Patrick: A Mafia Love Story by Kit Tunstall, R.E. Saxton

from the open window of their private villa, was making her eyes heavy. She curled against Patrick, idly tracing her fingertip over the tattoo on his stomach. It was a random pattern of lines, at least to her, but she always found it fascinating.
    She also liked the way his stomach muscles twitched under her fingertips, and the way his cock would slowly stiffen again as her fingers neared it while following the pattern sweeping down his stomach, no matter how many times he’d already taken her that day. She blinked back the urge to sleep, remembering she wanted to discuss something with him. “Patrick?”
    “Hmm?” he asked, sounding on the verge of sleep. He seemed to be resting better than she’d previously observed, probably because they were far away from the city and his typical daily stresses. Of course they had bodyguards with them, and were still at a secured, reinforced complex, but things were different here. He could forget about being the mob boss for a while, and she appreciated that for him. It was another reason she was reluctant to leave tomorrow, but she knew they had no choice. Ten days had been the most he could squeeze out of his schedule, and their time was almost up.
    “I’m supposed to start my new pack of birth control pills tomorrow.”
    “Uh huh.” He sounded slightly more awake, but still not entirely with her.
    With a small sigh of exasperation, she shifted positions to look down at him, which forced him to move as well. His eyes blinked open, and he finally focused on her. When he looked awake, she spoke again. “I’m supposed to start my birth control pills tomorrow.”
    He nodded. “Yeah, I heard you.”
    She circled her finger on his chest while watching the digit instead of meeting his gaze, inexplicably shy about making her request. “What if I didn’t?”
    He stiffened slightly. “Didn’t what?”
    Biting her lip, she took a deep breath. “I mean what if I didn’t start my pills again? What if we just threw them away and let whatever happens happen? Is it too soon for children?”
    His eyes gleamed, and he clearly enjoyed the idea. A moment later, a dour expression took its place. “It’s dangerous to bring children into our life, honey.”
    She nodded, knowing more than anyone how risky it could be, since her father had been taken from her before she was even an adult. “I know that, but surely we’re going to have children?”
    Patrick sighed heavily. “Of course. I wouldn’t ask you to give up that experience, and I don’t want to forgo it myself. I just want to make sure you understand the risks too. We always have to be on our guard, and it’s a thousand times worse with little ones. There are assholes in the world who wouldn’t hesitate to use you or my children against me.”
    She nodded, having come to that realization herself before she’d married Patrick. Yet, here she was, unable to imagine a future without him, and certainly unable to picture just the two of them with no family to carry on their legacy. “I know. There are no guarantees, but we can’t live our life always worrying about what could happen. We plan for the worst and hope for the best, right?”
    He nodded, having been the first one to tell her that when she’d expressed concern about becoming his wife officially in so open a forum. She had wondered if it would be safer for the world to believe she was little more than his mistress on the side, but he had nixed that idea, clearly intent on claiming her as his.
    “Yeah, okay. We’re not going to suddenly get careless, right?” He cupped her chin in his hand, bringing her mouth closer to his for a deep kiss. “Toss the pills,” he said as soon as he broke the kiss. “I want to see your tummy swelling with my baby inside you.”
    Excitement shot through her, and she hugged her husband vigorously. Everything she’d ever wanted was falling into place, and she couldn’t be happier. She didn’t see how she could ever be sad