Page 9

Dante

When I woke up…three things were true.

1.) The sun beamed in through the curtains.

2.) Della was in bed with me, her body snuggled up to mine.

3.) I was simply enraptured.

Suddenly, her eyes popped open. A smile spread across her lips as she stared back at me. “That’s creepy, ya know?”

“What is?”

“Watching someone sleep,” she teased.

I shrugged. “Don’t care. I am in love.”

Now she actually beamed at me.

“I was wondering,” I began.

“About…?”

“Getting out of the mansion and going on a small excursion. Maybe go see the NeverSmile Angel? We Descalias have awesome limousines with seat warmers and vibration, a full bar, TV, music, on screen WiFi, the works. So it would be like a mini date?”

“You had me at seat vibrations .” She snickered. “So a limo ride in New Orleans?” she asked.

I shrugged and asked, “Like a tour, yeah. If that’s okay with you?”

“Just you and me in a luxurious limo with all the amenities?” She slowly shook her head and joked, “Oh, no, that sounds horrible.”

I chuckled. “Well, Tito and Rocky will come along, but they will ride in the front. So I'm not sure about how private it would be?”

Della shook her head. “It still sounds awesome. Tito is a funny guy. I don’t see Rocky that often but he seems sweet too.”

“Sweet?” I exclaimed as I slowly shook my head. “Don’t tell them that. They like to be feared as Italiano wiseguys, you know… like thugs.”

She laughed. “Thugs…Not to me, they’re like big Italian teddy bears. I like them.”

I shrugged. “Not sure about the teddy bear part. But they do know their jobs well. I mean no one will do us any harm.”

Moving closer to me, Della wrapped her arms around my neck and asked, “Is someone after us? I mean…you?”

“Not someone in particular, no. But it is always a consideration that any Descalia family member could be harmed or taken as a captive. To warrant ransom or to dictate to the Familia what to do.” I shook my head.

“You’re quoting your father, right?” she asked.

“To the letter… Yes, I am. How could you tell?” I snarked.

Giggling, she said, “I’m not used to having a parent who tells me what to do and I missed that too. You should cut him some slack.”

“Cut him some…” I chuckled. “The man is practically a Mafia Don, Della. You have two choices when it comes to him.”

“Two, huh?” She tilted her head at me.

“Sure. One… you do what he says. And two: you do what he says.”

She burst into laughter. “He can’t be that bad.”

I smiled at her. “Look, he is my dad, but there have been times… Like years ago, when he tried to make Gio...I mean Legend marry into another Italian family, take the job our father wanted him to and forget his own dreams.”

“He did that?” She looked surprised.

“Yes, but Legend refused. He up and left. Then we didn’t see him for 10 years.”

“Wow,” she exclaimed. “And he just came back recently, right?”

“He did. He became a doctor like he wanted and he got free from… the curse, I guess you could say.”

“Curse?”

I smiled as I brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. “Maybe that’s too harsh of a word. I mean I know we live in luxury and we have the best education money could buy. But we have no real freedom. We have to march to a beat that only we are supposed to hear. Because we are Descalias, ya know?”

“No, I don’t know.” She gazed into my eyes and went on, “You are a family. At least you have that. After my parents…” She let out a breath. “I would have given anything to have them back.”

I stroked her cheek with my fingers and said, “I get that and I’m sorry you were left alone as a teen. But honestly, it has been hard sometimes. We, as his brothers, missed Legend. But we weren’t allowed to even mention his name for a long time. Then we found out just recently that our dad knew where he was and he never told us. Zia was so mad at my dad for chasing him away. She tried to prevent the fallout but couldn’t.”

“I like her a lot. She’s so…”

“Italian?” I asked with a smirk.

“Yeah! Like Mama Rosa or something.” She snickered. “Sort of like a TV mom.”

“She has been that to us. Not a TV mom, but a mother because she helped to raise us. She isn’t distant either like an aunt might be even though we call her Zia. And she isn’t a house servant. She wants to do the job she does. And cooking is her skill. Her meals are Michelin Star.” I smiled at her.

“Oh, I agree. She would give most chefs real competition.”

“Romeo and I have had jokes going on for years. Naming the chefs she could beat. Like she could out-yell Ramsey and outcook Wolfgang.” I shrugged. “Actually, we would act them out when we were younger as an ongoing competition.”

Cocking her head at me, she asked, “Like how?”

“I’ll show you at the dinner table later. I sorta have to have Romeo to do it right.”

She leaned forward to give me a sweet kiss on the cheek. “Since I’ve been here, you have made me laugh more than I ever have before in my life.”

“That’s good for you, ya know? Laughter. Ok, let’s get cleaned up and dressed. So we will be on time for Zia’s breakfast.”

Della beamed at me as she asked, “You mean be on time, so we aren’t a spectacle?”

I burst into laughter as I nodded. “The panty thing. Man… I know I’m gonna hear about that for-fucking-ever! It wasn’t great being the main show for my brothers, well for Zia and Tito too.”

“Yeah, let’s skip the tie and panty mishaps today.” She rolled her eyes and laughed with me. “And guess what? I’m willing to share my toothbrush with you.”

“That is so touching,” I teased her as I took her hand in mine and batted my eyes at her. “It would be an honor.”

Smacking my arm with her free hand, she chuckled. “It better be. I’ve never done that before. Offering my toothbrush to a man.”

I paused to think about it. “I never shared mine with a woman before either. So in a way, we are toothbrush virgins!”

Laughing, she shook her head. “I have never heard of that kind of virgin before.”

“Me either but I guess you can come on over to my room and bring your pearly whites.”

She grinned at me.

With a wicked snicker, I stood from the bed, went around it and tugged her up. I then growled when the sheet fell away from her luscious body.

She laughed as I carried her to the bathroom, setting her on the counter. Turning, I grabbed a washcloth. “First, we gotta clean up a little.” Then I realized that this was her bathroom, so I said, “I hope you have regular soap.”

“What?” she asked while looking confused.

“You know, so I don’t come out of this smelling like a daisy or something.”

Della burst into laughter and asked, “A daisy?”

I nodded as I turned the sink water on to wet the washcloth. “It’s one of Zia’s favorite sayings. Coming out of it while smellin’ like daisy. But I’m just not a daisy kind of man, ya know?”

Squinting, she stared at me.

“What are you doing?” I paused to ask.

“Trying to picture huge daisy petals all around your face.” She burst into breathless laughter.

I chuckled as I asked, “I gather it isn’t a sexy image then?” I tilted my hip and posed with my hand bracing the back of my head.

She simply laughed harder.

I laughed with her. But honestly, I didn’t know how long I could endure the sensual torture as she sat on the counter entirely nude.

Then her gaze lowered. “Nope, not a drooping daisy either.” Reaching out, she grasped my shaft.

I sucked in a breath as her touch jolted me.

She stroked me gently at first, then she sped up the pace. “So hot,” she whispered.

I barely heard her as her stroking was fast becoming a bit too much for me. Grasping her hand, I told her, “I can’t take much more of that.” I chuckled. “Let me wash you up.” Reaching over, I parted her thighs and gently rubbed the warm washcloth between her thighs.

“Oh, that feels good,” she cooed as she leaned back.

This was too much to resist. I dropped the cloth and pushed two fingers into her. I stroked them in and out of her…I wanted to make her come while I watched.

Her body rippled with pleasure as I sped my pace up.

“Dante,” she whispered breathlessly.

I leaned in and took her mouth with mine, thrusting my tongue in as I kept up with my playing of her body for another minute or so. Finally, I broke free of her lips and suckled on her neck.

Panting and whimpering, Della tried to speak, “D-Dante…”

I played with her then knelt down to open her silky folds. I moved in for her clit and exposed her button. Latching on, I suckled and tongued it.

Gasping and whimpering, she grasped my head with both hands.

I removed my mouth from her skin and whispered to her folds, “I can’t get enough of you.” I continued playing with her body as I let out a small growl. Then I leaned back just enough, so I could watch her come apart.

With her body bowing upward, she came on my fingers as she slumped backward. “Ohhhh, my G-Goooodd!” she exclaimed breathlessly. “The sinful things you do to me…”

“I have more sins I wanna try,” I replied with a smile as I had to tug her back up. I kissed her deeply while I moved her up to the sink counter. Turning her to face the mirror, I tweaked her pink nipples with my fingers, I then pushed her legs apart and she spread her thighs for me. Grasping her hips, I raised her body so I could easily enter her. Like the beast I’d become, I plunged upward in one deep thrust.

Leaning her head back onto my shoulder, she cried out in pleasure. Seeming to be lost to sensual ecstasy again, she chanted my name, “Oh…oh, Dante. Damnit!” she gasped out.

The sexy sounds she made, the look on her face in the mirror was just too damned hot as I couldn’t hold back and exploded inside her. I wrapped my arms around her and we came together. We melded together in so many ways. I knew this woman would be with me forever. I was already mentally thinking of what our wedding bands would look like.

I chuckled as she almost fell sideways. I held her up and said, “I suppose washcloths are out and we have to shower now.”

She couldn’t seem to speak but she slowly nodded her head in agreement.

I held her with one arm around her waist and leaned in to start the shower. Getting us both in, I soaped her up, smoothing another washcloth over her breasts and down her tummy. I spread her thighs with one hand and gently slid the cloth up and down along her silky folds then rinsed her off with the shower spray.

Allowing me to wash her down, she acted satisfied and blissful as she mumbled, “Seat vibrations…”

I laughed and I felt glad to see this because I had one thing in mind.

Make her all mine.

I finally soaped up and rinsed my own body then I turned the water off. Grabbing her up, I swung her around and made my way over to the counter again. Toweling her dry, I then wrapped the towel around my hips and cinched it. “Time to share the toothbrush,” I quipped.

She snickered. “I hope you like my toothpaste. But I didn’t pick it out, so no blaming me.”

I opened the cabinet and took it out, then layering the toothpaste on the toothbrush, I handed the brush to her.

She brushed her teeth then handed it back.

I took the brush and rinsed it off, then placed more toothpaste on it. As she watched, I used her brush and brushed my teeth. Yes, it had been a joke before but somehow, this had become a sealing of a bond. Crazy, I know but it felt so right. I wanted to share my life with her and this seemed to symbolize that ideal.

Picking her up again, I carried her out of the bathroom. Then I set her on the bed. I went and got the one outfit she seemed to have left on her dresser. Then I took them back over to her. I picked my clothing up and we both got dressed.

Afterward, we were on time for breakfast.

Zia beamed at us when she saw us come in.

Yes, we learned our lesson.

Or rather, Della did as she hurried me all the way. She did not want to be on public display again or so she said earlier.

I didn’t either, but it wasn’t because of embarrassment. I was used to my family giving me a hard time. I really didn’t care about that even though being teased wasn’t fun. Today was the day they were going to try to capture the elusive Deacon. Not that I would allow Della to be there. I wanted that pazzo nut job to get caught, but I didn’t want her anywhere near him. I planned to take Della on the mini tour, then to her apartment to gather her clothes and personal effects.

In fact, I sat here at the table intending to text Tito and Rocky about taking us over there.

I really wanted to avoid this being known by my father but I knew better. Tito and Rocky were both what they call made men. They followed protocol to the effing letter. Plus, unless you had a deathwish…You did not try to fool Stephano Descalia. He would for certain catch you and then make you sorry you ever tried.

So, I did it the right way. I texted my father first and told him I wanted to surprise Della, so he needed to not give it away.

“Dante?” Della spoke softly from next to me.

I looked up and over at her. “Yes?”

“Are you going to eat?” she asked.

I nodded and gave her a smile. “I will in a minute, this is just business.” I motioned to the phone.

Nodding, she picked up her coffee cup and took a sip.

My father texted back. ‘Why?’

‘Because all of her things are there.’

‘Have some of our men pick it all up.’

‘I wanted to do this. Like take her out and surprise her. I called the movers already.’

‘Son, did you ask her if she wanted to move all her things?’

I paused then fired back, ‘No, if I had, then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?’ But now that he brought it up, did she want to move in here? She said she loved me, so I thought her living here would be a given. I bit my lip, then texted him, ‘I’ll handle it right, Papa. Are Tito and Rocky free today?’