Bad Beat (The Gamblers Book 2)

by Sarah Curtis

  Giggling, Olivia stared up at Nico. "You look awfully pretty yourself with all that glitter in your hair."

  Nico looked up and scowled. "Yeah, I didn't think that through. Not sure I'll ever get it all cleaned up."

  She pressed into him closer—as close as her newly enlarged boobs would allow. "In case I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time tonight. Thank you."

  Nico moved his hand from her ass to check the time on his watch. "The evening's not over yet. I've saved the best for last. Come on."

  Taking her by the hand, he led her off the dance floor, down a hall, to a secret stairway behind a locked door he opened with a key. An emergency door was at the top of the stairs, exiting to the roof.

  A cold breeze blew, and she shivered until she felt the heavy material of Nico's suit jacket land on her shoulders. She grasped the lapels and pulled them closed, snuggling into the warmth still left over from the heat of his body.

  She looked over at him, smiling. "Thanks." She glanced around, spying a lone pool lounger a few yards away. A small table stood beside it topped with two wine flutes and a bottle of champagne. "What are we doing up here?"

  He looked at his watch again. "You'll see in about five more minutes."

  He guided her across the rooftop, stopping them beside the lounger. Swinging a leg over, he sat, patting the space in front of him.

  "Only one chair?" she asked, planting her butt between his legs, stretching hers out in front of her.

  "It forces you to share with me." He wrapped an arm around her front, settling her against his chest.

  Olivia laughed. "Like you would've needed to twist my arm."

  "I wasn't taking any chances." He reached to the table, and picked up the bottle, pouring dark-golden, bubbly liquid into both glasses.

  "I shouldn't drink champagne," she said, taking the glass he handed her. He turned the bottle so the label faced her and she laughed. "Sparkling apple cider?"

  "Only the best for my girl," he said with a wink.

  After a few heartbeats, she twisted to face him. "Am I?" At his raised questioning eyebrow, she elaborated. "Am I your girl?"

  She didn't miss the slight flare of panic that widened his eyes and quickly said, "Wait," while covering his lips with her fingers. "Don't answer that." She didn't want to know. She was happy with how things were.

  He was sweet to her, always looking out for her. He might even really love her a little bit, so it was easy for her to pretend he loved her a lot. She didn't want him to answer and maybe burst the bubble of happiness she'd surrounded herself in.

  Fireworks exploded overhead, brightening the sky, so close it felt as if she could reach out and touch them. Looking up at them in awe, she watched as the starbursts of light slowly blinked out just in time for new ones to appear.

  He circled her wrist with his hand, sliding her fingers from his mouth. "Happy New Year, baby."

  His lips claimed hers before she could speak. She'd said all she dared to say anyway.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  "I'm serious, Nico, I don't want to know."

  Nico glanced at Olivia before turning his eyes back to the road. Her arms were folded under her tits and resting on her small baby bump. Damn, his wife could be stubborn.

  They were on their way to Olivia's twenty-week doctor's appointment, and she was scheduled for the ultrasound that could tell him whether they were having a boy or a girl. And he wanted to know. He was a man who liked control of all things. He didn't like surprises.

  "Knowing will make things so much easier." Not to mention it would lessen some of his anxiety. "You can pick the proper color scheme for the baby's room. You know you wanted to get started on it soon."

  "I've already told you, I'm going with primary colors and an animal theme. That'll be fine for either a boy or a girl."

  They'd been having the same argument for the past week. "Tesoro—"

  "Don't tesoro me, Nicoló."

  Nico winced at the use of his full name and the tone in which she used it. Him, big, bad mobster, unafraid to stare down the barrel of a gun, feared pissing off his wife.

  "You are not getting your way this time. I'm putting my,"

  "Okay."

  "Foot down. This decision means too much to me, and I won't—" She stopped mid-sentence, turning to look at him. "Did you say okay?"

  He chuckled. "Close your mouth, tesoro. I said, okay. We'll do it your way."

  He pulled into the parking spot and turned off the car before turning in his seat to look at her. She still looked a little shocked but then her eyes warmed and that smile he loved so much turned up her lips. "Thank you."

  And fuck him if he wouldn't do anything for her if it meant he got soft smiles and sweet thank yous.

  The waiting room was crowded. He walked through it to the door that led to the exam rooms like he fucking owned the place, not once sparing a glance at the expectant mothers-to-be. He eyed the receptionist, and she buzzed them in before his hand touched the knob.

  "We need to work on your people skills," Olivia murmured as they walked down the hall to the last exam room.

  He ushered her through the door, closing it behind them. "My people skills work to my advantage."

  "Because you scare people to death."

  Nico shrugged, not giving a fuck.

  She stepped into him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and his hands automatically dove into her hair. "Haven't you ever heard the phrase, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar?"

  "Why the fuck would I want to catch flies?"

  Her nose scrunched up, and he fought the urge to lean down and kiss it. "I don't know. I guess it is a silly saying."

  After a light knock, the door opened, and the doctor walked in. "Good morning."

  Olivia stepped out of Nico's embrace but stayed close to his side. "Good morning."

  Dr. Rosen was a tall, willowy, middle-aged black woman, referred to Nico by his personal physician because she was one of the best in her field. He'd had her checked out anyway, and she'd passed with flying colors.

  "How have you been feeling, Olivia?"

  "Good. The morning sickness is gone."

  Dr. Rosen nodded, making a note in Olivia's chart. When she was done, she asked, "So are you excited to see the baby?"

  Olivia was all smiles. "Yes."

  "Then let's get started. Hop up on the table."

  Olivia climbed up, the paper crinkling as she got herself situated. Nico took his place, standing beside her while the doctor fiddled with the ultrasound machine. Olivia grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly.

  "Okay, I think we're ready." Dr. Rosen picked up a white plastic bottle then lifted Olivia's shirt. "This will feel a little strange," she cautioned before squeezing a bunch of blue goo on her belly.

  Olivia's stomach fluttered and she scrunched her nose. "Gross."

  The doctor grimaced. "Sorry."

  Nico watched as the doctor ran the wand over Olivia's stomach while staring intently at the monitor. Seconds turned into minutes as his impatience grew, turning into worry at the doctor's continued silence.

  Jaw tense, he leaned over the exam table about to demand an answer, when the doctor turned the screen. His head swiveled to look at the monitor.

  "Wow," Olivia said on an exhaled rush of air.

  Nico couldn't agree more. Head. Arms. Hands. Fingers. Legs. The picture was so clear, he could even make out the facial features. An unexpected lump formed in the back of his throat, and he had to swallow it down.

  A small sniffle drew hi
s attention, and he dragged his eyes away from the screen to look down at his wife. Tears fell from her eyes, coating her cheeks, and he reached out his free hand, wiping at the wetness with his thumb.

  "She's beautiful." She turned a smile up at him. "In a weird alien sort of way," she joked, trying to lighten the moment, he knew, so she could get her emotions under control.

  He gave her hand a squeeze. "He's fucking perfect."

  The doctor cleared her throat. "Speaking of which, would you like to know the gender of the baby?"

  She shook her head, adamantly. "No. We don't want to know."

  Olivia gave him a look, daring him to contradict her. He wisely kept his mouth shut.

  Dr. Rosen moved the wand thingy, and he looked back at the screen. Displayed was an up-close headshot and he had a feeling he'd missed his opportunity of discovering the sex for himself.

  "Well then," the doctor said, setting down the wand and wiping Olivia's stomach with a white towel. "Everything looks great." She jotted a few notes in a file. "And the ultrasound confirms your due-date of June sixth." She stood from her seat, collected the pictures she took, sliding them into an envelope before handing them to Olivia. "A little memento."

  "Thank you." Olivia clutched the envelope as if she would never let it go.

  Nico waited for the doctor to leave the room before he helped Olivia sit up, tugging her t-shirt down over her belly. He left his hand on her stomach, rubbing it in small circles. "I, um..." He cleared his throat. He was honestly at a loss for words, not sure how to express what he was feeling.

  Olivia's hand covered his on her stomach. Her other hand coming up to cradle the side of his face. "I know."

  They stared at each other for a moment, no words spoken. None were needed. Their eyes said everything they wanted to say.

  * * * * *

  "When I asked what you wanted to do after your doctor's appointment, I didn't think it would be something like this." His attention was on the room, scoping things out.

  They were standing in line, waiting their turn, at the all-you-can-eat ice-cream buffet Olivia had seen advertised on TV. She'd been drooling since she'd seen the commercial a few weeks ago, but actually being in the vicinity of such yumminess, she could barely contain her eagerness.

  Suppressing a smile, she looked up at Nico. "You could've said no."

  He gave her "the look." The one that said she was crazy if she thought he would ever say no to anything she wanted. Olivia smiled wide. She loved that look.

  They moved up a spot in line, and she caught Nico giving an entirely different look to the guy standing a few feet away at a podium. "Don't even think about it, mister." She poked him in the side for good measure.

  He looked back down at her raising an eyebrow. "What?"

  She nodded to the worker, taking people's money. "We're not skipping the line. Kids are in front of us, waiting very patiently for their turn."

  He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "I don't... wait."

  She leaned into him, patting his chest. "It'll be good for your soul."

  He shook his head, clearly part exasperated and partly amused by her. Throwing his arm around her shoulders, he said, "My soul is a lost cause, so I don't need to be good."

  She shook her head. "You're impossible."

  He smirked. "Impossible not to love."

  Truer words had never been spoken.

  The wait didn't take much longer, and soon Nico was handing the guy at the podium money. Olivia practically skipped to the buffet table, grabbing up two large bowls and handing one to Nico.

  "I don't even know where to begin." It was almost a sensory overload. Ice cream of too many flavors to count. A variety of toppings. Sliced fruit. Sauces. And a big vat of whipped cream she wanted to dive into and swim a few laps—preferably with her mouth open.

  After they filled their bowls, they found a table for two and sat.

  "Good?" Nico asked after she'd taken her first bite.

  "Mm-hmm," she murmured mouth full of ice cream, strawberries, nuts, and whipped cream.

  After finishing most of the bowl, she pushed it away, leaning back in her seat and placing a hand over her stomach. "Promise me, however much I beg and plead, you won't bring me back here. I'll be big as a house before the month is out." Olivia eyed Nico's bowl, noticing he'd made a pretty good dent himself.

  "Agreed. This place is dangerous."

  Olivia reached across the table taking his hand. "Thank you."

  He did a sexy eyebrow raise. "For?"

  "For agreeing to keep the sex of the baby a surprise. I know it wasn't easy for you to give in, and I wanted you to know, I appreciated the gesture."

  He flipped their joined hands and laced his fingers with hers before bringing their hands to his lips to kiss her knuckles. "Tesoro, haven't you realized by now, there's nothing I wouldn't do to make you happy."

  Looking into his eyes, she was starting to believe that was true.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  "I need help," Olivia told Gabby, her phone clutched tightly in her hand and pressed close to her ear while she paced the width of the room. Candy and Cain followed at her heels, thinking it was a new game.

  "What do you need?" Her voice came back staticky, and Olivia wondered whether she was interrupting something.

  "I don't want to bother you if you're busy."

  "No bother. I'm just hanging by the pool. Now tell me what you need help with."

  Olivia hesitated, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. At twenty-two, she should have experience with this sort of thing. But growing up with no true girlfriends and not a single boyfriend left her extremely lacking in knowledge.

  "Livvy? You still there?"

  "Um, yeah. Just collecting my thoughts."

  A feminine chuckle filled her ear. "Come on, spit it out. It can't be that bad."

  And it wasn't. She was making more of it than she should. Taking a deep breath, she decided to just spit it out. Rip the conversation off like a Band-aid. Cut to the chase. Any other idioms she could think of to stall for time? Get down to brass tacks? Okay, now she was being silly. Enough procrastinating. "I want to do something special for Nico for Valentine's Day. I have an idea, but I need help because I've never done anything like it before and don't know where to start."

  "What did you have in mind?"

  That was easier to spit out. "A quiet dinner, at home not in a crowded restaurant. Something romantic." Nico was always doing nice things for her, and she wanted to reciprocate the sentiment. Let him know she didn't take anything he did for her for granted.

  Gabby was silent a minute, and Olivia worried they actually did drop their connection until she heard, "Okay, I've got this. First things first, a trip to Victoria's Secret."

  "I'm not sure this is such a good idea," Olivia said, eyeing the baby-doll nightie Gabby held up for her inspection. "Don't you think if Nico liked this sort of thing, he'd have bought me one by now?"

  "As much as I hate the thought of my brother and sex sharing space in my brain simultaneously, if he's like any other man, then trust me when I tell you, he'll love it."

  "I don't know," she said, sounding just as uncertain as she felt. "When I said romantic, I was envisioning candlelight and his favorite meal, not something to draw more attention to how fat I'm getting."

  Gabby laughed. "You're not fat, you're pregnant. Big difference. And you look gorgeous."

  "I guess my self-esteem has been a little low since I started showing."

  Gabby frowned. "Nico hasn't said or done anything to make you feel that way, has he?"
<
br />   "No. No." Olivia was quick to reassure her. "Everything is fine in that department."

  "Good because I'd have to nut-punch him, and think how awkward that would be."

  Olivia laughed. "Don't mind me. I've just been a little out of sorts lately."

  "Well with all those hormones percolating inside you, that's totally understandable."

  "I guess I just don't feel very sexy."

  "All the more reason to buy this." She waved the baby doll like a flag. "How can anyone not feel sexy wearing red lace. At least try it on."

  Olivia laughed, grabbing the hanger from her hand. "Fine. You win. But only because I still need your help."

  "I think it's only fair to warn you, I don't cook," Olivia said, turning their shopping cart down the bread aisle. "And I don't mean just the big, fancy stuff, I mean I can hardly make toast."

  Gabby giggled. "Don't worry. I'm going to stick around and help. Nico's favorite is Mom's lasagna. I've watched her make it a least a hundred times."

  "Maybe I should make a frozen one. I can probably manage that without screwing it up."

  Gabby made a big production of pretending to spit on the floor and crossing herself before looking up at the store's ceiling. "She didn't mean that, Grandma Rossella. Please don't strike her down where she stands. Remember, she's carrying your great-grand baby."

  Olivia bumped her with her shoulder. "Shut up. It wasn't that bad of an idea."

  "Just be lucky my mom wasn't around to hear you say that."

  "Noted for the future." Olivia tapped her temple.

  Gabby grabbed a roundish loaf off the shelf, tossing it in the cart. "Come on, Livvy, we've got this. Next stop sausage." She gave a little wag of her eyebrows, running ahead of the cart.

  Olivia laughed, picking up her pace to catch her.

  They were cruising through produce, grabbing stuff to make a salad when Gabby leaned in and whispered, "So does that guy follow you around everywhere?"