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I stand back, my hands in my pockets, watching her and Cindy chat, their eyes wide, their excitement palpable. I side-eye the soldier who is standing firm.
“What the hell?” I hear Emilia screech. It took less than ten seconds. “Nico!” she groans, whipping around to look at me. I frustrate her even more by remaining casual in my stance.
“I don’t need a bodyguard!” She’s now facing me, her hands on her hips, and I feel relief because she is at least now back to normal.
“Yes, you do.”
“I do not!” she retorts.
“Yes. You. Do,” I say with more grit, aware Cindy is watching this whole interaction.
“Urghh.” She spins on her heel and stomps past Romero, our young soldier, and into her office.
Cindy looks at me, wide-eyed.
“Is she only this frustrating to me?” I ask Cindy, whose face softens into a smile, and then she nods.
“Good to know,” I reply before I strut into Emilia’s office after her, closing the door behind me.
“Nico, I do not need a man standing right outside my office door,” she huffs, trying to remain calm when I know all she wants to do is explode.
“Need I remind you that you work for the mob now. You need protection, and I can’t be with you all of the time.”
“I seriously don’t need a babysitter. It’s ridiculous.” Oh well. I am not budging.
I walk toward her, pushing her body with mine until she backs up to her desk. Looking down at her, she is breathing heavily, her perfect breasts lifting up and down, begging to be in my mouth. She still doesn’t seem to understand, and I am about to make it very fucking clear to her. I watch her swallow before I put my hand up and cup her around the back of the neck, forcing her eyes on me.
“Bambolina, you need to start doing what you are told,” I grit out.
“Or what?” she replies, and my nostrils flare. She is really pushing my buttons today.
“Do you need something to calm you down?” I ask as my other hand begins to trail up her thigh.
“I don’t need looking after. You won’t be my boss for much longer anyway.” Her words are firm, but I feel her body start to cave for me.
“You are mine, bambolina, and whether you like it or not, I am going to have a soldier on you to protect you when I am not with you.” I lean over and brush my lips across hers.
“You’re serious?” she asks, seemingly shocked that I want to look after her.
“Yes. I thought I made that very clear to you already.” If she has doubts, I am happy to erase them. She looks at me for a beat, like she is trying to understand the declaration I’ve already made.
“Nico, if you don’t mean the words, please don’t say them.” Now it is my turn to be surprised.
“I mean every damn word I say to you. And I know you know that. No other man has looked after you or cared for you, but when I tell you that you are mine, I fucking mean it. Now get to work, and sort out what’s in that head of yours, so I can have you in my bed tonight.” I press a kiss to her head, then her lips.
“You are a pain in my ass,” she says as her body softens into mine, and I smile, glad that she understands exactly what I want.
“That can be arranged...” I say, making her blush, before I step back and walk toward the door.
“Take him with you, wherever you go, and he will bring you back to me later. Call me with anything.” She just nods, still holding the desk white knuckled with both hands, and I leave feeling no more settled than I did before, but happy her mood is lighter.
29
EMILIA
Watching Nico close my office door, I finally take a breath. I was a bitch to him this morning, no doubt, but my feelings and emotions are all over the place. I put it down to not enough sleep and the daily dredging of my father’s life. The snippets of my history that are starting to become exposed aren’t the easiest to digest.
Sighing, I walk over to the window, feeling the stress of the past few weeks slowly lift from my shoulders, now I have peace and quiet and I am in my own space. There is so much for me to think through and unpack. But the urgency I have is not with my father’s financial circumstances, but with my mother.
