Page 49 of Beautiful Devil

“How . . .”

“The owner is a good friend. He always makes arrangements for me,” I reply. I exit the car before holding out my hand to help Gia exit the car.

I swear as she steps out, the world stops turning. I’m a lucky bastard. From this second forward, I vow to make it my mission to be worthy of this woman. To make her mine. Willingly and whollymine.

We walk into the restaurant, where a slim man greets us with a wide smile plastered across his face.

He looks between me and Gia as he says, “Good evening, can I have a name for your reservation?”

Before I can answer, I see Dom approach from behind.

“I’ve got this one, Alex,” he says with a firm grip on my hand. “Fabrizio, caro amico. Come stanno le cose?”Fabrizio, dear friend. How are things?

“Dom, la vita è bella, gli affari vanno bene. Come stai?”Dom, life is good, business is good. How are you?

“Va tutto bene, e chi è questa bellezza?”All is good, and who is this beauty?

“This is my wife, Gia. Gia, this is an old friend of mine, Dominic Lombardi.”

“Welcome to Lombardi’s. Please, follow me.”

My hand comfortably settles on Gia’s lower back as we walk, and I fight the urge to slip my palm down and rest it on her ass. I feel the eyes of men and women turn in our direction as we walk through the tables, no doubt checking out what’smine. Dom stops at our secluded table in the back before I have the chance to confront any onlookers.

“Enjoy your meal, and let me know if there is anything else I can do for you. Lucia will be along shortly to take your order. Ciao.” He gives a quick bow before retreating out of sight.

Our waitress arrives moments later with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and pours us both a glass. I lift my champagne flute and hold it toward Gia to indicate a toast.

“To us,” I say as I clink my flute with hers.

She doesn’t say anything, but simply downs her drink in one quick mouthful.

“Fuck.” She coughs and splutters once she’s finished. “Maybe I shouldn’t have done that.”

A small chuckle rises from my throat. I try to lighten the atmosphere and say, “There are definitely other things you could be choking on.”

I know, I’m a bastard. But I need Gia to understand that my attraction to her is real, even if she thinks this marriage isn’t. She doesn’t say a word, but I do catch the giggle that she tries to hide behind her menu.

Once we’ve ordered, I refill Gia’s flute, and this time she only takes a small sip. A small moan of appreciation tumbles up her throat as she tastes the champagne properly. I think about how a moan of pleasure might sound from her mouth with my cock buried in that red-lipped mouth of hers. I'm brought out of my thoughts when Gia takes me by surprise and initiates conversation.

“So, why did you really want to take me out for dinner?”

I decide to reward her efforts and answer truthfully. “I don't want you to think I'm some horrible monster,dolcezza.”

“I know. That's what I don't get,” she says with a shrug.

I’m stuck in limbo, knowing I can’t tell her the whole truth: that it's because I want her to be wholly mine.

I decide it's best to leave her question unanswered, and not long after our appetizers arrive, I try to lighten the mood and ask how her shopping trip with Elle went. As soon as I mention Elle’s name, Gia’s face lights up. She takes off in a whirlwind, telling me all about how good it was to see Elle and how much she’s missed her, and it’s with those words in particular that I feel like the world’s largest prick. Not only have I taken this woman as my own and flipped her life upside-down, but I also took away her support system.

“You know, if you ever want to see or talk to Elle, all you have to do is say the word. I promise to make it happen.”

Once those words are out of my lips, I look up to see Gia staring back at me with tears threatening to spill over. She mutters out a small “thank you” before we return to finishing our appetizers in silence.

Gia’s back to talking about how the rest of her shopping trip with Elle went, when our entrée arrives. She informs me that she’s an only child, which I already knew, and how her parents only spoke in Italian when she was out of earshot and how her and Elle met and became fast friends and have been inseparable since…

Yeah, the alcohol is clearly having an effect on her mood, and I can’t say I’m upset about it. She’s polished off more of the champagne Dom sent over, while I’m still only on my second glass.

“You know, Elle took me to a lingerie store today. Said I should start living my life and make the best out of thissituation.” She giggles into her champagne flute before taking another sip.

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