Page 199 of La Dolce Vita

Alek glared at Carlo. Carlo winked.

PART Three

The Reckoning

ChapterThirty

The Seduction

Paris, France

Catalina pressed her eye against the tiny circular peephole. It was a huge night for Fabiana's. She and her team received a standing ovation. Giorgio Armani told her that their show was inspiring. She couldn't believe the applause and celebration in her name. Everyone wanted to interview her, take a picture with her, be seen with her. And all she could think about was Armando. The night ended on a sour note. She announced she had to leave to be fresh for the next event. The grand finale from the House of Mirabella's.

She left the event earlier than she would normally. And just as she suspected, Raffaele was the first to stand guard. Paolo hadn't left the party below. He claimed to be on the lookout for anybody of suspicion. But she knew better. Paolo had never been around so much celebrity and decadence in one night. She hoped he had fun.

"Come on, Rosie. Please. Do this one for me. Please."

The door opened. Rosetta was in a very revealing white negligee. She looked like some sex-craving, virgin bride. Raffaele stood with his hands clasped before him. Stoic as ever. When he looked down at Rosetta, his hands dropped. Catalina couldn't see the desire in his eyes, but everything she saw of him said it was there. She told Rosetta that it would not be easy to seduce these men. But what did she know? She never looked at the men who worked for her brother in any inappropriate way.

The plan would go off flawlessly if Raffaele played his part.

When she was done with Armando, she would call Rosetta and wake her. Have her do the same thing to Paolo so she could sneak back into her room undetected. That was the plan.

Rosetta ran her hand down Raffaele’s chest and smoothed his tie. Catalina waited. At first, it looked as if her guardian wouldn't take the bait. He did hesitate. But when Rosetta lifted her mouth up to his he went in for the kiss. She pulled his tie and brought him inside the room. The moment the door closed, Catalina was out of hers. She hurried down the hall. She would have run all the way if it weren't for the high heels she wore. She went as fast as she could. At the elevator, she held her breath. She punched the button several times. She kept glancing back behind her. What if he came out of the room? What if Paolo returned early? So many 'what ifs' crossed her mind she felt faint.

The door to the elevator opened. Catalina went inside, and the doors closed. The first part of her destiny had begun. She prayed for the strength to see the rest of it through.

***

Armando tasted the dinner. He frowned. It tasted like shit compared to his aunt’s cooking. It would have to do. He uncorked the wine and set the bottle down in the bucket.

There was a knock at the door. Armando glanced over to hisconsigliere. The hotel provided a insuite butler service for the most prestigious of guests. He had dismissed the servant and put his own man in his place. The door opened. Catalina hesitated at the sight of Ignacio. He held the door open for her to enter. And after a long second, she did. She wore some kind of black dress coat with large military buttons crossing over her breasts. It tied securely at the waist. It had a hood like that of little red riding hood. Large enough to show her beautiful face. And her eyes were concealed behind dark oval sunglasses.

Catalina stared at Ignacio. He nodded to his boss and left. She then turned her gaze to him. Armando wasn't a man prone to nervousness. And he had plenty of reason to be nervous over this one. If Giovanni even thought she was his, he'd burn down everything between them to put a bullet in him.

"You're on time. I thought you might be delayed. Big night for you."

She stood there silent. She didn't smile or frown. And the Don could see so little of her curvaceous figure under her cloak.

"Is this supposed to be a joke?" he asked. "What you're wearing?"

She didn't respond. Armando approached her. He removed the sunglasses from her face. To his surprise her eyes glistened with repressed tears. And when she blinked, one dropped to her cheek. He took the liberty and wiped it away with his thumb.

"Remember," he whispered. "This only happens if you want it to."

"I don't want it to," she quickly said.

"We haven't started. At the very least indulge me with dinner," he said. "Or am I that scary?"

Catalina closed her eyes. He didn’t know if she were praying or thinking of turning and leaving. It was time for her to decide.

“Take off your coat and join me.”

She opened her eyes, and they locked with his. He waited. She untied the belt to her coat. She reached up to the collar and unfastened the buttons. She then undid the snaps until the flap fell over and opened. The hood dropped from her hair. She wore a simple black dress beneath. She shrugged off the coat and handed it to him.

"What's for dinner?" she asked.

Impressed, Armando folded the coat over his arm and gestured to the setting he had before tall windows that gave a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower. Catalina tossed her hair with an air of confidence and walked to the dining table. Armando's gaze lowered to the sway of her hips and her perfectly shaped ass. He tossed the coat she wore aside. Catalina stood by the table and waited for him to pull out her chair. He did. She sat with grace. He scooted her chair in. The fear in her eyes was gone. Maybe it was a mask, an act. With her, he could never tell. The only thing he knew for certain was a simple seduction would never work. She would make him earn the night.

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