The Tyrant (Banker #3)(57)

“That dress…” He gripped my waist as he leaned down to kiss me. He kissed me softly, like he was doing his best to keep the kiss tame so we wouldn’t sneak off into a bush and do what we did best. “I told my personal shopper to get me something short and sexy. She did a good job.”

My hand moved down his chest. “She did a good job with you too. How about we skip dinner and just go to bed?” As good as Giovanni’s cooking was, it was nothing compared to Cato’s fucking. I could never eat again and just live off his lovemaking.

He rubbed his nose against mine. “That’s tempting…but the longer we wait, the better it’ll be.”

“I don’t think it could be much better.”

His hand moved to my lower back, and he kissed me again. “You know how to make me hard, baby.” He guided me down the path with his arm resting just above my ass. “I thought we could eat farther away from the house. You can hear the crickets better. See the stars better.”

“I’ve never been out here in the dark before. It’s beautiful.”

“I don’t take advantage of it as much as I should.”

We kept walking until we reached the dining table in the middle of the grass. A wooden platform had been built to hold the table and chairs. A black tablecloth lay over the surface, and white candles were spread out everywhere, illuminating the spot with subtle light.

“Wow…this is beautiful.”

He took my hand and guided me up the short steps until we were on the platform. “I’m glad you like it.”

“I didn’t know Cato Marino could be this romantic.”

He pulled out the chair for me so I could sit down before he took the seat across from me. “I didn’t either.”

“I mean, it took you a year to admit you loved me,” I said with a laugh.

“But that doesn’t mean I haven’t loved you every day since the day I met you.” He held my gaze as he spoke, his sincerity bright like the stars above us. “The love started off small, mixed with lust. It grew slowly, persevering despite your lies. And then it grew so big I couldn’t ignore it anymore. It was out of my control, a separate living entity. Then one day, it looked me in the face until I had no choice but to accept it.”

My eyes softened just like my heart. “Cato…”

“I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner. But I promise I’ll say it every day for the rest of my life.”

This man had been such an asshole when we met, but now he was the sweetest man in the world. He was a wonderful father to our little girl. He was everything I dreamed of in a man—with one exception. If he loved me this much, then maybe he would give up everything to give me the life I wanted. “I know you will.”

A waiter poured us two glasses of champagne and placed an appetizer on our plates.

I laid my napkin across my lap and took a bite of the appetizer, but I felt awkward doing something so normal when Cato had just said something so sweet. His eyes looked even more beautiful in the candlelight. I could see the flames reflected in his eyes. Even in the darkness, they looked more blue, more powerful than ever before. “The stars are incredible.” I looked into the sky as I ate, seeing the endless lights across the sky.

Cato kept eating and sipping his champagne. “It’s beautiful out here. Quiet. Peaceful. Perfect place to raise a family.”

“Yes, it is.”

“A bit of a drive to school, but I can drop them off on my way to work.”

Anytime he mentioned work, I tensed. How dense could he be? Not once did he wonder if he should walk away from the bank? For his safety as well as his family’s?

We finished the appetizer before the main course was brought out. It was a rack of lamb, vegetables, and rice. Just like every night we had dinner together, we ate quietly, looking into each other’s eyes as we dined. It was much easier to cut into the meat when I didn’t have a baby in one arm. “It’s so tender.”

“You want to know something interesting about Giovanni?” Cato asked. “He never went to cooking school.”

“Really? Seems like it.”

“He just has recipes that have been in his family for generations—along with a love of cooking.”

“It shows. I enjoy cooking too, but I’ve always hated doing the dishes.”

“Another reason why I need Giovanni. He could ask for a million euro raise, and I would give it to him.”

I chuckled. “Me too.”

“Speaking of money…” He looked down at his food before he lifted his gaze to look at me again. “I want you to know I changed my trust. If something happened to me, I would leave everything to you.”

I was stunned by his statement, considering he’d asked me to forsake all of that just months ago. “You didn’t need to do that—”

“I wanted to. Before they took me to surgery, I told Bates to make sure you got everything if I died. You’re my family, Siena. Whether you’re my wife or not, you’re everything to me. And I want to take care of you. I want to share everything I have, every single euro of my assets. What’s mine is yours.”

I didn’t know what to say. It was a big gesture—and out of character for someone like him. That was his way of telling me he trusted me completely, that all of his walls were finally gone. “That’s…very sweet.” I appreciated the gesture, even though I actually wanted to leave all of the wealth behind.