Page 98 of Mafia and Gold Digger

I wince, realizing the kids probably just heard my cursing, although neither seems to have taken much notice.

Emerald walks over. She looks tired, in the way that someone running on fumes does—all because of the stress that fucking creep, Carmine, is causing. Despite that, she’d look goddamn beautiful, but I’m not letting my brain go there right now. “These two are off school today. Some teacher conference or something. Nicki was supposed to babysit them as I have a shift, but she’s sick and couldn’t do it.”

And the moment I hear her explanation, I feel like a complete douchebag for my over-the-top reaction. “I can look after them,” I blurt out. “I’ve got some work to do in the office anyway.” And my immediate offer shocks the hell out of me. But it comes so damn natural. And I know that’s a goddamn problem, but it’s not one I want to think about right now…

“I don’t want to put you out,” she murmurs.

And that makes me feel even worse. “It won’t be putting me out,” I say firmly.

And taking the two kids by the hand, I lead them back to the office, the other staff blatantly watching me with open mouths, not even trying to hide their disbelief. Okay, I know I’m a hitman and I can be a grumpy asshole, but what are they expecting? Me to assassinate two kids for daring to mess up my space?

Back in my office, Giulietta stares at me. “Your orange stuff is in the pot plant, Mr. Saint,” she announces.

My eyebrows shoot up. “Excuse me?”

She scoops up the decanter. “The stuff that was in here.”

I swallow hard. “My eighty-thousand-dollar limited edition whiskey?”

“Em tried to stop me. But I was too quick for her. Because I wanted to use this as my teapot.”

I gulp down the grumpy words that are on the tip of my tongue and say something else instead. “As your teapot for, er, what?”

Giulietta tilts her head to one side and looks at me like I’ve asked the dumbest question ever. “For a tea party, of course!”

Oh Christ,what have I let myself in for?

* * *

A few weeks ago, if someone had told me I’d be sitting awkwardly on the floor, sipping some overly sweet concoction of Kool-Aid and water while playing make believe with a five-year-old, I’d have shot them in the head after I finished laughing my ass off.

Now?

Guess I’m not laughing.

I shift uncomfortably on the hard floor, my thighs burning as I try my hardest not to grimace.

Giulietta sits across from me, sipping her ‘tea’ like she’s the freaking queen of England. There’s something so wholesome about the way she’s lined up all the stuffed animals along one side of the table and laid everything out. The girl’s got a thing for details, that’s for sure.

“Cookie?”

I shake my head. “No, uh…thank you.”

I’ve already been scolded by her twice about manners. It’d taken all my willpower not to fall over laughing. I thought Emerald was something, but it’s clear Giulietta gives her a run for her money. I take another sip from the small teacup, choking down the semi-grainy texture and thinking that Jaspar is a smart kid for refusing to join in.

I close my eyes briefly. This whole situation with Emerald is a goddamn problem. And yet I can’t stop it even if I wanted to.

My dick is definitely leading the show when it comes to Emerald, or so I keep telling myself. I’ve never put this much effort into something like this. I’ve never offered to babysit a potential hook-up’s siblings. I sure as hell never cooked meals for them or asked about their life beyond the meaningless chatter. I didn’t even ask their names sometimes.

But with Emerald, it’s different.

The whole situation is different. Something about her has the hairs on the back of my neck rising and my skin tingling. That warm feeling in my chest is only getting worse and worse when she’s around.

Since they’ve all moved in, I’ve made it a priority to ask the kids about their day at school and make sure they have everything they need. I’ve been taking an interest in them, learning about them, wanting to get to know them—and scaring the fuck out of myselfbecause it’s all actually genuine from me.

And fuck me, seeing Emerald’s face light up every time she watches us. It damn near made my knees give out the first time she flashed me that sparkling smile and grateful expression. I spent the next half a week trying to make it appear again and again. Because when she smiles, it feels like I’m wrapped in warm fucking sunshine, and it’s a sensation that calms and soothes me.

She’s an addiction, and it’s an addiction I don’t want to quit.

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