Selfish?
Probably, but I love not sharing her with anyone else.
“About our first baby?—”
“Luca isn’t a baby anymore. He’s not even a child,” Nikki says, correcting me.
I roll my eyes at her. “Obviously, kitten, or he wouldn’t be working for me. Speaking of which, I know how to make him more invested in the job.”
She exhales heavily through her nose, her eyes tightening. “Whatever you’re planning, I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I always know what I’m doing,” I say smugly.
She smacks my arm and climbs off the desk, redressing. “Just don’t let him get hurt.”
I grab my pants and get my clothes looking back to normal, reasonably enough.
“Yes, that’s my plan, hurt my son,” I mock, and she grabs my arm, her little hand pinching the hell out of my muscle. I pretend it doesn’t hurt, but fuck, she’s got a strong grip on me.
“I will end you if you so much as hurt a hair on his head.”
Nikki’s always been tough, probably because Gino raised her himself.
“Relax, kitten. Luca isn’t a baby anymore. You said it yourself. He can handle the job.”
She sighs heavily and releases her grip on my arm. “Don’t go screwing this up with him.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” My words are a complete truth. There’s no reason to lie to my wife.
I have no intention of harming Luca; I want him invested in my business. I want him begging to take over the mafia when I’m too old or dead to carry out orders myself.
I just need him to want it, and right now, I know it’s the farthest thought on his mind.
Eleven
Nova
Stretching out on the sofa, I shove my legs over Ashton, and his fingers immediately rub my thighs.
I swear we’re trying to watch a movie, but I haven’t spent two seconds on the actual plot. Plot, what plot?
Ashton always manages to steal every second of my attention.
“Can you pass me the pillow?” I gesture at the opposite end of the couch to the decorative pillow propped on the side.
Ashton grabs it and teases me with it. “This pillow?”
“Yes.” I hold out my hand, waiting for him to give it to me, but instead, he whacks me with it.
“Pillow fight!” Ashton beams proudly at his assault on me with a pillow.
There’s one pillow at my back, but it’s not quite enough to make me comfortable. I reach for it and get on my knees, trying to gain an advantage as I swat at him with the pillow.
Ashton shifts out of the way, and I leap at him, throwing my body on him with the pillow.
He manages to smack the pillow out of my hands, and it falls behind us onto the floor.
“You jerk!”
