Page 8 of Worth Risking It

Ending the kiss, he placed a tiny one between my eyes and patted my ass. “You need any help cooking?”

I shook my head, casting Wyatt an impish glance. He was knocking his cigarettes on the back of his hand, bouncing one out the pack. Ever since my birthday, he’d been going through almost three packs a day.

“All right. I’m going to watch tv then. If you need me, let me know, baby girl.”

“Mm hm.”

He traipsed around the island to the living room and groaned as he plopped down. Wyatt lit his cigarette and glared at me for a moment before swiping the ashtray and joining him.

Exhaling the pent up breath, I took a moment to lean on the counter. Until now, I had not realized how terrified I had been all afternoon about the prospect of Milo going into a fit of rage and killing me.

I stood upright and diced the carrots. Pursing my lips and tipping my head to my shoulder, my brain started ticking. I got away with purchasing a three million dollar house. What else could I get away with?

Clucking my tongue on the back of my teeth, I began scheming. If Milo wanted to play his games with his whores, I would play a few of my own. Perhaps it was time I got myself a new car… to go with our new home.

Chapter 4

Milo Pampinella

“This should sell in no time, Mr. Pampinella. You’ve decorated it beautifully and it’s in pristine condition. Will you be keeping the furniture?”

“Uh, no. My fiancée bought us a house about forty-five minutes from here. I’m sure she’s going to want to decorate it with brand new shit.”

An awkward giggle came out of her lazy smile, her eyes not showing any humor. Like I cared. I just wanted the place sold as soon as possible to help pay for Chastity’s impulsive buy. Jesus, a fucking house. An entire, huge, house. What the hell was I going to do without a doorman or twenty-four hour maintenance or delis or grocery stores just downstairs? I was moving out of the private city within a city to the suburbs where the world seemed to shut down and close at night.

Groaning, I spun around on one foot, the other leg swinging out to the side while I pinched the bridge of my nose. Going to the kitchen, I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, ripped off the cap, and chugged it, wishing it were booze.

Everything was moving so goddamn fast. From a couple dozen mistresses to a fiancé and three. From the hustle and bustle of a never sleeping city, to the rustling leaves of a tree line street in a neighborhood. Soon, I would be married, getting rid of the last few mistresses I have, planning children.

Children! Me, a father.

A thought occurred to me, drawing my attention to Wyatt standing in front of the French doors to the patio. His hands were in his pockets, his head tipped back, his brooding stare aimed down his nose.

“I just thought of something.”

“What’s that?” he grumbled without moving a muscle.

“You have to get yourself a woman.”

His eyes bulged, his attention snapping toward me. “What?” he shouted, startling the realtor sitting at the table, jotting down notes.

Motioning with my chin, we stepped onto the balcony where he immediately lit a cigarette. Shutting the door to get privacy, I crossed my arms and leaned into the corner of the railing.

“You have to get a woman.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” he growled, dropping to one of the chairs at the small bistro styled table. “Like I have time for that shit. Not sure if you’ve noticed, or not, but Chazzy doesn’t exactly stay still. The only reason I have time to be here today is because she’s in bed with food poisoning.”

I scowled, angry that someone had given my woman bad food. If I knew exactly who it was, I’d make them pay, pain for pain, for her misery. Unfortunately, she had been to breakfast yesterday, lunch, coffee with a potential client, and then grabbed a cupcake on the way home. I couldn’t very well go around and beat up everyone at four different establishments. Not without drawing attention to myself, anyway.

Readjusting my scarf when a burst of wind swept through the alley, I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jacket and brought my focus back to the main subject.

“I’m not saying you have to marry her or even keep her, but you need to knock someone up.”

He turned gray, his eyes bulging a second time. The cigarette partway to his mouth, he turned his head a little bit at a time to stare with absolute terror. “Excuse the fuck out of me?”

Rolling a shoulder, I bounced on my feet to circulate the blood, trying to warm my legs. “I’m just saying. Me and Chazzy are going to be having a baby soon. You gotta give my kid a protector.”

I’m not sure what the hell I said, but he appeared gutted. I don’t think I’d ever seen him so devastated.