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She gapes. “Is that presumptuous, or what?”
“Be thankful I allowed you out of the house on this outing.” I smirk.
“Big-bloody-deal,” she murmurs under her breath.
“What did you say?”
“I meant,” she clears her throat, “thank you.” She coughs.
“That’s what I’m talking about.”
Just then, Giorgio arrives with our food. He places a plate of the Vongole in front of me and the Aglio Olio in front of Karma. He pours the wine into glasses, then sets out glasses of water, and fresh bread with a little receptacle containing olive oil. “Buon Appetito.” He steps back, then leaves.
The scent of the pepper, parmigiana, and the intense fresh aroma of the vongole permeates the air. My mouth waters. I reach for my fork, twirl the pasta and take a bite. The plump, briny taste of the clams fills my mouth. The fresh pasta crowns the experience. I break off a piece of the fresh bread, dip it in the white wine sauce, and pop it inside my mouth. So fucking good. A groan rumbles from my chest. I glance up to find her staring at me. She hasn’t touched her food.
“Eat,” I gesture to her spaghetti.
She twirls some of the strands around her fork, just like I had taught her, and brings it up to her mouth. She wraps her tongue around the tines and wipes it clean. My dick twitches and blood drains to my groin. I watch as she closes her eyes, chews, then a moan bleeds from her lips. She snaps her eyelids open, stares down at her plate, “Wow… That was…”
“Almost as good as an orgasm?”
“Yep,” she nods, “I have to say, on this occasion, I agree.”
She scoops up more of the pasta, and I do the same. We eat in relative silence until our plates are wiped clean.
“That was incredible.” She licks her lips, as she reaches for her wine glass and drains it. Warmth suffuses my chest. The sight of her content and radiating satisfaction does strange things to me. I want to always take care of her, feed her good food, take her to my other favorite restaurants… Be with her as she explores the culinary delights of my heritage…
Hold on, what the hell am I thinking about here? What the hell is wrong with me that I am suddenly envisioning a future with her?
Paolo ambles over to stand between us. He surveys our now empty plates, places his palms over his wide girth, “Dolce, Capo?”
“Yes,” she says eagerly, “I’d love to eat whatever dessert you have made today.”
“No,” I snap, “we’re done here.”
He turns to me, a frown on his face, “You are leaving without having my dessert?”
Yeah, I know. Sacrilege. Not something I’d do on any other day. But right now, I need to get this scrumptious piece of temptation away from me and back in the cage I have created for her. Before I do anything else I am going to regret.
I rise to my feet. “Grazie Paolo.” I add in a conciliatory tone, “Maybe next time.”
He glances between us, then turns to Beauty, “Buongiorno, Principessa.” He half bows to her, “Did you enjoy your meal?”
“It was…” she searches for the right word, “incredible. The best pasta I have ever eaten. And such a simple dish… I can’t believe you put all those ingredients together and came up with something so amazing.”
Paolo’s features light up. “I am so pleased that you liked it. You come back anytime.” He turns to me, “Make sure you bring her back with you, Capo.”
I stare. Paolo actually smiling, and being civil, and to someone he’s never met before? That has to be a first. Clearly, I am not the only one who is falling under her spell. I scowl up at him, but he doesn’t seem to notice. “You take good care of her, Capo.” He holds my gaze.
I nod and he seems satisfied.
A young man scurries up to him with a paper packet which he hands to Karma. “Dolce for the dolce.” He grins down at her and my jaw falls open. What the hell? Paolo actually allowed a take-away of his precious dolce? Unheard off. He treats his food with too much respect to do that. In fact, I can’t recall a single instance before this when he’s actually packed his food in a take-away container. But he did it for her?
Che cazzo!
I jerk my chin, dismissing Paolo, who glances between us again. A sly look comes into his eyes, but he doesn’t say anything else. He nods once more to both of us, then turning, he saunters off.
“Well, that was rude.” Karma scowls, “You all but told him to fuck off, and after he was being so nice to us.”
“It’s Paolo,” I raise a shoulder, “he can handle it.”
“What set you off now?” She glowers up at me. “Seriously, your moods are worse than a woman on her period.”
“That was an incredibly sexist remark to make,” I chide her.
She laughs. “You should talk. The most misogynistic, most toxic, meanest man I have ever encountered.”
I tip an imaginary hat down at her.
“Only you would take it as a compliment.”
I smirk, “Don’t tell me you don’t find it attractive?”
“Certainly, not.” She scowls.
“Don’t lie to me, Beauty.” I widen my stance, “There’s something inside of you that relishes the fact that I don’t hide behind meaningless niceties. That you see me and you know what you get. That I don’t conceal exactly how perverted I am.” I lower my chin to my chest as I hold her gaze, “That you know exactly how sordid my thoughts are, and that my actions are even more debauched… And something within you is relieved that my warped tastes give you the permission to unlock all the lustful emotions you have kept to yourself. That-” I place my hands on the chair on either side of her and bracket her in, “the corrupt truth inside of you feeds off of my deviance, indeed wants to embrace my every obscene act… If I let you. Only, I won’t.”
“You won’t?” She blinks.
“I won’t,” I reiterate. “For you see, you are an asset, first and foremost. A gorgeous one, one with the kind of baseness that I hadn’t expected…but an asset, nevertheless. One I am in no mood to break in, regardless of how tempting that may be. No, you, Beauty, are my property, and I intend to ensure that I leverage you for the purpose for which I kidnapped you in the first place. You’re my captive, nothing more, and it you would do well to remember that.”
“As if you’ll ever let me forget,” she mutters.Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.
“Good, we understand each other then.” I jerk my chin, “You should know that it’s time for you to fulfill your role, Beauty.”