Page 6 of Arranged Pleasures

“I think we are more worried about what he will do to us, ma’am,” James says.

“Once again, I will handle that. You two have fucked up many times and broke rules, and yet you two are still breathing. You can thank me for that.” I stand and set the book down on my desk and take a seat. “Now, please tell me what happens in those rooms.” Me and my detail have built rapport, but every once in a while I have to draw a line in the sand and remind them that they are in fact, here to protect me and answer to me. It’s rare I exert my power, but I need to figure out why I’m so torn up about these damn rooms.

“Well, it’s all sexual in nature, ma’am.” I stop them there.

“Before we continue, I have told you many times over the years to stop calling me ma’am. Please refer to me as Emelia when we are conversing.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. Lack of sleep and missing Nico are all feeding into my irritability.

“Emelia, the first room is for members to watch. They can watch our employees dance or pleasure themselves.” He not only looks uncomfortable telling me this, but his voice cracks at the end.

“Unclench your jaws and let go of the pearls, I am a grown woman.”

“Sorry. There is no touching or connection allowed in that room. Room two is for all acts but sex. It’s used for foreplay only. This is more for the clients and employees who have a deeper connection. And the last room is where sex can take place. There is a sense of relationship. Non-existent, of course, but the idea and feeling builds.” He coughs on the last one, his face filled with relief.

“And Nico, did he use the rooms? Often?” I know I should just ask Nico this, in fact I will allow them to pass on this one ifthey won’t answer, but I just need to know and if they offer it up then I will take it.

“We do not know. We never went to the club until after we became your detail. He doesn’t let his men use it until they have shown loyalty after a certain number of years,” James tells.

“Oh, okay. Well, thank you for the sex talk, boys. You can go back out to the hall and wait for the boogeyman to come in and grab me,” I tease them, trying to leave them with some lightness. I am sure they will be nervous until Nico comes home, but I don’t intend to ever tell Nico that I talked about this with them. In fact, I know what I want to do.

Dinner is painful.I put on my best face, acting as unbothered as I can be. My sons all look at Nico with admiration and wonderment. They missed their father as much as I missed him. One thing I always hoped to have was a husband who would love his children. Exactly the opposite of my parents. My mother and father, as well as my two brothers, were awful to me. They beat me, tormented me, teased me, and abused every part of my soul that a human could. I’ll never have to face them again after Nico killed my father and brothers the night my own blood tried to kill me. My mother took her life knowing the awful things she did, she wouldn’t be able to outrun once the matriarch of the New York Mafia, my father, was dead.

I hurt for some time, somewhere deep down, after they all died. I hated them, loathed them more, but still, they were my family and now having my own, I always wondered what it would be like if I had a family like the one Nico and I so lovingly built together. But as time went on, that emptiness left and peacefollowed. My children will never have to meet those evil humans and it’s one less threat to my family.

Like always, Nico requested we be the only guest tonight. He protects this business, so they are on his demand. This allows Nico to let down his guard and be a father and not Capo. I watch them laugh and I swear my heart ceases in my chest. How did I get so lucky to have this all? A relationship rooted in hate, blossomed to loving lifelines.

“Emelia,amore mia? Did you hear your son?” Nico runs his hand possessively over the back of my neck where he has had it off and on again the entire dinner.

“Sorry, sweetie, Mamma is very tired. I didn’t mean to zone out. What did you say?” I lean forward, placing my chin atop the lower part of my palm and watch Matteo smile with two missing teeth, his left middle one on the top and one on the bottom right.

“Papa said we can go with him next time to Chicago or New York!” He claps his hand, his brothers bouncing giddily in their seats.

“That would be so fun, but then I would be without my four boys, what would Mamma do?” I pose, and Nico grips my neck harder, growling low, but the boys are too hyped to hear their father’s disdain at my response.

“You would come with silly,” Luca says, smiling ear to ear.

“I would get invited on the men’s trip, I am honored,” I tease. “Finish up so we can have dessert, you boys have to get home and ready for bed.” I push my plate forward a bit so the waitress can grab the half-eaten plate of Bruciuluni. I don’t dare glance up at Nico because he is already seeing right through me.

I am Distant. Not able to engage. I assume he will say something first, but he doesn’t. Thank God. He continues focusing on our children and I keep working out all the plans I have in my head for this next week. How the hell am I going toget him in those rooms, more so how am I going to get in the rooms first to draw him in?

“Dormi bene, ragazzi miei.”Nico and I stand in the doorway of the boys’ large, shared room. We plan to get a bigger place as they get older but for now the second master is big enough for the three of them.

“Good night, my loves,” I add.

“Buona notte, Mamma and Papa,” they say in unison. Nico has been adamant that they learn Italian and usually Mrs. Nelly would do all the educating, but Nico has been doing this himself in between work. Closing the door, I take the lead and head straight to our room and into the master bathroom. Turning on the light, the exhaustion from lack of sleep has finally kicked me in the ass. I move my hair from my face with my claw clip and start removing my makeup. I’m still wearing the casual outfit I chose for dinner. The restaurant we frequent calls for a casual look. I wear dark straight-leg jeans that hug my curves perfectly and an empire waist green peplum top with a deep V-neck, showing off my generous cleavage. Nico doesn’t join me, but I hear him removing his watch and shoes in our room.

Looking in the mirror, each bit of makeup slowly wipes away and my freckles show through again. I wash my face next and do my skincare before stepping out into the bedroom to head to the closet for my sleepwear. Nico sits on the black velvet upholstered bench placed at the foot of our bed. He is still in some of his suit, but much more dressed down. He lost his shoes, watch, tie, and suit jacket. The top four buttons of his shirt are undone, and his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows. Nico’s eyes are on the ground, and he spins his wedding ring around his finger. I gulp, veryaware that there is something on his mind and the unknown is intimidating. I try to move about the room and continue my routine as best I can, but my stomach is in absolute knots.

Once in the closet, I pick out an all-silk thigh-length black teddy dress and change into it. I drop my hair from my claw clip and enter the bedroom again. Nico has not moved even an inch. Tension in the air grows thicker and thicker with each passing second. I sit on my side of the bed and pull out my honeysuckle lotion from my nightstand and start placing it on.

“Emelia.” Nico’s voice is eerily low. My spine tingles and it’s not in a good way.

“My love.” I am anything but calm and my response is riddled with fear.

“You didn’t go to visit the other wives today.” He stands and I straighten. Nico doesn’t look at me as he places his hands in his pocket and saunters slowly to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

“I know, I stayed home and read instead. I was too exhausted to expel energy on those women.” That was quick. Good job, Emelia, keep it going.

“Is that right?” He watches the town he runs and suddenly, I think I’m not as good at thinking on my toes as I wanted.

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