Page 21 of Secret Mafia Daddy

“And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. But I promise you that I did try to find you,” I say, and that much is true, although he’s right, I should have tried harder. I was just afraid of what he’d say, of how he’d reject me and our baby. I was wrong about him, it turns out.

“I know I could have left my number,” he says, admitting some responsibility. “I just...well, I’m not that kind of guy.”

“Of course you’re not,” I mutter.

Angelo looks at me for a moment longer. “Don’t get it twisted, kitten. Just because I won’t kill you doesn’t mean I will tolerate disrespect from you.”

“Noted,” I mumble, and look out the window. Neither of us says anything more and Chelsea sleeps through the flight.

When we arrive in Chicago, we head to his apartment, which is another penthouse and has two bedrooms.

“Chelsea and I can take the other bedroom,” I comment.

“No,” he says firmly. “She needs her own room.”

I look around at the uncomfortable couch and start to walk toward it to unpack my things.

Angelo takes my wrist.

“You’ll be sleeping with me,” he says in a commanding tone.

9

ANGELO

I don’t exactly hate Catarina anymore; I’ve moved past that. I’m still angry with her, and I still think she’s a stick in the mud, but I still want her, and watching her with my little girl melts my heart every time.

Seeing her in the shower earlier made my dick stand at attention, and I want her to get used to being in my bed. Even if I plan on keeping my promise and not touch her until she asks me to, I’ll do my best to have her begging for my touch sooner rather than later.

Plus, Chelsea does need her own room. She’s only three now, but she’ll grow, and even if we move somewhere more family friendly later on, I need to get the money first, so my apartment will have to be good enough for now.

“I’m not sleeping with you,” Catarina says through gritted teeth.

“Yes, you are,” I say. “I won’t touch you. I promised that, didn’t I?”

“And I’m supposed to believe you’re a man of your word?”

I drop her wrist, taking Chelsea to her bedroom and lying her down on the bed. She cuddles up under the covers and I smile, ignoring Catarina.

“This conversation isn’t over,” Catarina hisses when I walk back into the room.

I sigh. “Listen, kitten, if you want to sleep on that leather couch, have at it. But we’re going to be doing this for quite some time, and I think you’ll be a lot more comfortable on the bed. Plus, it gives Chelsea some sort of normalcy, seeing her parents together.”

Catarina looks at me, catching her full bottom lip between her teeth. God, I want to kiss her, bite her lip bloody, throw her on the bed. It’s like my anger and lust have combined, somehow, and I want her even more than I did before I knew about Chelsea.

Maybe part of it is also that she’s had my child, that she’s mine in a way that I’ve never experienced with any other woman.

Catarina finally acquiesces, climbing into bed and piling pillows up between us.

I snort. “I can control myself, you know?”

“Likely story,” she mutters, pulling up the fluffy duvet and rolling over to face the wall.

I roll my eyes and start to undress. Catarina is sleeping in her clothes like some kind of maniac, but I don’t do that. I’ll leave my boxers on because of Chelsea, but there’s no way I’m sleeping in my slacks and button-up shirt.

Catarina is pretending to be asleep when I finish undressing, putting my Rolex on the night stand and sliding into bed with her. My foot touches hers and she wrenches it away.

Dramatic, I think.

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