4

Niko is standing in front of the closed door. In a charcoal suit, matching shirt, and an equally black tie. He looks like the dark and dangerous I’d dubbed him when I snuck out of my boarding school and ran into him a year ago. Unaware that I was to marry him. 

He knew exactly who I was of course

Then he’d been perfectly dark. 

He still is.

And like the first time I saw him, my heart skipped a beat. “You’re here”

Niko pushes away from the door, coming around the table until he is standing in front of me his gaze fixed on me. “You look beautiful, baby” 

I go up to him, as he leans down to press a swift kiss to my lips. “Thank you” 

Finally, his eyes take in the candles and flower arrangements then narrows on me with slight suspicion. “This is different” he repeats.

My fingers smooth up the soft material of his suit jacket before coming to link together behind his neck “What do you mean by different?” I laughed playfully “Get that look off your face Niko, can’t a girl decide to do something romantic for her husband?” 

A hand glided down my spine, and he hummed, fingers resting on my ass as he cradles me close his tongue licking into my mouth. “I like the sound of that”

I pull back gently, “Dinner first” 

His eyebrow arched slightly, pregnancy has made me highly sexual to an embarrassing degree, most days I’m the one who drags him to our room when he gets back from work. Today, however, is different, like a wise woman once told me, the way into a man’s heart is through his stomach, and while I’ve captured my husband’s heart, somewhat…? It remains unmoving most of the time, a personality of every made man. if I want to convince him of my idea, I’ll need all my arsenal. 

Niko hummed thoughtfully. His eyes focused on me. 

And because I am a hormonal pregnant woman I lean against him belly first, my face in the crock of his neck “But I’m a very understanding wife, so tell me, do you want to eat before you eat or eat before you eat?” I feel him go ridge against me. 

Niko groans low, fingers of both hands now digging into my backside causing my stomach to clench with heat. 

“Saying things like that will get you fucked on the dinner table food be damned” he growls, nudging my chin up with his before claiming my lips in a deep kiss that melts my inside, his tongue licking into my mouth savagely. I’m ready to say screw dinner when he pulls back. Breathing hard against my cheek. 

“Since you went through all the trouble, fucking will have to wait.” Now it is my turn to groan loudly. 

Niko chuckles as he takes my hand and leads me to the table, holding out a chair for me. 

“Thank you,” I tell him with a smile as I arrange a napkin on my lap. 

Niko takes the sit opposite me pouring himself a glass of wine. 

I’ve long stopped asking him how his day and work went, he usually says something along the line of 'nothing I can’t handle'. 

So as we eat I tell him about my day and the gossip I learned from my talk with Gianna. Clearly, he is not very interested in who was caught fucking their maid and who is planning a get-together but he listens as I talk. 

I tell him of Galo, heir to one of the prominent New York families brought his pregnant mistress to their household. “His poor wife, according to Gianna, this is only their third year of marriage, too soon to be taking drastic steps if you ask me”

Niko nods in agreement slipping his fork into his mouth as he chews.

“It is also likely that his legal wife could have a child at some point, she is young, only twenty-eight, can you imagine the issues that will stem from that?” the first son often inherits, but to be born illegitimate? His rights will be taken away from him, and for now, he will merely be a placeholder until they have a legitimate heir, I’ve seen this happen again and again and nothing breeds hatred like being casted aside and replaced with your legitimate siblings when you never asked to be born in the first place. I can't even imagine the pain, the hurt. 

Which is why married men should keep it in their pants.

“His father has already asked to legitimize the child as heir should it be a boy, he will have the family name and be treated with complete rights as will any other children they may have” 

I blink in surprise “So what? Is she like a concubine now? Second wife? Live in mistress?” My goodness, I sputtered, bringing my glass to my lips, enjoying the cool alcohol-free beverage, the legal wife must have the attitude of a saint to allow this, she is essentially going to share her husband with a woman in the same household. 

"Will you approve?” 

“It is their family decision” 

“Surely you see how this can become a problem in the future, his wife might be okay with it now but if she has a child, a son, I reckon she’ll feel differently” She might even be okay with sharing her man, I'm not naive to think all women are possessive of their husbands, but our children's birthright? I dont know a lot of women that will be willing to share.

“I cannot get involved in family affairs, it is their bloodline, Fabbri has always been a fair man, he will put his family to order,” Niko says, referring to the head of the family.

I shake my head as we go back to our food, My goodness. 

And when I tell him of my appointment with Dr. Andrea the next day. 

“I know,” he says. 

“Of course” I roll my eyes playfully, spooning some baked potatoes onto my plate. 

His eyes hold mine as he says softly, “I will be there” 

Surprisingly he’s been present during all of my doctor's visits, every Wednesday by two on the dot, like clockwork. Coming home before the doctor arrives and sitting quietly beside me as she asks all the questions and does the regular checkups. Not to say I expected him to be nonchalant about the fact that I was carrying his baby. But his steely presence is one I appreciate. 

“Still not ready to know the gender of the baby?” 

I shake my head negative.

It was the first thing Dr. Andrea wanted to check as I’d been more than six weeks along when we found out, I refused. She had been shocked. She had been even more shocked when she turned the question to Niko and he allowed it. 

Most women in the family want to know as soon as possible. In hopes of having an heir for their husbands, getting that out of the way like some chore. And because in the chance of the child being a girl, they know they have to start trying soon again. For a male. 

Maybe it would be better just having that out of the way but I don’t want that kind of pressure hanging over me. This is my first baby. I want to experience all the emotions that come with being pregnant without thinking of heirs and genders and possibly having another soon after. Maybe when I’m further along I might change my mind and decide I want to know, but until then, everyone can keep guessing. 

His voice takes on a soothing edge “These tests might reveal other-“ 

“No Niko” I whinnied cutting him off “As long as the baby is healthy, that’s all that matters and we will all find out the sex when the baby is born” a spike of annoyance rising in my chest. 

He raises his hands in surrender “Alright then”

I breathe for some calm, “That being said. I want to start working” I don’t say it like it is a suggestion or as though I’m asking his permission, which I should probably be doing. 

“What did you say?” 

“Work, you know, just to keep busy during the day,” I say in a light voice that is supposed to sound as though it’s no big deal because it isn’t. 

Niko just looks at me. Like he expects me to laugh and say that I’m joking. 

When the quiet gets too long and awkward and I start sweating in my dress, I have to tell myself not to avoid his eyes, Instead, I ask “Well, what do you think?” 

His expression gives away nothing as he looks at me “Are you asking or telling me?” 

“Niko…” I drawled.

“You know what I think Lola, You are almost seventeen weeks pregnant” 

“I know that” I do know that, this is around the same time women in the cooperate world are hoping to take a break from work. I get that this is completely backward. 

I do. 

“Then how can you be thinking to work?” He puts his fork down and turns those intense eyes on me and I have the fight the urge to fan myself. And I probably would but the situation just doesn’t call for it. 

I try to pacify my husband, “Obviously it would be nothing stressful as I am as you said, pregnant, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot the past few days-“The look he gives me says he clearly knows I’m lying “-I think it would help me stay busy”

His eyes narrow in annoyance “If you want to stay busy, pick up knitting-“ 

“You did not just say that!” Though I’m well skilled in knitting and embroidery I still take offense. 

“-Or something that helps you stay calm and healthy as you grow our children, not something that will undoubtedly stress you out because that is what working does. It is not fun, Lola”

I just glare at him. 

I didn’t exactly expect him to be welcoming or thrilled by the idea but I didn’t think he’d be this against it. 

A moment later my bottom lip begins to tremble followed by a tear that rolls down my cheek catching on my lip I swipe at it but not before I taste bitter salt. Sniffling, I chase it down with a sip of grape juice coughing into my glass as my throat tightens.

”Jesus Christ” he groans as another tear drops and I’m full-on crying.

I hear his chair scrape the tiles before Niko comes around and helps me from my chair, “I didn’t mean to make you cry” 

I continue crying “You didn’t even hear my idea and you just shut it down” 

“I haven’t exactly shut it down, yet” he murmured as he wiped my other cheek with the pad of his thumb. 

“You don’t have to act like it’s such a bad idea though” I look up at him through glassy gaze.

He tucks my hair behind my ear, “You don’t need to work love” his lips pressed against my damp cheek. “I do enough for the both of us. And soon, our little family, I’ll always take care of us” he cradles my belly softly as he says this.

I hug him tightly as he soothes a hand up and down my back, the lapel of his jacked now damp from my tears, “It’s not just about the money, there are other things, satisfaction to be derived from working, seeing a project to completion, you know what I’m talking about” I mumbled into his chest as he tries to calm me down. 

Niko hummed in agreement, a sigh leaving him, his fingers petting my hair gliding down the nape of my neck, before cupping the back of my skull, he scratched soothingly, my eyes fall shut, I know what he is doing, he is trying to distract me and it is working. 

I pull back so I can look into his eyes, I want him to know that I’m serious about this. 

“I suppose I know what you are talking about” he finally relents the heat from earlier returning to his eyes. He kissed my cheek.

“Does that mean I can do it?” I asked blinking up at him hopefully.

“Fuck no” he kisses me again, on my lips this time “but I know what will make you feel better” he mummers, licking the parted seam of my lips, one of his hands fisting my dress and it begins to rise past my ankles. my body reacting to the heat that fills his eyes, My fingers tighten on his suit jacket pushing it over his muscled shoulders as I allow him to distract me, a moan slipping past my lips as he carries me to the couch I kiss him back just as feverishly. 

I haven’t given up though.