Chapter 132

Lucky

My insides ache, that delicious ache that lets you know you had amazing, hot, sultry sex with the man you love. The man who took your cold heart and blazed it with a match, igniting it into something that you can’t even comprehend. All you know is that it has swept you away to somewhere magical.

Laying with my head on his shoulder, and his strong, tattooed arm around me makes me feel loved, warm and secure. “I was thinking,” I say as he idly makes circles on my back with his thumb. It feels nice and soothing. Is there a right time to broach this subject? Probably not. Yet it is the only time since Nico is an extremely busy man. He never stops. That is what happens when you are the mafia King of New York City.

“Mm,” he replies. I glance up at him and can see his eyes are closed and his long, black lashes fan his cheek. The man has some serious lashes on him, the type that us ladies are jealous of. He looks serene and content, his beating heart against the palm of my hand.

“I’d like to be involved in the business.” He says nothing. I wait before saying, “did you hear me, Nico? I want to be involved.”

Nico places a kiss to the top of my head, his brilliant blue eyes now upon me.

“Not a good idea, Princess. Don’t you think you’ve already been through enough? It’ll put you even more in the spotlight. Can’t you be satisfied with being the wife of a Don?”

A slight irritation flares within my chest. “Are you serious right now? Are you saying you want me to be one of those wives who looks pretty, hands you a whisky when you get in and goes shopping and does lunches all day with the other wives?” I can’t keep the anger tone out of my voice.

“No, of course I am not saying that. There are plenty of things that you could do to keep you busy and feeling worthwhile, that will contribute to the good of my empire.”

I trail circles on his smattering of chest hair. “Such as, do tell?” My voice is sarcastic.

“Charity work. You know I am big on that kind of thing. We hold many events every year, and you could volunteer to show goodwill and promote my business in this way.” His voice is even.

I let out a sigh. “Oh, Nico darling. That is a good thing and of course I want to be involved in that. Especially your arm that works with the hospices for children with cancer. However,” I bite my lower lip. Approaching Nico for something as sensitive as this after what we’ve all been through takes delicate maneuvering.

“It won’t be enough. I’m the daughter of a Don, Nico. You know that. I want to be actively busy and bring in the money. I want more than just charity work, seminars and events. I can do that with my eyes closed. I have a business degree; I want to use it.”

He continues with stroking my back and making circles with his thumb. If I wasn’t quite so satisfied and spent after our love making, I’d be ready for round four. I’m tired though and my body needs a rest.

“You are fiercely smart, Lucky and intelligent. This is true. You deserve to use your degree in some fashion and to excel at whatever you do. However, I am not sure it should be within my business.”

This time I stop stroking his chest and prop myself up on my elbow causing his hand to move. I narrow my eyes at him. “Why not? Give me one good reason I can’t enter the Santangelo business when I am about to be married into your family and you have my family by the balls.”

“Princess, are you getting mad at me?” Damn his smile and his dimple, it is causing a distraction. His eyes are warm and inviting not cold as ice as I have seen them when he is angry.

“No. Okay a little. I want to do something that will profit and expand your business, Nico. There must be something I can do or take ownership of. I could work under you or one of your guys to learn the business inside out. I’m a quick learner.”

“Of that, sweetheart I have no doubt whatsoever. It will be too risky to have you in the business. You will have enemies before you even start. Some of the guys will think you are being given wifely favors.”

Now I’m pissed. “What is it to do with them? You pay their salaries Nico. You own them. Let them be jealous and snidey. Hell, I’ve dealt with worse. I’ve probably got bigger balls than they have anyway. Fuck them.”

He brings my head forward and plants a kiss on my lips taking me by surprise. “Kissing me like that isn’t going to change my mind, Nico. Don’t fob me off like that. I’m deadly serious.”

He takes an arm and places it behind his head. “Lucky, I would never fob you off. You are too smart for that and as a woman you are headstrong, you have the smarts and you have the power being my wife eventually to make things happen. I fear that they will not respect you as a Queen if you push for too much too soon.”

I throw myself down on my back, feeling like I should pluck the hairs out of my head one by one. This conversation isn’t going how I hoped it would.

“What about giving me a plot of land to build a luxurious hotel on, or how about I build us a casino?”

Am I clutching at straws with a man as strong-minded as myself?

“A casino? A hotel? Do you know the millions of dollars of investment that will take?” His voice thankfully is still even.

“Yes, and I have money from my father and my grandfather. I could put that into it and we can be business partners. How do you like that idea for apples?” He chuckles, it’s damn sexy. All deep throated and rumbling from his hard chest.

“You’re going to have to let me think about it, Princess. This is somewhat out of the blue and I have Dario on my case to be invested in the business too. I need to uphold that on his behalf since I need to keep an eye on him and keep him away from that bastard, Lucien.”

I nod and move my head to the left to look at him.

“If you say no, Nico, just know that I will take my grandfather’s inheritance and the money from my father and do it on my own!”