The Mafia’s Wanted Desires

ASHLEY

The air thickened with so much tension, and when I finally moved from where I stood, I dropped the tray on the counter. Zelda hopped off the counter and I knew her instinct was to go check out what was going on in the living room, but I had everything under control.

“Stay in here and handle everything for me.” My tone was quite clear that I wasn’t asking. I ordered her to do so and she nodded in response. I took off my gloves and walked out of the kitchen.

I was plunged into confusion at the sight of two women in the living room. One was older and the other one was much younger. I could tell from her hourglass figure because she had her back turned to me. My eyes strayed to the kids that were running around the living room, excited giggles emitting from them. I walked forward, and like the two women could sense my presence, they spun around and I felt my brows snap together. Their gaze at me had my anxiety spiking up dangerously high.

I swallowed the spit that was starting to build up in my mouth as the younger lady approached me with a frown on her face.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“Hold her,” She ordered, dropping her baby in my arms. I was awestruck at the sight of the little girl dressed in a powdered blue onesie that was in my hands. She looked too good to be true, ethereal even. She was deeply asleep, her lips curled in a cute pout that had me cooing with a smile on my face. She was so beautiful. I rocked her gently in my arms, grinning from ear to ear.

“Jaxon!” She bellowed and I nearly flinched, but I remembered that I had a child in my arms. She turned to one of the guards in the room, glaring at them.

“Get me your boss!” She ordered them sternly.

“There will be no need for that.” Arden’s cold tone drew me out of the trance that the little girl had plunged me in. I snapped my head up, beholding the sight of my husband who descended the staircase with his hands tucked in the pockets of his black sweatpants, which he paired with a sleeveless shirt. It was fair for me to deny the fact that he looked very edible in casuals.

My mouth formed an ‘O’ shape when the younger lady hauled her designer bag at Arden, who ducked. I could tell he saw it coming because he was too unfazed about the whole thing.

“Maria!” The older woman chided and I turned to her where she sat. The woman looked like she was staying out of the duo’s business since she had decided to make herself comfortable.

“You got married and you didn’t even tell me! I am going to kill you, Jaxon. I swear to God! How could I not have been informed? Do you know how long I have been waiting for that day to come? I had given up at some point that it would never happen! How dare you, Jaxon?!” She was yelling at him so loudly and I had half expected him to tell her off or something, but he didn’t do anything, he just stood there, running his fingers through his messy hair. He watched her yell to her heart’s content.

“Maria__”

“Don’t say anything, Jaxon. I am so angry right now!” She snapped, cutting him off.

“Where is she?” She queried, her eyes moving around. His cold green eyes moved around the room until they settled on me, the coldness in them dissipating into a much softer emotion that left me red in the face.

“She’s behind you,” he smirked, and on cue, both women swung their heads in my direction, simultaneously, causing me to take a step backwards, my heart pounding in my chest even though I didn’t know why. I held the baby tighter in my arms, taking in the dark-haired lady that stood a few feet away from me, watching me with her eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.

She looked like a goddess with her wavy black hair that cascaded down her back. It looked so glossy and lush and I knew it didn’t come without her having to spend thousands of dollars on hair care. Her green eyes reminded me of Arden’s. Hers was just a warmer replica. Her face was completely bare of makeup and it made it even more obvious that she was a natural. She was wearing a black top that was tied in a knot around her waist, paired with skin-tight jeans that hugged her curves like a second skin. She looked way taller than me in her heels, but she was not as tall as Arden.

Staring at her intently, it was then I noticed a slight resemblance between her and Arden. It wasn’t so obvious, but if you looked closely, it was there. Arden, whom I didn’t realize had gotten to where I was, pulled me to his side, pressing a soft kiss on my cheek.

“Maria, meet my wife, Ashley. Peach, meet Maria, my younger sister, and over there is my Aunt, Aunt Caroline.” He nudged his head in the direction of the stunning blonde-haired woman who had a smile on her face as she swept her eyes over my frame.

“Gosh, why didn’t you say anything? I just dumped Xyra in your arms without sparing you a glance. I am so sorry.” Her voice was filled with remorse and I waved her off with a smile. She approached me and chuckled, drawing me in for a side hug because of the baby that was in my arms. She kissed my cheeks and whispered in my ear.

“Welcome to the family, sister.” She said quietly. Hearing her call me her sister made me feel so welcome.

“Thank you,” I smiled at her.

“You are so beautiful!” She gushed and wouldn’t stop checking me out.

“Hello, Ashley.” The blonde-haired woman whom Arden introduced as Aunt Caroline sent me an ardent smile. Her aura was so welcoming as she leaned in and kissed both my cheeks. Then, she swatted Arden on the arm with a death glare on her face.

“Were you hiding her from us?” She asked sternly and I looked up to see him rubbing his nape with a guilty look on his face.

“No, Aunty. I wasn’t hiding her. It all just happened so fast. I am sorry. I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I am sorry too, Maria.” He apologized to both of them and Maria threw him a stink eye, huffing. She took her baby from me and I almost didn’t want to let her go anymore. She could sense it too and she chuckled as I handed her the sleeping beauty.

“She has that effect on everyone.” She grinned at me. It seemed almost too good to be true that she had a child. She was too stunning to be a mom. Arden inched forward and dropped a kiss on Maria’s cheeks, alongside the baby in her hands. Maria made her way over to the baby carrier in the living room, putting her daughter in it.

“Aidan, Almond, come meet your uncle Jaxon’s wife!” Aunt Caroline hollered at the kids I had seen running around earlier. The kids shrieked and ran over to where she was. I left Arden’s side and crouched to their level.

“Hey, munchkins. My name’s Ashley.” I smiled at them and they threw themselves in my arms, smothering my face with kisses. I giggled, wrapping my arms around the duo. I pulled away lightly staring at the identical kids and that had me concluding that they were twins. They had the same blonde hair as their mom with striking blue eyes.

“Hi, Aunty Ashley.” They chorused and their cuteness tugged at my heartstrings. The two of them got whisked off their feet by Arden and their excited giggles filled my ears as they pulled and tugged at his ears and nose.

“If it isn’t my two little minxes,” he grinned at them, staring at them like they were the only thing that mattered the most and that brought a smile to my face. I watched him and he looked nothing like the man that’s always spotted with a tight scowl on his face, instead, he had his guard down around the two little humans.

It made me feel a certain kind of way I loved.

He let them out of his arms and they kissed his cheeks before skipping off to somewhere in the house. He had his eyes fixed on them with a smile on his face, and then, his eyes met mine and I sucked in some breath not because of the intensity in his eyes, but because of the way his eyes glazed over my frame. I felt so conscious in the flower print summer dress I was clad in that stopped around my mid-thigh and had loops at the back. The man was practically undressing me with his eyes, and strangely, I didn’t seem to mind.

Instead, I loved every bit of it.

The clearing of throats by the two women standing in the room was enough to snap me out of my lustful haze. I turned crimson, tucking a stray strand of my hair behind my ear.

“Uh, I made dinner. Are you guys interested?” I asked them in a small voice and their eyes widened.

“Of course!”

“Come on, let’s head to the table, Maria.” Aunt Caroline nudged Maria with a knowing smile on her face. The duo giggled and pulled themselves to the dining area. I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding but that didn’t last long because Arden was by my side at the speed of a light I could barely comprehend, yanking me to his chest.

I squirmed in his arms when he wrapped his arms around me, his breath fanning my face, eliciting a soft sigh from me. My eyes flickered to his, holding his gaze that seemed to have gotten a shade darker. I swallowed, watching him, and then, his hands crawled under my dress, squeezing my bare ass and I fist his shirt in my hands, moaning into his chest.

“Fuck, Peach, are you wearing anything under this dress?” He queried, his voice coming out so husky. It had me biting my lips, robbing me of my breath.

“Yes,” I answered, breathlessly.

“I am wearing a thong.”

My voice came out so low and he muttered strings of curse words under his breath. The profanities couldn’t have sounded sexier and it had heat brewing between my legs. He dipped his head in the space of my neck and I released a moan as I felt him breathing on my neck. His breaths were starting to come out uneven.

“Arden,” I breathed, and he growled.

“They are waiting at the table.” I reminded him and he cursed, exhaling, and he pulled away from me, pressing a kiss on my cheek.