“You’ll never have this baby—my baby,” she snarls up at me.
“Is that so?” I stare down at her. She has no idea the things I did to rescue her and buy her safety.
Even if I wanted to let her leave, now that she’s pregnant, I can’t.
Nikki harbors the heir to the Ricci throne if it’s a boy. If it’s a girl, she will still be my flesh and blood. I refuse to deny either the Ricci name.
“You can’t keep me here against my will,” Nikki says.
“It’s for your safety. Besides, as far as I’m concerned, you haven’t repaid your debt.”
The color drains from her face. Her eyes widen and sparkle. “About that,” Nikki says. “I can explain.”
“Don’t. Anyone who steals from a Ricci ends up dead at my hand or with a few digits cut off.”
She swallows nervously. Her jaw tight. Nikki no longer fights me, which gives me the opportunity to bring her other hand up to the wall above her head.
“Dante,” she whispers, her brow tight as her towel falls to the floor.
I should stop myself before I lose all control. Moreno will return any minute, not that I care what he sees.
My lips fall to Nikki’s neck, and she emits a soft purr from the back of her throat.
It grows louder as my soft kisses arouse her.
Yes, that was definitely a purr. She moans and shifts her legs apart just a little. She’s no longer tight and buttoned-up, clenching and keeping me at arm’s length.
“We will never be more than co-parents,” I say, mimicking her desires.
“Mmm yes, that’s right,” Nikki mumbles in agreement.
I kiss a warm path across her neck and down toward her breast. With one hand, I keep her hands above her head. With the other, I let my fingers wander over her peak, teasing her nipple before bending down to suck and taste, kiss, and lick her.
Her head dips back and her eyes are slammed shut.
She’s enjoying this almost as much as I am.
“You will be mine,” I say, and let my fingers skim down and across her stomach.
Her hips rock forward. It’s obvious what she wants. Do I give it to her?
She moans, and her breathing deepens as my fingers graze her hip. All I do is tease her, let my touch wander, and excite her.
“Say it,” I command.
She’s quiet for a moment. It’s the first time that I think I’ve rendered her speechless. “Say what?” she asks.
“That I am yours to do with as I please.”
Her eyes lazily open. She’s breathing hard and heavy. Her cheeks are flushed, and the same matching blush has spread across her chest. “No,” she pants. “Never.”
I release my grip, take a step back, and leave her bedroom. I shut the door with a loud thud behind me.
Moreno stands outside in the hallway. He is clearly waiting to go inside, tools in hand. “I uh, just took a minute to find the hammer,” he says and quirks a grin.
“Wait until morning,” I say. “No one goes in or out of that room until tomorrow morning.” I grab the key from my pocket and secure the bedroom door, making sure that she’s not able to escape.
She’s pregnant with my kin. There is no chance that she is getting out of here without one of my men or me at her side. I can’t take the chance that she’ll run to a clinic and get our little problem fixed.
Nikki is having that baby, and if she doesn’t want to be a mother, she can leave the minute my child is born.