The Storm Before the Calm

Chapter 27

Dominico Vicious Vitale
Was there a color of the rainbow that this woman didn't look gorgeous in?

Black, perfect. Baby blue, angelic. Pink, breath taking. That mint green dress that matched my eyes? Divine.

I'd never met a woman who was so strikingly beautiful that she actually pissed me off. Until I met her.

As she ate her crepe with strawberries and Nutella, I could not stop cursing myself out to think of anything other than spreading those berries and syrup all over her body and eating it off of her. Then, once that thought faded, I pictured spreading the hazelnutty sauce all over my dick as she crawled across my patio back in Italy wearing absolutely nothing but the same sweet syrup.

Did I feel good about myself having these thoughts as her brothers sat across from me, and her father a few feet away? Not particularly. But did I care? Absolutely not.

As the servers came around to refill everyone's drinks, top off Angelina's mimosa, and replace Aurora's sweet tea, they brought out small desserts to place in the center of the table for everyone to share. Bianca had even asked to switch seats with Aurora so she sat in between us because she wanted to talk to me about desserts and her Zia Cannoli, but still hang out with her beloved aunt.

I tried to drown out Bianca's little voice teaching me how to make cannolis from scratch when I heard Aurora say something to an obviously overwhelmed Renata who was trying to hold both small children while Antonio handled their oldest. Suddenly, Renata was handing the smaller babygirl to Aurora who stood up and leaned over the table. I gave myself brownie points for not admiring her perfect ass over Bianca's head.

She took the baby, sitting back down, cooing at her and smiling at her as the baby sucked on her hand and giggled at her Zia.

I wished I could've seen Aurora as a mother. I have no doubts in my mind that she is the best mom the world has ever seen. She treats her nieces and nephews like they're all her children, and loves them each so deeply, you can tell she'd take a bullet for any of them.

As the baby rubbed her eyes with her first that was just in her mouth - gross - she lay her little head on Aurora's chest, eyes fluttering. And I suddenly found myself irrevocably jealous of a baby. At 33 years old. As a grown man in a bakery discussing cannoli ingredients with a 5 year old.

Who am I right now? And what the fuck happened to Vicious Vitale?

Suddenly, Bianca was poking my arm as I sipped my black coffee, needing to grow a bit more chest hair. I turned my attention to her instead of her aunt.

"Yes, Tinkerbell?" She smiled huge at me as she stood up on her chair to be eye level with me.

"You sound like Zia." She smiled. Mentioning her aunt was always accompanied by a smile. "Can I pick out a dessert for you and you pick one out for me?" She asked me, and I smiled at her innocence. I'd never been around small children, never mind deal with their softness one on one before. Bianca was the first, but I found it easier than I ever thought hanging out with a 5 year old would be. I guess the guys I'd grown up with were more like 5 year old girls than 30 year old men, so technically I'd had lots of practice before.

"Sure thing, kiddo." I held my plate out for her. "What am I having for dessert?" She took the question very seriously, inspecting every dessert that was laid out on the table. Suddenly, she pointed to the one right in front of Aurora, and I wished more than anything she hadn't.

"Carrot cake! Carrot cake!" She clapped her hands, and my eyes met Angelina's across from the carrot cake platter. She was grinning ear to ear like the fucking grinch. If we were 10 again, I'd be wrestling her to the floor for that look. It's not so appropriate anymore, unfortunately.