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“My cousin had his baby!” He quirks a boyish grin at me and my heart squeezes. He’s no longer the powerful and dangerous mafia boss, but a three dimensional person with cousins and babies and ordinary joy.
“Your cousin had the baby?” I tease.
“Well, his wife did.” Marco’s grin is infectious. “I’m so fucking happy for him. The last five years of Armando’s life have been pure misery and then he meets this girl—under terrible circumstances—and knocks her up, and suddenly… well, she changed him. It’s amazing to see what love can do to a man.”
I sit up on the bed, leaning on one hand and drinking in the sight of him in his naked beauty. “I love that,” I say.
Marco‘s eyes lock on mine, and for a moment, I wonder if he’s thinking the same thing I am—whether love could change him, too.
“Hey, do you want to come with me to the hospital to welcome the new baby? Her name is Daisy Jane.”
My heart skips a beat. He’s asking me to do something that isn’t just about sex. It’s not even somewhere you would take a new date. It’s the kind of activity reserved for a steady girlfriend or partner.
I hop off the bed. “I would love to meet Daisy Jane!” I throw on a pair of jeans and a top.
Marco puts on his clothes from last night, minus the jacket and we head out to his car. It’s a rental he’s using while his is getting fixed–a sweet convertible Mercedes.
“So why were the last five years so bad for Armando?” I ask after we hit a drive-thru coffee shop for bagels and coffee.
Marco gives me a sidelong glance, like he’s deciding whether to tell me the truth or not. “He was in prison,” he says after a moment’s hesitation.
“Oh, wow.”
“And when he got out, there was a hit out on him. He holed up at Hannah’s place until he straightened things out.”
I don’t ask how things were straightened out. I have a feeling that even if Marco told me, I wouldn’t want to know. I’m just honored he’s being real with me. I like him as the demanding dominant, but I like this glimpse into his ordinary life even more.
We get to the hospital and Marco buys a huge flower arrangement from the on-site florist.
“Hannah’s going to kill me for this,” he says.
“Why? Is she allergic?”
He grins. “No, she’s an award-winning florist. She’s going to be insulted I brought her flowers.”
He laces his fingers with mine on the elevator ride up. “Thanks for coming with me.”
I step closer to him so he can wrap an arm around me. “I’m actually surprised you asked me.”
“Why?”
“I thought you’d be the type to leave my place before dawn.”
The elevator doors open on Armando and Hannah’s floor but Marco prevents me from getting off. “Hold up, angel. What do you mean?”
I shrug. The elevator doors close and we start to ascend further. “I mean you’re a player. I work at Sins–I know you have a different girl every weekend. So you don’t strike me as the let’s-get-breakfast-together on the morning after type.”
“You’re right, I’m not.”
A sick feeling starts in the pit of my stomach and I suddenly wish I hadn’t come along. I’m starting to really fall for this guy and he’s clearly not a safe choice for me. I hit the button for our floor again, over and over again.
“Hey.” Marco catches my arm and pulls me back against him. “I don’t usually spend the night.” He looks down at me, his warm brown gaze searching mine like he wants to be sure I catch his meaning.
I want to be sure, too. “Why did you spend it with me?”
He lowers his head and nuzzles his nose along mine. “You’re special, Taylor.”
The elevator dings and this time, Marco moves to exit. His words ricochet around my head as we walk down the sterile hallway to find Armando and Hannah’s room.
