Chocolate and Italian Wine (Music and Mayhem Book 1) (21 page)

“That’s different. And you know it,” she said, slicing her gaze in his direction. She stood up and walked over to him. “What if they don’t like me? Why didn’t you just bring your parents, Paolo?” she whined.

He stood up and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Calm down. My family members are not only fans, but they speak as though they know you already.”

“What do they say? Do they say it in English? I don’t speak Italian. Oh, Lord, this is going to be a disaster,” she rambled, burying her head in his chest. “How about you tell them I’m sick or something, and I’ll meet them another time?”

He kissed her. “Listen sweetheart,” he said in a soft soothing voice, “you’re still wound up from the concert. I understand. But you are meeting the family tonight. They’re going to love you, baby.”

“They don’t know me, how can they love me?” she asked, working herself into a panicked frenzy. 

“Are you sweating?” he asked, pulling out his handkerchief and wiping her face. 

“I’m nervous,” she said.

“You must be. You’re shaking, too,” he said, holding her close. “Are you really
that
 nervous about meeting my family?”

“I’m sorry, baby. It’s just that you have fifteen people out there waiting to meet me with far more critical eyes than the
fifty
thousand people that were in the audience, you know what I mean?”

“Okay, so it wasn’t a hundred thousand, I get it babe. If you want to make it another time, then we will,” Paolo conceded. She breathed in and hugged him tight. “You feel better now?”

She nodded, and felt the gun tucked into the back of his pants. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this on you,” she said, patting the gun lightly. She sighed. “Alright, let’s go. Translate everything,” she cautioned and then pointed at him for emphasis. 

“Shit,” he said, “I hope I can keep up. Fifteen excited Italians talk fast.”

“Very funny, baby,” Kari said, smiling at him.

“And very true,” Paolo replied.

Finally, Paolo and Karisma emerged from the dressing room with their arms around each other and her entourage reappearing as if by magic, close behind. Wolfe walked alongside to her right, as Jamil lagged behind. And with Paolo’s men trailing as well, there were a lot of people about to come face to face. Paolo stopped them in front of his family members, who were waiting in the gathering room for Karisma’s arrival. The faces of those assembled showed the sheer excitement of those about to meet a woman they never thought they would. They all stood. 

“This is Karisma Montgomery,” Paolo announced in Italian. “I said, this is Karisma Montgomery,” he repeated to her.

She pinched his butt. He moved away from her slightly, chuckling. “Smart ass,” she whispered. 

He pulled her close. “Sweetheart, these are my parents, Raffaelo and Cristina Montovani.”

They both stepped forward. Cristina took Karisma’s hands in hers and pulled her to her as she kissed her cheeks. “Il piacere di incontrarvi,” Donna Cristina said. 

Karisma smiled and looked to Paolo. So did his mother. “Want me to translate?” he asked Karisma.

“That would be nice,” she said, turning back to smile at his mother.

“Mama says she’s pleased to meet you,” he said with a mischievous grin. 

“I’m pleased to meet you, as well, Signora Montovani,” she said. 

Both women looked at him again. “She says the same, Mama.” 

Cristina smiled wider. She began to speak rapidly in Italian and Karisma nodded with a confused look on her face that Paolo thought was adorable.

“Do you know what she said?” he asked.

How the hell would I know what she said?” she asked imitating a ventriloquist, the waxy smile plastered on her face. “Just translate without all the commentary,” she delivered a soft body bump to his side.

He chuckled, enjoying her discomfort. “She says you are very beautiful and she is excited that you will be coming to our home. And will all these people be coming, too?” 

Raffaelo chuckled too, overhearing the exchange and interrupted. “Paolo, your mother will stand here for hours talking. Especially with you translating,” Raffaelo said in English with a thick Italian accent.

“Oh, you speak English!” Karisma said excitedly, smiling at Raffaelo. 

“I do, indeed,” he said, smiling at her and taking her hand to kiss it. “You are a wonderful performer. Are you tired?”

“No, I actually feel quite energetic. I could stay up all night,” she said.

“But you must be hungry,” he said. 

“That I am,” she assured him.

“Good. We’ll feed you. You like pizza, don’t you, Miss Karisma?”

“You can just call me Karisma, and yes, I love pizza, Senore Montovani.”

“Just Raffaelo,” he said, smiling at her and squeezing her hand.

“Raffaelo,” she repeated.

“Bene. I make a really good pizza that I think you’ll enjoy. They’re being kept warm for you as we speak,” he said. 

“Oh, I’m looking forward to that,” she said with a radiant smile all for him. 

Armando stepped up next. “Karisma, it is truly a pleasure to finally meet you. You are even more beautiful in person,” he said, kissing her cheeks. 

Paolo wore a small, secret smile. Were all of the Montovani men in love with his woman?

Armando caught his eye. “My brother has exquisite taste.”  

“Thank you, Armando. So good to meet you,” Karisma replied. 

He stared at her. “Where are your people from? You look like you’ve got a little Latin thing going on. Or maybe it’s Ethiopian, Eritrean?”

She chuckled. “Don’t really know, Armando. No one’s ever said that before.”

Paolo and Davit burst out laughing. “You hitting on Kari, priest?” Paolo asked.

“Paolo!” Raffaelo exclaimed. “Respect the collar.”

“I’m just getting to know Karisma. I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I, Karisma?” Armando asked, holding her soft hand, and placing an unlit cigarette between his lips.

“No, of course not,” she answered enjoying the banter between the men.

“So rude. Is he this rude with you?” Armando asked Karisma, grinning.

“She’s too sweet to be rude to,” Paolo interjected and kissed the top of her head. 

“That’s Armando, by the way,” he added.

“I gathered that from the Roman collar,” she said, pointing to the white piece that was at the front of his shirt. “He’s the one you said drove the nail through your hand.” She looked at Armando and winked.

“Yeah, that’s him.”

“Hey, that’s when I was a little kid looking for Jesus. I’ve found him now,” Armando said, holding up his hands.

“He was a bully,” Paolo said.

“Still is,” Davit said dryly.

Armando laughed and Davit walked over to Karisma and kissed her cheek. “That was a great show, Kari.”

“Thanks, Davit,” she said, rubbing his arm.

Then Daniel approached. Paolo smirked at his brother as he sullied up to Karisma. He kissed the corner of her mouth. “Hey babe, you’re looking good as usual,” he said as Paolo glared at him. 

He saw how close that kiss came to his woman’s lips. He’d have to tell him about that shit.

Another man walked up and Karisma watched him, thinking he was quite beautiful, too, and he was definitely a Montovani. He had the look. Paolo glanced up and waved him over, smiling. “Kari, this is my brother Rafie.”

Raffaelo Jr. looked at Karisma with his beautiful jeweled eyes. He smiled shyly and kissed her cheeks. She couldn’t take her eyes off him as a smile spread across her face. Kari kissed him back. She felt him stiffen. “So nice to meet you, Rafie,” she told him sincerely.

Paolo translated for his brother. 

“Piacere,” he said to her and smiled that shy smile again.

He pushed his hands down in his pockets in much the same way that Paolo did. They were so much alike. She felt drawn to him. She wanted to hold his hand. For some reason being in his presence made her want to cry. He was saying something to her and it sounded so interesting, despite not knowing what it was. When he was done, she turned to look at Paolo. He smiled at Rafie. 

“Kari, Rafie knows all of your songs. He says you’re the best singer in the world,” Paolo said.

“Thank you, Rafie. That’s very sweet of you,” she said, looking into his big blue eyes.

Cristina translated for Rafie. Karisma noted and smiled. She spoke English, but had chosen Italian. It made her chuckle.

“We should get going, yes?” Paolo said.

“Si!” she exclaimed, “I’m ready and hungry, put me on the plane and let’s go!”

“Si baby,” he chuckled, “andiamo. You’ll be eating pizza in an hour and a half.”

“Great, your dad says they’re ready and waiting,” Karisma said.

“I gave Pops a heads up that if he fed you pizza, you’d like me better,” Paolo said, laughing merrily.

“I will, especially if it’s good!” she teased.

***

The plane ride back was fun for Karisma, as Paolo’s fast talking relatives kept him busy translating their many comments to her. His brothers began to help out, as the family wanted to know everything they could about her. Raffaelo watched the whole thing, wondering just what his son had gotten himself into.

Cristina leaned over to her husband and said, “What do you think? They seem to be in love.”

Raffaelo looked at his wife and said in a hushed tone, “It would appear so.”

They shared a chuckle. “You remember what it’s like to be that age and in love, don’t you, Raffaelo?”

“At his age I was a married man with children. Not a jet-setting playboy with a famous celebrity girlfriend. They’re all over the news, Tina. He’s too distracted with this girl.”

“That’s what happens when you’re in love. You spend a lot of time on each other’s mind,” she replied.

“We’ll see where this goes. In the meanwhile, we take good care of our guest,” he said.

“What did Maria Elena and her mother want?” she asked. 

“To speak to Paolo,” he said.

“And?” she asked.

“And what, Tina? We are done with the Bianchis. All of them.” He kissed his wife’s cheek and laid his head on the headrest.

                                                                ***

Standing in the back of the stadium, where Karisma Montgomery had performed to a sold out crowd, Maria Elena stood before a small crowd of reporters wearing the wedding gown and veil that was intended for a marriage ceremony that would not take place.

            She looked into the cameras that were poised in her direction and spoke. “My name is Maria Elena Bianchi. I am the woman that Paolo Montovani threw over for Karisma Montgomery. We had been engaged to be married for eighteen years when Karisma Montgomery seduced Paolo away from me. We were supposed to be married weeks ago. A date had been set, invitations were sent out. But now, he’s all but forgotten me. As a woman, I could get over the heartache, but it is not me I am worried about. You see, I am two months pregnant…with
his
child. Karisma Montgomery gave him an ultimatum. Her or me. He chose her.”

         The cameras flashed in quick succession as reporters fired questions at her, capturing picture after picture of the sad woman driven to obvious insanity by her fidanzato’s indiscretion with the beautiful American, Karisma Montgomery. Carlotta Bianchi stood stoic next to her only daughter and inwardly smiled. She knew Maria Elena could pull it off. Now, let the chips fall where they may.

19

Perhaps it had been the hunger that always comes after a high energy Goldust performance, but after Karisma ate Raffaelo’s mouthwatering pizza, along with the great antipasto salad, Chianti, and homemade bread, she couldn’t have felt more content. The combination of a beautiful Italian villa with a wonderful family and the man she was absolutely in love with made for momentary inner peace. She savored it.

In the family’s den, Raffaelo played music from his favorite Italian singer, Biagio Antonacci
.
In a sweet gesture, Raffaelo extended his hand to Cristina, making her smile at him with all the love in the world, and the two started dancing. Karisma watched them until she found that Paolo was extending a hand to her.

“Do you care to dance, beautiful?” he asked.

She didn’t have to say a word. Her smile said everything. She got up and melted into Paolo’s arms, enjoying the feeling of euphoria that she had from too much wine, her surroundings, and the warmth of his inviting arms. It had been wonderful and unexpected, but then it ended. A flash of the face of an evil man who’d wanted to hurt her came to her mind, making her tremble.

“You getting tired, sweetheart?” Paolo whispered in her ear.

“No, just…” She didn’t finish what she was saying and looked up into his eyes. “Sometimes I think I’m okay, and then something, anything might cause me to remember…”

 Tears appeared in her eyes. His expression changed.

“Baby,” he whispered, “I need you to try not to think about that right now.” He lifted her chin so she’d have to look at him and although his voice was barely audible you could hear the great authority in it when he said, “You did the only thing you could do at the time.” 

“It’s still messing with my head. I can’t sleep without pills. I have nightmares. Maybe I need to talk to someone, you know, a shrink.” She had said this several times before and had gotten nowhere, but she was growing more desperate, feeling increasingly more unstable.

He looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to them and saw his father’s keen dark brown eyes focused on the two of them. Paolo turned so his back was to his father and brought his thumb up, gently wiping away the tears that were now trickling down Karisma’s face. “Let’s call it a night and go upstairs,” he said softly, his lips just barely grazing hers.

”No, Paolo,” she said quickly. “I’m trying to move on, I swear I am. It’s just hard. I see his face before I shot him, after I shot him…” 

              He cut her off. “Kari, you’re going to have to live as though that never happened. The world believes Wolfe did it. Let them believe that. It’s the only way to live with what happened. You don’t believe me when I tell you it wasn’t your fault, even though it wasn’t. That fucking stalker is responsible for what happened to him, not you. He caused his own death.” He kissed her in a thoughtful, almost paternal way, but the love in that connection made her melt into his arms.

              She hugged his waist tighter and felt the evidence of his need. She pressed her body closer to his as they swayed to the music, lost in each other’s touch. “I love you, Paolo. I really do,” she said, a small smile appearing on her face.

He smiled down at her. “I love you too, Kari. I don’t want you to feel any more pain over this.” Pausing, he added, “There
is
someone you can talk to who will listen and won’t judge, but you’ll have to trust me.”

Karisma stared at Paolo with curiosity and relief. “Of course I trust you, Paolo. Who is it?”

He whispered in her ear. “My brother will keep your every confidence. You can tell him anything. He’s a man of God. We’ll talk to him tomorrow, okay?”

“Really?” Karisma asked.

“Yes, I believe he can help.” 

Kari glanced over to Armando, who was sitting on the sofa, smoking a cigar and casually talking with his parents, who’d long since stopped their dance. Kari looked at him and felt like she could trust him. Maybe it would help.

“I’ve had enough of this party, let’s say goodnight,” Paolo said. He had a twinkle in his eye that Karisma’s body naturally responded to.

“We’re going to say goodnight, now,” he announced.

Karisma said goodnight to everyone, looking them all in the eye to acknowledge them. When she caught Daniel’s eyes he held her gaze, lip curled in a half smile. She smiled at him, feeling uncomfortable with his intensity. When she turned away, Raffaelo was standing right there, leaning in to kiss both of her cheeks.

“Good night, Karisma. Sleep well,” he said.

“Good night, Mr. Montovani. Thank you for your hospitality. It’s been a wonderful evening and you were right, you have the most amazing pizza.” She smiled at him, thinking he was a very handsome and distinguished man.

“You were going to call me Raffaelo, my dear.”

“Raffaelo,” she said, smiling shyly. She wondered if anyone could tell her cheeks were hot.

“Well, goodnight everyone,” Paolo said. Kari looked at him and saw that he had urgency in his eyes. He grabbed her hand and they exited the room climbing the flight of stairs without saying a word until they entered the bedroom he’d lived in until he’d left for America.

Karisma immediately laid her body on the soft down comforter. Paolo flopped on top of her and she squealed. “You better?” he asked.

She shrugged. “You think they like me?”

“I know they do. My father’s besotted,” he chuckled.

“With me? What makes you say that?”

“The offer of you calling him by his first name right away and just the way he spoke of you and your talents.”

“And what about your mother? She smiled a lot, but she doesn’t speak much English. For all I know she could have been cussing me out.”

“She likes you, too, and even though you don’t speak Italian, you’d definitely know if she was cussing you out. Her entire body moves around animatedly when that happens.” Paolo put his hand up and started to tickle Karisma, sending her into fits of laughter.

After she calmed down, she said, “You Montovani men are good looking. You know that?”

He chuckled. “You checking out the other Montovani men, baby?” he teased, with a smirk.

She blushed. “I’m just sayin’...y’all are fine.”

“And you are exquisite, tesoro,” he said, adoration all over his face.

“Tesoro means?”

“Treasure. You are my treasure, Karisma Montgomery.” His lips crashed against hers, and he kissed her desperately and insistently, his hands eager to explore the body that he was so responsive to.

She moaned into his mouth, wild to receive his touch and the sensation that came when their two bodies collided in desperate need for each other.

                                          ***

Kari’s eyes blinked as she slowly opened them. They felt heavy as she lay there, trying to figure out where she was. That’s right…Paolo’s room. His arm was wrapped protectively around her and he was sleeping on his stomach, holding her in tightly.

She looked at him, the beautiful man that he was, and listened to the soft, gentle snore he was rhythmically releasing. As she watched him she saw a protector, a take-charge man. It was so hot. There was no way that what Ray and Valerie said earlier could have merit to it. Mafia…yeah, right.

Karisma woke up and slithered out from Paolo’s heavy arm, slid on a large t-shirt, and tiptoed to the bathroom. Afterward, she walked over to the large windows that were shaded by curtains and moved one to the side slightly, taking in the picturesque grounds of his family home. Her mind had so many things going on. Sex, she was so addicted to sex with Paolo that it had her feeling country drunk. It was a good thing that she’d gotten “the shot,” because the two of them went at it like rabbits. When they were connected, all her problems went away and everything seemed just right. She needed to find a way to capture that feeling all the time. If she could, she wouldn’t need all those strong medicines to help convince her body to sleep and be awake when it needed to be. Everything could be whole again.

“Hey,” Paolo said, walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing the nape of her neck softly, followed by a small nibble.

              “Good morning, baby.” 

“Why are you up so early?” he asked, kissing down the side of her neck. She moaned and he moved his hands up to cup her luscious breasts. He massaged them as she placed her hands on top of his. She could feel herself moistening for him. He ground his groin into her butt as he bent low to continue kissing her.

“It’s not so early, it’s 11 AM. The grounds are beautiful,” she said, looking out the window.

“They are very beautiful, but there are more urgent things waiting for you in here, the darkness of the room and the warmth of the bed.” He groaned and lifted her up to carry her back to the bed.

“Paolo,” she said, her breathing heavy and her chest heaving in anticipation of what was to come. For Kari, just saying his name made everything better. The two locked eyes and her finger went up to his chiseled jaw line and she traced it seductively, loving the way she could feel his energy explode from such a simple touch.

“I can’t get enough of you,” he growled. He set her down on the bed and his hands went under the t-shirt and he pushed it up her chest.

Her hands went to his naked ass, so firm, yet smooth beneath her touch. As they glided from his ass to the small of his large back, she felt overwhelmed with need for him. Parting her legs, he wasted no time. Suckling and licking one breast, his hand fondled the other. He entered her in one long, lovely thrust that set her on a path to madness. His fingers gently twisted the stud in her bellybutton, causing her to spasm in mini orgasm. She was panting and whimpering as she matched his hard controlled strokes, pumping against his pelvis, her strong muscles clenching around him, causing his eyes to close and his head to fall back in ecstasy.

“Don’t ever stop fucking me, Paolo,” she panted.

“Aahh! I could fuck you forever, baby. This pussy is mine!” he growled through clenched teeth.

Those teeth began trailing up her neck, sinking in, biting her, but not too hard, causing her mouth to fall open. A guttural sound escaped her throat.

Kari wrapped her legs around him and he changed his stroke, taking her to a crazy place where she didn’t think she could get enough—or get it hard enough. His hips were moving in a circular pattern, left to right, right to left. She ran her hands through his thick locks.

“Shit,” he whispered close to her ear. He rose up and placed both hands on the wall behind the headboard. As he fucked her into the mattress, her back arched and her mouth opened in a silent scream. She reached between them and grabbed the root of his cock as its hardness slid in and out of her. She stroked it along the base, making his balls ache for release.

He lost control. His breathing became shallow as he looked at her face, seeing how exposed and vulnerable she was. Kari’s head was shaking from side to side and she was orbiting in a sexual bliss that would bring forth a blistering hot climax for them both. It was too much. “Fuck, baby, I’m coming,” he rasped. He bent down to kiss her open mouth as he came hard, riding her with lustful abandon. Her tongue licked his and she joined him in an orgasm that rocked her body from her head to the tips of her toes. 

“Aaahh,” he sighed, collapsing in a sweaty heap on top of her. “You’re trying to kill me.”

She laughed. “You’re the one…” He began to pull out and she demanded, “Don’t leave me.”

“Never,” he said. And they dozed off that way.

                                       ***

“What took you so long?” Raffaelo asked, an impatient frown on his unlined handsome face. 

“I was asleep, Pop. Didn’t get to bed until after 4. You were there,” Paolo said as he walked into the den and right over to the coffee carafe so he could get a cup.

Daniel and Davit were already waiting in their father’s den along with three other men who worked for Raffaelo. Daniel coughed and smirked at his older brother. Raffaelo gave Paolo a long look. 

“What did I miss?” Paolo asked, ignoring them both. He went and took a seat next to Davit, who gave him a look they had perfected as children, one that warned him to “look out.”

“How’s the songbird enjoying her stay?” Raffaelo asked. 

“She loves Italy. I’m going to take her for a drive after we’re done here. She has the day off.”

“Did you notice the paparazzi outside when you woke up?” his father asked.

“No,” Paolo said. “Are they still out there?”

“We got rid of them, but they probably camped out further down the hill,” Daniel said.

“Damn. How’d I miss that? How did they even know she was here?”

“It seems they can find her wherever she is,” his father replied. Paolo sensed the concern in his voice…and it wasn’t for Karisma’s peace of mind, either. Prying eyes were no good for the Montovani family interests, but there was more. “This morning, however, the lovely Miss Montgomery isn’t the only reason for the unwanted attention.”

Paolo looked at his father with a slight frown. “Then what’s up?” he asked.