“Okay, see you soon, Ava.”
I hang up, then bury my face in my hands, groaning even as a smile tugs at my lips. I’ve heard of fight or flight, obviously, but I’ve never felt the urge to flyandfight in the same breath before, until now.
CHAPTER 12
RAFAEL
As I drive to Ava’s apartment, I try to take my advice. Forget about everything else. Focus on tonight, the date, the miracle of being able to take my son and his mother someplace and just… be together.
But it’s difficult. Nico is still in the wind, and though the rest of my men aren’t showing any signs of disloyalty, I’ve still got that niggle in the back of my head. If Nico, my most trusted man, could betray me, what are the others capable of?
I park outside her apartment, taking a moment to compose myself. Tonight isn’t about any of that. The Hungarians and my disloyal man and the whole damn mob can go to hell tonight for all I care.
I leave the car and press her apartment buzzer. “Hey,” she murmurs. “I’ll buzz you up.”
I take the stairs, full of restless energy. Earlier, I thought she was going to cancel the date. I could hear her indecision over the phone. We’re on shaky ground here. I know there’s a real chanceshe and her parents might decide it’s better not to have me in their lives.
And then what? I can’t abandon my son. The idea of giving Ava up makes me sick.
She answers the door wearing a form-hugging dark blue dress, black tights, with subtle makeup on her face that highlights her natural beauty rather than obliterates it. My breath catches as I step forward and sweep her into my arms.
Our kiss is explosive, pure passion. She grabs the front of my shirt and pulls herself closer, up on her tiptoes as my hands glide over her back and press her tighter to me. My dick throbs when she gasps and whimpers, conflicted, like part of her wants to sink deeper into the lust and part of her knows she shouldn’t.
It takes everything I have, but I take a step back.
She tilts her head at me, eyes glimmering. “Look at you, being all mature…”
“It’s not easy,” I groan, voice shaking. “Shall we get going?”
She looks at me, then rolls her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips.
I grin. She reads me easily, knowing I’m struggling to hold myself back without either of us needing to explicitly address it. This is what it was like that night, too. Wordless communication, eye contact that said more than words ever could.
“Sure,” she murmurs. “I assume Theo is still welcome?”
I grab her hip and indulgently squeeze. “Our son is always welcome, angel.”
She makes that breathy noise that thunders through me, biting her lip, before moving away as if she doesn’t trust herself to stay too close.
“I’ll go get him,” she murmurs.
“Let me help you.”
“He’s not that heavy…”
I nudge her playfully, distantly noting that my men and half of my town wouldn’t believe this sight if they saw me now. Rafael Bellini, famous for breaking bones when needed, for walking a so-called moral line but still letting out the beast when events call for it…
Smitten, playful, affectionate.
“I mean his things,” I tell her. “His bottles. His basket.”
“Bassinet,” she murmurs. “But close enough. And yeah, sure, I could use some help.”
The small smile she offers feels like a prize.
“Oh, wow,” she murmurs when I pull up outside the aquarium.
The parking lot is empty apart from two cars, which belong to the staff I’ve hired to cook dinner later. Red roses lead in a carpet-like trail from the parking space to the front door. I climb out and walk around to Ava’s side. She’s already half out of the car when I get there.
