Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi

*Two Days Later* *Caterina*

"Mr. Valentino, Ms. Leone. I've just got word from the pilot. We're due to land in just a few moments," one of the attendants said with a sweet smile.

I gave her a gracious smile back and nodded my head. "Thank you."

The flight to New York couldn't have gone smoother if we'd planned it to.

As always, the flight crew on the private jet was very attentive and gracious in their handling of our belongings. Both Elio and I were able to get some work done, which I saw as a blessing in disguise. I needed the distraction since he'd chosen to tell me near to nothing about this trip in particular.

I wasn't exactly nervous but rather intrigued by his lack of explanation. Something in my gut told me that there was more to this trip than just business, and I was eager to find out what.

Before we knew it, the jet made it down to the strip and it was finally safe for us to make our descent down the narrow staircase. As expected, Elio had assigned a car to come and take us to our hotel.

Once the staff placed our bags in the truck, he and I slid into the back seat of the black Mercedes and made off.

Now that my schoolwork was tucked away, I found my thoughts wavering back to this so-called business dinner Elio had planned.

I didn't want to come off as pestering or pushy about it, so I kept my questions to a bare minimum. But I couldn't seem to understand why Elio was insisting on withholding of this kind of information in the first place. 'Since when has he decided to start keeping things from me again?' I wondered hesitantly.

I knew it was dangerous to fall into that mental rut of thinking, especially when he and I had had our fair share of arguments over that very topic.

Elio knew how important it was for me to be included in that particular aspect of his life. Yes, I knew of the dangers that came with being involved. He of all people should have understood what my limits were at that point. Still, I couldn't help but feel like Elio was being intentionally secretive this time around. Nonetheless, I wasn't about to make a scene of any kind.

Should this business dinner turn out to be something more involved than what I was being told to believe, I knew I would be able to determine more once we were there.

Regardless, apart from just that one night out, I knew very little about the rest of this trip he'd planned for us.

"So," I breathed out evenly while Elio turned to glance at me, "have you anything planned for us while we're here... you know, aside from this mysterious work dinner?"

The corners of his mouth curved into a suggestive smile, yet the rest of him remained composed. He started to shake his head.

"Sorry, sweetheart," he said. "I'm afraid this trip is nothing but business this time. I just thought it would be nice for the two of us to have a change of scenery."

My mouth fell into a straight line as Elio turned his head to continue glancing back out his window.

Well, I couldn't say that I wasn't disappointed.

***

We reached the hotel within an hour and were leisurely escorted up to our private penthouse suite. My eyes were instantly captivated by the gorgeous style of classic architecture that was used to design the place.

The hotel seemed fairly packed with other guests and small families looking to get away for the weekend. Elio curled a supportive arm around my waist and guided us over to the elevators. A special attendant pushed our designated button and the doors slid closed.

As soon as I felt us lift off, I leaned closer into Elio's side.

"I guess I'll take a shower and then get some more work done," I told him.

Elio silently nodded his head and went on to pull out his phone from his pocket to check for any new messages.

Was I disappointed that he'd planned nothing for us on this small getaway? Maybe just a little bit.

Granted, I knew that the whole point of this trip was probably work-related, but it just seemed unlike Elio to forego such a thing.

Normally the man always had some activity or outing planned out, some secret surprise hidden up his sleeve. Then again, maybe I was wrong, I thought.

The doors of the elevator finally slid back open to reveal a long hallway that was lined with red, velvet carpeting. Elio slipped his hand into my own and led us down to our door.

He took out the sleek looking room key and buzzed us inside. The interior was lavishly decorated to match the main lobby downstairs. Whoever was in charge of the room made sure that place was swimming in freshly cut flowers and small lit candles to properly set the mood.

It was romantic and very intimate, which led me to narrow my eyes with suspicion. Placing my bag down on the nearest surface, I turned my head to find two massage tables set in the middle of our living room. Along with them were two staff members, who both stood by trays with an array of oils and scented lotions.

My heart jumped into my throat. I quickly turned back to glare at Elio with a look of surprise and utter elation.

"Elio!"

The man threw back his head and let out a series of chuckles. I planted my hands firmly on my hips as I continued to glare at him in disbelief.

'This whole time... this whole time this sneaky man had been actually planning this whole trip out for us, hadn't he?' I questioned myself.

Good God, I felt like a complete idiot, feeling sorry for myself while all along, Elio was several steps ahead of me.

Once he managed to gain control of his excessive laughter, he reached out for me. He slid his arms around my waist and pulled me into a loving hug that practically knocked the air from my lungs.

"I'm sorry that I tricked you, love," he soothed. "I just couldn't help myself."

I had never had a massage before, much less a couple's massage. I was excited and deeply appreciative of the opportunity.

"Thank you for this," I told him softly.

Elio returned the smile and leaned down to kiss my head. The two of us met our skilled masseuses and got prepped for our session.

Honestly, I was a little bit hesitant to remove all of my clothing. Granted, I knew it was necessary for it to be properly done, but I wasn't accustomed to basically stripping in front of strangers. Thankfully, the woman who was in charge of my session informed me that I could remove my bra and underwear once I was hidden under the towel on the table.

But once we started.....

"Oh, my God!" I groaned.

My body had melted into a complete mess. I was turned into putty by the hands of my masseuse. Every knot and tense muscle she worked through left me babbling and spewing sounds that one would only ever think to hear behind closed doors.

Elio turned to glance at me with a raised brow on numerous occasions. But it reached a point where my excessive moans were becoming a tad bit distracting for him.

"Goddamnit, Cat. You make one more of those sounds, and I'm cutting our session short," he grumbled.

I couldn't help but giggle. I'd never felt so relaxed in my life. It almost made me mad to not have had one of these massages done before.

Unfortunately, the time came when our session was coming to a close. I dreaded having to get off the massage table. I struggled to find my footing while my entire body felt like a bag of Jell-O.

Elio handed them both a generous tip and ushered us into the master bathroom to shower off any of the excess oils.

"Come on," he prompted. "Now we need to get ready for our dinner."

My voice filled with playful sarcasm. "Would this be yet another surprise you've decided not to tell me about?" I asked.

The corner of his mouth curved into a sultry smirk as he rolled his eyes. "Maybe. But you'll have to get ready in order to find out."

I hadn't wasted another moment. I quickly showered off and went straight for my suitcase to pull out one of the dresses we'd picked out together. Elio finished up in the bathroom and came out looking dashing as ever in a creme colored dress shirt and black pants.

I pinned back part of my hair and chose a thin pair of silver hooped earrings to finish up my look. Elio's hungry eyes burned into me with a look of need and desire. I had to remind him about our dinner plans... otherwise, we would have never left.

Another car came around the front of the hotel to pick us up. It brought us to a beautiful Italian restaurant just a few blocks away. Upon checking in for our reservation, the maître de took us up to the rooftop, where a secluded area had been specially prepared.

My jaw hit the floor once more. A private table lit by candlelight and surrounded by hanging lanterns made my heart swell with so much emotion.

Elio pulled out my seat for me to sit and proceeded to take his own. He ordered what I assumed was the best bottle of wine the place had to offer and turned his attention back to me.

I was beyond impressed about everything he'd planned for us. "You really are something else, you know that?"

Elio's smile sent shivers of warmth down my body.

"I just can't believe you honestly thought that I would have nothing planned for us when we got here," he said smugly.

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "You'd think I would know your tricks by now... but I love it. Really, Elio. Thank you for everything today."

Elio took my hand and turned it over to kiss the inside of my wrist.

"Anything for you."

One of the waiters brought up our wine and we were immediately served the first course. Everything was delicious. Everything was perfect.

As the night drew on, we slipped into easy conversation about current events. And all I could think to myself was that I never wanted this feeling I had for Elio to ever go away.

I knew I drank far too much wine than I should have, but I was feeling lighter and happier than I had in a while.

I was practically falling asleep by the time we returned to the hotel. With Elio's arms wrapped around me, I knew there wasn't anywhere in the world I would rather be.