Page 71 of The Don
“Money should never be your concern.”
“But,” she pauses and lowers her chin. “I’m not worth all of this.” Eliza gestures around us.
Her lack of self-worth is due to the treatment she endured at my nephew’s hands. Not to mention her fucking deadbeat parents mortgaged her like she’s nothing. “Yes, you are.” I glance at her uneaten food. “Eat.” I begin my food and when Eliza attempts to self-deprecate again, I silence her with a cautious stare.
“I’ll eat now.” A slow smirk tugs at her lips as she nibbles on her tortellini. “This has been an amazing day! Thank you. First, I saw Rose and now this.”
“Don’t forget the birthday presents.”
“They’re neither here nor there. I just love spending time with her.” Her tongue peeks out and she catches some sauce on her bottom lip. “And you. I like being with you, Ruben.”
“I’m pleased.”
“I’m going to say something that sounds really stupid, but I feel better when you’re with me.” She intakes a small breath as she pushes her food around on the plate. “I feel safe.”
“Good.”
“You know, you’re not very talkative.” She lifts her fork and pops a tortellini in her mouth.
“I speak when needed.”
She takes a moment to chew, then looks over to me. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Just one?” I tease making her smile. “Go ahead.”
“I don’t want to be disrespectful, but you’re the Don.”
“I am.”
“Traditionally the Don would have a family.”
I look at my plate and I’m nearly done with my meal while Eliza has only had two maybe three tortellini. “I’m waiting for the question.”
“Why aren’t you married?” There it is. “I gather you don’t have children either.” I look to her and cock a brow. Her beautiful face morphs in worry. “Oh, you do?”
“I don’t have a wife, or children. No.”
“Why?”
“I’m careful when I have sex, and I haven’t wanted to take a wife.” Until now.
Eliza’s shoulders slump as a quick though sad smile pulls at her lips. “Oh,” she says with disappointment. “We weren’t careful last night.”
“I couldn’t think of anything better than having you full of my cum. And my child in your belly.” Her shoulders tremble as she lowers her chin so I can’t see her beautiful face. “Amorina.” She refuses to look up at me, which forces me to reach across the small table, place my finger under her chin, and tilt her head. “Look at me.” Her eyes are misty and red. “When I kill Adrian you’ll be a free woman. And I’ll officially make you mine.”
Her features soften and her posture relaxes. “I’m not ready to have a child, Ruben. I have so much happening in my head that I’m not sure I’d be able to cope with a child.” She gulps and lifts her eyes to mine. “I’m damaged,” she says on a breathy exhale. “I think I’m too tragic for you.”
I stand and tear her out of the seat. I bring my woman over to me, and seat her on my lap. My right hand holds the back of her neck while my left is possessively holding her slender hips. “You’re safe with me.”
“I know,” Eliza responds with zero emotion.
I grip her harder. “You are safe with me.” She blinks rapidly, then finally closes her eyes. She softly shakes her head while taking deep breaths. “You’re safe with me.”
Shivers pass over her body in waves until she wraps her arms around me and nuzzles into my neck. “He’d tell me no one could ever love me because I was useless and the only thing I was good for was to offer my body,” she whimpers.
I snake my left hand between us and place it over her heart. “Not only are you the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, but this is perfect.” I sound like a fucking sap, but my woman needs me. She needs to be shown how magnificent she is, when she can’t see her own beauty.
Eliza’s crying eases and she pulls back to look at me. “Why are you so kind to me, Ruben?” She searches my face, but I give her nothing. “You and Dominic are the only men in this life who’ve shown me kindness, and I don’t understand it.”