Chapter 24 Caterina
Caterina
Alessio left for work shortly after our shower and, though I wanted more of his closeness after my first time, I didn’t dare beg for it any more than I’ll beg for words of love he does not feel. He’ll probably be out late tonight as usual.
I spent time getting to know our unexpected houseguest, Matilde, which involved practicing my rusty Italian.
She's a lovely girl, and it breaks my heart to learn she's lost her father recently.
Considering what she's gone through, she admitted being tired and begged my pardon so she could rest some more after lunch.
As expected, I’m sore all day. Armando was even more attentive than usual, watching me walk with a concerned curiosity in his expression.
Surely, he doesn’t suspect the reason why.
He probably just thinks Alessio was rougher than usual.
It felt rough enough but, even with my lack of experience, I could tell Alessio was going easy on me.
I wonder what the maid will think when she changes the sheets.
Or if Silvio De Luca will be informed of it. I cringe at the thought.
With a sigh, I get ready for dinner downstairs with the family.
Bibi insists the girls all attend dinner each night and that we dress impeccably for the occasion even if our men don’t manage to join us.
It was the same at home with my mother. It’s a common expectation of mafia wives, and our traditions die harder than anything.
Shortly before six, Alessio surprises me as he strides into the bedroom, his hair damp with sweat. “You look pretty, but I suggest no heels tonight.”
I glance down at the high heels I’m wearing. Gia’s husband hates for her to wear them because he's short, but that’s not an issue between my husband and me.
Shoes are the furthest thing from my mind the next instant when Alessio strips out of his clothes, displaying lean muscle and sweaty toned and tanned skin.
The piercing on his penis glints in the light, and my mouth starts to water even as my pussy gives a feeble whimper of protest. My husband’s body turns me on in a major way and now that I no longer fear the unknown…
“You’re drooling.”
Realizing I’ve been caught, I blush but still meet his smirk head on. “You’re home early. Why do I need to change shoes?”
“Because I’m taking my wife out on a date. Just need a quick shower first.”
Affection swells inside me and that’s not all. “Do I need to shower with you?”
He chuckles, grabbing the soap as he starts the water. “We’re going out for dinner and to see a few sights tonight. Expect some extra walking.”
Excitement fills me. He’s taking me on a date, a real one that he’s planned for us, not me pleading to come to the club last night. I find a different pair of shoes as he suggested… after I enjoy watching him take his shower.
***
Bibi is less than pleased when I tell her we’re going out for dinner. “You could’ve said something sooner. I wouldn’t have had Ornella waste time preparing your plate,” she snaps at me.
“Watch your tone with my wife, Bibi. She’s not a servant, and she doesn’t answer to you.”
Alessio’s dangerously low rasp makes my nipples tighten as Bibi lowers her head, murmuring, “Of course.”
My heart thunders wildly when he places his hand at the small of my back to escort me out of the house without a backwards glance at his stepmother, leading me to a luxury SUV parked on the driveway.
“Were you close to her when you were smaller?” I ask him as we tear along the highway toward the Strip.
“No, never. She felt threatened by the shadow of my mother and showed clear favoritism toward her own children as they came along. She loved getting me into trouble when I was young, but she prefers me over Nerio at least.”
“How old is he?”
“Twenty, Gia’s age. Nerio’s mother was one of my father’s favorites at Club Oasis for a time. He boasts that Nerio is his Seconda Notte bastard, but I don’t know if that’s true.”
My cheeks burn, and I understand why Nerio’s presence would upset Bibi. “I hate the Seconda,” I whisper.
“Of course, you do. No one consulted any brides about the tradition when it was formed.”
“Do you agree with that?”
“Armando's father once warned me it was a stupid thing to do. I think he had a good point… especially if a man’s wife has a knife.” Alessio slants a wicked grin my way.
“He sounds like a wise man,” I say, smothering laughter.
“He is. Anyway, Bibi’s always feared my father and soon learned to fear Sil, Jr., but it took a few years for her to learn to fear me.”
“Is that what you wanted? To be feared?”
“I was two and a half when my father took her to be his new bride and bedded her, Caterina. What do you think?”
At such a tender age, I think all he would’ve wanted was to be loved, and my heart aches for the little boy he once was. “Did she mistreat you?” I ask, horrified at the thought until I recall the fact that his father literally started torturing him when he was younger than Valdo is now.
“She’s vain and jaded and a certified schemer, but she’s not stupid.”
“And, your mother… Stefania?”
“She died,” he clips, not offering any more information. “Traffic’s a bitch, isn’t it?”
I agree, not wanting to risk the night’s mood with unwelcome questions.
We head to one of his favorite restaurants, a Vietnamese place he says is well known for their vegan dim sum. “Vegan?” I don’t bother hiding my surprise.
“I don’t always have to eat meat to be a predator,” he replies with a wink.
Other couples are waiting for tables, but the owner spots us immediately and whisks us to a private booth near the back. Alessio shrugs at my raised eyebrows. “We helped him take care of a problem recently. He must’ve recognized my face.”
“Are there any people in this city who don’t?”
“One or two.”
Those one or two people must be off tonight because we sample rice wine with our delicious meal and then walk into a nearby casino afterwards where no one asks to see my ID.
Alessio is armed but no security personnel ask to look under his jacket.
I don’t really care about gambling, but I’m on Cloud Nine having Alessio teach me the basics of Blackjack.
“Can I learn poker, too?”
“You can learn anything you like. Just remember to play for the fun of it, but never bet more than you’re willing to lose. The odds are always with the house.”
I nod, soaking in his words, and I can’t help noticing all the women who stare at my husband with blatant want in their eyes.
I can’t blame them - he’s gorgeous and his alpha male appeal is impossible to deny.
I hook my ankle around his leg at the table, leaning into him and laughing at nothing in particular.
“Are you drunk on rice wine, Mrs. De Luca?” he asks with his hand resting possessively on my thigh.
I shake my head, giggling as the worst of the admirers gives up trying to catch his eye. “Maybe a little.” He kisses my forehead, making my heart sing, and praises me when I win my first hand. My pile of chips grows, but I already feel like the Queen of Las Vegas with him by my side.
After that, I ask to see the fountains at the Bellagio and he indulges me. “What do you enjoy doing?” I ask as we stroll along the sidewalk with our hands linked.
“You’ve heard the stories about me, I’m sure.”
“I’ve heard about what the Reaper does on his Capo’s orders. I want to know what Alessio enjoys.”
He shakes his head. “Alessio enjoys what he does on his Capo’s orders. But, he also likes getting his wife drunk and teaching her dirty new things.”
I smack his chest. “Be serious.”
“Who says I’m not being serious?” But at my pleading look, he relents.
“I like this. I like showing you around places you want to see. I like throwing Valdo into the pool when he’s being a little shit.
” I giggle at the image. “I like playing poker with Armando or talking about racing with him. What do you like? Besides reading and getting your pussy licked by me.”
Too tipsy to be mortified, I laugh loudly at that last sentence before thinking over the question.
“I haven’t made up my mind about everything yet.
There are so many things I’ve never done in the name of keeping me safe.
I’m enjoying this though. I never thought our marriage would feel like…
oh my God!” Failing to finish my thought, I race toward the famed fountains when they come into view, tugging Alessio along by the hand.
He comes with me willingly because I could never move him an inch if he resisted.
I’m unable to take my eyes off the waters, gaping like a child while Alessio continues to hold my hand.
“They're magnificent. Like a million stars sparkling around us.”
“We can’t see many stars here. You never thought our marriage would feel like what?”
I blush, meeting his gaze. “Like something I could love.” He glances away. Right. Made Men. Feelings. An unusual combination. “Tonight feels like our honeymoon.”
“Honeymoon?” he scoffs. “Dim sum and gambling?”
“Well… yes. It’s not always expected in our circles to take a real one, I know.
” The men in our world are never off-duty, except maybe the head men.
But Alessio never passes his duties off to others from what I can tell.
He’s studying me curiously, and I start to feel silly for what I said.
“Never mind. Just let me pretend for a bit, alright?”
With a nod, he turns me back the way we came. “Let’s go back to the vehicle.”
I figure our date night must be over already, but he has another surprise in store for me.
***
“Wake up, kitten,” his deep voice rumbles before he starts unbuckling my seatbelt much later. I must’ve fallen asleep as we drove.
He helps me climb into the back of the SUV, pointing up at the panoramic view the moonroof presents. Blinking the sleep out of my eyes, my jaw drops. With the city lights nearly seventy miles away, the Mojave Desert’s night sky is a veritable canvas of stars. He drove me out here to see them.
“It’s like an entire galaxy is visiting this corner of the earth tonight.”
He pulls me into his lap, nuzzling my throat. “The stars are always there even when we can’t see them. You smell so fucking good.” His hand drops down between my knees, and I can feel him getting hard beneath me. More than astronomy or the wonders of space are on his mind.
“If you want to, we can,” I whisper, pushing past my trepidation at the thought of pain.
His eyes search my face until he shakes his head. “I always want you, but I’m not going to fuck you, Caterina. Not tonight. It might hurt as much as this morning, and I won’t take you in a backseat for your second time.”
I flush, strangely embarrassed that he’s holding back for me. “Maybe this is why the Seconda Notte came about, huh? The virgin bride couldn’t stand more so soon after the wedding night.”
“As if that would stop men like me from taking what we want,” he huffs.
“But you didn’t. You waited for me to be ready.” I place my hand to his chest, feeling his heart pounding under his shirt. He looks away uncomfortably. Is it such a bad thing to not always be so hard? “And you didn’t sleep with any of the women from Club Oasis the next night either.”
“I don’t use whores.”
“No, not now. You’re married now,” I joke, a very feeble jest born of my lingering insecurity that falls miserably flat.
Alessio cups my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye. “It’s not hard for me to be faithful to you. Just remember what you swore to me in return. And I’ve never fucked any of our whores.”
I’ll admit I’m stunned by his words. “I would’ve thought… Isn't it tradition for fathers to take their sons to one of the Trio’s establishments for their first time?”
“My first time in one of those places wasn’t a pleasurable experience. I had no interest in having my first sexual experience at one.”
Before I can ask what that means, he distracts me by kissing the spot behind my ear, making me squirm with sudden need.
“I want to show you more stars tonight.” His hand glides up my thigh and under my skirt.
He brushes the center of my panties and I know he must feel how they’re clinging to my skin.
“I want to worship this sweet pussy with my tongue tonight. I want to make you come.”
I nod, wanting nothing more than his touch. For all his dirty words and deeds, there’s a sweetness growing between us, still tremulous but powerful. I feel it. Might he?
Soon enough, he buries his face between my legs, making me gasp and writhe and cry out on the leather seat as the stars twinkle up above us.
This night is magical, like something out of one of my beloved books.
Even when he’s being cold or scary or vengeful, my husband’s heart beats steadily just as the stars shine even when they’re not visible.
I simply wish his heart might beat for me someday as certainly as mine beats for him.