Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 466 -

*Olivia*

After hours of her insistent begging, I finally caved into Dahlia.

The scent of baked bread, melted mozzarella cheese, and the fresh tomato-based sauce was unmistakable. Gio strolled into the kitchen and Alessandro and Dahlia's eyes locked onto him and the pile of four cardboard boxes that had just been delivered.

"Food!" Dahlia cried, her eyes misty as she stretched her hands across the table. Gio took his sweet time as he strolled over to the table and I laughed at the teasing look in his eyes. In his high chair next to me, Elio whined, "Dada!" "Okay, okay." Gio chuckled, finally setting the boxes on the table. I breathed in the scent, realizing just how hungry I was.

Gio sent me a smirk from across the table as Alessandro and Dahlia dove into the boxes and the scent hit everyone. Dahlia pulled a slice of the pizza, the cheese stretching before finally snapping and releasing it. She took a bite and moaned into the slice.

"Happy now, Dolly?" I grinned at the content look on her face as she grabbed a whole box for herself. She could eat the entire thing too, I knew.

I just hoped she wouldn't.

"Yes," she said through bites of the pizza. She practically inhaled that first slice, already on her second before I even got my first slice on the plate. I took the time to cut up the large slice into easier-to-manage pieces and then placed it in front of Elio.

He latched onto the nearest piece with his chubby hands and shoved it into his face.

"Good?" I smirked at him and he didn't even answer me, his eyes focused intently on the pizza slice. He quickly stuffed another piece into his mouth before he even finished the first and I sighed, taking the plate away for a moment. "Finish those pieces first, okay?" I told him.

He just stared at me with wide-eyed wonder, his mouth moving as he chewed.

I grabbed a slice for myself, relaxing back into my seat as I took a bite. Dahlia was right-pizza really was the food of the gods.

"Yummy," Elio cried, finally swallowing the pizza and reaching out for more. I let him have the plate again and he ate it slower this time as I watched him carefully between bites.

"I know, munchkin," Dahlia said while nodding in agreement, "we'll have you trained up into a mini Dahlia soon enough. I swear it."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop the smile twitching around the corner of my mouth.

"You better keep her away from the kid." Alessandro reached out to ruffle Dahlia's hair. "She's a bad influence.'

"Hey!" Dahlia slapped his hand away, pouting, "I'm a great influence! He even has a special nickname for me. I'm his Aunt Dally!"

That was true. Dahlia and Elio had become really attached. Her time drinking at clubs had severely decreased since he was born, and she often spent her days hanging out with me and Elio no matter what we were doing. Elio adored her as well.

"Whatever." Alessandro rolled his eyes. "But when he comes home dressed up like a Barbie doll, don't say I didn't tell you so."

"What do you mean?" I grinned, leaning over to poke my baby boy's cheek. He squirmed, his mouth working with the bite of pizza he took. "My baby would be an adorable Barbie."

"Amen to that!" Dahlia raised her hand and without even looking, we high-fived with matching grins, already leaning over to coo at the clueless Elio. I wasn't even lying-I knew Elio would be absolutely adorable in a pink dress and matching sparkly tiara.

That didn't mean I was going to force him into one, though.

With my wide innocent-looking eyes and Gio's good looks, Elio was sure to be a heartbreaker when he grew up, especially with how sweet and bubbly his personality was already turning out to be.

"Gio, back me up here." Alessandro turned to my husband with a helpless look.

Gio glanced up from his phone and turned to me and Dahlia with a clueless look on his face.

"Uh-" He paused, his brain working to figure out what were talking about. "Olivia's right."

I smirked triumphantly and Alessandro rolled his eyes, turning to the kid with a pitying look. "Poor kid," he sighed, shaking his head like he was a tragedy in the making.

"You're just jealous you can't pull off heels." I childishly stuck my tongue out at him, giggling at the offended look on his face.

"I so could!" he argued, just as I knew he would.

"Oh, really?" Dahlia's eyes gleamed with interest. "What do you think we should try, pumps or wedges?"

"I'd say we just go straight to the stilettos." I grinned.

Alessandro shrank back from us, a look of horror in his eyes. "Women are fucking terrifying," he whispered to Gio as if we couldn't hear them.

Gio gave him a sympathetic look and then nodded solemnly. "Alessandro," he said gravely, "you have now learned the secret to life. There is nothing else I can teach you. Good luck."

The look on Alessandro's face-the pure horror sliding over him as if he was about to bolt and never come back-was more than I could bear. I burst into laughter, unable to hold back anymore, Dahlia cracking up beside me as Gio winked at us from across the table.

The horror quickly faded to anger, and Alessandro's cheeks reddened as he stuffed a slice of pizza in his mouth and turned away. Gio chuckled, taking pity on him and offering him a view of his phone.

From the sounds coming through, it was probably a soccer match. Dahlia and I left them to it, with no interest in the sport, and we finished feeding Elio.

After dinner, Dahlia and I passed out slices of the cake Maria had made and of course, Elio smashed his into his face, giggling like it was the funniest thing in the world.

I took a bite of the cake, watching Elio's sheer delight from the corner of my eye as he played with the soft cake like it was playdough and not food. That was when Alessandro turned to me with a small smirk.

"So, we're meeting your sperm donor tomorrow," Alessandro said casually, a weird glint in his eyes. "I have to say I'm quite excited to know more about him and what he does."

"Alex!" Dahlia scolded him, but he just shrugged it off.

I swallowed the cake in my mouth, sighing. I knew this was going to come up at some point.

"First of all, his name is Salvatore," I told him pointedly, "and he's my father. If you plan to call him a sperm donor tomorrow, you'd better think twice. Dahlia has my permission to kick you in the balls if you do."

"Yes!" Dahlia cracked her knuckles, giving Alessandro a wide grin. He coughed into his hand, trying to look unaffected, but I saw him discreetly cross his legs under the table and I smirked.

"Second of all, please tell me you don't plan on interrogating him all night." I frowned at him.

Alessandro just shrugged, taking a bite of the cake with a mischievous smile on his lips.

"Nobody is going to grill him, Olivia, I promise," Gio assured me, sending Alessandro a sharp glare. Alessandro avoided Gio's look, humming like he was innocent of any crime.

"You'd better not," I warned him, "or I'll kick you in the balls."

Alessandro choked on his cake, heading straight into a coughing fit as he thumped on his chest. I paid him no mind, letting Gio handle it as Elio's little head was starting to totter to the side, his eyes fluttering as he tried to stay awake. "Come on, baby, bedtime," I told him sweetly, lifting him from the high chair. I wiped off his hands and face.

"I'll clean this up. You put him down," Dahlia told me with a smile.

I gave her a thankful glance and headed for our room. Elio leaned his head in the crook of my neck, all tuckered out as I carried him to bed.

I hummed softly, rubbing his back. I easily dodged the toys we hadn't yet put away and grabbed one of the nearby books we'd been slowly reading him. However, multitasking was easier when Elio was smaller. The book slipped from my hand and a hand caught it mid-air from behind me.

"Thanks." I smiled at Gio, his eyes soft and fond as he reached out to brush his hand through Elio's curls.

"I'll take him." Gio held out his hands and I transferred him to him, with minimal protest from Elio. He curled into his daddy, sticking his hand in his mouth as he sleepily gazed at the book. Gio sat down in the rocking chair, opened up the book, and began to read to him in Italian.

I smiled, taking the time to put away the rest of Elio's toys and get his bed ready. By the time I was done, Elio was already fast asleep in Gio's arms.

We both chuckled and I turned on the baby monitor as Gio gently placed him in the crib. In his sleep, he grabbed one of the plushies and curled up with it. His soft, even breathing was like music to my ears and we gently turned off the lights, letting the stars above illuminate like the sky itself.

We gently shut the door behind us, the baby monitor in one hand as we gently snuck back to our own room, careful not to wake him. Once the door was shut and we were alone, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"So why did Alessandro look like he was just waiting for the opportunity to dig into Sal?" I turned to my husband with an accusing look.

Gio shrugged, undressing in the middle of the room without a care in the world. "How should I know? He's always been a little bristly to new people. It's probably him being antisocial."

"Uh-huh. I'll pretend I believe you." I let it go, grabbing my pajamas and stripping out of my day clothes. As I did, I could feel Gio's eyes on me, and I smirked.

"Like what you see?" I asked teasingly.

"That's right." He grinned, grabbing me by the hips and pulling me into his half-naked body. I immediately melted into him, wrapping my arms around his neck as I grinned. "I missed you all day, carina."

"You did, did you?" I played coy, turning my head away at the last moment to dodge his kiss. His lips landed on my neck and he wasted no time, suckling a little mark there. "You know everybody's going to see that in the morning, don't you?" "And?" he challenged, raising an eyebrow and biting down deeper.

I moaned, tilting my head so he could have more access. His hands ran down my waist and further and suddenly, all thoughts of tomorrow were gone from my head.

"You're just trying to distract me, aren't you?" I gasped as he finally grabbed my chin and kissed me, hard and deep like he couldn't get enough of my taste. I was just as fierce, meeting his every dominating movement with my own. My body was on fire and Gio pulled back slightly, giving me a wicked grin. "And what if I am?"

"Then you better distract me all night long," I smirked, jumping into his arms.

He easily caught me, holding me up as I pressed my mouth against his, taking my sweet time. And all we cared about was this moment.