GIANNI


    “Are you sure they’re open?” I ask, knowing the answer already.


    It’s adorable how she bites her lip, frowning as she gazes out the window toward the restaurant. “They look closed. Do we have a reservation?”


    She means it, too. That’s what makes it so easy to love her. How she never expects anything, herck of worldliness. There’s no greed or demands. She never expects anything from me, and being with someone like that is refreshing. Especially when all my life, every single day, there has been someone expecting something from me. “We have a reservation. Don’t worry, little bird.” Taking out my phone, I ce a call to the owner to let him know we’ve arrived. It’s not another minute before he appears on the other side of the ss door to unlock it for us.


    “You know how important it is that we stay safe, which means flying under the radar.” I lift her hand, brushing my lips over her knuckles. Her skin is smooth and so fucking soft. “I hope you don’t mind, but you won’t be able to show off how absolutely stunning you look tonight–at least not to anybody except a few staff members.” There’s no denying how stunning she is in the sleek, ck dress that molds to the perfect curves of her hourss figure. My mouth waters, and I want to rip it off her and feast at what’s beneath. I don’t know what gets my dick stirring more: the way she looks or knowing how soon she’ll start to swell with evidence of the life I put inside her. If she weren’t already pregnant, I’d be doing everything I could to knock her up.


    “How did you manage this?” Caterina gives me a superstitious look.


    I shrug, “Connections. I know the owner, and he was happy to close down the restaurant tonight for us. Well, have the entire ce to ourselves. It’ll be an intimate, quiet dinner.”


    “That’s awfully nice of him.”


    “He didn’t do it out of the kindness of his heart, but believe me, I made it worth his while.” The money spent to rent this ce out was a drop in the bucket. There’s no price tag when ites to spending a quiet evening out with Caterina, while also knowing she’s safe and protected at the same time.


    Caterina lifts a hand and ces it against her chest. “I… I can’t believe you went through all this trouble… for me.”


    “Don’t act so surprised. If anyone deserves this, it’s you. A nice quiet evening spent together, with food and your smile, is worth any cost.” Leaning in, I press my lips to her tempting mouth; her full pouty lips are painted a glossy pink.


    The smile she wears, and the twinkle of joy in her eyes while swiping her thumb over my lips to wipe away the smear, leave me wanting to bask in its warmth, like a cat sunning itself in a window. I could live inside the warmth that her joy provides.


    “Let’s go. I’m starving.” She waits inside the car, while I climb out, taking care to scan the area as I walk around the vehicle. There’s a pair of guards behind us in a car of their own who nod to me as I pass–they’ll be waiting outside the ce while we eat. I hate that I’ve had to increase security, but it’s necessary after everything that happened. The security teams assigned to Caterina and Tatiana are essential right now, especially till we find Jack and Donovan.


    Once I’m satisfied that no one will spring an attack, I open the door and extend my hand to help her out of the car. One look at her, and the air is stolen from my lungs. She doesn’t even have to try, yet somehow she ‘e most beautiful woman in the world. A man like me can have any woman he wants, but there’s no alternal.


    She is the rarest diamond in the mine, and only she holds my heart.


    o Caterina.


    We walk hand in hand through the front door, which is locked behind us at my request. If only I didn’t have to look over my shoulder, waiting for a monster to leap out from the darkness and take her away from <b>me </b>again. I have <b>to </b>swallow down my anxiety, fearing it’ll bleed over into our evening.


    “I don’t know why, but I feel like I have to whisper,” Caterina admits with a soft chuckle as we’re fed to the only table set for dinner. The rest of the room is dark except for the candles on the surrounding tables, which give off a warm ambiance,


    A bouquet of red roses that I ordered earlier sits at the center of our table in a crystal vase that sparkles in the candlelight. I wanted this evening to be perfect. It’s been too long since thest time I took her out. I want to show her the benefits of being with a man like me, since all that’s truly been seen are the downfalls.


    “Gianni!” Caterina gasps, “Red roses? Are these for me?” she squeals, leaning down to breathe in their flowery fragrance.


    “They’re your favorite, right?”


    Her blue eyes sparkle in the light when they meet mine over the bouquet. “You remembered.”


    “I remember everything about you.”


    “You genuinely are amazing. I can’t believe you thought of everything.”


    It wasn’t really much. Only the result of a few phone calls and some careful nning. Yet to her, it’s everything, which only reminds me further how important the small things are. A woman like Caterina deserves the world, and I’ll do anything in my power to make sure she feels and sees how important she is to me.


    “Everything… it’s amazing.” Before taking the seat I’ve pulled out for her, she leans over and gently kisses my lips. “Thank you for making me feel like a Queen. It’s unnecessary because anywhere I am that allows me to spend time with you makes me happy, but it is appreciated!”


    “That’s how I want you to feel always, forever. You’re my Queen, and you deserve to be treated as one at all times.” After getting her seated, I gesture to the young woman waiting by the kitchen doors, who approaches with a bottle of sparkling cider and a pair of champagne flutes. “Alcohol is off the table, obviously, but I couldn’t let the night pass without a toast.”


    Once our flutes are filled, I touch mine to hers. “Too many, many nights like this.”


    “Yes, and to a great future full of even more amazing moments together.”


    I grin<b>, </b>my own joy overflowing, “I hope you’re in the mood for Italian.”


    “That’s a joke, right? I’m always in the mood for Italian. I’ve been craving spaghetti. Just in spaghetti. I have no idea why.” Yes, and I heard her confessing that to Sheryl in the kitchen this morning, hence my choice of


    restaurant.


    “That’s easier than pickles and ice cream or ranch with mac and cheese.”


    “I always figured that pregnancy cravings were nothing but a myth, though I swear, I could shove my face in a bowl of in pasta right now and be content.” She looks down at herself and frowns, “It’s sad. I won’t be able to fit into this dress for much longer.”


    The thought makes my cock hard immediately. <b>I </b>can’t wait to see her swollen with my seed, her belly bulging with life inside. Fuck, if I don’t stop thinking like this, we won’t make it through dinner. “I hope you’re orried about what I’m going to think or how I’ll feel about you getting bigger, because if you’re thinking that I’ll be disgusted or upset, you’re sorely mistaken. I can’t wait to see your beautiful body swollen with our child.”


    “You mean you’ll still want me even when I look like a whale?” She holds her arms out to the sides and puffs out


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    her cheeks. The expression is adorable, but her fear of me disliking her body or size well into her pregnancy, or after, not so much.


    “Are you kidding? If I don’t stop picturing you round with our child, I won’t be responsible for who sees you on this table with your legs spread wide open, your pussy on disy for me to feast on. I’ll have to let them know I don’t need anything from the menu and that I’m already eating the most delicious thing my tongue has ever tasted.”


    A pink blush creeps into her cheeks. “I’d say there is no way you’d do something like that, but I’m not willing to take the risk so I have no doubt I’d find myself on my back in seconds if I disagreed.”


    “Do you want to find out? Because you know how I feel about your pussy, Caterina. I’ll eat you until you beg me to stop and then I’ll keep going just to prove a point.” And I will. When ites to her, I’m obsessed. Forever hungry.


    “No, no. I believe you.” She smiles, even though I don’t miss the flickering mes of lust in her eyes as she denies it.


    The waitress brings out the sd and the aromatic, freshly baked rosemary focia bread. “I know this is a strange question, but I want to get to know you better, see what makes you tick, and discover what it is you want out of life.”


    “Okay, so ask away.” She grins.


    “Well, what do you want to do with your life?”


    She almost chokes on a mouthful of bread, thenughs. “Wow. Nothing likeing out with the big questions right away.”


    “I told you it was going to be a pointed question, but I genuinely want to know what it is you


    “This isn’t a trick question?”