Secret Babies for the Italian Mafia Boss: Chapter 7

The bell jingles above the door as someone enters.

“I’ll be right with you!” I shout from the back room, grabbing extra supplies. It’s been a week since Dad’s death, and I’ve been settling into my new world fine, which scares me. I should be more chaotic emotionally, but I think I said goodbye to my dad long ago, making it a little easier to move on.

I’ve mourned our relationship already. There’s nothing left to be sad about.

I carry the goodies out to the front and slide behind the counter. The oven is on, cooking another batch of snickerdoodle marshmallow cookies. If the customers stay in the store while they enjoy their baked goods, they can watch me make everything, which is important regarding transparency. The customers can see what I put in the cookies, donuts, bread, or anything else I decide to make.

I’m proud of the little bakery. I’m thankful for the opportunity Dad gave me. I’ve only been open a few weeks, and business has been outstanding. I’ve surpassed all the goals I set for myself for the next six months.

“It smells so good in here.” Taylor, the guy who owns the bookstore across the street, says.

He introduced himself to me on the first day the bakery opened. He’s been kind to me, and because of it, I might slip him a free muffin here and there.

“Taylor. Hey, how are you?” I open the oven, slide on the oven mitt, and then slide the cookie tray out.

“I’m good. I’m on lunch and wanted to come say hi, maybe see if you want to get a sandwich.”

“Taylor, you know I—”

“—I know. I know.” He holds up his hands in surrender. “You aren’t looking to date or have a relationship, but I truly only want to go to lunch with a friend. That’s all. Nothing more.”

“I can’t. I have to get another few dozen of these cookies made by three. Then I have to get the kids from Cora. Today is her day off from the store, so she can watch them for me.” I thought not having Louisa would put me in a bind, but it hasn’t been difficult. If Cora can’t watch them, there is an amazing daycare at the end of the street, and I can actually afford to take them there. It’s amazing what a little money can do.

They say money doesn’t buy happiness, but it has brought me relief. I’m not as stressed. I haven’t had any anxiety attacks or sleepless nights.

The struggle I’ve been battling for the last five years is getting better.

What makes it even better is that I haven’t used a dime of the money Dad gave me. I’ve used what the bakery has made, but I’m not stupid. I deposited the check he gave me, so it’s earning interest. I might have issues using the money now, but the kids will be taken care of, and I care about that.

Maybe I’ll get past the bitterness and spend the money he left me, but I’m not sure I will. Spending it is like saying what he did was okay. Maybe that mindset will change one day. I’ll be open to it, but right now, supporting myself is more important to me.

Yes, he got me this store so I could have my own bakery, but I would be stupid to turn that down without allowing myself to succeed. I am grateful.

Figuring out my feelings for my father is a battle that never ends.

“You have to eat, Camilla. Can I at least bring lunch to you? And maybe I can steal one of those cookies you’re icing right now?”

The snickerdoodles have a light marshmallow topping. It’s fluffy and delicious. I use this icing more than usual, which is why I sell so well. Regular icing is too heavy and sweet for me, but this one is perfect.

“Deal. I’ll be here waiting.”

“Be back soon.” He exits, leaving me alone, just as the door opens again.

“It smells heavenly in here.”

I don’t need to look up to see who it is. The tube of icing drops from my hand and clatters on the floor.

“Damn it,” I curse.

“Such foul language for such a pretty woman,” he teases me, and my cheeks heat.

I can’t help but react to him. He has that way when it comes to women. I know his voice doesn’t only work on me.

I press my hand against the side of my head and try to calm myself, but the ability to think straight diminishes with every word he speaks.

“Luca, what are you doing here?” I brace myself on the counter, gripping it for dear life to prepare myself to look at him.

“I’m here to support a new business in my city,” he says, stepping right in front of me.

The only thing between us is the counter, and even with that standing in the way, I feel the pull to him.

I’ve learned to be strong for myself and my kids, but I don’t think I’m strong enough to deny Luca if he keeps coming around. Is that his plan? To wear me down, make me fall for him, and then what? He gets what he wants and gets rid of me? Kills me?

I can’t allow that to happen. I have Olivia and Oliver to think about. They need me to have one hundred percent of the focus on them.

“Look at me, Camilla.”

I shake my head, then bend down to pick up the icing before tossing it in the trash. I snag another tube from the fridge and start icing the cookies.

“Look at me,” he repeats.

I won’t do as he says. I don’t care if it pisses him off.

“Do not make me come back there, Camilla. I said to look at me.”

I slam the tube down and tilt my chin up, hating that I’m met with such a gorgeous view. He hasn’t changed much over the last five years, but I have. He is still tall, elegant, and a dangerous wave of power still hangs around him like a cloak. It’s an air that makes him forbidden and why so many women want a taste.

And it’s such a good taste. One that any woman with common sense would want to try again.

His dark hair is parted down the side, styled so well there isn’t a hair out of place. His blue eyes are the color of frozen ice, and goosebumps arise across my skin, a tremble shaking my bones.

It isn’t the cold. The oven is on. It’s hot in here. I’m sweating, actually.

His intense stare makes me forget all of those things. With one touch, he’d shatter me just like the pressure would ice.

“Those eyes,” he compliments, placing his elbows on the counter as he leans forward. “Those eyes have haunted my dreams for many nights. Why did you leave?” he takes my hand, even though it’s covered in flour and has streaks of icing on it.

“Because it was meant to be one night. We used one another. You were my first lover, and while I had no idea you would be the man I’d end the night with, it was perfect, and I didn’t want it to be ruined by you telling me to leave.”

“I wouldn’t have,” he bites, anger flashing across his face. “I wouldn’t have dared. I wanted more than one night, and I know you felt the same.”

“And it’s a good thing I didn’t.” I pull my hand away and rub my palm on my pants. “You are—were—my father’s rival. And us having a relationship would have been catastrophic. He would have never allowed it. It’s better things are this way.”

“Better in what sense, Camilla?” his long, calloused fingers wrap around my wrist and give me a quick tug. I fall forward, almost meeting him halfway. His nose is inches from mine, his lips but a breath away, and his scent fills my lungs.

Clean, crisp, and the slight edge of his cologne holds the right amount of spice that drives me insane.

“Better than yearning for one another? Better than the pain of not knowing where you were? Better than me wanting to bend you over this counter right now and fuck you like I did all those years ago? Mmm,” he hums in disagreement. “No, there’s nothing better than that. There’s nothing better than my desire for you. It hasn’t stopped. It hasn’t wavered. It has never been in question.”

My eyes drop to his lips, and I notice the salt and pepper stubble across his cheek. He has to be around forty now and is in his prime.

Quicker than I can respond, he brushes his lips against mine. It isn’t a kiss. It’s too quick. It’s a tease, a promise to come, and it’s enough to get my mind to stop spinning.

“But that’s not why I’m here,” he says, leaning away and taking all the heat with him.

I’m yanked from my dream state with him and back to the present. “Shit. The cookies!” I turn around and open the oven, smoke rising from the baking sheet. “No, no, no.” I toss the pan on the counter, the cookies ruined from being left there too long. “I have to start over now. I have the order to fill.” My eyes begin to burn, and I blame the smoke stinging my eyes.

“It’s okay,” he croons, running around the counter until behind it. He shrugs off his coat, rolls his sleeves to his elbows, then grazes his fingers under my jaw to tilt my head to look at him.

He brushes a tear away and cocks his head, brows pinching together. “You aren’t alone anymore, Camilla. Everything you do isn’t on you. I’m happy to help, plus I’m the one that took your mind off the cookies. It’s the least I can do. What do you need from me?”

“I need you,” I swallow. “I need you to not make me fall in love with you. And you being here, you are making that journey very difficult for me. I need you to leave.”

“What if I want you to love me? What if that’s my plan?”

I give him a tight smile and step away from him. “I don’t believe you. I think you’re after what everyone else is. The fortune.”

“I see,” he says, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Please, go.”

“I’ll be back,” he says, snagging his coat as he walks away from me. “To collect rent.”

“Collect rent? What are you talking about?” I run after him, demanding to know what he means. “You can’t just say something like that and go.” I grab his arm, and he swings around, gripping my shoulders to hold me in place.

“And you expect me to leave knowing if I stay, maybe I could make you love me, and yet I’m leaving because it’s what you want.”

“Those two things are not the same! Loving you is something I can’t chance. I won’t chance it, but business is another. That has nothing to do with my feelings.”

“So you admit it, you have feelings for me?”

“God, is that all you hear? I don’t even know you. Not really. The only thing I feel is from a distant memory.”

“That’s fine. I can work with a memory.” He bends down and kisses my cheek. “I’ll be back in a week to collect rent. I bought this strip mall from your father. You work for me now, Camilla. Don’t do anything reckless. I’d hate to do something about it,” he whispers, rubbing his scruff against my cheek before he opens the door.

“Am I interrupting something?”

I clear my throat. “Taylor, this is the man who owns the building.”

“Luca Bianco?” Taylor asks, lifting a brow. “That can never be good when a man like him is in your life.”

“And what would you know about a man like me?” Luca plucks the lunch from Taylor’s hands and drops it on a nearby table.

Taylor stutters, taking a step back until his back is pressed against the counter. “I just mean, everyone knows who you are, so being in business with you means she can’t skip out on any payments or—” his eyes flick to me. “—Or she’s dead.”

“You talk a lot about someone you don’t know.” He opens the door and leans down, making Taylor seem short. “You shouldn’t do that.” Luca glances over his shoulder and winks at me. “I’ll see you soon, Camilla. Make sure you have that rent check ready. I’d hate to evict you.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“And how would you know?” A mischievous glint twinkles in his eye before he steps outside, giving Taylor a curious glance before leaving.

Silence hangs in the shop between Taylor and me. He has his hand to his chest, trying to catch his breath before he locks the door and flips the sign to closed.

“What the fuck was that? Oh my God, Luca Bianco is your landlord. He is in the mafia, you know that, right? No, he is the mafia. He’s the guy. You have to get out of this.”

“I can’t. I don’t know how. I had no idea he owned the building. My father did. I don’t know how Luca bought it from him, Taylor. I won’t know more until he comes back.”

“This isn’t good. What did he want?”

I think about his question, and Luca didn’t buy anything. He had come to the shop for me. To see me. But why? It can’t be for me.

It has to be about fortune.

And I have to make sure my children never get near his plan. Not telling him about his kids is bad, but what choice is there? They don’t deserve to be deceived by him.

“I don’t know. He just came in here, and then the cookies burned. He offered to help remake them, and I sent him on his way.”

Taylor takes my hand and holds on tight. “You can’t believe anything he says, Camilla. He isn’t a good man. I’ve heard horrible things. Whatever you do, you have to make sure you give him the money he asks for, and everything will be fine.”

“I could always break my lease. I mean, then I could move on, right?”

Taylor shakes his head. “You don’t understand. Once Luca Bianco sets his sights on something he wants, he gets it. He would never allow you to leave.”

No, I don’t think he would, either. I don’t think I want to leave. Seeing Luca again has awakened so many emotions inside me. He said I didn’t have to do anything alone again. Is he saying he’ll be here for me?

“Let’s eat. Okay?” I change the subject, not wanting to talk about Luca behind his back. He is still the father of my children. That deserves respect in itself. “I don’t have a lot of time. I have to start over on a batch of cookies that needs to be done by this evening. I want to be done by the time Cora drops off the kids.”

I sit down and unwrap the sandwich Taylor bought me. I bite into it and groan, not realizing how hungry I am. The tomato is juicy, the lettuce is crispy, and the chicken is seasoned just right.

“Well, let’s hope he doesn’t cause you trouble. I happen to like you right across from me.”

“You’ve been a good friend,” I say over a mouthful of food.

Taylor is a good-looking guy. He’s tall, lean, with chestnut-colored hair, pale, and has the brightest green eyes I’ve ever seen. I’d be all about him if I didn’t experience the best the world had to offer. No other man compares to Luca. And I need to get over that issue really quick. I won’t be able to move on with my life if I’m still fantasizing about a guy I’ve slept with once.

It isn’t that easy, though. No matter how many times I convince myself otherwise.

He will forever be in my life because of Olivia and Oliver. The position he holds in my life can’t be replaced by anyone else. I’m forever tied to him. Luca will always come first before any other man, even if I do find myself dating or in a long-term relationship, maybe even married. I’ll have to think of him every day because of the kids.

Feelings like that won’t just go away. Being tied to him will only make things harder.

“Well, I better get back to work.” I sound resigned.

I am. I’m so stressed out, and I have no idea what to do. Cora will give me a mouthful when I tell her that I haven’t told Luca about the kids yet.

“You haven’t finished your lunch,” Taylor points out.

“I’m not hungry.”

“I probably should get back too.” Taylor checks the watch on his wrist. “I’ll see you later.” He gives me a quick side hug, unlocks the door, and then runs across the street to his bookshop.

I turn the lock again and press my forehead against the glass. It’s cool on my heated skin.

“Everything will be fine,” I say, trying to convince myself of the impossible.