Beppe has his chef prepare a picnic at lunch time, when we finally peel ourselves away from the pool, and we wander out through the olive groves to what he says is the perfect spot. The ground is baking and there's a heat haze on the horizon, but as soon as I see where he's aiming, the trek through the heat is worth it.
I can't stop myself from smiling at him. There's a blanket set out in the shade of the low, sprawling branches of a gnarled old tree and about a million cushions for us to get comfortable on.
"This was here a thousand years ago."
Beppe sits down next to me and I lean back on my arms, looking up through the weathered branches. "For real?"
"Absolutely." Beppe grins. "But I know that it won't outlast what we have."
I laugh, conscious of the heat rising in my cheeks. I want him to mean those words more than I've ever wanted anything in my life. My father's love affair with Italy was always for the art, but mine is different - it's for the food and the lifestyle. And one man in particular.
In Beppe is everything I've ever wanted. But after only one day is there any way that I can be sure he wants the same?
I bite into a square of freshly baked focaccia that he holds out to me, still dripping with olive oil that tastes so fresh it's like nothing I've ever experienced. Everything with Beppe feels brand new.
"Oh, wow."
He grins at me, and if I needed any more convincing I've found my perfect match, it's right there in his eyes. "Wait until you try the ricotta. They made it this morning."
I can hardly wait.
Beppe
In the evening, I ask for a table to be set outside. Under the night-scented jasmine, right in the courtyard with strings of bulbs draped between the buildings of the farmhouse and the old olive press, I know I'm about to enjoy the best meal of my life.
Something about sharing it all with Dana makes every mouthful new and every taste more vibrant. I've been sleepwalking through life without her, but now she'd pulled me out of a dream into a reality that's better than anything I ever imagined.
She makes me see everything I've lived with my whole life through brand new eyes, and I love the gusto with which she savors every bite. Her appetite in the bedroom is unquenchable, and the way she approaches food is just as enthusiastic.
She looks perfect in a white linen sundress, with a shawl thrown over her shoulders to keep off the night air. Not that she needs it, from now on in, it's my job to keep her warm. Her whole face lights up with wonder when she steps out into the scene I've created with her in mind.
"Beppe, it's beautiful!" she exclaims.
I pull her chair out for her and she takes a seat, looking around her to take in every detail.
"I had the chef create a menu for us."
"A whole menu just for us?"
I smile at her surprise. "That's what I pay him for. Besides, I have a feeling you are going to love it."
I'm not disappointed. When the antipasti comes out, Dana wants to taste everything. I watch her sample it all, relishing each new expression of surprise and delight crossing her face.
"Oh wow. This crostini. You've got to try this one. It's total heaven."
"I love your appetite," I say, and Dana flushes, setting the crostini she was holding back onto her plate.
"Oh wow. I'm being a total pig, aren't it?"
I laugh at her self-consciousness. "No, Dana, you are perfect. A real woman knows how to eat. How can you enjoy anything that is good in life if every mouthful you take is loaded with guilt? That is not the Italian way. I love my food, the food of my country, and I love that you love it too."
Her smile lights me up more than the candle in the old chianti bottle, dripping wax onto the table and Dana leans in to me, licking olive oil off her fingers in a way that tells me she knows just how suggestive she's being.
"In that case, I love that you love food too. Thank you for bringing me here Beppe, this whole day has been amazing. Maybe even the best of my life. I never want to go home."
I tilt my head at her, smile rising. "Then maybe you should stay. Forever."
She laughs and looks away, and right then the next course comes out. A huge bowl of steaming pappardelle coated in a traditional ragu made with the hares that wage war on our vegetable garden.
For now, I'll let her laugh it off, but soon, I'll make her see that I mean it. Nothing I say could ever be flippant when it comes to her.
"This takes twelve hours to make. I think you will agree that it is worth it."
CHAPTER SEVEN
Beppe
We head back to Florence the next day so that Dana will have time before the next tour group arrives, and I'm more then reluctant to get back to reality.
I carry her bag in from the car and we linger in front of the reception, reluctant to part even for a few hours. Dana's smile is the most beautiful thing in the world and I'm leaning down to kiss her all when a voice I would recognize anywhere cuts across the room.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Dana's eyes widen and she rips back from me, her face suddenly pale as I look up to see her father, red faced and scowling, striding across the lobby from the restaurant towards us, dragging his wheely suitcase behind him.
I step in front of Dana on instinct, hands held high in surrender, but my straining erection must be obvious along the length of my pant leg. I can't help myself whenever I touch Dana, but right now I really wish I had some control.
"Peter-"
"Don't talk to me!" He jabs his finger in my face and I clench my jaw to stop myself from reaching out and snapping it clean off and making him wish he hadn't. If she was my daughter, I'd permanently castrate any man who touched her. He gets a free pass, although no one else apart from my best friend would.
"That's my daughter you're trying to molest. What the hell is wrong with you? You're supposed to be looking after her!" he snarls.
"Dad, wait!"
But Peter's grabbed Dana's arm and he's already trying to frog march her away from me.
I let out a growl, but for now there's nothing I can do other than kick out at the reception desk unless I plan on taking my best friend down in front of everyone. That's something I would never do to him. Dana would never forgive me.
Dana
Right when my dreams are coming true, Dad walks in from nowhere and breaks everything down. I'm too stunned to hate him for it, but give me a few hours and I definitely will.
Right now, I'm crying, bawling my eyes out in the elevator he dragged us into. I'm glad for that at least. The last thing I want is to be such a mess in front of Beppe, let alone his hotel staff.
Up until now I've done my best to show that I'm just as competent as any of the people working here, even though all of them are older than me, but it hardly looks like that's true when my Dad can just march in and treat me like a child.
I pull my arm out of his grasp, dabbing at my tears to clear them from my face.
"What floor are you on? We'll go to your room. Pack your bag, we're getting out of here. Not another minute under this roof."
"No. You can go, but I'm not coming. What are you even doing here?"
"I was trying to surprise my daughter! I guess I succeeded. Good thing I got here in time!"
"No, Daddy it's not like that. Beppe… he's been such a gentleman to me."
"Dana, honey. The man is my age. He has no right to even think about touching you!"
"I wanted him to, Dad!"
"You don't have to do anything for anyone, Dana. How many times have I told you that? Just because you're a big girl it doesn't mean you have to-"
"No! Stop - stop talking. You're not listening to me Dad!" I can hardly breathe for the tears that I'm holding back. How could he think that Beppe would use me like that when he's his best friend? Is it so hard to imagine that anyone could find me attractive enough to want to be with?
"He cares about me, Dad. And I care about him too. We want to be together. Please stop. We didn't wa
nt you to find out like this, but please, listen to me. We're in a relationship. A proper relationship."
The elevator doors ping open, and Dad steps forward, but I refuse to get out.
Finally, he pulls up short and the frown knitting his brows together starts to unfurl into confusion. The doors try to close, but he has his foot in the way and they bounce open again.
I feel my chest tighten in anticipation of whatever he's going to say next and then I realize that Beppe's standing just behind him. He's not even out of breath, but he must have run up the stairs to get here ahead of us, and I'm so, so glad he did.
"Peter, she's right. Your daughter is the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. I never meant for this to happen, but there's nothing I can do to fight this. Believe me, I've tried. She's the only woman for me and I've never been more sure of anything else in my life."
Dad turns around and I wipe the tears away from my face, still sniffing a little. I know it would make sense to give them some space to talk this through, but I don't want to leave them alone. I need to see what happens, whether Beppe will stand for it if Dad tries to ban him from seeing me.
I couldn't handle him trying to rip me away from the only man I've ever loved, the only man I can see myself making a family of my own with.
Dad lets out a short breath, full of irritation.
"Keep talking. You're on thin ice, my friend."
Beppe's jaw clenches as he gives my Dad a long look.
"I won't let you come between us. There's no way I can walk away from her, Peter. I'd hoped you'd come to understand. I didn't plan this, I promise you, but if you give it time, you'll see how right we are together."
"Is that right? And you can't find someone who's not twenty years younger than you?"
"Dad!"
I wonder whether he realizes just what Beppe's capable of doing when it comes to defending me and getting what he wants. My Dad's the one on thin ice here.
But right when I think he might try to hit him, Beppe lets out a controlled breath, nostrils flaring. "I can see you don't believe me. That just means I have work to do and you know I've never been afraid of that."
He turns away from my father and reaches into his pocket. All of a sudden, he's on one knee in front of me.
My hands shoot up to cover my mouth and I can't stop another wave of tears from nearly choking me. I have to be imagining this, right?
"Beppe, what are you doing?" I say.
"I was planning on doing this someplace special, Dana, but right now the only thing that matters is that you know how serious I am about you, that I want us to be together forever."
He pulls out a small velvet box and my eyes widen as he snaps the lid open to show a gleaming princess cut diamond larger than any jewel I've ever seen in my life. It catches all the lights in the mirrored elevator, sending out a million rainbows. I've never seen anything so beautiful in my life, but that's not what's choking me up.
"From the first moment I met you I knew that I wanted you to be by my side forever, that I wanted you to be my wife. So I'm asking you, Dana, will you take me to be your husband? Will you marry me?"
Never in a million years did I really think he'd want me forever, the way I've wanted him since I was just a daydreaming girl. But I'm not dreaming, I'm wide awake. This is really happening!
I can't stop myself from stealing a glance at my father, not looking for permission or approval, but just to see the expression on his face. To my surprise he's holding back tears of his own, but they don't look sad, there's a muted smile on his face and he gives me the smallest of nods before I turn back to Beppe.
I can't hide my smile. Right when I thought that everything was ruined, it turns out that it's more perfect than I ever could have imagined.
"Yes!" I blurt, dizzy at the sudden swell of excitement coursing through me. "Yes, of course I will!"
In an instant, he's on his feet again and when he's slipping the ring onto my finger, he takes me into his arms and I hide my tears, laughing at my own silliness as I bury my face against his broad shoulder.
Somewhere behind us, I hear my Dad clear his throat.
"Okay, the pair of you convinced me. I never thought you were really serious about this, but hell. I couldn't ask for anything better than a stand up guy like you, Beppe, to join our family like this. I know you're going to do right by Dana. I can see you two being good together. So, forget I said a thing. Let's go back down and you can tell me all about it, and then we have to celebrate. The pair of you deserve it."
I glance up at Beppe with a glowing smile and he glances back at my Dad. "I won't let her down. This is forever. I mean it."
Dad nods. "I know you do."
The only thing in my focus is my future husband. The father of my future child, the child I could swear is already growing in my belly. I cling to him as he kisses me and his hot tongue snakes against mine, flushing a swell of heat right through me as he draws me in. I know with a bone deep certainty that the spark between us is never going to go out.
His mouth covers mine possessively and his lips are almost bruising with all the passion he shows me. I love that he doesn't feel he has to be gentle with me, I wouldn't have it any other way. With him I know that he's not settling for second best, I'm the woman he wants to wake up to every single day from now on and I never want to be apart from him again.
"I love you, Dana. So much."
"Oh, Beppe, I love you too."
EPILOGUE
ONE YEAR LATER
Dana
I'm still getting used to the fact that this is my life, but the ring on my finger isn't the only thing telling me that it's true.
I'm sitting on our balcony, looking out over the pointed red tiled dome of the cathedral, soaking up the spring sunshine with our baby Nina suckling at my breast. It's only been three months since we brought her home and I still can't get over how perfect she is.
Her dark hair is so like her father and I can see him in every part of her, just like he says he can see me in her perfect little dimpled face.
I never thought I could love anyone more than I love Beppe, but she came along and made me feel a whole other kind of love. I've never been more happy in my life. This is everything I ever could have wanted.
I look up when Beppe comes through the balcony doors and the smile he has for me makes me glow. The whole way through the pregnancy he made me feel like a goddess, and that hasn't stopped now.
"How is my little mama this morning? Is Nina being good?"
"You know she is, she's daddy's little girl."
He sets down the tray of breakfast that he brought up on the little coffee table we have out here, just like he has every day. I'll never get enough of all the little things he does to show me just how special I am to him, how special we both are.
"Good," he says.
He leans down to kiss me deeply and I groan at his attentions, stretching up in my seat to elongate the kiss. There's hardly been a day in the past year when he hasn't made love to me, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I'm as addicted to him as he is to me, and I know that's never going to change.
His voice is husky and his pupils are dilated and I don't need to glance at his crotch to know that his perfect cock is already rock solid in his pants. "How much longer before Nina's nap?"
I bite my lip. "Mmm I don't know… she's pretty hungry."
"I'm pretty hungry too. Her mama brings out all kinds of appetite in me."
I laugh. "Patience, she's nearly done. And then I'm all yours."
"Excellent. Nina, you are a very good girl." Beppe sits down next to me and pulls an envelope out of his pocket. "And for now I can distract your mama in other ways.
He holds out the envelope to me and I frown at him playfully before taking it. "What is this?"
"It's a new business idea."
"Oh yeah?"
"Mmhm." He has this secret grin on his face that he's barely holding back. As soon as I see what's inside, I understand.
There's a leaflet for culinary tours of the area and Italian home cookery courses run out of the villa's kitchen, but it's not his chef's name down as the instructor, it's mine.
I look up so fast I nearly get whiplash. "Beppe! Are you serious? What about Nina?"
This is everything I have ever dreamed of, but right now I know that I want to be a mom more than I could ever want any career.
"It doesn't have to be right now, my love. When Nina is a little older, we can find a nanny or I can make sure that I’m with her when you run the tours or take the lessons. They won't be every day, or all day long. I don't want our home overrun, or you working too hard. You will be making Nina little playmates soon enough."
Of course he's already thought of everything. I lean in to him again, reaching out to draw his stubbly face in towards mind and I kiss him deeply. I love Nina to pieces, but there was something so amazing about having Beppe's child inside me, a part of both of us growing in my belly, and in a funny kind of way I've missed it.
"How many playmates?"
Beppe's eyes drift down to our daughter at my breast and I realize that she's stopped suckling and is breathing deeply against my chest.
"At least a dozen."
My eyes widen, but I know he's joking. Or I think so anyway. "Maybe not quite as many as that."
He grins. "What can I do, if I impregnate you every time we sleep together then it's out of my hands. God wills it."
I laugh. "You better be careful mister."
Beppe holds his hand out to me and helps me to my feet. "Come, put Nina down and let me take you back to bed and I'll remind you why you've never been able to resist me yet."
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
TEN YEARS LATER
Beppe
At the large table in the centre of the villa's kitchen, Dana is showing the children how to make pasta with a huge heap of flour and eggs fresh from our hens cracked right into the middle, the dough worked smooth and silky with olive oil right from the press.
When I walk in, Nina is feeding lumps of dough into the pasta machine and rolling out long sheets of lasagne. I'm so proud of her. Every day I see more and more of her mother in her, and I'm dreading her turning into a teenager in a few short years. I know for sure I'm going to ban her from boys until she's at least twenty-five. I know exactly what Italian men are like, and there's no way any of them are touching my daughter.
Claimed By Dad's Italian Best Friend: An Instalove Possessive Alpha Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants Book 173) Page 4
