Page 33 of Nico (Belles & Mobsters 2)

“You said firstly. What is second?” I asked.

He actually smiled, his perfect teeth flashing at me. I had no doubt, this man could make women lose their minds. I was sure he had women after him. He was power, sex, and money all packaged into a strong, hard, and big body.

“Paying attention to details, I see,” he commented with a smile. “I like that.” I felt my skin warm up. Yes, I have turned idiotic. “Second, I want you to stop your birth control,” he growled, and I winced at his demand. “You always wanted a big family.” Shit, how did he know that? “There is nothing stopping us from having one. You are a beautiful, young woman and I cannot wait to take you to bed. I intend to fuck you every day, often and see your belly swell with my child. I want you pregnant.” My mouth parted in shock, every thought fleeing me except visions of me tangled up between sheets with this man. As if he was unaware of the impact his words made, he continued, “I want you underneath me, on top of me, anywhere and everywhere. I want to hear you scream my name as I fuck you hard and senseless.”

This time my mouth fell wide open, igniting a burning inferno through every fiber of me with his words. Nobody had ever talked to me like this before. Something was seriously wrong with me to find his words so hot. Words that turned me on beyond anything I had ever felt, but I would never dare admit that to him. Or anyone else. My heart beat wildly, and I put my cool hand on my chest as if to calm it. His eyes followed the movement, and I had a distinct feeling he knew the impact he had on me.

“I...I-” What could I say to those words? There was something about this man that aroused me. Desire flamed in my body, unlike anything I had ever felt before. It scared me that just hearing his words had such a strong impact on me. That I wanted him to fuck me.

It frightened me that I was making a mistake and desperation was driving my decisions.

“I thought you agreed earlier… ummm… heirs can wait.” I had to pick and choose my battles here. My instinct was telling me he wouldn’t budge on sex. Fine, he wanted sex; he’d get it. But he wouldn’t get any babies from me. Hell to the no. “That’s a deal breaker for me.”

Like I even had anything to bargain with. Apparently I do; my uterus was my bargaining chip. Talk about fucked up, medieval times. And my girlfriends objected to my love of being in the kitchen as a violation of feminism. I wondered what in the bloody hell this would be!

I could practically hear him moving chess pieces across the board, seeing the whole picture while I played blind and with my hands tied behind my back. Bullshit! I hated this feeling of vulnerability.

“Okay, two years and we can revisit the topic of heirs.” He caved in too easily. He didn’t strike me as a man that gives up.

“So, after two years of marriage, we just go our own separate ways?” I asked again, needing clarification. I lost the sex argument, but I won the more important battle. Delayed start on an heir with this man so there would be nothing tying us together. Except memories, but I can shove those somewhere deep and dark.

“If that’s the safest option.”

I frowned at his odd reply.

Nico’s motives had red flags blasting in my head. This type of marriage arrangement went against every principal in the mafia. I knew the marriages in their circles were for life. You were in it for life. But then why was Nico making a marriage contract?

“I always thought marriages in the mafia were for life,” I said hesitantly, watching for any betrayal on his face. Any sign that would tell me he was lying.

“For most it is,” he replied, our eyes locked. Was my face betraying me? His expression told me nothing. “I don’t operate like most people.”

I couldn’t decide whether that was comforting or not.

“Ok,” I answered in a soft voice. “I appreciate your honesty.”

Assuming he was honest. Only time would tell. But I wouldn’t trust this man blindly. That could get me killed. I had to take charge of my life and protect my girls at all costs. The way my mother protected me. But unlike her, I wasn’t willing to let my girls grow up without a mother. They needed me, and I needed them.

“I will give you honesty whenever I can, Bianca. Always.”

With a sigh, I nodded. The clause on honesty didn’t escape me, but it wasn't as if I had many options here. Nico Morrelli promised to protect my girls and me from other mobsters. It was counterintuitive to seek protection with one mobster, from another mobster, but my options were limited. So for now, I’d make it work.

While my brain kept warning me about this dangerous man, my sixth sense told me he was sincere in his vow of protection. It was confusing and scary as hell because I was getting wrapped up in the world I had tried to avoid. It was the world my mother and grandmother worked hard to protect me from.

Staring at Nico’s mesmerizing eyes, I wished I could see into his soul to gain the assurance that he would never hurt my girls.

He stood up and came around the table to me.

“We’ll be good together,” he murmured, pulling me up onto my feet. Like an idiot, my body followed without hesitation and relished in the feeling of his hard body pressed against mine. Arousal burned like an inferno within me, threatening to turn me into ashes. I wanted more of his heat.

What is he doing to me?

I hadn’t been intimate with a man since William got sick. Actually, even for months prior to it. The path I took since he died led to loneliness.

Maybe I could enjoy this arrangement with my body while I schemed my own plan. Was it so bad to take advantage of what Nico Morrelli had to offer and enjoy it while it lasted? As long as I kept it physical and not become emotionally entangled with him, it could work. I just had to hope I could survive him.

I couldn’t give myself to Nico so carelessly. I knew from what my grandmother and mother told me… men in the mafia do not remain faithful. What they want, they take. Eventually, regardless of what Nico said, he would see something or someone else he desired and he’d take it. Just as he was taking me now. So I’d put limitations on this… marriage. God, I could barely think of it as marriage.

Eventually, I’d leave him. Whether I wanted to or not, I would have to run in order to protect the girls.

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