadows under his dark eyes now, and his cheeks have hollowed out. I wonder why he looks so tired and stressed. What on earth has been going on?

“She’s awake!” he cries out jubilantly.

Awake? I turn that over in my mind. Have I been injured? Is this a hospital? That would explain the IV in my hand and the strange fuzzy, disconnected way I am feeling.

“Oh Kate, welcome back!”

The voice is a woman’s and I look away from Elio to see an older woman who looks a little like Elio standing next to him and smiling down at me.

I realize that it’s his mother. I haven’t seen her in years but she has aged gracefully. I manage to lift my lips a little bit at her in a small smile.

“Mama?”

The sound of Mateo’s voice makes my heart leap in my chest. I turn my head despite the sharp jolt of pain that it causes, trying to see my child.

Elio and his mother move back from my bed slightly and Mateo pushes past them, his little hands trying to grab mine.

I smile at him as he grips my fingers with both hands and tries to clamber into the bed.

“Careful, careful,” Elio chides him gently, grabbing his waist and lifting him onto the bed. “Mama has gotten hurt. We need to be careful that we don’t cause her pain.”

“Okay,” Mateo says, immediately going still. He glances at my face. “Sorry, Mama,” he says regretfully, snuggling into my side with care.

“It’s okay, baby,” I manage to croak out and I’m rewarded by the sight of Elio’s huge grin.

“Mom, can you go grab the doctor?” Elio says, looking over his shoulder at her.

---