December 18th
“I don’t think you’ve ever looked as handsome as you do right now,” Catrina said.
Dante glanced away from the Waldorf Astoria’s window to see his wife standing in the entryway connecting the bedroom with the sitting room.
The very beautiful hotel room might as well have been a small apartment, considering the size. Every inch of the space dripped with expensive taste and an old money feel. Hardwood floors and priceless rugs. Antique furniture pieces and tasteful artwork. A whole wet bar full of top shelf liquor.
His kind of place.
Catrina had picked well.
“Handsome?” he asked.
Catrina leaned her hip against the doorjamb, and watched him through lowered lashes. All these years, and it only took a single look from his wife to get his heartrate picking up, and his blood heated. God, he loved her for that, too.
“That’s what I said,” Catrina replied.
Dante wasn’t doing shit but lounging on a chaise and overlooking the busy Manhattan street outside. He wasn’t even fully dressed as he hadn’t bothered to finishing buttoning up the silk dress shirt he slid on earlier, or knot his tie.
“If you say so, amore.”
Catrina flashed him a grin, and made her way across the room to him. His hand pressed into the curve of her back, and pushed her even closer so that he could rest his cheek against her thigh. She dragged long nails through his short hair, letting her fingers run over his scalp in the best fucking way.
“Ready to get back to life in a couple of days?” Catrina asked.
“Now I am, yes.”
“I knew you would come around to this.”
Dante grinned, and kissed her naked thigh. Like him, she hadn’t fully gotten dressed either after their escapade earlier that day. She was still wearing the peach-colored silk robe that only fell to her mid-thigh. The belt cinched at the waist showed off her hourglass figure perfectly.
“It’s a nice sight from up here, isn’t it?” Catrina asked.
He peered back out the window.
White blanketed the streets and sidewalks in heavy sheets. Red and gold Christmas decorations hung from lampposts and overtop windows. The fast walking people were bundled up, and seemingly unbothered by the white flakes falling down from the gray-blue sky.
“They’re all just … rushing,” Dante said.
Catrina bent down and kissed him with one of her sly smiles. “And you’re not.”
“Apparently.”
For the first day or so, it bugged the hell out of Dante. He wanted nothing more than to call and check up on people. Giovanni, his father, and a Capo that he had been having issues with over the last few weeks.
Plus, his business. He had left an entire contract just hanging in the fucking wind when he got inside that damn car. There was so much he had left undone, and yeah, that had pricked at every single one of his nerves.
Then, there was also his kids. He missed them like crazy, too.
Although, Catrina FaceTimed Michel and Catherine twice a day. It was the only time she allowed Dante to have a phone in his hands.
His wife was a fucking tyrant.
A beautiful one, but still.
Catrina, however, had taken his phone the very second he sat his ass down in the town car. She told him the details about where they would be staying, and a few other things she had planned for the five days they would be unreachable.
Dante walked into the hotel room to find the phone on the nightstand only connected to the kitchen, and the front desk. Catrina had been smart enough to know she needed to make sure that little detail was taken care of, too.
He had to give his wife credit, though. This was exactly what he needed, no questions asked. Time away. Space from people and life. A barrier between him and business. A few days to simply take care of his wants and needs, instead of handling every other aspect of his life except for himself.
That anger and irritation that had been constantly building inside his mind and heart for weeks was now nonexistent. The bit of time to clear his head had actually given him different outlooks on how problems could be fixed with less arguments, and on a faster timeline.
He greatly wanted to get back to his kids, as well. He wanted to enjoy the rest of the time he was going to have with them over the holidays to make memories he might have not done otherwise.
Dante needed time to stop, breathe, and recharge.
Nothing more.
His wife had given him that, or rather … helped to make it possible for him. He was so grateful. More than Catrina could possibly know.
This was the best Christmas gift ever.
A gift he hadn’t even known he needed.
“I have something for you,” Catrina said.
Dante stared up at his wife. “Oh?”
“Yep. Here.”
She handed over an envelope. It wasn’t properly sealed, so Dante just pulled out what looked to be a letter. Unfolding the two flaps, he instantly recognized the handwriting of his father.
Dante,
Even the best bosses occasionally need to take a break, son. Even those men who live and breathe this life have to take time to remember what it was about this thing of ours that made us hand over everything for it in the first place.
Next time, recognize your need.
And take care of it.
I thought you might like to know a few things. I’m sure—even though Catrina has told me you’re enjoying your little time away—that you still have some things on your mind. They were weighing on mine, too.
The company won the bid. I sat in on it. Give your COO a raise. He deserves it. Thank him with something worth his while, Dante. Also, try to give him a little more leeway for this sort of thing. He’s proved he can handle it.
Giovanni has the family and business handled. You didn’t think I would let that go unmanned, did you? Thank your brother. When it is his time to take a break, you will allow him to have it and do so with a smile.
Lucian will be out tomorrow, probably around the evening. He will be at the Christmas party, and his kids will have him home.
Once again, thank your brother for that, too.
Oh, and me. You can thank me—and your wife—for this time away. You needed it, but we won’t always be able to hand it to you, Dante. You have to learn to do it for yourself.
Merry Christmas, son, and never underestimate the power of this Santa.
Ho, ho, ho.
Dante laughed as he folded the letter back up. He swore he could hear his father’s smugness coming through each and every word he had written.
Catrina stroked his cheek. “Good news?”
“Very good, Cat.”
“Ti amo, bello.”
Dante pulled his wife down to his lap, tipped her back, and kissed her. “Ti amo, mia cara bella.”