Page 29 of The Don's Hidden Heir

“You have until tomorrow morning to tell my son about me,” he says, breaking the silence.

“Or what?” I rasp as the blood flowing through my veins whooshes in my ears.

He leans forward, bringing his face only an inch away from mine. My chest swells as my gaze lands on his mouth, his very sexy lips. My tongue darts out and swipes over my own lips.

When he moves closer again, it’s instinctive for me to swivel my chair away, but he places a hand on the armrest and pulls me closer before I can dare to move away. “I’m not sure you want to know what happens if you don’t.”

He’s damn serious, and I know I should obey him, but I have the sudden urge do the opposite of whatever he says. “I don’t,” I hear myself mutter.“As you know, I don’t take threats very well.”

A flicker of a smile flashes through his face. “Will you take it seriously when I flip you over this desk and spank you until your skin burns and turns red?”

My breath hitches and a blush scorches my cheeks.Jesus.“You shouldn’t say things like that to me, Dominic. We’re no longer…”

“Lovers?” he helps me to complete. “We don’t need to be, Elena. I own you.”

Anger simmers in my guts. “You don’t own me, Dominic. You didn’t seven years ago, and you never will. I hate you.”

He smiles at me, his frosty eyes dark with mischief. “How much do you hate me?”

“Very much.” I breathed.

“Not as much as I do.” He glides his hand between my legs and it burns all the way to the top of my thighs and starts a heartbeat there. “I hate you for leaving seven years ago,” he whispers into my ears, his warm breath awakening every cell in me. “I hate you even more for keeping my son away from me.”[JV4]

This is too much.

His touch is too hot and if I let it go on any longer, I’m afraid it will consume me. I place my hands on his chest, feeling the rock-hard muscles underneath as I try to push him away, but he is too heavy and too strong. “Don’t do this, Dominic,” I plead. “Let’s talk about Lucas instead.”

“What’s there to talk about?”

“It won’t be easy for him when I tell him you’re his father.”I can’t believe I’m saying this.“We need to find a way to navigate co-parenting. For Lucas’s sake.”

He pulls away from me and his eyes soften at the mention of Lucas. His expression is more serious now. “What do you want?”

“I want you to be a part of his life.” He gives me athat’s a givenlook. “But I have two conditions. He must never be exposed to the mafia, and you must keep him safe.”

“You can rest assured I have no intention of putting him in any situation that would hurt him,” he says, his voice gruff. “I promise to keep our son safe,mio caro.”

My stomach flips.Mio caro.It’s been so long since he called me that. “I know you will.” Dominic lives by his word. At first, I didn’t understand it, but it made sense after I found out he was the head of the mafia. My knowledge of the mafia is very limited, but one thing I know for sure is that they never go back on their word.

He stands up, tucks his hands in his pocket and starts to leave. When he reaches the door, he swirls around to face me. “Tell our son I’ll introduce myself formally tomorrow.”

***

“Can the handsome man at school today be my Dad?” Lucas asks. He jumped into my bed and snuggled up beside me. “He was really handsome, and I think he is cool, too.”

I twist my head to look at my son. “What man?”

“I don’t know his name, but he said he’s your friend.” He grins. “He was really tall and his eyes were the same color as mine.”

My jaw drops open. “Dominic?” I sit up and push my MacBook to the side. “You met him already?”

I’d been too shocked when Dominic came to my office and demanded answers from me that I didn’t think to ask him how he came to know about Lucas and if they’d met already. “What did he say to you?”

He thinks for a moment before he shrugs. “He said you’re friends,” he repeats, then he goes silent.

My stomach flips. “And?”

Lucas purses his lips. “He didn’t say anything else, Mom. Is there something he was supposed to say.”

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