Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 49034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 245(@200wpm)___ 196(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 245(@200wpm)___ 196(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
Her jaw dropped a little, her mouth forming a round O of surprise. It was adorable, and I couldn’t help but kiss her cute little nose. When I pulled back, I could see the fucking guilt still lingering in her eyes and it pissed me off. However, I knew I had to tread carefully and I decided she needed to know what was truly in my heart.
“Carly was right, you know.”
Gianna’s brows furrowed and the fingers she’d had resting against my chest suddenly curled into my shirt in a possessive hold, and I had to fight a smile at the display of jealousy. I was getting another glimpse of my tigress, and it was sexy as fuck. I shifted as I began to harden again, and we both moaned. Fucking hell. I would never get enough of her.
“You are my queen. And just like the royalty on a chess board, this king needs his queen to protect him. I’ve given you my heart to guard, Gianna.”
Her beautiful green eyes filled with emotion, although there was still an air of wariness about her. I was tempted to fuck her until she admitted that she loved me, but I knew our family would be awake soon and I didn’t want anyone but me seeing Gianna this way.
I pulled out of her slowly, my erection dragging against her walls and almost convincing me to take the chance of being discovered. But, I preferred not to scar my baby girl and put her in therapy because there were some things you just couldn’t unsee.
Gianna whimpered as I left the warmth of her pussy completely. It sent tingles down my spine and I shivered. Standing, I tucked myself back in before closing her robe and retying the sash. After helping her to her feet, I grasped her chin and forced her to meet my hardened gaze.
“Unless you want to find yourself spanked until you can’t sit for a day, don’t ever answer a door like this again. I don’t care who is on the other side. This”—I slid my hands down her back and cupped her round, little ass, squeezing her closer until our bodies were melded together—“is for my eyes only. Got it, mia dolce?”
Gianna’s eyes narrowed slightly, and I thought maybe she would argue with me, but after a moment, she nodded in capitulation. I rewarded her obedience with a scorching kiss that was suddenly interrupted by the sweet sound of my daughter’s voice calling for me.
“Daddy?” There was an odd tone to her voice. She was obviously terrified about something. Gianna and I sprinted to the door and out into the hallway. Sophia was standing at the top of the stairs, and I took them two at a time to get up to her.
When I got to the last step, I jerked to a stop and yelled for Gianna to call 911. I heard her spin around and race back down the steps as I gathered my little girl in my arms and followed her path. Sophia’s bleeding nose was soaking my shirt, her head resting against my chest as she softly cried. “My head hurts, Daddy,” she sniffled.
My heart started pounding at the signs of severe hypertension and I barely felt any relief as an ambulance pulled up in front of the house. Luckily, we didn’t live far from the hospital, so we didn’t have to worry about the truck having to navigate through city traffic, slowing down our journey.
Gianna stopped at the door and told me to go, that she would get dressed, get my mother, and meet us at the hospital. I nodded, hoping my eyes conveyed my gratitude for her among the stark terror ripping through my heart.
ELEVEN
Anna
The day started badly, learning that Nic was the head of a mafia family, and it only got worse when Sophia was rushed to the hospital. I’d never be able to forget the sight of her standing at the top of the stairs, deathly pale with blood leaking from her nose in a steady stream. The look of horror on Nic’s face when he screamed at me to call for help. How shattered Allegra seemed when I woke her and told her what had happened. The way my heart raced as she and I rode in the back seat of the town car which we’d found waiting at the curb, our hands gripping each other’s tightly while the only sound was the prayers Allegra muttered underneath her breath to keep her grandbaby alive. It all replayed in my head, over and over, as I wondered how long it would be before the doctors would come out and tell us what was happening with Sophia.
In the blink of an eye, my anger at Nic for keeping such a monumental secret from me seemed unimportant. The only thing which mattered was Sophia’s health and well-being. My reaction—or lack thereof—to Nic’s place in the criminal world, him calling me his fiancée, and then point blank telling me he wanted to knock me up—all of it could wait until we made it through this crisis. Nic couldn’t afford any distractions. He needed to be strong for his daughter—and so did I. She’d quickly found her way into my heart, just like her daddy had. I couldn’t imagine a world without her in it. I couldn’t fathom how Nic would go on if anything happened to his precious little girl.