Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
I would do a lot to protect my Natalia, and I couldn’t really blame anyone who felt they were backed into a corner for doing what they could to protect their loved ones.
I needed to make sure that it was clearly understood that I protect my own. No one under my protection as the Don was in danger of being caught, not through my actions anyway.
I listened with rapt attention as Vinny explained all the temporary changes that had been made to keep the business running smoothly and the family calm.
He and Alessandro had been run ragged making sure that everyone was placated and that there was no interruption in income and payments. They kept things running in my absence, and I owed them a world of gratitude for that.
Natalia had surprised me more than anyone. I knew how much she worried about her abilities to lead and her standing with the family, so the way she had put her own feelings aside and made the difficult calls that needed to be made impressed me greatly.
It allowed me to focus on my lawyer’s instructions, and on fighting for my freedom.
If I had been stressing out about the outside world, I may have slipped up. There was no telling how badly things could have gone if I didn’t have such a strong and capable inner circle.
I was impressed with the administrative acumen Vinny demonstrated. I hadn’t known Vinny to be especially interested in the legitimate business side of the family, but he clearly had a mind for it.
“I’m glad that I had you to step in and keep things from falling apart,” I said with a smile. “In future, we’ll have a plan in place to handle immediate, short-term management of the business.”
It was short-sighted of me not to have a plan in place already. It showed exactly how sloppy I had gotten. Or maybe it was overconfidence. Either way, it needed to change.
“I’d appreciate that,” he said. “It’s not exactly my area of expertise.”
“You handled it like an expert,” Natalia said. “He was great—he and Alessandro both.”
“I owe all three of you a huge debt,” I said. “Not only did you hold the family together and keep the business running, but you also proved my innocence. I’m an extremely lucky man to have you in my corner.”
“We did our jobs,” Vinny said. “Natalia went above and beyond. If she hadn’t pushed us to follow every lead, no matter how uncomfortable, there’s no telling how long it would have dragged on for.”
I looked at Natalia and smiled. “I chose well,” I said.
She shrugged. “I had a gut feeling,” she said softly. “I couldn’t ignore it.”
“I’m glad that you didn’t,” I said.
Vinny pulled the car down our long, winding drive and I took a moment to take in the view. I hadn’t been confident that I would see this house again anytime soon. I really expected that I would be locked up for months, if not years. I didn’t think that Natalia understood how impressive her investigation really was.
Vinny parked the car and the three made our way inside. There was a lot that had to be done now that I was free. The family needed to be notified. I was sure that I would have to smooth some ruffled feathers before people would be able to relax.
Things would get back to normal with time, but it would be a while before anyone felt comfortable lowering their guard again.
The fact that this attack had come from within the family was going to have lasting effects.
“Tell me about the family,” I said. “Who do I need to visit?”
Vinny smiled wryly. “Everyone is pretty shaken, but no one wants to admit it. I don’t think that one-on-one visits are going to be necessary for most. I do think you’re going to be spending a lot of time on the phone.”
I sighed. That was almost worse. I would rather throw a get-together at the compound and get it all over with in one go.
“That doesn’t help with prioritizing much,” I commented.
Vinny started to respond, but Natalia cut in quickly.
“Speaking of priorities,” she said pointedly, “can’t this wait until tomorrow?”
I looked at her in surprise. When I saw the heat in her eyes a flood of arousal washed over me, and I turned to Vinny.
“Tomorrow,” I said simply.
He laughed out loud and rolled his eyes at us. “Like a couple of teenagers,” he scolded. “I’ll be here bright and early, so be ready to work.”
I nodded my agreement. “First thing in the morning,” I agreed. “Lock the door behind you.”
He laughed again and walked away.
I turned back to Natalia and picked her up. I threw her over my shoulder and was rewarded with a surprised yelp followed by excited giggles.
She held on tightly as I carried her up the stairs and into our bedroom.
I had missed Natalia. I had spent so many hours of my confinement thinking about her and fantasizing about our reunion and our upcoming wedding.
I carried her into our bedroom and sat her gently on the edge of the bed. I remained on my knees and surged forward to capture her lips in a slow and passionate kiss. She moaned softly and wrapped her arms around my neck, holding me close and making sure that I wouldn’t slip out of her grip again.
I wasn’t going anywhere. I’d already made her wait long enough.
The stolen moments we had managed together weren’t enough. I was going to show her exactly how much I had missed her.
*Natalia*
Tallon knelt on the floor between my legs as he kissed me. I pulled him closer, trying to urge him up and onto the bed with me.
I wasn’t sure if he wasn’t taking the hint or if he was trying to savor the moment.
I didn’t have the patience to savor right now. I was desperate to touch him. I grabbed his shirt and pulled forcefully.
He laughed as he stood and allowed me to pull him over me. I shifted back onto the bed until we could both fit comfortably.
I wrapped my arms around him as he hovered over me for another kiss.
I ran my hands over every inch of him that I could reach. I slipped my fingers beneath his shirt and sighed in contentment at the skin contact.
I felt a little embarrassed by how much I had missed his physical presence. After all, he had been gone for less than two weeks. For me to feel this desperate after such a short separation seemed silly.
I blamed the fact that we didn’t know how long he would be gone for. There was a very real possibility that he would be gone for years, if not forever. The fear made the distance between us feel so much worse than it really was.
The timing was a factor, too. For Tallon to be ripped away from me while we were in the middle of planning our future together was beyond cruel.
Everything had been thrown into question. Overnight I went from worrying about what my wedding dress would look like to wondering if I would even make it to the altar.
I shouldn’t have needed a reminder of how dangerous this lifestyle is, but apparently, I did. The reality was, Tallon could be taken from me at any moment. Either through arrest or murder, there was always the risk that I could lose him.
I wouldn’t make the mistake of taking our time together for granted again.
I pulled Tallon into a heated kiss that drew a low, deep moan from him. I smirked. I loved when I could get an unguarded reaction from him.
He pulled back after a few moments to pull his shirt over his head and toss it away. I took advantage of the momentary distraction to slip from beneath him and scramble up the bed.
