Free I Want To Be Yours by D.M. Mortier

none of them ever took, she could stop working and easily support her and her child for years on the interest alone.
    Mari sighed in exasperation. Who was she kidding? She knew she had to do the right thing. And the right thing was no lies, no secrets!
    She had a long night to prepare herself for his presence and the impossible task that lay ahead.

Chapter Five
    Mari was running late. With the knowledge of her pregnancy, it was as if her body decided it was time for the unpleasant symptoms to set in. Morning sickness . Intense, acute morning sickness. Mari woke up at six as usual, but spent the first hour vomiting. Barely grinding through her exercise regimen, she forced down a light breakfast of dry toast and tea, and dressed meticulously in a form-fitting suit, determined to enjoy her still-slim figure for as long as it lasted, and then took more than an hour to navigate the London commute from her flat at Hyde Park Gate to Canary Wharf.
    Upon entering the executive floor, she sensed the air was thick with nervous tension. Everyone ran around silently, intent on their tasks. It was obvious that Nico must be in a formidable mood. The staff always reacted so when he got like that. Mari ran into her office grabbed her documents and jump drive and sprinted to the conference room. She stopped at the closed door and took a deep breath before opening the door and walking into the room, head held high.
    “My apologies.” Jarrod was in the middle of his presentation at the monitor. Mari nodded and smiled at him first, and then she acknowledged every other member of the team, before making eye contact with Nico. She had anticipated the zing to her system, but nothing like the debilitating jolt she felt upon being ensnared by those intense blue orbs.
    Her breath stopped.
    “Mari. You are well?” Nico came toward her and held her hands. He kissed her cheeks in greeting.
    Mari was stunned.
    Not because he hadn’t greeted her like this before. In fact, it would have looked odd if he hadn’t. As the only female member of the team, she was often treated to male chivalry. No, what stunned her was the total destruction of all the defenses she had meticulously built the night before. She was drowning fast. Her senses tingled as she was assaulted by his devastating masculine fragrance, potent and intoxicating. He had always been able to do this to her, but now it seemed more alluring. Given the knowledge of the pleasure she’d derived from him months ago, her body responded even more amorously to his proximity. Her nipples throbbed with sexual awareness. Mari was grateful she was still wearing her blazer, which would mask her embarrassing state of arousal.
    Nico obviously didn’t share her fascination. He turned away from her and ensured she was aware of his irritation. “Where the hell were you? I have a company to run here. I don’t have time for bullshit!”
    Okay, now she understood why everyone was walking around on eggshells. They were dealing with volatile, impossible-to-please, moody Niccolo Darian!
    Not waiting for or expecting a response, he continued. “We have a very busy day, and can’t afford any more delays!” He fixed her with an impatient glare, in total contrast to the gentle kiss of a moment ago. Typical Nico, but it helped her to achieve some semblance of equilibrium. She was grateful to the return of the status quo, Nico in his unreasonable moods.
    Mari took quick little breaths to get oxygen to her brain as fast as possible. Taking her seat, she tried to calm down.
     
    Nico sat listening to the reports of the members on the team and was only half paying attention. His total focus was on the woman two chairs down from him. He had noticed her nipples through the gaping jacket she wore and his body responded lustfully in instant arousal. He wanted to take her out of there and just bury himself in her. His erection pressed hard against his tailored dress slacks. He was grateful he was safely hidden by the huge,