Page 110 of Secret Baby for the Mafia Don
Right now, I let myself have this moment of peace, of connection, of something close to happiness.
"Marco," she whispers against my lips. There’s an emotion to it. Hope. Maybe something more.
I silence her with another kiss, deeper this time.
More desperate.
Because this, our bodies moving together, is all I can give her.
It doesn’t matter that I want more.
This is all I can dare allow myself.
20
GABRIELLA
I was eager to have Agent Blackwood call again, but now that he has and I’ve arranged to meet him, I’m nervous.
I don’t feel in danger, but I’m concerned I won’t pull this off.
That he’ll see through the ruse.
"You don't have to do this." Marco's voice comes from the doorway. He's been hovering all morning.
I turn away from the mirror I’ve been checking my outfit in to face him. “We've been over this. I'm our best shot at figuring out what Blackwood knows and planting information to discover who is working against La Corona.”
Marco crosses his arms. "La Corona isn't the one walking into a meeting with a federal agent."
"Scared for me, Don Calabresi?" I tease, trying to lighten the mood.
"This isn't a joke, Gabriella."
I cross the room to him, placing my hands on his chest. "I know exactly what I'm doing. Remember, I'm not some civilian. I grew up in this world. I know how to handle myself."
"That's what worries me. You're too confident." His hand covers mine.
"Says the man who runs an entire criminal empire."
"That's different."
"Because you're a man?" I challenge.
He sighs. "Because I don't care what happens to me."
He cares what happens to me.
It's the closest he's come to admitting his feelings.
But it doesn’t change the fact that this situation between us will end.
"Well, I care what happens to both of us," I say. "So I'll be careful. For both our sakes."
I gather my purse and notes.
I've chosen a café for my meeting with Blackwood.
It’s busy enough to blend in but quiet enough for conversation.
