La Vita Dolce Ch. 16

Adelina looked confused. "Sí, Signore. Yes, I do."

"My wife and I could use some time alone to discuss things. "Gianni pulled his wallet from his back pocket and pulled out a black credit card. He gestured absently to the rack of gowns in the dressing room. "She'll take all of them."

The girl's eyes widened. "All of them, Signore?"

"That's right," he grinned at her.

"Oh--of course, Signore Angiolini," she took the card and turned to leave them alone. Gianni closed the door behind her and immediately turned his attention back to Natahsa.

She stood silently in the middle of the room, her arms at her sides.

Gianni came to stand before her. He looked at her and realized she was trembling hard. "Ah, bella," he sighed. He carefully lifted his palm to her cheek. Her thickly lashed lids fluttered and then closed. She leaned into his palm, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

"Shh," he soothed and stepped forwards and pulled her against him. He trembling shook her whole frame. Gianni wrapped an arm tighter around her waist, cradling her head against his chest with the other.

Her voice was broken when she spoke. "It's been so long...I-I thought about you everyday. I wanted to find you. I wanted to tell you...but I couldn't. I wanted to so bad." She choked on a sob.

The feeling of being in his arms felt like a dream. His familiar masculine scent assaulted her senses. She could almost forget all the time that lay between the present and the last time he held her in his arms.

She tentatively lifted her face to his. He was looking at her intently, his silver gaze roving her features before he carefully lowered his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged herself closer to his body as he tightened his hold and lifted her off the ground. He kissed her lips very gently, and then pressed his lips against hers, and slipped his tongue into her mouth and tasted her deeply. She clasped her arms around his neck and felt the rough stubble of his face and the silken waves of his hair as she grasped it, and most of all the long sweet pressure of his tongue inside her mouth.

He lowered her to the settee without losing the contact of their lips. Her fingers slid beneath his shirt to skim over the hard ripples of his abdomen.

Gianni broke the kiss only long enough to yank the shirt over his head. .He bent to capture her lips again but her gentle insistent hands against his chest halted him.

His brows lifted questioningly but she was intently tracing her fingertips over the hard planes of his chest. He watched her face in avid fascination.

Natasha felt like the oxygen in the room was in short supply. This man was inhumanly beautiful. How had she managed to give him up? He held himself aloft on his hands and she ran his hands over the corded muscles of his arms and shoulders. She traced her fingertips over his chest, pausing at the cross tattooed just over his heart. She then moved lower, tracing over his abdominals to trace the cut lines at the top of his hips. How could she have forgotten how beautiful this man was? She lifted her eyes to his smoldering silver gaze.

She felt as though her heart were swelling to a size to large for her chest, like it might crack open her ribs. She lifted her hands to either side of his face and pulled him down for a deep open mouthed kiss.

Gianni moaned into her mouth and gently lowered himself on top of her, returning the kiss. His lips massaged hers, parting them as his tongue delved into her hot mouth, tasting her completely.

Her heady scent washed over him, the exotic fragrance of jasmine and vanilla. He felt her arms wrap around him and he reveled in the feel of her smooth silken skin against his.

Gianni was hard to the point of aching as his cock strained against his jeans. He settled himself between her thighs and ground himself against her mound, swallowing her sighs of pleasure as he did so.

Natasha bent her legs to cradle his hips, lifting her hips to meet his slow torturous movements against her.

Gianni groaned and pulled his mouth away gasping. "Bella, we have to stop."

But she was already undoing his pants and pulling him free of his boxers. His abdominals bunched as his rigid cock pulsed in her small hand.

Natasha stroked him with one hand, reaching up with the other to cup the back of his neck and pull him closer. "Please, Gianni."

He couldn't deny her anything that she asked at him in that moment.

Kissing her fiercely he tugged the yards of silk fabric from between their bodies and up about her waist. He grasped the thin material of her thong and ripped the flimsy fabric from her body.

Natasha gasped and arched as she felt his cock sliding against her clit. He nuzzled her neck as he continued to rock his hips against hers.

Lifting her hips off the settee with one hand, he thrust powerfully into her. Natasha's lips opened in a silent scream of pleasure. Gianni growled against her throat and nipped at the tender flesh there as he slowly slid in and out of her tight heat. Her silken sheath gripped him like a fist and he lost himself in the exquisite feel of her.

"Ah, bella," he breathed. "You feel so good."

Natasha scraped blunt nails over his back, feeling the taut muscles flex and ripple beneath his skin. She cried out as she began pistoning his hips forcefully against hers.

Chuckling quietly, Gianni covered her mouth with his palm, muffling her cries. Gianni let out a low groan as he began slamming his cock into her. Her arms and legs tightened around him as she hung on for dear life as Gianni fucked her mercilessly, stretching her sheath and plunging deeply into her.

Gianni felt the tingling waves of pleasure building. He would have liked to take her gently their first time together in years. He would have liked to make love to her slowly and carefully, drawing out their release. He would have liked to have her in his own bed where she would feel safe. But seeing her, holding her, kissing her--it was to much to bear and required more restraint than he thought himself capable of.

Natasha's nails were scoring his back. He'd removed his hand from her mouth which was now open in a silent 'o' as he felt her shudder, her pussy clenching and spasming against him.

Gianni seized his lips in a kiss as he felt the pleasure over take him. He pumped his hips furiously, letting out a low cry as he exploded into her tight sheath.

Gianni gazed down at Natasha's flushed face with something akin to shock as he carefully lowered himself on top of her though he held most of his weight aloft on his forearms. He brushed the backs of his fingers against her fevered brow. He sighed. "I've missed you so much."

Natasha blinked back tears. "I've missed you too," she managed hoarsely.

Gianni grinned at her. His smile both warmed and wrenched at her heart.

Gianni lifted himself and began to dress. Natasha stood on trembling legs, and smoothed the skirt of the gown. She smiled sheepishly. "Good thing I'm buying it."

Gianni laughed, looping an arm around her and pulling her towards him to place a kiss on her brow before he turned her in his arms and began undoing the row of buttons down the back of the gown.

Natasha dressed slowly, reluctantly. It was torture. She had to go back. She had to go back to Luca. Gabriel's face flashed in her mind. She wouldn't--she couldn't--endanger her son.

Gianni was standing by the door expectantly. " Ready to go?"

"Go where?"

A frown wrinkled Gianni's brow as he noticed her hesitation. "To my space. Someplace safe. I'll follow you home, we pick up Gabriel, and I'll take you back to my place."

Natasha shook her head vehemently. "No."

Gianni's look was dark. "What do you mean, 'no'? You can't seriously think that I'm going to allow you to go back there--to him."

Natasha looked back at him sadly. "Gianni, there's no expiration date on my bargain with Luca. If I don't comply..." she swallowed thickly. It's no different than three years ago."

Gianni's jaw clenched and he spoke through gritted teeth. "You don't honestly expect me to just let you go back to him. Fuck that, Natasha. No."

She wrapped her arms around herself still shaking her head. "It's not that easy. He won't just let us go."

Gianni's hands were fisted at his sides. "He won't have a choice."

She stared at him, at the tense lines of his face. His grey gaze had darkened ominously. Natasha's voice was soft. "So you're going to kill him?"

"If necessary," was his clipped response.

"No," Natasha shook her head vehemently. "No." She turned from him and began struggling out of the gown and pulling her sundress over her head. She snatched up her handbag.

Gianni caught her arm when she would have brushed by him. She cut him off when he would have spoken. "And what happens to you if you fail? If you get caught--and not just caught by Luca but by the police--then what?"

"Do you have something better in mind?"

She refused to look at him, "Just let it go."

"Natasha--"

"Let. It. Go." she ground out. "I will handle it."

Gianni glared at her. "So now you can handle it? Now you can handle shit."

Natasha smoothed her hair and fixed him with a cool look. "Maybe I've learned a few things."

Gianni eyed her warily, rubbing at his jaw. "I don't think I want to know."

Natasha looked at him expectantly. "Look, we'll figure this out okay. But I have to get back to my son. I will not put him in danger." She sighed. "Not even for you will I endanger Gabriel."

His thoughts moving to his son, Gianni sighed. She was right. They couldn't rush into anything."

Seeing him relent smiled wanly and moved towards the door to the dressing room. "Later Gian."

"Tasha, wait," he grabbed her arm and halted her movement.

She stilled though she kept her eyes on the door.

"Wait ten minutes before you leave the store. Stall. Whatever. Just wait. Then you can catch a taxi and go. I won't stop you."

Natasha's gaze flickered to his face. Is expression was calm, detached. She tried to convince herself that she preferred it this way, the distance. It was better. Easier.

She nodded mutely.

He gave her a long considering look before turning and leaving her alone with yards of silk and chiffon. She stood silently, her mind fighting for blankness, for the absence she'd learned to evoke.

The soft knock on the door distracted her from her efforts.

Natasha woodenly went through the motions of ensuring that the gowns would be sent to the atalier and then to the villa. She lingered disinterestedly in the store before venturing outside.

She forced herself not to look around fo Gianni or Luca's henchmen as she hailed a taxi. As she stood on the curb a teenaged boy in ripped jeans, head bobbing to his ipod bumped against her once again jarring her from her thoughts.

"Sono spiacente," he grinned at her. "Sorry," he said walking a coupled steps backwards to look her over before continuing to amble on is way.

Natasha rolled her eyes. At least he hadn't pinched her ass as Italian men were wont to do. She customarily padded herself down making sure he hadn't snatched anything from her pockets, that the oversized handbag still hanging on her shoulder, her Bulvgari watch was still on her wrist, and the ridiculous wedding ring on her finger. She shrugged as a taxi pulled up and she slipped into the back seat giving the driver her address.

Almost as soon as the driver pulled away from the curb, her phone started ringing. She growled low in her throat. It was probably Luca checking up on her, or even better, he had picked up on Gianni following her around the city.

She dug into her purse, her fingers closing around her Blackberry. She stared at her phone. The screen was black. It wasn't even on.

The ringing continued. She dug into her handbag, peering inside the dark interior sighting the illuminated screen and fishing out a small cell phone.

She stared at the unfamiliar phone in her hand. She flipped it open. "Hello?" she answered uncertainly.

"Ah, bella, I see you've got it." Gianni's voice caressed her frayed nerves.

Natasha leaned back in her seat. "How did you--"

"Never mind that now, bella," Gianni interrupted. "You'll be home soon."

Natasha turned to look out the back of the taxi but could not see any sign of him in the heavy traffic.

"Turn around, bella," Gianni cautioned. "Listen, the phone has a GPS tracking device in it. As long as it's on I can find you. He should have managed to slip some back up batteries into your bag as well. My numbers are programmed into the phone. Keep it on silent and keep it hidden. If you need anything...if anything happens..." His voice trailed off.

Natasha fought back the tears welling in her eyes. "Thank you," she murmured softly. "I've got to go." Cab was pulling between the columns and onto the villa's driveway."

"Be safe, bella." And he was gone.

Natasha quickly placed the phone back into her purse and ran as slightly trembling hand though her hair.

When she stepped out of the taxi she forced an appropriately bland look on her countenance. A black windowless van was parked in the driveway in front of her house, not an unusual occurrence. It was all part of Luca's general sketchiness and of the many aspects of her life she tried to ignore.

On this occasion however, it was not to be easy for her. Just as she'd tipped the driver and the cab was making her way past the van, a loud banging came from inside.

Natasha halted abruptly next to the van, her heart in her throat. Her curiosity was getting the better of her, she knew, but there was this sickening feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. She stepped closer to the van. Silence. She listened , pressing her hands against one of the black doors at the back of the van and then carefully--tentatively--placed her ear against the cool metal. Nothing.

Natasha pulled back warily, eyeing the door handle. Two voices were warring in her head; one telling her to run and just forget it, the other didn't disagree. 'One visit from Gianni and suddenly you've got some guts?'

"Signora Angiolini!"

Natasha started, stepping away from the van. The man who had attempted to buy her three years earlier was standing on her doorstep with the same appraising look.

Natasha stood frozen, fear pooling acidly in her stomach. He couldn't be here for her could he? Luca wouldn't have broken his promise to her would he?

He would if he thought he were going to lose her to Gianni. Faisal Masood came to stand in front of her. She nearly snarled at him baring her teeth. He took her chin roughly in his hand. "Ah, still so fierce," his voice lilted. "I can see why he wanted to keep you, although I would have assumed that he would have broken you of your ill manners by now."

Natasha wrenched away from him. "How about I break something of yours and remind you of your manners," she ground out.

Faisal laughed darkly. "How about you try." His hand shot out and roughly grabbed her arm, pulling her toward him.

Natasha was assaulted by the heavy scent of his expensive overpowering cologne. He wrapped one arm around her wrenching her arm behind her back while he wrapped the other hand around her hair yanking her head back.

Natasha seethed unable to move. "Let go of me," she spat.

Faisal looked down into her upturned face speculatively. "Ah," he sighed. "Such a lovely creature. Perhaps Luca would reconsider..."

"Mr. Masood," Luca was leaning against the doorway entering the villa. His voice was calm, his posture relaxed, but there was no mistaking the fury that surely lurked just below the cool exterior. "I would kindly ask you to refrain from touching my wife."

Faisal stepped back immediately, looking somewhat chagrinned. Luca Angiolini's temper was legendary. He did not want to provoke him. Natasha was already moving away from him. He inclined his head. "My apologies, Signore." He smiled sheepishly, "Your wife is so lovely, I seem to have taken leave of my senses."

"Quite," Luca straightened coming towards them, stepping close to Natasha and placing an arm about her waist though his gaze was fixed on Faisal Masood. "You would do well to remember that she isn't one of your little foreign trollops. She is my wife. She bears my name and is the mother of my child. You will give her the same respect that you give any Angiolini. Do you understand?"

Faisal nodded once, cowed. "Of course, Signore." He dare not cast a glance at Natasha. "Forgive me Signora."

"Good." Luca's voice was clipped. "Touch her again and I'll cut off your hands. Now get out of here." He led Natasha into the house.

Some of the tension left her. Luca wasn't selling her to that flesh peddler and he would think twice before touching her again if he wanted to keep his appendages. But she had no illusions about Luca's reaction. He hadn't defended her out of love or affection, she knew. She was a possession to him and God help anyone who tried to take what he considered his.

Her relief was short lived. Pietro and Alejandro were coming down the stairs, between them was a young woman. She couldn't be more than seventeen.

She was pale with nearly white blonde hair. Her eyes were heavy lidded and bore a purplish bruised color. She could barely keep her feet under her. When they drew closer Natasha noticed the small round bruises on the insides of her arms. She'd been drugged.

Natasha pulled away from Luca as Alejandro and Pietro dragged the girl by. "No, wait!" Natasha moved to block them but Luca jerked her out of the way. She whirled on him. "What the hell is going on? Where are they taking her?"

She turned and watched as Pietro opened the back of the van and a petit dark-haired girl leapt out, shrieking. Pietro caught her before her feet even hit the ground and shoved her roughly back inside. Alejandro unceremoniously flung the blonde girl in behind her before slamming the door shut.

Natasha was straining against Luca's grasp. "Where are they taking them?!"

Faisal Masood got into the back of the idling town car parked in front of the van. Alejandro and Pietro got into the front seat of the van.

The van pulled out of the driveway following the town car. Luca released her and began striding up the stairs. Against her better judgment she followed him. "What the fuck was that?"

"Watch your mouth," growled back at her.

"So was that a social call or just business?" she called. "Did you sleep with that poor girl?"

Luca snorted and kept walking towards his office in the far wing of the house.

Natasha kept up with his long strides until they stepped into his office when turned on her abruptly, grasping her shoulders in his hands before she could backpedal. "Jealous, little one?"

Natasha sneered at him. "More like disgusted."

Luca let out a bark of laughter as he released her and retreated behind his desk. "I've got better taste than that slut," he said and absently glanced at her before gathering some papers from the desk and shoving them into a desk drawer.

"So you're working with that asshole," Natasha accused. "And that 'slut' looked like a scared little girl."

Luca shrugged, coming around the side of the desk. He pulled her into his arms and looked down into her face. "Why so interested, little one? My business is none of your business."

Natasha's insides twisted. So he was involved.

Luca planted a kiss on her brow. "Now get out."

Natasha turned and numbly walked down the hall to Gabriel's room. It was nearly nine and she was sure he'd be sleeping by now.

She pushed open the door to the darkened nursery and made her way to Gabriel's little bed. She sank to the floor next to the bed, looking over her son's sweet face in the low lighting of the night light. She lightly touched the tawny curls on his head. Gianni's son.