Amore (39 page)

Marietta could think of no quick reply. No quick denial. But she was not going to be disrespected. She told Shae to back off. Had she defied her? She glanced to Carlo who was now staring directly at her instead of Shae. His dark penetrating stare asked the question.
Why are you upset?
Marietta rolled her eyes.

“Stay the hell away from him, or your visit will come to an end,” Marietta said.

Her friend double blinked. Marietta turned and walked away. She needed air, space, and a fucking drink.

“Slow down,” Lorenzo grabbed her hand.

She glanced up and her husband’s smile greeted her. Marietta’s anger softened. “Hi, baby.”

He pulled her in to him. He kissed her cheek. “
Bravissima, amore mio
.
Sei bella,
” he said. He made her step back and looked down at her attire. She wore a white leather pencil skirt that fit like a glove over her heart shaped hips, ass, and thighs. Her white silk shirt was tucked in and was so thin it was nearly see through. Of course she too had on scarlet red shoes from Kyra’s designs. She, Mirabella, and Catalina all wore white. Lorenzo appreciated her look. Marietta’s hair was so thick and wild with curls they nearly covered her brow and fell into her eyes.

“You like?” she teased.

His lids were heavy with desire. It was the only answer she needed.

“You saw the show, the production? All of it?” she asked him.

“I saw all of it. You and your sister work well together.” He kissed her other cheek.

“Better than what she and Fabiana used to do?” Marietta asked.

Lorenzo’s brows arched. “
Che cosa?
Why ask me that?”

“Am I better than Fabiana? Everyone is making the comparison. Even my sister. What about you, Lo? How do I compare?” she asked. Her heart raced. From the beginning she competed with Fabiana’s ghost. And today she fielded questions from the press who constantly mentioned the red haired
puttana
! It hurt.

Lorenzo lifted her chin and leaned in so his words were felt and heard. “There is no comparison, Marie. You are the original. And what you did today is far better than anything I’ve ever seen in Milano.”

“I love you, Lo,” she hugged him.

He chuckled and held her. “What am I going to do with you, Marie?” he asked. She closed her eyes and exhaled. Lorenzo kissed the top of her head. “Let’s go and celebrate, privately,” he said.

“We can’t. I can’t. Mirabella hasn’t come back down yet. We have the Prime Minister coming and so much—”

“Gio has his wife now. Do you think he’ll let her go?” Lorenzo asked.

Marietta smiled. “You have a point. Maybe an hour? Then I have to be here. You understand?”

Lorenzo squeezed her ass and she plied his hand off. “The press!”

“Beh!”

She touched his chin. “I have a room upstairs. You have one hour. We can keep working on making that baby you want.”

Lorenzo groaned. She pulled him by the hand leading the way.

**

Catalina smiled her thanks to the reporter for the compliment. Dominic’s arms slipped around her waist. She’d know his touch anywhere. The reporter looked to Dominic and pointed her microphone in his face.

He ignored her and kissed Catalina on the neck instead.

“
Signor
? And who are you? Do you have any comment on the event this evening?”

“This is my fiancé, Dominic Battaglia,” Catalina made the introduction.

“Aah, yes I’ve heard of your engagement. Have you love birds set a date?” the reporter asked.

Catalina opened her mouth to respond. At that moment her eyes connected with Armando. He stood several feet away staring at her. She found it hard to look away from his stare when she spoke. “This summer. It will be the biggest event in the
Campania
!” she declared. She turned and kissed Dominic in front of the reporter. Several photographers snapped the picture. She didn’t care. She wanted the world to know her love for her man.

“Staring at that one could be bad for your health,” Santo chuckled.

Armando cast his gaze over to Santo. Prison must have been hard on him. Santo had changed physically. He didn’t have that tall domineering physique like the men who worked for Giovanni. He was thin, with a gaunt, haunted look to his features. He dragged his leg a bit when he walked. Armando was well aware of what they did to ‘
pentito
’ in prison.
Pentito
was the name given to those who once arrested decided to cooperate with the authorities. Armando knew that Santo’s loose tongue had to be under Giovanni’s order. If not Santo would have had it cut out of his mouth before he ever showed his face again. However, there was one solid truth from the order: once a
pentito
always a
pentito.
The title could not be lifted.

“Welcome back,” Armando said.

The glare Santo cast toward him was void of humor.

“I’m surprised you’re here,” Santo replied.

“Surprised? And why is that?” Armando asked.

“The Battaglias and Mancinis aren’t known to mix socially.” Santo said. “Are you into women’s clothing?”

Armando watched Catalina flash her ring to the reporter. She was beautiful. She wore a white mini dress that showed her creamy legs and thighs. And the bright red shoes on her feet could not be missed. She grinned and giggled when Dominic lifted her in his arms and hugged her. It was official;
la piccoletta
has decided to marry her brother. He couldn’t look away from her when he spoke.

“You know why I’m here,” Armando answered.

Santo’s brows lowered. “I’ve been in prison for two years. I’m afraid no one has filled me in. Are you and Gio considering the benefits of an alliance?”

Instead of answering, Armando walked off. He approached the happy couple who had ended their interview. Dominic noticed him first. Catalina’s gaze met with his and she smiled for him.

“
Complimenti.
You and my sisters have put on quite an affair.”

“Grazie,”
Catalina said. “I know it meant a lot to Marietta and Mirabella that you came today.”

Armando extended his hand to Dominic. He was not surprised when Dominic looked at him with distrust.

“Domi! Don’t be rude,” Catalina said.

Dominic accepted the handshake.

“Will you please give my congratulations to my sisters? Tell them I will see them in Bellagio,” he said to Catalina.

She nodded.

“Dominic,” Armando nodded. He turned and left.

“That was rude, Domi. You should have said something to him,” Catalina said.

Dominic turned her to face him. “I am so proud of you, Catalina. So is Giovanni. You made this event a success for Mirabella.”

“We all worked so hard. I can’t believe this is my life now. Can you?”

Dominic’s gaze swept the crowd of strangers laughing and mingling. He shook his head no in agreement. “A lot has changed for our family.”

“We are at peace now, Domi. No threat. Just love and happiness. Isn’t it time we celebrate and heal?”

“Heal?” Dominic laughed. “You aren’t talking about accepting Mancini into the family?”

“Mira and Marietta are part Mancini. We can’t pretend it’s not the truth.”

“Slow down, Catalina. Focus on today, on the family. Let me and Gio worry about Armando Mancini.” He touched her face. “I have news.”

“You do?” she asked curiously.

“I’ve bought a place for us in Sorrento. No more traveling to Naples. We’ll be near the family. But we will have our own.”

“When did you do this?” she frowned. “I thought we’d look for a home together?”

“It’s a surprise. We’re going to be married soon. We need to look to start our own family.”

She forced a smile. “Okay. Yes. Whatever you think is best, Domi.”

He kissed her cheek. “Introduce me to your guests. I want to know all about how you made today a success.”

Catalina grinned. She eased her arm around his waist and his went around hers. She walked him toward Jean Carlo and several other designers. She couldn’t believe how sweet life was for them all now. She loved her family.

**

Mirabella looked out of the window. There was so much traffic congestion that the narrowed street that cornered the Diana was frozen with cars, vans and people on Vespas. From her view she saw the arrival of men and women dressed beautifully. Cameramen were all a buzz fighting to get a celebrity picture. Giovanni stepped behind her. He brought her a crystal flute of sparkling champagne.

“Grazie,”
she said. She turned. He looked devilishly handsome in the suit she made for him. The bowtie was a nice touch. Not since their wedding had he worn a bowtie for her. She loved being the tailor for men of his stature. She brushed off invisible lint from his shoulder. Her man looked good!

“I want to toast my wife,” he raised his champagne glass.

Mirabella raised hers.

“To the woman who brings love into everything she touches and does. The woman who knows the true meaning of beauty and shares it with the world. To my Bella.
Congratulazioni! Sono veramente entusiasta del riconoscimento che ha ricevuto il tuo lavoro!
”

She took a sip from her champagne, then a deeper swallow. She drank the glass clean. He took the glass from her hand. He set them both down on the desk in the suite. He captured her lips in a sweet kiss. She loved the taste of him. He looked into her eyes when their lips parted. “I am so very proud of you, Bella,” he said.

“That means so much to me, Gio, so much!” she hugged his neck. He let her go and she touched his face. “Do you see? Everyone is here!”

She turned again to look out at the city again. Giovanni stepped behind her. He eased his arm around her waist and held her to his heart. “Look at them, Gio. They all came. Fabiana is in heaven right now smiling down on us. I have my sister, my children, you, my life is so sweet now. I’m so happy, Gio.”

His lips brushed the column of her neck. She reached back and let her fingers graze his scalp, and grip his silky hair. One of his hands traveled south down her tummy to the split at the front of her dress and then between her thighs. The other squeezed her breast and then eased inside to massage and caress it.

“I want you, Bella,”

“Okay,” she sighed. The party would have to wait. Her body was aflame with desire for her man. She turned and reached to undo his bowtie. He ran the zipper down the back of her dress and rubbed his hand over spine. She removed his blazer and then unbuttoned his shirt. They walked back from the window. Not before Giovanni grabbed the rope tie to the curtain and released it. The drape fell across the window and the room was shrouded in shadows.

She lifted her gaze up into his. “You look so sexy, baby,” she told him.

“I do?” he chuckled and blushed.

“Yes. Like a boss,” she said and took his hand. She walked him over to the bed. He was very good at making love to her. But she didn’t need his worship of her body. She was too excited about worshipping his. She knocked his hands away and he raised them as if he were her prisoner. She took her time undressing him. When she released his trousers she could barely contain her excitement.

“Sit down,” she told him. He did as she asked. She removed his shoe. First his left leather loafer and then his right. “I’m thinking the next thing I want do is a men’s line. Inspired by my husband.”

“I like that,” he said as she removed his socks.

“I’ll call it: He’s the Boss,” she said.

Giovanni chuckled. She stood before him and he rubbed his hands up her thighs to her hips. He pressed his face against her pelvis and kissed her pussy. She pushed his shoulders for him to go back. He tried to bring her down with him but she resisted. Mirabella scooted back. She shed her clothes quickly. Giovanni scooted back on the bed. The phone to their private room rang. He glanced toward it, and then looked to her.

“Let it ring. It’s just you and me.”

When it didn’t stop ringing she walked over and picked it up and then hung it up. She then took the receiver off the base. “Now. No interruptions.”

She crawled over the bed to him. She stopped to run her tongue up the length of his shaft before swallowing him. He filled her mouth after only a few inches. She grabbed the root of his dick and suctioned her jaws to drag her tongue up and over to the head. He let go a soft moan and she loved it.

Her head lifted. His eyes opened. “Get me ready for you, baby,” she said.

He extended his hand. Mirabella accepted it and he pulled her closer as he slid down a bit from the headboard. Giovanni gripped her ass and lifted her. She fell forward. Her hands fell flat to the headboard. He lowered her pussy on to his mouth. Mirabella’s lips parted as air rushed out of her lungs. His tongue pushed between her folds and slid into her entrance. She felt him down in her soul. His tongue withdrew and then feathered upward. It toyed with her hard little knob before swirling over it wetly. Her hips gyrated forward and back, and then circled his mouth. The pleasure curled and spread throughout, as light and gentle as smoke. It didn’t take long before she came apart. Her head dropped to the headboard. Her ass bounced on his face as his tongue licked in and out of her pussy and she creamed.