Stefano's possession

Chapter 23

(Catalina)

   I stood in front of the tall mirror etched in carvings and painted silver. I looked into my reflection staring at how the dress hugged my waist and dipped low showing my back. My hair pinned to the side the stars glistening under the lights. I felt beautiful and confident. For him. Only him. I thought about the first time I saw him in the cafe. Sitting alone. I never expected him to come into my life and change it. But I didn't want to take anything back.
  "Beautiful my love" his voice whispered only loud enough for me to hear. I turned to see him in a new suit. Black and gray with a navy handkerchief in his breast pocket. Silver cuffs to match my shoes.
   "Thank you. You have good taste" I said walking over to him and I smiled kissing his soft lips getting wrapped up in his warmth letting his tongue devour me whole.
   "Come we have reservations to attend. I know you're hungry" he tells me taking my hand in his seeing the mafia emblem ring resting securely on his middle finger as he pulled me out of the room and outside the car our driver already inside.
   Stefano and I sat in the back as I tried to guess what the plan was. I failed at all of my guesses. Or rather he was good at hiding his little plan.
"Stop trying to ruin the surprise gattina just enjoy it" he says trying his hand on my bare thigh as I grinned and looked out the window staring up to the moon watching the twinkling stars look down at us winking at me like they knew the surprise. Bastards.

   As the car stopped I looked out the window seeing a building that from the outside didn't look like much. "Stefano what is this place?" I ask as he ignores me..again. He walks around to my side of the car and extend his hand after opening the door. "See for yourself" he tells me as he leads me inside where I hear an orchestra of music playing from speaker high up in the corners of the room.
   Paintings and sculptures lined the walls once Stefano turned on the lights and there was a dinner table in the middle. Big enough for two as a man in a suit came in putting down two plates of food and set down a bucket of ice a bottle of champagne sitting in the middle. I was stunned unable to speak my eyes watered as he just smiled and his hand gently nudging my back and nodded his head.
  I let out a small squeal biting my bottom lip as I went around the room gazing at the beautiful artworks. All different but each one holding such a strong story I just wanted to share and find out every detail of the pages.
"What is this?" I ask as Stefano comes up to my gently kissing the side of my neck where my curls were pinned away.
"It's yours.  All of these artworks I collected when you were away. This is your art studio." He whispered in my ear before seeing my shocked face.
"Do you like it ?" He asks when I said nothing. I turned around and I kissed him tears in my eyes. "No I don't like it. I fucking love it. This is the sweetest thing you have done for me" I said as he chuckled softly kissing my lips again.
     "No crying , come let's eat now" he said pulling out my seat and sitting me down. I looked at the cooked lean porkchop mashed potatoes and asparagus grilled to perfection and began to eat as we just basked in each other's presence. I glanced to his hand seeing one tap the table almost nervously. He popped the champagne bottle pouring out glasses full.
"Thank you for tonight" I said squeezing his hand gently. I watched his thumb run over my knuckles circling each one with the rough pad.
"Tonight isn't over just yet" he says softly taking my half empty glass and bringing me further down the room to a sculpture of a man raptured in a woman's touch staring down to her lover.
"This one is my favorite. The way he falls to his knees for her. Taken away from all his pain because of her love. Just like you have done for me. For so long I have thought I was going to spend my life alone in this world. And when I saw you in the coffee shop I knew right there and then you would be mine. And mine forever. Marry me Catalina. Be my wife. Be my love. My sweet gattina" he said slowly dropping down to his knee opening a small black box a light shinning down into the huge emerald ring that was surrounded in little diamonds held in a white gold band. Fresh tears poured down my face as I looked down to the ring and I shook my head in disbelief.
"Stefano...it's beautiful." I said as he smiled to me. "Everything tonight was beautiful. I love you. Yes. Ofcourse I'll marry you." I said as he took the ring out sliding it on. The perfect fit. He stood up and kissed me wrapping his arms around me and lifting me up happily laughing. "I knew I would make you mine. " he whispered again as he carried me in a bridal hold out of my new art studio and back to the car heading home. I couldn't stop myself from gazing down at the ring unable to believe he planned this. I guess he wasn't really working at all. He was planning the engagement surprised. I held his hand the whole drive home letting him make love to me in the bedroom over and over until we were covered in sweat the sheets dirty our hair messed up the clothes thrown about the house. Fiancé. I would have to get used to that term now. I was his fiancé.