I Want To Be Yours (11 page)

So Nico could command, threaten, dictate, swear, or try to seduce her as he had today, as much as he wanted. It would all be for naught. She would be immune to any inducement that would jeopardize the life she wanted for her daughter, and being controlled by Nico would do just that. Nico viewed everything as either a possession or a family obligation. He was a fantastic son and older brother. But she wanted more than that for her daughter. Mari wanted Alex to feel loved at all times, not to be seen as an inconvenience or an obligation.

Exiting the bathroom with her damp body scantily shielded by a bath towel, Mari quietly entered the darkened bedroom, taking care not to wake her slumbering daughter.

“Get dressed. My car is out front.”

She screeched loudly in shock upon hearing his clipped command.

“What? How did you get in here? How did you find us?” She gaped at the figure of Nico, reclining nonchalantly on an oversized armchair in a shadowy corner of the room. It was impossible to see his face, but the quiet authority in his voice was unmistakable.

He approached her without speaking, but he didn’t need to use words. The harsh, angry glare in his eyes and the rigidity in his body were testimony to the volatility of his emotions.

“I’ll not tell you again. Go and get dressed if you don’t want to leave here just as you are.”

“This is ridiculous. Where is Alex?” Mari suddenly realized that her daughter was not on the bed sleeping, as she’d expected. A chilling shiver of unease tingled down her spine, especially as she saw the humorless smirk on Nico’s face.

“What have you done?”

Nico silently turned and walked out of the bedroom.

Mari sprinted after him, frantic with fear for her missing daughter, “Nico, wait! Where is my daughter?”

“Are you coming with us or not? I have no intention of having a conversation with you in another man’s home.”

“What? This is Richard’s flat.”

“Yes, I know. And when I get my hands on him, even his mother won’t be able to recognize his face.”

It wasn’t what he’d said that gave her pause, but it was how he said it, completely without emotion or expression. Cold. She couldn’t let him blame Richard for sheltering her.

“Richard doesn’t know I’m here.”

But Nico was no longer listening to her. His long strides took him to the front door of the flat and his hand was on the handle, ready to open it.

“Wait! Give me a minute to get dressed.” Mari didn’t wait for him to agree, but quickly reentered the guest bedroom and slipped back into the soiled clothing she’d recently discarded.

Nico sat in the back seat of his black Mercedes, chauffeured by Gio, brooding in simmering rage. Mari was determined to stoke the fires of his anger at every turn. First, she’d kept his daughter from him, which he’d briefly considered forgiving her for, as he’d played a role in her actions. Then she’d tried to disappear with her again, not aware that they’d been assigned bodyguards as soon as they’d entered his home hours before.

No way would he allow his daughter to be unprotected. He’d been stunned when one of the guards called to say she’d exited the building. They hadn’t intercepted her because he’d made it very clear that no one was to touch her. And by the time they’d called to advise him, she’d slipped into a waiting taxi. They followed her and waited for his arrival.

Her unforgivable offensive was in running to her lover for assistance! His jaw tightened and his fist clenched with the need to smash Richard’s face in. How dare he touch
his
woman, the mother of
his
child? He felt out of control, thoroughly disgusted with the duplicity of women.

His daughter’s innocent voice pierced through his murky, dark thoughts. “Daddy, ride in the car?” The sound of Alex’s sleepy inquiry quelled his volatile musing. She sat in a newly installed child seat between her parents and gazed at him with wide-eyed expectation.

“Yes, baby. We’re going for a ride in the car,” Nico answered softly. His emotions clogged his throat and with overwhelming, piercing joy, he felt tears well up. He’d never thought he would ever hear the title “daddy” in reference to himself—five letters that had become the most important word in his life.

Thankfully, Alex’s constant stream of baby chatter diffused some of the volatile emotions masked by the adults’ silent brooding.

“With all this security detail, one could be mistaken in thinking the royal family was in this car,” Mari whispered angrily.

“You don’t know when to stop, do you?” Nico asked in impatient disgust.

Again she was saved by Alex’s baby chatter, her little girl determined to gain the attention of the new man in her life.

Chapter Eight

Mari stood as
still as a statue and waited for Nico to enter the foyer of the flat with their sleeping toddler.

He placed Alex in Gio’s care, and instructed him to take his daughter to her bed. He then took Mari’s forearm in a punishing hold and pulled her toward his study.

“Sit!” Nico instructed coldly as he proceeded to the mini-bar and filled a tumbler with an amber liquid. After consuming the contents, Nico filled it again and sat behind his desk.

“Arrogant much?” Mari snorted, maintaining her stance just inside the doorway. “Don’t think that I’m the least bit intimidated by you. All of this pulling me here and dragging me around is unnecessary and really pissing me off!”

Nico just looked at her over the rim of his glass and silently scrutinized her. “Keeping my daughter from me, from her family, from what is rightfully hers was crime enough. You compound it by taking her away from me again. Are you forgetting who the fuck you’re dealing with?” he asked in a deceptively soft voice.

“Alex is my daughter, not yours! You didn’t want her, remember?”

“
Dio mio
! You knew that I didn’t believe you. Given what medical professionals told me about the impossibility of it, I
couldn’t
believe you! It was your responsibility to her and to me that you convince me of the truth of her existence. You gave up after some trifling attempts.” Nico was getting angrier by the minute, but he didn’t let that show in his voice. He leaned nonchalantly back in his chair.

“I tried! You wouldn’t listen. You wouldn’t take any of my calls and all of my letters were returned to me unopened.” Mari glared at him.

“Basta!”
With blistering impatience, he sliced his hand through the air. He sprang from his chair, muttering incoherently in Italian as he paced. Although Nico was as English as they came, he often slipped into his mother’s tongue when agitated.

“You could’ve tried harder. You’re a fucking hacker, for Christ’s sake! If you wanted to, you could have contacted me at any time. I have seen you in action too many times to believe that you tried hard enough!” He was unwilling to give any quarter. “We live in an electronic world. Who the hell sends letters?”

“I probably could’ve contacted you electronically but why should I continue to be humiliated by you and be called everything from a whore to a mercenary bitch?” Mari trembled with indignation at the unfairness of the charge levied by him. “Do you know that while I was in labor with
your
daughter, you were out on yet another date, another woman in your bed?”

“I was told that it was virtually impossible for me to father a child!” Nico ran his hands through his hair in agitation, his steely blue eyes etched in anguish.

“Virtually impossible, Nico, but not totally impossible. I sent you pictures of the ultrasound, pictures of her birth, pictures of her first step and first birthday… how much more effort should I have made? They were all returned unopened. Yes, we live in an electronic world, but I thought the hard copies in your hand would help you accept the truth. How much understanding should I have extended to you, when you showed me none?” Her voice rose in rage as she enunciated each word with her distinct Island accent.

“I didn’t know! The letters stopped coming to me after your first attempt. I made it clear that I wanted no contact from you. Sharon would have carried out my orders without exception. She didn’t tell me that you were still trying to contact me four years later.” Nico was humbled by her attempts and ashamed of his treatment of her. How could he have possibly misread the situation so badly? He had ruthlessly eliminated her from his life and simultaneously had eliminated his daughter from his life as well. His stomach churned with anguish as he acknowledged how much he’d missed of his daughter’s early years. He had no one to blame but himself.

“That doesn’t make what you did okay! You knew me better than anyone and should have given me the benefit of doubt, Nico. I’d never given you a reason to distrust me. I didn’t deserve to be painted with the same brush as Celina. What she did was terrible, but it was asinine to assume every woman was just like her!”

Her bitter indictment made him feel inches tall. Mari might not have deserved the scorn and hatred he had felt for her in the past, but that didn’t mean he would relinquish his right to his daughter. The elation he felt, holding his own flesh and blood, his living, breathing stamp on the world, was too great, too miraculous to give up so easily. He would fight with any means necessary, and if that meant fighting dirty, well then he had to. He owed it to Alex, to himself, and to his family to maintain possession of his daughter.

“Regardless of what has transpired before, I want my daughter. She will be a part of my life whether you like it or not. I have no intention of ever letting her live apart from me again.” Not allowing any emotion in his voice or his face, Nico regarded Mari with icy determination. “You of all people know the magnitude of my wealth and the responsibility that entails. She is the heir to an old and traditional heritage, whose forefathers were wealthy and powerful men. Alex has to be molded by me to take her place, along with my nieces and nephews, to manage our vast and complex legacy.”

“I think she has quite some time before the little
princess
has to take over your oppressive fiefdom.” Mari smirked. “I still don’t understand how you intend to have her in your life by being a
dick
to me.”

“Before you anger me further, I suggest you go to your room and think about what lengths I would employ to keep my daughter. You can decide to be included in our daughter’s life or not. Right now, I don’t give a damn which option you take.” The need to enforce his will overrode any willingness to negotiate with her.

“You’re so quick with the threats. Ever tried asking nicely? Just know that I would die before I let you or anyone take my daughter from me.” The hard glint in her eyes put him on notice that he would have a serious fight on his hands. “No court in the world would award you custody over me. I’m not completely defenseless. Remember that! You need to think of what lengths
I
would go to keep my daughter safe.”

“Fighting me on this is pointless. I have more resources to fight. I now have possession of my daughter and she is going nowhere. Talking about this in terms of custody is ridiculous.
I
have custody of both of you now!” Nico was already impatient with the lack of control he seemed to have over the situation. He needed another few hours to ensure that his plan was flawlessly executed and she had no room to maneuver. He needed her cooperation to make his plan work, but he had to ensure she had no wiggle room.

“Look, it has been a long day already. I know you’re tired and probably hungry. If you promise not to do another disappearing act, we can finish this discussion tomorrow. We will both be in a better mind to make compromises. I know you’ll fight for our daughter. You’ve already proved that you would. But think about what is best for her, not that you’re pissed with me. Making decisions on emotions is not advisable.” He had to get her out of there so that he could move up his plans and ensure his success.

What he hadn’t disclosed to her was that he was also determined to claim
her
. She was his woman, and he would make damn sure she would never escape him again.

“Are you even listening to me? Any thinking I’m willing to do would have to be done away from here. We’re not staying here. You have no right to keep us here!”

Nico lazily perused her body, so deliciously delineated in the silk white blouse and tan pencil skirt of her suit. Although it extended below her knees, the provocative side slit and her sinful curves threatened to derail his tenuous grip on his control. He fought with everything in him not to spread her over his desk at that moment. The remembered bliss of being buried deep inside her made his dick lengthen, made him want to be encased in her heat.

He felt his body moving closer toward her. His actions were almost involuntary, like a heat-seeking missile targeting her essence.

No. This has to stop.

He spun suddenly, effectively breaking the connection, and restoring some of his equilibrium. He returned to his desk and sat back down, looking at her with simmering lust. He strove for calm. Wanting to tone down the escalating emotions, he projected an unaffected façade.

“Unless you want to be fucked in the next two seconds, I suggest you take my advice and go to your room. We will deal with Alex first, then I will take care of you,” Nico drawled huskily. “Go to your room, Mari. I will have Martha send up a tray so that you may rest. We will finish this discussion tomorrow.” He wanted to keep her off balance: that was the only way to win with her. He admired her fighting spirit, but with him she would learn that he always got what he wanted, and right now, he wanted his daughter—and her.

Mari reluctantly left the study, informing him coldly that she’d already eaten, and angrily mounted the stairs. She couldn’t help but note the added security of two men outside her room. Glaring at them stonily, she entered the room assigned to her and Alex. Mari spied her daughter sleeping peacefully in a tiny cot beside the queen-sized bed. She was gently snoring, totally oblivious to the turmoil spiraling around her.

The room was beautifully decorated in soft spring colors that, surprisingly, soothed her volatile emotions. Wanting to get out of the clothes she’d worn all day, she entered the walk-in closet, only to be stunned to find her own clothes meticulously hung inside. They had obviously been collected from her house. Nico’s audacity knew no bounds! His swift action forced her, reluctantly, to admit that she was slightly apprehensive of his impressive resources.

If he found out she’d listed him as the father on Alex’s birth certificate, he’d also learn just how many rights he possessed in regard to his daughter. She’d done it, because she had no extended family and had to ensure Alex was taken care of if something happened to her. But Nico didn’t need to know that she’d given him “parental responsibility” for their daughter. The bastard didn’t deserve her consideration after his caveman behavior.

Getting angry again was not only pointless, it was a waste of energy. She only hoped that her house had been left properly secured. She couldn’t afford to be intimidated by his display of aggression. Her daughter’s future depended on her ability to hold her own against Nico. Over the years, she’d amassed a net worth in the millions. Nothing in the realm of Nico’s imposing resources, but certainly nothing to dismiss, either. However, common sense demanded that she not react emotionally to his treats. She had to be methodical and realistic, and focus on what she wanted for her and Alex.

Discarding her soiled clothes and putting on her comfortable cotton sleep shorts and shirt, she slipped between the clean, crisp sheets.

In those few moments between sleep and wakefulness, she sluggishly resolved not to be seduced by Nico. She didn’t miss the determined, possessive glint in his eyes as he’d lazily perused her body. However, she refused to be distracted by their mutual attraction. Oh, but how she yearned to give in to it! As much as she hated his arrogant attitude, she loved his dominance. Damn if that made any sense, but she loved his rugged, alpha masculinity, his possessiveness, and his dark, brooding sensuality. He embodied elegant male beauty, so deliciously virile.

She sighed wistfully. Mari grimaced in disgust at her hopeless musings. How could she be attracted to him still? Hadn’t he wreaked enough damage on her personal life? So much destruction, in fact, that she hadn’t been able to be even be attracted to another man in all her adult life. He had permanently spoiled her for other men.

She pulled the covers over her head in resignation. Hopefully, a new day would bring inspiration, and resolution.

Mari woke late the next morning—the first time that had happened in years—initially disoriented and then alarmed upon not seeing her daughter. Determined not to overreact, she approached the empty cot on unsteady legs. A note in Nico’s bold handwriting stated, “Relax and come down when you want. I’ve taken Alex to work with me. We’ll be back at noon.” His mobile number was also provided. Having no other option other than to trust him to keep his word, she took out her cell to call him.

“Good morning,
bella
.” The rich timbre of his voice completely disarmed her and her core pulsed in recognition.

“Is she okay?” Mari was finally able to get the words out, past the cottony dryness in her mouth.

“Our daughter has boundless energy and is an incredibly happy child. Thank you.” His solemn words went a long way toward defusing her lingering anger and distrust.

“You’re welcome. Alex will be back at noon?” She needed his verbal reassurance.

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

Disconnecting from him, she then checked on the security of her house by calling her neighbor and friend. It took very little for her to remember the solid brick structure of her first real home. It stood charmingly against a backdrop of the evergreen countryside. Red, pink, yellow, and white roses formed hedges at the perimeter of her small garden. Mari felt such a sense of accomplishment every time she arrived home. It was her pride and joy and she had no intention of leaving it unattended. A few minutes later, she was marginally satisfied that her house was indeed secure, as her neighbor assured her that the gorgeous Italian who introduced himself as her fiancé had paid her handsomely to keep an eye on the place. Disengaging the call proved difficult as Audrey insisted on gushing over Nico, and didn’t seem to want to let her off the phone. She couldn’t believe how much Alex resembled her father. Mari was only able to end the call by promising to have lunch with the woman soon.

Her next call was to her office, to Harry Brennan, her boss. He was glad to hear from her, but also wanted to reassure himself that he’d done the right thing by allowing Nico to leave with her. He was uncomfortable by the team’s lack of action in assisting Mari when they’d realized she hadn’t returned for the meeting. However, he wasn’t certain what was going on or how any of it would affect the tenuous situation the firm was in. An amicable resolution of the current deal, tentatively formulated over lunch, was at stake, after all. And Nico wasn’t a man he wanted to tangle with.