DECEPTION | MAFIA ROMANCE | SMUT

CHAPTER FOUR

"I am sweating buckets," Josh complained about the imaginary heat. "All this walking just to see the lousy butterflies." His red-flustered face, misted in sweat, scrunched up in evident discontent. "I do not get paid enough for this shit."

"No, you get paid for doing fuck all." Nate's leather shoes trudged past large enclosures, where two giant Galápagos tortoises settled on an island pad, overlooking lagoon pools and mud wallows. "Look at him, rocking up late and complaining. Is he due a performance review yet or what?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I am evaluated daily." Josh bit into a wedge of watermelon. "Isn't that right, Brad?"

Josh made it difficult for me not to pull him into line. He is always late, never on time, and full of excuses. "Sailor is on his last warning," I spoke to Nate directly to undermine Josh's position. "Three strikes and out. The tosser will be back behind the bar by the end of the month. I guarantee it."

Alexa did not like the thought of demoting Josh. Having no desire to come between the brothers, to witness the dejection in Josh's eyes, she looked upon Mabel, Dominic's new nanny. "Is Dominic awake?"

Mabel peered inside the pushchair, where Dominic slept peacefully, with a thin, cotton blanket draped over his legs. "He is snoring like a trooper." Her floral, floor-length skirt blew in the wind, the slight reveal of nude-coloured sandals peeking out from underneath pleated textures. "It's best to let him rest."

I neither agree nor disagree. I am still relatively new to the life and times of fatherhood. I take every day as it comes where my son is concerned. It's gotten easier, though. I am more hands-on and involved in Dominic's daily routine. I do my utmost to be present in the morning, to dedicate thirty minutes in the evening to read him a book until he falls asleep.

Sometimes, the job gets between father and son time, but I no longer make excuses—and If I have to rush out or stay at the office, I make it up to him the following morning.

Dominic is my number one priority. I will spend the rest of my life proving to him how much I care because I do care. I care more than people realise, more than people perceive. There is not a night where I do not go to his bedroom and stand over the cot, watching, listening and admiring with prideful accomplishment. He is my only achievement, the one thing I did right.

Lately, I have pondered intensely about Dominic's mother, Chloe Stone. I lived freely, without remorse or regret, but I cannot help but wonder if our son, in adolescence or adulthood, will blame me for her death, her suicide, if he will hate me for not protecting her that night, for not interceding before she slashed her throat.

Dominic likes to fall asleep in my arms before I put him to bed. He has to feel the blanket on his cheek while sucking a pacifier.

To the sound of Chloe's faded voice, I glanced at the pushchair. His mother was right. He loves to sleep with the corner of a blanket on his cheek, soft and cuddlesome, with a dummy in his mouth, to somniferous rocking motions, either in someone's protective arms or as the pram's wheels coasted bumpy, uneven floors.

He loves bath time. Every time his feet crash against the water, he laughs so loudly. It's his favourite time of the day. Bath time.

I would not know, as I have yet to bathe him. I do everything that is required of me, changing and feeding and playtime, but the bathroom, the tub and bubbles, are Mabel's forte. Perhaps I could make an effort to help out more with his nightly routine. If it is his favourite time of the day, I should be there to witness his fun, to overcome aquaphobia, to ensure that my fears do not become his.

"Oh, look!" Mabel pointed at the giraffe. "Did you see the size of his tongue?"

Mabel applied for the live-in nanny position at the estate, and I knew within seconds of the interview that she was the right fit for the job. With thirty years of experience and previous employer references coming out of her arse, she is committed to making a positive difference and understands the importance of privacy. And most importantly, with an instinctive maternal side, diligence, patience and professionalism, Mabel loved her job.