Page 13 of Surprise Baby for the Don

“Marta,” she responds, grabbing my hand firmly and shaking it curtly. “I’m the house manager. Nothing goes on in this house without my knowledge. Nothing.”

She stares at me like she can see through me, read my thoughts. If only I could control the blush creeping up my face. She probably thinks I’ll steal something or track dirt into the pristine household she manages. If she knew what I was really thinking about, she’d probably give me a lecture about professionalism.

8

Mateo

Iset my phone down on the desk and sigh heavily, the weight of the conversation pressing down on me. There’s already a headache building behind my eyes, threatening to become a migraine if I don’t take something. I rifle through my desk to find the aspirin bottle I keep for occasions such as this, swallowing it dry. These moments have been coming much more frequently lately. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another. The price of this job just might be my sanity.

My scout, Raph, called to tell me that he saw the Savinis loitering near one of my properties acting shifty. They’re up to something, that much is certain, but Raph’s intel was vague. He couldn’t tell what they were doing or even if they were doing anything I needed to be concerned about. Of course, just their presence is enough of a concern. They know the boundaries of this city, know that hanging out around any one of my properties is as good as sending me a big “fuck you.” They’re trying to get my attention,

My eyes drift to the clock on the wall. It’s early still, but Ginny should be here by now. I sent Red and Bats for her and trustthat Marta has gotten her properly settled in. I gave Marta clear instructions to show her around the entire property and get her settled comfortably in her room.

A chill runs through me as I consider that this bright, intriguing girl is going to be in my home, just a short distance from my own room. She’ll be around all the time, working, eating, sleeping, showering. I close my eyes and groan, considering taking another aspirin. The headache I have now is for a much different reason. I’m mentally battling myself, trying to force disinterest in Ginny at all costs.

Nothing can happen with her, I know that. If I sleep with her, it makes me sleazy, the kind of man who accepts sexual favors for debts even if it isn’t my intention. I’ve always prided myself on my integrity in this business, which is a hard thing to have in this line of work. I do what I need to do to get my money, sure. Sometimes I have to physically escalate things to keep the peace. But I don’t hurt innocent people. I don’t prostitute women like some of my contemporaries. Even agreeing to have Ginny here has felt wrong.

I must keep my hands to myself, and I must keep my thoughts away from her as much as I possibly can.

The knock at the door pulls me out of my thoughts, and I look up just as the woman herself steps into my office. She looks slightly overwhelmed, her eyes wide and chest heaving. I can’t help the slight smile that tugs at the corner of my mouth.

“Good morning,” I say, letting my gaze sweep over her. She’s dressed professionally in a blouse and dark skirt. Her legs go on for miles, and I have to force myself to look away from them.

Her hair falls in gentle waves down her back, and I notice she isn’t wearing a stitch of makeup. She didn’t wear much last time she was here either, but this morning she looks especially fresh-faced and young. Like a lamb being sacrificed to the slaughter.

And if she’s a lamb, that makes me a wolf, a predator. She’s so beautiful, I have to grab the underside of the desk to keep my hands to myself. Otherwise, I might be tempted to stand up, to invade her space, to tuck a strand of her long hair behind her ear so I can see her face better.

“Good morning, Mr. Rossi.” She smiles brightly, rubbing her hands over her skirt in a nervous manner.

“I told you to call me Mateo,” I remind her with a smirk.

“Right,” she replies with a blush. “Thank you, Mateo, for the escort, but it really wasn’t necessary. And they woke me up a bit too early, so unfortunately, I didn’t have much time to make myself presentable.”

I wave off her complaint, leaning back in my chair as I take her in.

“Nonsense,” I protest. “You look beautiful.” I cough, trying to cover up my mistake. “That is to say, you look very professional and ready to work.”

“That’s very kind of you,” she blushes. “I wanted to make a better impression on my first day, that’s all.”

“I want you to be comfortable here and to have minimal distractions.”

“Right,” she says, glancing around the room as if she’s embarrassed to meet my gaze. “Well, I appreciate everything you’ve done so far. It’s too much, but I appreciate it.”

Her manners are nearly perfect, and I can’t help but wonder if she’s not trying to make up for her bluntness yesterday. Or perhaps she’s too nervous to show that side of her personality again. I crave it, want to push her buttons until she shows me that side of herself again. For now, though, a tour is in order.

“Has Marta showed you to your room yet?”

She shakes her head. “She showed me around the house, but I wanted to stop in and say good morning before we got to that.”

“Well then, let me do the honors,” I motion for her to follow me as we leave the office and head toward the residential wing of the house.

She’s much shorter than me, and I notice out of the corner of my eye that she’s nearly jogging to match my pace. Her breasts bounce with the effort under her silk blouse, driving me wild, and I force myself to slow a little, to stop staring and to behave myself.

“All of these rooms are available,” I tell her when we reach the guest wing. “You’re welcome to choose any one of them you prefer.” I stop in front of one of the doors. “This room is a particular favorite of guests, though.”

I open the door and we step inside. To me, the room is nothing special, just some furniture and a few decorative accents to make it feel homey. What guests love about this space, though, is the balcony that looks over the luscious garden.

She seems to be no exception as she stares in awe at the view when I lead her out to the balcony.

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