Chapter Nineteen
"Are you going to sleep with Liz?"
Jason's head whipped around to face his curious daughter. He heard the crack of his neck from the quick movement. Sitting comfortably in her canopy bed with the powder blue covers drawn back, Lil gazed up at him with her questioning light blue eyes, Mr. Floppy in her lap. The young father blinked hoping that he was seeing things. However, every time his eyes opened he was still in the midst of pink and blue décor with his four year old peering up at him, fidgeting for an answer.
"Daddy, you look like Dory with your mouth open like that?"
The enforcer clamped his mouth shut at the comparison to a cartoon character. The question she had asked so innocently was still ringing in his ears. Lil was known for asking things that were ahead of her time. Repeating over and over again in his head that there was a reasonable explanation behind everything, Jason pivoted on his bare heel and faced his daughter. His hands were a death grip on the travel book he held and a thin layer of sweat had started to form on his forehead.
He forcibly cleared his throat. "Sweetheart, where did you get an idea like that?"
She smiled up at him. "Uncle Sonny and Aunt Brenda." She answered the question as if she had asked an everyday question.
"And why would they give you an idea like that?"
"Because they said that once you're married to Liz then you can go to bed together and I can call her mommy." She smiled wistfully at him.
Groaning, Jason collapsed onto Lil's bed, the travel book slipping from his grasp to fall to the floor with a thump. Closing his eyes, he promised to get revenge after he survived explaining things to Lil. Reluctantly opening his eyes, Jason found himself staring into the same shade of his eyes colors. His daughter smiled sweetly down at him, dressed in a pair of Dora the Explorer pajamas. Pulling himself into a sitting position, he situated Lil in his lap and concentrated his attention on the clock.
"When did Sonny and Brenda tell you all of this?"
"Right after you wouldn't answer my question about where babies came from."
The young father automatically frowned. He had escaped the conversation of the birds and the bees for it to come back to haunt him. "And what would happen if—if El—your nanny and I slept together?" He forced the words out of his mouth. He would rather face the Five Family then have this conversation with his daughter.
She paused for a moment. Her pale blue eyes coming to twinkle with hope. "Liz would become sick with a baby."
Instantly, Jason frowned. "Sick?"
"Yup, her tummy would get big and she'll have to throw up a lot," Lil explained. "And then after," she paused, counting on her fingers. "Nine months, I'll get a baby brother."
"A baby brother, huh?" For a moment, Jason entertained his daughter's imagination.
"Yup," she chirped. "I would teach him how to sing the alphabet and take him to picnics with us. I would help feed him and sing him a lullaby. I'll even help clean his dirty diapers." She crinkled her nose at the thought, causing her father to laugh at her behavior. "I'll listen to everything you and Liz say, I promise," she added quickly.
"Lil, it's not easy to have a baby," Jason argued, his voice growing softer. "There are many decisions that are needed to be made." Especially for a child in his lifestyle. When he had learned that Lil had been conceived it had thrown his life into a whirlwind of decisions. The most important one was how he would protect her. And after her birth the question evolved into how he would raise her alone. A second child for him would not only be a blessing, but would entail even more questions. Making plans for the future when neither him nor Lil knew if the woman they wanted apart of their family would be with them past next week.
Remembering that Lil did not know that Elizabeth was leaving, Jason straightened his shoulders and prepared himself to break the news to her. "Lil, there is something important that I need to tell you." Her life was about to be altered in a matter of days, she deserved to be told the truth instead of waking up to find the woman she saw as a mother was gone.
Her face lit up. "Can I guess?"
"Sweetheart, I don't think you want to."
She completely ignored him. Scrounging up her face she contemplated her answer before, she looked at him thoughtfully. "Does it have to do with Liz?"
Grimly, he sighed, "Yes".
"I knew it," Lil exclaimed smiling widely. "You're marrying Liz?" She asked before Jason got another word in otherwise.
Jason's heart began to break as he watched the expectation in his daughter's wide soft blue eyes. He inhaled painfully, dipping his head to press a gentle kiss against her temple. Brushing her loose pale blonde hair back, he enveloped her in his warm embrace and held on, searching for the strength that it would take to break his child's heart.
"Lil, sweetie," he began solemnly, his emotions threatening to strangle him. "I know how much you love Elizabeth and want a Mom. I want to give you that."
"Daddy," the young blonde interrupted.
Gladly welcoming the intrusion, Jason lowered his gaze to his daughter. She stared up at him with his identical eyes. The corners of her mouth were quirked up and her eyes were dimmed.
"You don't have to marry her", Lil informed him, her weak attempt at a smile failing.
Taken aback by the admission, the young father stared at his daughter with mystified eyes. Scowling, he turned Lil in his lap and stared down at her, processing her words and pondering his response.
"I want you happy," the wise child told her father. "I want Liz happy. Don't marry her because of me." She shrugged weakly. The sadness apparent in her face, especially in her expressive azure eyes. "I love you, both."
"Angel, we love you too," he murmured, touched by her concern for him and her nanny even though she would be sacrificing her own happiness for them. "We want you to be happy too. It matters more than anything else."
Drawing in a deep breath, Jason rested his chin on his daughter's head and listened to her breathing. He knew how difficult it was for his daughter to live without a mother. He remembered the first few months after Sam had left. Lil's beautiful eyes had sought out her mother's brown eyes before she finally stopped and the twinkle in her sky blue eyes dimmed. The twinkle returned after a three-year absence, when Elizabeth scooped her up into her arms and soothed her in the middle of the nanny's interview in his office. A void had been filled in his daughter's life with Elizabeth's presence and it was about to be empty again thanks to him. Unless of course, he figured out a way to persuade Elizabeth to remain with them.
Making up his mind, Jason dropped a kiss on his daughter's golden head and peered down at her with scheming eyes.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lil questioned with a small frown.
"Just thinking", he shrugged with a grin. "If you'd like to help me surprise Elizabeth?"
"Oh," she exclaimed.
"Think you're right for the job?"
Instantly, a stunning smile curved his daughter's lips. "I think I can help," Lil whispered.
"Good," Jason whispered back. "Go to sleep now and tomorrow we'll plan."
"Promise?" she asked, she grinned meekly at him.
"I promise."
Shifting, Jason laid down his daughter and her sidekick. She smiled, staring up at him from under hooded eyes. Tucking her covers under her chin and Mr. Floppy's, Jason lingered for a moment. The need to protect his daughter grew with each passing day, especially now when her world was on the brink on shattering. Sighing heavily, he brushed away pale blonde hair, pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, and patted Mr. Floppy's head before rising.
"I love you, Daddy," the young child mumbled, her eyes drifting close.
"I love you too," he said in a soft voice.
Reaching the threshold of the hallway, Jason paused, watching his daughter shift to her side and ease into blissful sleep. Stepping into the hallway, "Sweet dreams", he told the silent room, shutting the door gently.
Rolling his head on his shoulders, Jason drew in a deep breath and turned for the stairs. Barefoot he descended the oak staircase pondering how to break dreadful news to his daughter before she found out on her own. Reaching the bottom step, he froze at the sight that greeted him.
With a hand grasping his desk for balance, his nanny slipped the strap of a black stiletto into place. Once again, he eyes ran over more skin than he wanted to see that he could not touch. Dressed in what appeared to be a black top with a back with cutouts that left much Elizabeth's alabaster skin exposed. The back consisted of strips of silk cloth arranged in a crisscross, held together with a simple knot where all the fabric met at the center of her back. A simple ruffled black skirt—he wished was longer—fell to mid-thigh, revealing her long legs. The high stilettos she tugged on currently completed her scandalous outfit.
Shifting, she tugged on the strap of her stiletto for good measure. She straightened and pivoted gracefully on her heels. Her skirt spread out around her at the slight movement, revealing the lace boy shorts she wore, causing his body to tense more than he thought possible.
Catching sight of him, she paused. A single crystal pendant hung on a silver chain, coming to rest between the valley of her breasts that the deep V of her top revealed. The crystal winked at him under the light. Her luscious lips glossed pulled up at the corners into a luring smile that only made his groin heavier. Her face was covered in a thin layer of barely visible makeup. The only prominent touch up was the eyeliner that made her thick eyelashes thicker and her eyes even more dark and alluring. The silky chocolate locks he wanted to quench his hands in rested on her shoulders, shinning in the light. The image before him reminded him of an option that two meddling brunettes had suggested to keep his nanny as a permanent fixture in his life. It held great appeal at the moment.
He had the urge to release the knot that held the back of her top together to see all the skin his eyes longed to see. He knew without a doubt that her legs would wrap around him perfectly and her talented digits would only send a trail of fire over his skin. The lips that had curved into a smile for him at the moment brought back memories. Memories of their softness. Memories of battling with her enticing tongue. He knew that if he slipped his hand under her skirt, the skin between her inner thighs would be soft.
"Is Lil down for the night?" she asked, her cobalt eyes soft as she spoke of her charge.
Elizabeth's voice snapped Jason out of his heated thoughts. Shaking his head, he cleared the cloud of lust that had settled over his mind. Clearing his throat, he forced the muscles in his mouth to work. "She's out for the night," he croaked. He was very grateful he had donned sweats in place of jeans.
"That's great," Elizabeth replied, shifting her attention to the small leather clutch that sat on his desk. She shifted things around in the small accessory, granting Jason the view of her barely concealed back again.
She finished her task to face him again, a pleasant smile on her painted lips. She observed him with questioning eyes when he didn't speak.
Forcing his eyes on her face, Jason frowned when a thought crossed his mind. "Are you going somewhere?" he asked, realizing that she never mentioned any plans.
"Sorry," she mumbled, blushing. "It was last minute. Brenda called right after I said good night to Lil and asked to go out." She shrugged, drawing the fabric of her top taut across her chest. "She hasn't been out since Delilah was born."
He said nothing. He was having a hard time concentrating on her words instead of the mounds of her breasts that he remembered cupping in what seemed like a very long time ago.
She frowned in concern at his silence. Resting a hand on his motionless arm, she asked, "If you want me to stay I can cancel?"
Mentally shaking himself, Jason straightened and swallowed harshly. "It's fine. You enjoy your night." The words were past his lips and Jason wanted to smack himself. Dressed the way she was scorched his blood; he could only imagine what the reaction of other men would be. Suddenly determined to put an end to her night and keep her in the penthouse, covered and out of any man's reach--except his—he began to come up with a reasonable excuse when the penthouse door slammed open.
Brenda marched into the penthouse followed by Emily and a not so very happy looking Sonny. Both women were dressed in black dresses that were longer than Elizabeth's skirt, but by merely millimeters. Scowling Jason looked past the women in his penthouse to his very grumpy looking best friend. The mob boss dressed in his tailored gray Italian suit did not look very pleased with the little outing that his wife had arranged.
"Elizabeth, you look gorgeous," Emily exclaimed; circling her friend to admire the outfit that Jason had the urge to cover with Sonny's suit.
"We were right to force you to buy it," Brenda stated smugly, brushing away a lock that fell over the younger brunette's eye.
Jason glared at Brenda for her admission. Moving until he was standing next to Sonny, the young enforcer continued to watch the three energetic brunettes in his penthouse through narrowed eyes.
"I can't believe you're letting them go out like that," Jason grumbled loud enough for only the older man next to him to hear.
"Have you met my wife?" Sonny retorted. "The woman is as stubborn as a bull."
The enforcer snorted in agreement. His eyes focused now on his nanny as she fiddled with her crystal pendant, gushing over something with the other women.
"Why don't you order Emily to stay home?"
Jason threw a look of disbelief at his best friend.
"Point taken," the older man murmured, realizing that Emily was as headstrong as Brenda was and would not yield to anything her older brother ordered her to do.
A low, sharp whistle filled the room, drawing all eyes to the door. Max stood in his tailored suit, shaking his head in amazement. "You ladies look gorgeous tonight," he murmured with a teasing twinkle in his eyes. "You'll turn more than a few heads that's for sure."
The women giggled, while the two other men glowered at him.
Smiling sheepishly, the bodyguard joined his bosses at the threshold of the living room. "Jason you could just come up with an excuse about Lil being sick to ruin their plans?" he suggested.
"Won't work," Sonny answered, rubbing his chin in thought. "Brenda is determined to go out tonight and this one here," he jerked his head in Jason's direction. "From the looks of it, already gave his nanny permission to go out."
The blonde threw the dark head a dirty look.
"And he's supposed to be the smart one," Max chided.
"You're going on door duty for the next month," Jason snarled with a deadly glare.
Ignoring the pouts of the grown bodyguard besides him, the enforcer signaled to the silent bodyguard that stood in the threshold of the penthouse. Johnny hesitated for a moment before stepping into the room to join the group. Slipping into the corner, he stared at the closed balcony doors.
"We're ready to go," Brenda announced, tugging on a cuffed cropped sweater.
Sonny and Jason exchanged panicked glances. They were both aware of the damage that the three brunettes were capable of if they were unleashed on the defenseless world.
Fumbling for a last attempt, Jason blurted out, "Don't you need a jacket, Elizabeth?"
Emily chuckled. "You may need a leather jacket in the middle of spring, but I think Elizabeth will do fine without one."
His nanny smirked at him, a bright twinkle in her eyes. She offhandedly straightened a loose black wrap around her bare shoulders. "I think the wrap will do, Jason," she replied.
Sighing, the mob boss and the enforcer accepted that they had no control over the situation and shot disgruntled looks at the brunettes that stepped into line to walk out the penthouse door that Johnny held open.
Grumbling under his breath, Sonny kissed his wife good-bye. "Behave," he warned all three women.
"Look after them," Jason ordered Johnny.
The bodyguard simply nodded.
Coming to stand behind Elizabeth, Jason paused unsure what to say or do. He wanted her to stay home, but knew it wasn't his decision to make. With her heels, she reached his lips. Inhaling the scent of lilacs and vanilla, he dipped his head, letting her thick locks brush his face. "Be careful," he whispered, lingering over one of her bare shoulders.
Glancing over her shoulder, she grinned at him. "I will," she whispered back in a husky tone.
Without hesitation, Jason's grasped her waist and spun her to collide with his broad chest. He smirked at the small gasp that left her parted lips and captured her tempting lips with his. A warmth that he knew only Elizabeth brought into his life, overwhelmed his senses. He didn't pause for the full electrifying shock of kissing her to settle. He took advantage of her surprised gasp to invade her warm mouth.
He ravaged her without a care in the world that everyone around him or her gawked at them. He plundered her mouth, tangling his tongue with hers; clenching his fist in her hair, as he had wanted to do the minute he had walked downstairs. A low moan escaped her lips to be muffled by his demanding mouth. He tightened his hold on her, pulling her petite form flush against his letting her know exactly what she did to him. Deliberately dragging his lips against hers one last time, he pulled back, taking in deep breathes. Winking at her rumpled appearance, he murmured, "Have a great night," before releasing her.
Watching her step out of the penthouse, her eyes wide open and her hands touching her trembling lips, and chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath, the enforcer smiled in satisfaction. Licking his lips to taste her, he smirked. He was arrogantly confident his nanny wouldn't be drawn to any other man tonight.