Page 18 of Surprise Baby for the Don

She surprises me by smiling back, a wicked glint in her eye. “I did see a brownie sundae on the menu with gold leaf on top,” she answers, smirking.

“Now you’re thinking big.” I laugh. “Make sure you ask for the Tahitian vanilla ice cream on top. It’s very expensive.”

She blushes and takes another sip of her water.

“You really don’t have to keep plying me with lavish gifts,” she says, her tone becoming more serious. “The clothes, the salon, it was too much. I’m serious. It felt like I couldn’t breathe with the amount of people working on me. I don’t deserve any of this.”

I lean back, watching her. Her cheeks are still pink, and she’s back to looking down at the table, as if she’s afraid of my reaction. Suddenly, a protective urge washes over me, and I don’t want her to be afraid of me.

“Ginny,” I say quietly, forcing her to look up at me. “It is my genuine pleasure to do it, okay? If you don’t mind me saying so, I get the impression you haven’t been lavished as much as you deserve.”

Her blush deepens, and she nods curtly. “Okay. But let me prove to you that I’ve earned it with my work at least.” She adds, with the slightest hint of a smirk.

I match her expression. If I read into it too much I might have thought it was a slight attempt to flirt. I wave the waiter over instead and she orders the gold leaf sundae with not one, but two scoops of the Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream.

11

Ginny

As kind as Mateo’s been through lunch, I still can’t shake the image from my mind of him standing over that man, fists clenched. It was both terrifying and a little mesmerizing. It’s not like I didn’t know who he was, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that I didn’t have much choice but to agree to my father’s deal. Even so, he’s put me at ease, made this all seem like it’s my choice. What’s a mob boss good for if he isn’t able to sweet talk his people?

But he’s dangerous and violent. He gets his way no matter the cost, and even the scariest men I’ve ever seen are afraid of him.

Ishould be afraid of him, not intrigued. But no matter how much I try to reason with myself, I can’t help but feel a small thrill, a pulse of excitement I can’t ignore. He makes me feel things I’ve never imagined before in my sad, sometimes black and white life. There’s a nervous flutter in my stomach, a heat between my legs that no other man has ever made me feel.

When he commanded me back into the restaurant, to sit down and have a nice lunch with him, it did something to me that Ican’t put into words.

It’s ridiculous. I should be running in the opposite direction, but instead, here I am, sitting across from him, sharing dessert like we’re on a proper date, just two normal people who don’t have a dangerous truth sitting between them.

He watches me, his gaze steady and almost amused, and I can feel myself relaxing despite everything, despite my mind’s protests. There’s something about the way he smiles that draws me in, makes me feel like I’m the only person in the room. It’s magnetic, intoxicating, and before I realize it, I’m smiling back at him, slipping into easy conversation. Flirting, even.

We linger over dessert, my initial anger and fear softening with each laugh, each look we exchange. He has a sharp wit, a dry humor, and somehow, the more I talk to him, the more I want to. I want to spend as much time with him as possible, putting together his puzzle pieces and solving his riddles.

My heart races at the thought, but not from fear. I can’t help but remember my dream, and the longer I sit here with him, the more realistic it feels. It’s not so much that he’s giving me any indication that he feels that way about me, but my desire for him keeps growing. When he smiles at me, it turns my insides to mush.

Too soon, we’re wrapping up our lunch and he’s passing the waiter the same black credit card I saw Red give the woman at the boutique. As reluctant as I was to sit down with him, I’m suddenly dreading leaving this place.

Thankfully, when we walk out of the restaurant together, the black car I’ve been riding in all day is nowhere to be seen. He places his hand near the small of my back, not touching meexactly, but hovering close enough that I can feel its warmth. We walk a short distance down the block to where he’s parked his expensive car. He goes to the passenger side, opening my door in an unexpectedly chivalrous gesture.

We chat more as he pulls onto the street, but he doesn’t take me back to his house. Instead, he brings me to another building, a short drive away, sleek and imposing.

He drives into an empty garage, swiping a card that lets us through an automated barrier.

We get out and he shows me into a completely abandoned office space. The whole place has that musty scent of a building that hasn’t been used in a while, and as we walk through the halls, the echo of our footsteps fills the silence, automatic lights firing up with each step we take.

“So, what do you think?” he asks, breaking the quiet as we finish our unofficial tour of the first floor.

I look around, trying to imagine what this place could be. It’s wide open, high ceilings with exposed beams, and dusty windows that let in streaks of afternoon light.

“It has good bones,” I say thoughtfully. “What are you planning to use the space for?”

“I want to hear your thoughts first,” he replies, his voice low and relaxed. “Don’t worry about specifics yet. Just tell me what you see.”

I nod, letting my eyes drift around the space, my mind buzzing with possibilities. I think about the lighting, the layout, how the flow could be improved.

“I’d need some time to plan it out,” I admit, feeling genuine excitement over the blank slate this project provides. “But it’s a gorgeous space. The possibilities are endless. It has a lot of potential. Could be strictly office, could be mixed use. I’ll have to think about it.”

He nods, clearly satisfied with my answer. “Take as long as you need,” he tells me, a satisfied smile on his face. “Unfortunately, I have some business I need to attend to, but the twins are waiting outside for you. They’ll take you home when you’re done.”

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