I move forward to him and take the rose he hands me. I’m not ready for the kiss he plants on my lips. It speaks so many words, my breath is taken away as I try to decipher them.
“Our date awaits. Go get dressed.”
“Okay,” I breathe as I look at him dreamily, all thoughts of the events of the day are forgotten. I don’t want to ruin this date.
I rush up to the room we’ve been sharing and pull up short in the closet. I don’t know what I was thinking when I asked him to take me out on a date, I don’t have a thing to wear. I enter the closet and gasp when I find a garment bag and shoebox. There’s a note pinned to the garment bag.
Called in a favor from your sister. She says this will be perfect. Dante will love it. Enjoy the night.
-G
I can’t help the smile that comes to my lips. Gio has become such a good friend over the years. I’m glad to have him in my life.
I open the garment bag to find a matching black-and-powder blue panty set and a powder blue pantsuit. This has my sister written all over it.
I rush into the bathroom to freshen up. In my rush, I forget to tie my hair up before my shower. When I step out and look into the mirror, I groan. There’s no way I have enough time to make this look like something. I grab a brush and create the best top bun I can.
I rush to apply my makeup, keeping it simple. I use extra setting spray, so my makeup doesn’t come off on the suit. Once I lotion up, I put on the undergarments and smile into the mirror. They’re sexy and give me a bit of a confidence boost before I dress in the pantsuit.
I look in the mirror after placing on the shoes and even I don’t recognize the woman looking back at me. There’s a glow on my cheeks and my smile is brighter than I’ve ever seen it.
All at once, it hits me. I’m dating and I’ve fallen in love with Dante Di Lorenzo, and he loves me back. I never thought this would be my life, but as I look in the mirror, I have a thought.
If not me, then who? I deserve this love. The gorgeous woman in the mirror deserves to be happy.
With that thought, I throw my shoulders back and lift my head. With a confidence I don’t normally have, I go to get my man.
Dante
“Watch your step,” I murmur as we step onto the old walkway.
I’ve tortured men for hours without breaking a sweat or having a second thought about it. However, as I guide Lizzy into this restaurant with my hand on her back, I’m the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life. My grandfather’s question about having a son caused me to think about some things.
I made a last-minute decision and Dario offered to fly with me in the helicopter, while Gio and Jace went to keep Lizzy from returning back to the house too soon.
I was able to fly to my jeweler and back before they returned. By the time Lizzy arrived at the house, the foyer of my family home was filled with roses. I sat on the steps with a single rose in my hand, dressed for dinner.
The smile on her face was priceless. I almost dropped to one knee there. It killed me to have to wait for her to get ready, but when she appeared at the top of the stairs, I was speechless.
I never thought a pantsuit could look so sexy. The light blue suit accents all her assets. The flared-leg pants called attention to her long legs. The suit jacket hugged her breasts, revealing that she didn’t have a blouse beneath. I could kiss the tailor who made it. The black heels made the entire outfit go from classy to sexy.
“This place is adorable and totally romantic, Dante,” Lizzy gasps, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Welcome to Amore Domestico,” I breathe in her ear.
“Wait, this is your family’s first restaurant, right? It’s on the list. I’ve talked to the chef here before.”
“One and the very same. This is where my great-great-grandfather started it all.”
“That must be so great to be a part of so much culture. Your grandfather always sounds so proud as he tells his stories. Have you ever thought about writing his stories down and making like a memoir cookbook or something to sell in all the restaurants?”
I kiss her lips. “I love the way your mind works. I’ll suggest that to the marketing team for a mock-up and present it to the board. I think Nonno would like that.”
I lead her to our table and pull her seat. I love that while everything, including her makeup, is perfect, her hair is in a soft bun that has curls trying to pop free. It reminds me of her personality.