I nodded my head. “It won’t, Amy,” I promised.
“Thank you. I’ll keep you in my prayers, Indigo. And I believe nothing but good is coming your way.”
Squaring my shoulders, I turned and left her office. I didn’t need well-wishes or anything, but for someone to keep that trick out of my face.
CHAPTER 16 – DANTE
“If we can’t get this done by the end of the week, then the deal is done,” I barked in rapid-fire Italian across the table to everyone gathered.
I’d flown to Venice for a business deal involving taking over a fledgling shipping company that was sinking rapidly. They were a much smaller family-owned business, and while I didn’t want to see them fail, I wasn’t interested in investing in them either.
It would be nothing but a money pit for my company because their management sucked. They had heart but no business sense. A few months earlier, I’d offered to send a team in to turn operations around and get them on their feet. I would also ensure they had a lead manager who would remain on after the transition, but they declined my offer.
Now a proposal was on the table to buy them out, but there were too many addendums being added to the term to satisfy their needs. I didn’t need their company; they needed my help. Honestly, they should be thankful that we were even considering their proposal.
“I think that I can get them to budge on section twenty-three-A. Just give us another week,” the Ricci’s attorney stated.
“I don’t have another week. I’ve already been here longer than I planned. This trip was to be three days, and I’ve been here five. I’m giving you to the end of the week, and then the deal is off the table,” I said, closing the folder in front of me.
“Mr. Bianchi, today’s Wednesday. Friday isn’t enough time.”
I knew that business negotiations were often protracted here in Italy, but I didn’t have time for that. My parents accused me of being too Americanized. I had business interests there that I needed to attend to, as well as some other matters.
“It’s that or nothing. If they’re serious about this deal and want it done, then they’ll prioritize it and make sure that it happens. If not, then they’ve just wasted five days, thirteen hours, six minutes, and...twelve seconds of my time,” I said, glancing at my watch as I scooted my chair back.
“We’ll get it done,” he assured me, looking at my team.
“Nick, let me know when they’re ready to deal, and don’t contact me a minute before,” I said, looking to my attorney that represented my business interests in Italy.
“Will do, sir.”
I strode from the room with my security flanking my sides as soon as I exited the door. My accountant was right beside me, giving me an update on the latest numbers for my restaurant in Venice.
“Let’s skip that trip. I stopped by there on the way in, and everything looked good. Now that I know the numbers are where they should be, I don’t need to make another stop.”
I had wanted to make sure that everything was good with the restaurant before returning to my parents’ home in Sicily.
They split their time between the States and the home I’d purchased them in our hometown of Sicily.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stop by Bianchi’s Cucina again?” Antonio asked.
“Certain. Now, it’s home to Sicily for the remainder of this trip.”
“What about the business deal,” Antonio asked as we stepped out onto the rooftop of where the helicopter awaited our departure.
“We can do that by conference call!” I shouted over the roar of the chopper’s rotors.
“I’d like to propose a toast to my firstborn, Dante! He’s come home to spend some quality time with his mother and me. With all his business interests and holdings and the demands on his time, he continues to make space for those in his heart, which means the most to him. Dante, I don’t think I tell you often enough just how proud I am of all that you’ve accomplished, son. But more than that, I’m proud of the man that you’ve become, your loyalty, integrity, humble and giving attitude, and the love you hold for your family. You couldn’t have been a better man if I wrote the blueprint and led you down the path of construction one step at a time,” my Papa said, tearing up.
“But you did, Papa. You wrote and designed it, led me through it step-by-step. It’s because of you and Mama that I’m the man that I am,” I said.
My mama leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Such a good boy.”
“Here’s to Dante,” my father said, holding his wine glass aloft.
Everyone held their glasses up, and my father said, “Cincin!”
“You don’t come home enough, son,” my mama fussed as we sat down to dinner.
“I see you and Papa whenever I come home and whenever you return to the States.”
“It’s not enough!” Mama pointed out, waving a serving spoon at me.
“Mama, I have a business to run.”
“Don’t argue with your, Mama, Dante!” my Papa said, pointing a finger at me.
I took another bite of my pea-filled arancini and lowered my gaze. Respect was supreme in our family, in our culture.
“You’re too harsh on the boy!” my Grandmother Martina fussed at my father.
“Mama, he’s changing his ways. I knew that moving to America wouldn’t be good for the boys,” my father pointed out with a frown.
Before long, my aunts Greta, Eleonora, and Valentina, joined the argument. Not to be outdone, my cousin Niccolo joined the melee along with my uncles Tommaso, Salvestro, Maso, and Neri. Only my sister Francesca and my grandpa Giusto sat quietly watching it all.
When I caught Francie’s eye, I sent a smile her way, and she smiled bashfully, lowering her head to her plate once again. Her wide brown eyes lifted once more, looking at me before taking in the rest of our rowdy family. The only person missing was Gerhardt, who was at home with his wife.
“Guess what!” my mama declared above the boisterousness of the men’s voices.
“What’s that, Antonella?” my grandfather Giusto asked.
“Sancia and Gerhardt are expecting a baby.”
I’d known that my sister-in-law was pregnant because Gerhardt told me the news a few days earlier. Everyone was elated for the couple, but there was a concern as well.
“Gerhardt has to settle down. He can’t be running around that country wild anymore. It’s time for him to be by Sancia’s side and take care of her and the baby,” my aunt Valentina suggested.
“He won’t change,” Aunt Greta input.
“He’ll change. All he needs is a good healthy baby to settle him in,” my Papa countered.
“I don’t know. It didn’t settle me down,” Uncle Maso said. “And I’ve got seven.”
“You should’ve settled down. If you had, then you wouldn’t have that crazy woman after you now,” Aunt Eleonora input.
“I took care of my nine kids with no change in my behaviors. They’re all grown, well-adjusted, and living happy and healthy lives. And I’ve got good relationships with them,” Uncle Salvestro interjected.
“Them and your wife and Sylvia,” Grandmother Martina said, making the sign of the cross over her breasts as she shook her head at her eldest son.
It wasn’t talked about openly unless Grandmother Martina bought it up, but Uncle Salvestro had two families, six kids with my aunt Serena whom he was married to, and three with Sylvia, a woman he had a relationship with almost as long as his marriage.
And although no one openly discussed it, there was no secret that when he wasn’t at home, he was living at Sylvia’s house. Not discussed yet accepted by both women.
I didn’t understand it as a kid, and as an adult, I still didn’t. What was the point in marrying a woman if you weren’t ready to settle down with just that woman?
Lost in my thoughts about the topic, I jerked my head up when I heard my name mentioned.
“Dante!”
“Yes, Papa?”
“Did you hear Grand
ma Martina speaking to you?”
“No, sir,” I said, turning in my grandmother’s direction.
“I wanted to know when you are going to meet a good Italian girl and bring her home to meet us. It’s time for you to marry and settle down to have a big family. Then maybe you won’t trot across the globe so much,” she said with a loving smile.
I knew that wasn’t true. Even if I did ever decide to marry, I would still travel, and I had no plans of returning home to Italy to stay. None of that mattered anyway since marriage was the furthest topic from my mind.
The only thing I wanted was to get back home and get in between the thick brown thighs of a certain news reporter back in Sunset Harbor. My punishing her had gone on long enough. Two and a half weeks had passed since I last saw or spoke to her. And my desire for her hadn’t diminished one bit. If anything, it had grown stronger.
“Marriage is not in my future right now, Grandma Martina. My hands are full with the restaurants, the vineyard, the winery, and the shipping business. I don’t have time to commit to a woman or a family,” I said, stalling for time.
This was a conversation that was revisited every time I returned home.
“You need a good woman by your side to help you rule your empire. How do you think your Grandpa Giusto was so successful. And then we passed it on to your father and your uncles. It was because of me,” she said, patting her chest loudly. “I was the support that he needed.”
“This is true!” my grandfather replied in a hearty tone nodding his head as he scooped more soup into his mouth.
The argument took on a life of its own about when I needed to settle down and with whom.
“Let’s just hope that it’s not with the woman who doesn’t give you room to breathe,” my mama said.
“What’s her name?” my papa asked, frowning.
“Nadine.”
“Yes, that one. She’s greedy and wants to get her hands on your wealth. I don’t trust her, tesoro,” my mama said.
Neither did I.
CHAPTER 17 – INDIGO
The honor of your presence is requested at an exclusive event,
as a guest of Mr. Dante Bianchi,
Friday, the twenty-fifth of September, at six o’clock in the evening.
Casa di Rosso
Sunset Harbor, North Carolina
A nervous flutter of excitement swirled in my belly and dipped down again. I’d looked at the thick invitation on the silver card several times. And I fingered it now before tucking it back into my clutch.
The invitation arrived three days ago, and I’d been on pins and needles with anticipation and excitement since then. He’d said that it was a semi-formal event and he’d sent a car for me. A Rolls Royce, no less.
I’d chosen a black three-quarter sleeve dress with a pencil skirt. The rouching of the dress accented my curves, and the gold and black woven belt at my waist gave me a sleeker look. The deep V-cut of my dress showed off my cleavage. I’d paired the dress with black and gold stilettos and gold accessories.
It had been some time since I’d heard from Dante, and while I hadn’t given up hope, I knew he was repaying me for putting him on hold the two weeks that I had.
Almost a month had passed since the last time that I saw him, and I was eager.
As I rolled along the streets past the harbor with its twinkling lights from the houseboats that were docked there, hearing the sounds of the ships heading out, and smelling the scent of the ocean breeze blowing in, I relaxed against the seat and closed my eyes.
I loved Sunset Harbor more than any place in the world that I’d traveled to. Not just because it was home, but our small town with its slow, sweet Southern charm was the friendliest place I’d ever been. People waved, welcoming you with open arms, friendly chatter, and a good meal with a glass of iced tea.
Alternatively, Sunset Harbor held its share of secrets, too, like Prestige.
A smirk settled onto my lips; I wonder if it hadn’t been for the club if I would have met Dante. After all, that’s where Maeve met him.
As the Rolls Royce sped through town and headed into the hills, I couldn’t help but recall the thought I’d had when I’d first went to Dante’s community with Maeve for the benefit dinner. The houses that sat on a hill almost seemed like a king’s castle looking down on his kingdom.
He and the other residents on the hill were royalty in an enclave of their creation, sheltered from the problems of the regular world. They didn’t have to worry about how they would pay their mortgages or car notes. They didn’t worry whether their children would earn a scholarship to pay their way through college.
The problems that people like Dante and his neighbors had were problems that I couldn’t comprehend.
But his invitation to whatever this event was would allow me to pretend to be one of them for just one evening.
I felt like a princess as we continued to climb the hill, being led away from my everyday life into a fairytale land.
“My lady, we have arrived,” his driver said in a thick Italian accent.
“Thank you,” I replied as I waited for him to exit the car and open the door for me.
The moment my foot touched the ground, Dante appeared at my side as if by magic. I hadn’t seen the front door open or heard his footsteps approaching.
“Hi,” I breathed, my heartbeat increasing at just the sight of him.
“Hello, my Queen,” he replied in a low intimate tone.
His driver got back into the car and pulled away as Dante took my hand and placed it in the crook of his elbow, and led me to a waiting golf cart.
“So, what’s the occasion tonight?” I asked as he drove through the courtyard and around the side of his house.
“You.”
“Excuse me?” I asked, laughing nervously.
“What is it that you don’t understand, mio cara?”
“How is the occasion about me?”
“I’m celebrating you tonight because I’ve missed you,” he said.
“You’re celebrating me? What about the other guests?”
“What other guests?” he asked as we passed underneath a wisteria-covered pergola.
“The ones for the event tonight.”
“You are the event, bella.”
“But your invitation said—”
“Nothing about other guests.”
“Yet, it implied it.”
“Depends on whose point of view we’re looking from,” he said with a wink.
We drove around for a while, touring the vineyard. Dante stopped to pick a cluster of grapes, encouraging me to sample the sweet, delicious fruit. After we’d finished our tour, he headed back to the garden at the front of the vineyard.
Towering cypress trees surrounded stachys and thyme. We stopped at the entrance of his vineyard. I took in a lush tapestry of silvers and greens with dotted specks of purple and blues scattered throughout the garden.
“This is so beautiful, Dante,” I said, taking in the landscaping. “What’s this?” I asked as he led me towards what appeared to be a fluffy cloud of material lying on the ground and draped from smaller cypress trees as a backdrop to the setting he was creating.
“My celebration of you. There are no other guests tonight, amore mio. Just you and I,” he said, pulling me towards him and gently kissing my lips.
It was the first kiss that Dante and I ever exchanged so sweet and gentle yet filled with promises of what was to come.
When he broke off the kiss, I was still standing there, breathless and taken by surprise. It took a moment before I gathered my composure and allowed him to lead me closer to the material to see that it was clouds of white chiffon.
On top of the chiffon, someone had set up a picnic, and not just any picnic. The finest China was laid out with genuine silverware and crystal glasses. Everything was set on top of a wood board, including a bouquet that appeared to be from the surrounding garden. Three lit candles stood between the plates and three bottles of wine.
Dante helped me down to the ground and began to uncover the silver serving dishes that sat to one side on the chiffon cloud.
My eyes feasted on all the foods, olives, charcuterie, risotto balls, fried chicken, shrimp and cocktail sauce, fresh summer rolls, pearl couscous salad, almond stuffed dates rolled in powdered sugar, white chocolate raspberry scones, and strawberries dipped in chocolate.
Laughing, I asked, “Who’s going to eat all of this food, Dante?”
“Well, my Queen, the way that I see it, you can try a little bit of everything. And whatever you don’t eat, I’ll lick it off you,” he said, his dark brown eyes darkening and challenging with a bit of joy in them.
I squirmed, tightening my thighs against the reflexive pulsing happening between my legs.
Dante maneuvered so that my back was pressed against his chest and his legs spread out on the side of mine. Taking my hand into his, he said, “Don’t be shy, my Queen. We’ve feasted and indulged in each other’s bodies for some time. Had deep conversations, is it only natural if I want to go a little deeper with this?”
“Deeper?” I asked, inhaling to regain control of my breathing.
“Yes, deeper,” he said in a low voice as his warm breath tickled my neck, just before he suckled a spot there.
I couldn’t help the moan that escaped my throat. I was grateful yet, missing him instantly when he pulled back.
“We must eat up because I need to build up your strength for everything that I have planned for you tonight and into the early hours of the morning and the rest of the weekend.”
“Weekend? Dante, I didn’t bring anything to change into.”
“Don’t worry, mia Regina, there will be no need for clothing this weekend. I promise,” he said, kissing underneath my earlobe.
Shivering, I relaxed into his arms.
Over the next hour, Dante fed me, teasing, enticing, and provoking my palate with the various wines he offered me. He stated they were all vintage and from the grounds of his vineyard.
When we finished eating, Dante stood and reached down for my hand.
“Where are we going?” I asked as he led me away from our quiet little haven in a part of the world where nothing and no one else existed.
The Scandal : A BBW ALPHA MALE BWWM ROMANCE Page 10