CHAPTER ELEVENLily's POVFor a moment, it felt as though I had passed out. I floated in a state of bliss, caught somewhere between sleep and wakefulness. A soft sigh escaped my lips as I attempted a long stretch. My sigh slowly turned into a groan of pleasure, wave after wave of goosebumps seeping out of my skin. With closed eyes, I stretched out my hands in search of Mr Blackwood.I came up with nothing but empty sheets.My eyes flew open and I looked to my left. The sheets were stone-cold and well-laid. This man must have left the room after I fell asleep. He did not sleep by my side.I sat up and then looked around. "Mr Blackwood?" I called out. No response.If he was in the adjoining bathroom, I didn't know whether he could hear me. I threw the duvet aside and stood to my feet, shivering slightly as my soles met the cool, tiled ground.I was stark naked, and I wrapped my hands around myself, trying to stay warm. My bathrobe was lying in the middle of the room, in a haphazard hea

Lily's POVThe doctor's eyes darted from Mr Blackwood's to mine, and then back. The look on his face was the exact one I was sure I had on mine when Mr. Blackwood told me about his newfound desire to have a child of his own through me.Doctor Turner furrowed his brow. "But Mr Blackwood....you never told me about any desire of yours to have a child. What changed?""What changed was my wants," Mr Blackwood stated, simply and with no room for further questions. "I don't think...." The doctor started. Then he caught the flash of warning in Mr Blackwood's eyes."Very well." He sighed in resignation. "How soon can we start the necessary tests?"Mr Blackwood leaned forward, eyes blazing. "As soon as we can, please."I watched in silence as the doctor placed a call on the telephone on his table. My mind began to wander as he gave instructions to his nurses, telling them to prepare a host of unnameable things for me.The sudden attention I was getting from the doctor as well as Mr Blackwood w

Lily's POV.I froze on the spot as both men engaged in a silent battle of stares. For a moment, it felt as though I was nothing but a stranger in their world. For the first time since I'd been with Mr Blackwood, he was paying no attention to me.My eyes skimmed over the physique of this Ricardo man. He was tall, taller than even Mr Blackwood, if that was possible. He had on a suit—heck, all mafia lords wore suits. What I thought was him being bald was merely a buzzcut, scraped so low to his scalp. He had cryptic tattoos snaking up the back of his neck, and what I could see of his hands were covered in inky tattoos as well.Nice, I thought. Very mafia-like.What a sight I must have looked to every passerby, kneeling on the floor in prayer posture, my vision swimming dangerously.Then Mr Blackwood pulled his gaze from Ricardo's, and the staring spell was broken.He turned to me, towering above me like a marble statue. "Are you hurt?" He asked."I...." Why had I suddenly lost my voice? "I

Aiden's POVI followed Lily out of the car, trailing her with my hands in my pocket. The sight of her storming into the house, all stiff and stoic, put an amused smile on my face.Finally, we got into the house, and she immediately made a beeline for the staircase. "Where are you going?" I called out.She turned to face me, arms folded. "To my bedroom.""I think you mean, my bedroom?" I slowly walked towards her, my hands still buried in my pockets. She licked her lips, and a lurch of desire happened in my groin. "You're about to give me some crap about owning this house and everything in it, aren't you?" "It is technically my bedroom though." God, how I enjoyed teasing this tough woman."It's not if you don't sleep in it." She grumbled. I could sense the subtlety beneath her voice, the need to pursue a totally different topic. I could also sense the question behind her words, aching to be asked.Why did I leave her in the room after sex, not once, but twice? Why did I refuse to sl

CHAPTER NINETEENAiden's POVWhen I woke the next morning, I was surprised to find myself in the plush, leather chair in my study.With a start, I sat up and looked around, running my fingers through my hair. It took me a moment to realize I'd slept off while working.My eyes glazed over the pile of files on my table. I saw the bills that needed to be paid, the receipts from transactions, and all the rest of the useless debris that made up each of my days as the leader of a mafia gang.I smiled bitterly. Lily was right, after all. When I wasn't fucking her, I somehow found my way into this study and worked myself to sleep. I hadn't even been to my bedroom, or anywhere else in this house in ages.I rearranged the sheaf of papers, then stood from my desk. I glanced down, noting my wrinkled dress trousers, and the blue shirt that I'd worn to the hospital, unbuttoned all the way down. My tie was loose, hanging off my neck, and I was barefoot."What a mess!" I muttered to myself. I padded