Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 671 -

*Caterina*

"Fuck!" I muttered, throwing down my tube of mascara as I poked myself in the eye yet again. I was way too excited for my date with Elio, and it was making it difficult to focus on my makeup.

I took a deep breath and tried to look objectively at myself in the mirror. Other than the smudged mascara under my right eye, I looked good. The dress that Elio had picked out for me was gorgeous, the neckline cut into a sweetheart style that I knew made me look enticing without being too revealing. I paired it with a simple diamond necklace that I knew would sparkle beautifully all evening, drawing his eyes exactly where I wanted them to go.

I had thought that my lust for Elio might eventually cool as our relationship deepened, but instead I found that the more I fell in love with him, the more I wanted him physically, and at this point, I could not get enough.

My phone went off and I pulled it out to see that Elio had texted to say he was on his way. I sighed at my appearance, realizing I only had enough time to clean off the mascara smudge. I would just have to go without eye makeup for the evening.

Luckily, I'd had the time to put my hair up into an elegant French twist, which reduced the "half done" effect that my lack of eye makeup had on my overall appearance. I knew Elio wouldn't care either way.

Life was chaos, but Elio was constant. He was one I could always rely on to treat me with kindness and respect, and he didn't give a shit about how I looked, not really, which was exactly why I loved dressing up for him.

I heard the elevator doors open and quickly made my way over to our bedroom door, leaning against the frame in a way that I knew would have Elio wanting to rip my dress right back off me. As soon as I caught his eye, he couldn't stop looking me up and down. It felt like I was a cool glass of water and he was a parched man out in the desert, desperate to get to me.

He stalked over to me, his eyes nearly black with desire. A shiver ran up my spine at the possessive look on his face, the one that screamed that I was his, all his.

"You look beautiful," he said, his voice low as he wrapped his hands around my waist and leaned in to kiss the curve of my neck.

I placed my hands on his face and brought his lips to mine, just a hint of my perfume lingering on his skin. As always, his taste drove me wild. There was something about kissing Elio that just made me want more every time.

But just as I was reconsidering how much I really wanted to go to dinner, my stomach growled. With a low chuckle, Elio pulled away.

"Come on, baby. Let's not miss our dinner this time." He took my hand and led me to the elevator, hitting the up button instead of down.

I looked at him questioningly, but he just smiled. The man loved to surprise me, at this point, I had learned to just go along with it. It was more fun that way.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened to reveal a rooftop patio that I hadn't even known was there. A small table and two chairs were placed near the edge of the rooftop with nothing but a glass partition between it and the sky. People dressed in catering uniforms bustled around lighting candles that circled the entire patio, adding a gentle glow to the area.

I turned to Elio, my mouth open in shock. He smiled at me, his eyes crinkling in that way they only did when he was particularly pleased with himself.

"Do you love it?" he asked.

"Elio, this is amazing!" I gushed.

In the far corner, a string quartet began playing. I stared at them, wondering if I'd ever seen an actual live string quartet in my entire life. I was pretty sure I hadn't.

One of the caterers walked up to us and began to lead us to our table.

"Good evening," she said, "We have a five-course meal planned for you. We have used all local ingredients to create an eclectic menu meant to take you around the world with flavor fusions. I will start you off with a plate of appetizers." She walked away to get our food. I couldn't stop staring at everything that was set up around me. Our table had a small candle that lit Elio's face beautifully, showing just how well he'd aged over the years. His strong jaw and smile lines made me want to smother him in kisses.

"This is amazing," I said again, really unable to replace any other words.

"Cat, you are amazing. You deserve all the best things in life. I want you to always get the best of everything." He reached out and took my hand in his, rubbing his thumb gently over my knuckles.

"You make me feel like a princess," I admitted, blushing slightly. I wasn't used to letting him see my vulnerable side, but I knew I could trust him with all of me.

"I love you. I'll always do my best to make you feel that way."

"Sometimes it just doesn't feel real, you know... what we have, I mean," I said.

It was a concern that I hated even voicing, but if we were going to make it, I needed him to know just how scared I felt sometimes.

"This is real, Cat. I want you to know that. Everything between us is real. I would never have asked you to move in here if it wasn't. I'm not some guy who plays fast and loose with people's hearts, especially not the woman I love." I nodded, unable to speak past the lump of emotion that had welled up in my throat. I had never felt so safe before. Even though Elio had really been looking after me most of my life, I hadn't ever known just how safe I was with him. Not only would he keep me physically safe, but he worried about my emotional safety as well. I could trust him with my heart in a way that I'd never been able to do with anyone before.

"And here is your first course-miniature baked brie smothered in homemade spiced apricot jam with sourdough toastlets for dipping. We also have a pot of specially imported balsamic glaze that really brings out the pop of flavor in the apricot jam," our waitress said as she settled a gorgeous platter in front of us.

As I took a bite of the appetizers, I understood exactly what the waitress had meant when she described the food as eclectic. Every single flavor burst on my tongue at once and brought to mind dozens of memories, from eating toast with jam as a child to sharing a fancy plate of charcuterie with Anna, and now, to eating this incredible dish with Elio.

I knew that I would never taste anything as simultaneously nostalgic and new as this. Somehow the chef had managed to elevate it far beyond mere toast and jam without making the dish entirely unrecognizable.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever tasted anything like this," I told Elio.

He nodded his agreement as he chewed. A comfortable silence fell upon us as we both enjoyed the food and the lovely music. I stared out at the city lights twinkling in the distance, enjoying the way they added to the ambience. It felt like we were surrounded by stars on all sides. It couldn't have been a more perfect evening.

The rest of the meal went by quickly as our waitress brought out each course just as we finished the one before. We chatted about us and our relationship, avoiding any talk of Junior or the mafia life. It was an unspoken agreement that tonight was just for us, and we didn't want anybody else to be a part of it, even in passing.

"Tell me about New York," Elio said after our dessert had been brought out.

It was a fluffy, creamy thing that looked like a cross between chocolate pudding and a cloud. Our waitress had said that it was the chef's take on pavlova.

"It was wonderful, of course. You know how badly I'd needed my independence, and it meant a lot to me that Mom trusted me to go and be on my own like that. But it was hard, too. I missed everyone back here."

"Even me?" he interrupted, a devilish grin on his face.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, even you, although I don't think I realized that at the time."

"I always was afraid that you were just trying to get away from me," he said, his eyes trained on his dessert as though he didn't want to see the reaction I would have to his words.

"No, no, it was nothing like that, Elio, I promise. I just needed to breathe. I had to know that I could go out and conquer the world all by myself. And that's why I came back, because I realized that I could do it. And even better, I could do it with my family at my side."

He looked back up, his grin bringing a sparkle to his eyes that made me want to lean over and kiss him.

"I'm so glad you came back," he murmured.

"Me, too."

As we finished our dessert, Elio stood up, holding his hand out to me. "Do you want to dance?" he asked.

I nodded, standing up and wrapping my arms around his shoulders so he could pull me close. I laid my head on his chest, and we swirled around the roof to the music, totally lost in each other. It was a magical moment, too magical for words. When the music ended, I looked up at Elio with such longing in my heart, I was sure he could see it in my eyes. He leaned his head down and crashed his lips against mine, holding my waist tightly so that our bodies were completely pressed against each other. His tongue ran along my bottom lip, coaxing my mouth open so that we were fully immersed in each other. It felt like the stars that had surrounded us all night had been gathered together and concentrated into this one, perfect, electric kiss.

I pulled away, panting heavily.

"Please take me home," I whispered, "I need you now."