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She retreated, her back hitting the tiled wall. “Dante. I didn’t come here for—”
“It doesn’t matter what you came here for,” I told her, moving closer to her, only stopping when her stomach touched mine. “You know as well as I do that the night I slipped my cock inside you, it was all over.” I boxed her in, placing my hand above her head on the tiles and relishing in the spray of water as it washed over us both. “Fuck, Navy. I’ve never felt so goddamn crazy like when I’m around you.” I fluttered my hand down her arm and then grabbed her hand and placed it on my chest. “And yet, you calm that roaring need inside me, the one that makes me want to do really bad things. The one that I fight against day in, day out.”
She sighed, her back arching. “Why you?” I wasn’t sure that she was actually asking me the question. “Why did it have to be you?”
“Because, sweetheart.” My lips lifted on one side as I stared down at her. “Fate has her own plan. And you and me, that’s what she put on the cards.” I trailed my hand from above her and over her hair, letting my fingertips weave a path to her chest. “You can fight it all you want. But in the end, it won’t make a difference.”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, her head tilting back so that she could look into my eyes. “Everything is just…it’s too much.” I knew what she was saying. So much had happened in the last few days. I’d been gone for so long and even though I expected things to change, I hadn’t expectedthis.
“I get it,” I told her, letting my hand trail to her waist. “We need to take a breath.” I pressed my forehead to hers as I banded my arm around her and held her against me. “But know that we can do that together.” I inhaled just as she did. “You’re not alone now, Navy. Not with me by your side.”
She’d been dealing with all of this on her own, battling her dad, trying to keep the pregnancy a secret. Meanwhile, I’d been across the other side of the state, none the wiser. I couldn’t do anything then, but I could now. I could protect her, I could make her feel good, I could be the one person she could rely on.
My thoughts were moving at lightning speed, but my gut told me this was the right thing to do—the thing that I wanted above all else.
Her eyes fluttered closed, her breath fanning across my face as her shoulders sagged. She’d been holding on to so much, trying to face it all on her own. But she didn’t have to anymore. She’d come to me when she needed help, and there was no doubt I’d do everything and anything to make sure that she was safe.
“Look at me, Navy,” I whispered, staring down at her. As soon as her eyes opened, I told her, “I got you, okay?” She nodded, her eyes shining. “Never doubt that.” I pressed my lips to hers, soft and gentle, just enough to show her that the words I’d spoken were true, then let her go.
It took everything within me to walk away from her, naked and wet, inmyshower. But it wasn’t what she needed right then. She didn’t need me to pounce on her, not with how much was clearly going on inside her head.
So instead, I walked out of the bathroom, got dressed in a shirt and slacks, then headed downstairs, knowing that I had to face the music—and had to get as far away from Navy as possible before I decided to hell with not touching her.
I had some explaining to do, not just to Ma, but to Lorenzo as well. He was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, as if he could sense me coming, his face a blank mask that he’d perfected over the years. I could see through it though. I could see the anger mixed with concern on his features. I could see how he was trying to figure it all out even though he didn’t have all of the information yet.
“You’re up early,” I commented, glancing down at the Rolex on my wrist and seeing it was just after 7 a.m. now.
“Figured you’d be up too.” He tilted his head, indicating for us to go into his office, and I followed him without another word. I knew what was coming. I knew I had to put everything out on the table, even though it would cause major problems for us. But it didn’t matter what Lorenzo said, there was no way I was doing anything but look after the woman who was carrying my baby.
“I’d offer you a whisky but…” He was making small talk, something that Lorenzo had never been good at. My big brother was a man to be rivaled, and one to be scared of. He could give you a death sentence with the click of his fingers and not think twice about it. He was ruthless—brutal—but his family always came first.
I stared at him as he moved to his chair behind his desk. I followed his lead, taking a seat on the opposite side of his desk. That was his signal that he was all business. Part of me wanted to tell him that this was a family matter, but deep down I knew it seeped into the business too. He didn’t know that yet though.
“So…” Lorenzo tilted his head, his facial expression still neutral. “Want to explain last night?”
Letting my head drop back, I scraped my hand over my face and took a breath. “Eight months ago,” I started, lifting my head to look back at him, “when I fucked up.” I didn’t need to say more than that, both he and I knew that I’d put everything at risk by not doing the background that I needed to on the man that we had captive. “I was having this party at your penthouse in the city.” He didn’t make a single move, just listened intently. “I met her there.”
My stomach flipped as I thought about the first time I saw her, lost but intrigued. And the moment she stared directly into my eyes, I swore she could see all of my secrets with one look.
“It was one night. When I woke up the next morning, she was gone.” I cracked my neck to the side, hating how dread washed through me, remembering when I’d opened my eyes and she’d disappeared. Not a single person left in the penthouse knew who she was or where she was from. She was a ghost, one that had haunted me since then.
Lorenzo’s brow rose, probably thinking that it was just another night for me. And maybe he was right, I did enjoy my escapades with the opposite sex. But this…this was different. I’d known it then, and I knew it even more now.
“Then I left.”
The room bathed in silence as we no doubt both thought about the reason I’d moved to the other side of the state.
“Then I came back. And…well, shit.” I leaned forward in my seat, placing my arms on my thighs but keeping my gaze locked with Lorenzo’s. “She literally ran into me a week ago. Bump and all.”
“So you didn’t know she was pregnant?”
I shook my head. “No. And I didn’t know it was mine, not until later.” I knew I was leaving something out. Something that hehadto know. “The thing is…” I sat up straight, pushing my shoulders back as I prepared for the explosion that was sure to come. “Her dad, he’d taken her to an adoption agency—that was where she’d run into me. She was trying to get away.” Lorenzo’s eyes flashed, but he didn’t say a word, so I continued. “And he followed her…saw her with me…” I swallowed, hating how dry my throat had gone. “Her dad.” I inhaled a breath, trying to calm myself. “I didn’t know it until the day she ran into me.”
Lorenzo leaned forward, his hands clenched on the desk in front of him. He could feel the tension coming off of me. He knew this wasn’t going to be good. “Didn’t know what?”
“Navy’s dad…he’s…FBI.” He stared at me, his body locked in place, his gaze not moving an inch. He was silent for so long, I wasn’t sure he’d heard me. “Agent Peters,” I tacked on the end.
“Fuck.” He banged his fist on the desk, causing everything to rattle on the top of it, then he was shooting up from his chair. “Jesus fuckin’ Christ, Dante. You couldn’t have chosen anyone else to stick your cock inside of?” He paced back and forth, the entire length of his office.
