Maria Maranzano stood on her balcony over looking the vast grounds below dressed in a long white robe, her long dark curly hair let loose down her slim shoulders, inhaling softly deep in thought "Palermo, her home town in Sicily, her roots her origins all started here and all shall end here, her father Luca Maranzano made sure she was kept and stored here within these walls in Sicily, a very known "mafiosa padrone." Luca Maranzano was not a man to be tampered with. A widow with no sons and just his beloved Maria beside him, he watched her like a prison guard."
A loud commotion below disturbed her thoughts, looking down she saw two men standing in the driveway shouting at her father's right hand man Gino, one of the men specifically caught her attention, a young man dressed in a white shirt, black pants and extremely handsome. Quickly turning inside she rushed to get fully dressed wanting to reach her father's study before they left, she needed a better look at this young man.
Salvatore Masseria known as Sal looked up and caught a glimpse of the beauty standing overhead, before he had a chance to examine her more, she had fled inside away from his gaze. He wondered was she one of Luca's little whores? For the man was famous for the beauties he kept at his side.
Rushing down the stairs dressed now in a short black dress, not too sexy and not too simple, Maria entered her father's study to find him sitting there with one of his friends Marco.
"Buongiorno padre." she stepped closer to her father and kissed his forehead.
Turning towards Marco she nodded her head replying to Marco's Buongiorno Maria. Turning back to her father she sat beside him on his arm rest smiling down at him.
"Padre I wondered if I could go into town today, I would like to do some shopping?"
Luca replied, "my sweet Maria, of course, but you must take Antonio with you."
"Ma padre!"
Maria's words were lost when he interrupted her by saying, "don't ma padre me Maria, Antonio escorts you or no town!, that is my final word."
Pouting Maria dropped her head, "as you wish padre, Grazie."
Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Gino came in, nodding his head at Maria he turned towards her father.
"Padrone, Salvatore Masseria is here, he wishes to talk to you and he simply won't leave."
"What does that figlio di puttana (son of a bitch) want?"
"He says that he bears a message from his father." was Gino's reply.
"Let him in, the faster I hear the message the faster he leaves my home." said Luca.
Nodding, Gino turned towards the doors and knocked two times on it, meaning that they should send him in. the doors opened and Salvatore strolled in, Maria's eyes widened, she had heard of her father's rivals and she knew the Masseria family was one of them, but this man was simply handsome, beautiful and most interesting.
"Speak Up. What do you want Salvatore? What is this message your father has sent me?" luca's thick voice rose.
"At least let me say Buongiorno to you and your friends, but since you want to get straight to the chase, my father sends you this message, Luca I advise you to keep your people off my grounds or you shall bear the consequences, last time I forgave your interruption next time I shan't." came Salvatore's quick statement.
Swiftly rising from his seat Luca came to stand before the young man.
"You must be very brave coming into my house and giving me this message, and for that I will not kill you, tell your father that he should look around his men and find out who is in whose business. Now Esci!! (get out) before I change my mind and kill you boy."
Unmoved by the man's threats, Salvatore kept looking him straight in the eyes, nodded his head and slowly turned, his eyes coming to Maria a devilish smile rose upon his lips.
"Good day" he said as he walked out of the room
Maria felt her heart leap at the sight of his smile, his eyes, his lips, the way he looked unaffected by her father's threats. He was indeed brave standing before her father like that, no man or boy had the courage to look Luca in the eyes.
Turning towards Maria her father said, "Gino, tell Antonio to accompany my daughter into town she wishes to go shopping. Now Maria if you would please leave us we have some work to discuss."
Nodding her head Maria moved to her father, kissed his forehead and silently left the room, she knew now wasn't a time to be around.
The meeting
***********
The drive into town was a quiet one. Antonio never said a word on both ways, he was just her watchdog.
Maria spent a few hours walking in and out of shops buying and enjoying the warm weather, deciding to sit at a little café to have something cold to drink, Antonio looked at her disapprovingly, arching her eyebrows she turned her head and walked into the café. She needed this drink and she was going to have it, no matter what.
Salvatore stood there, he was extremely shocked to see her in town, he noticed the watchdog nearby and decided to wait for her to enter the next shop then he would capture this beauty without being interrupted.
Maria paid her bill and walked towards Antonio.
"I'm going into that lingerie shop, wait for me here please."
Sal saw her walk into the lingerie shop.
"Mmm this should be interesting, it is owned by one of his friends and he could sneak in through the back way." starting his car he quickly sped to the back alley where the back door was.
Maria ran her fingers along a white sheer lace baby doll, the material felt so soft and sexy beneath her fingers, she knew it would fit her perfectly. Taking it off the hanger she showed it to the attendant, and was led towards the changing rooms to try it on.
Stripping of her clothes, she stood there in just her black g-string, sliding the cool material down on her, it felt amazing on her skin, she smiled and turned towards the mirror then gasped.
Standing there with the curtains open a bit was Salvatore.
"Beautiful!" was all he said as he stepped inside the stall .
"Get out!" she screamed out, trying to cover her body with her shirt.
"No I won't get out, I was curious to see what Luca has seen in you so that he keeps you at his side in his home."
"You think I am one of Luca's whor.. Whores?" she stammered out.
"Then what are you if not his Whore?"
"I'm his daughter!" Maria's head rose with pride.
Stepping even closer towards her, Maria stepping back towards the wall till she hit it, his hands came on both sides of her head, his hand reaching for the shirt she clutched in her hands, tugging at it and throwing it aside.
"You don't need this I want to see you."
"Get out before I yell." she barely whispered out, her heart hammering in her chest.
"First I want a kiss and then your name and besides my dear no one will call your watchdog because you are in my territory my dear."
Leaning forward, his lips brushed on hers, his hands cupping her face as he kept her there, she moaned beneath him, "her first kiss" her mind kept screaming "amazing!!"
Sal felt a hard jolt of lightning pass through him, her lips, never had he kissed softer lips, he wanted more, pushing himself into her he pressed her further against the wall his hands leaving her face down to her neck, her shoulders , her sides, his kiss deepening, and his arousal throbbing. He felt her response and it drove him to mad.
Breaking his lips from hers panting, "Oh my god! You are sweeter than honey; tell me your name please."
"Maria, my name is Maria." was all she could say, for she felt as ruffled as he.
"Maria." he repeated her name huskily.
"Meet me at the vineyard near your house, tonight at 7 please."
"Perche? (why?)"
"Because I want to see you Maria, from the first moment I saw you on the balcony at your house you intrigued me, even as I was talking to your father it took all my will power not to look at you, to approach you! Per favor Maria, per favor, I'm begging you."
"Si, I will see what I can do." thoughts rushing through her mind, she knew this was wrong yet she had felt the same thing when she first saw Sal.
Leaning in he whispered, "Grazie Mille." just before his lips touched hers once more, his hands now holding her sides, bring her in further for the passionate kiss that enveloped them.
Maria's arms went instantly around his neck, her whole being coming alive, a feeling so new to her, a passion she had only read about in books and seen in movies wrapped around her soul.
He then broke the kiss, "Maria you do not know, what you do to me, how much I would love to take you here and now, to love you, to have you, amore mio! But I must leave you now before I lose all my senses and do just that."
Whimpering her protest as he drew away from her, Maria's heart beating so fast she felt as though she had run a thousand miles.
"Questa notte, amore mio" (tonight, my love) he kissed her one last time before he turned and slipped out of the stall as quietly as he had come in.
Gathering her wits, Maria quickly changed back into her clothes, she quickly paid for the garment she had chose, keeping her head low avoiding the eyes of the shopkeeper, and swiftly went to the car.
"Are you ok Maria?" Antonio asked.
"you were in there quite a long time."
"I'm fine Antonio, there was just a wide variety of things, take me home please."
The love begins
*************
"Padre I'm going out for a walk, and I would like to go alone." Maria announced to her father.
"Che?" (what?)
"You heard me, I am going for a walk on the grounds and I do not want any watchdog with me, I am tired of having them lurking around my every step."
"Well, since you will be on the grounds, then there is no need for anyone or shall I say a watchdog as you call them Maria."
"Grazie padre, I just want to be alone for a while, and I won't stray far, I promise." she said happily leaning down to kiss her father's forehead.
"Bene, now go, I have business with Gino and Antonio."
Maria happily rushed out of her father's study and dreamingly walked towards the vineyard. She knew there was an empty cabin there, which no one used, it was a perfect place. She could not believe how strongly her heart was beating, could it really be love? She pondered, or was it just a new feeling to her that she didn't understand. But she had seen, she had seen that look in Sal's eyes, a look she had never seen before. Men have looked at Maria with lustful eyes, many men in fact, but they dared not approach, for her father would have had them all killed.
Her father! She stopped in her tracks." What would he do? Would he kill Sal? Would he kill her? No! She was his only daughter, he loved her, he wouldn't do that, he would understand love; he would forgive her IF he ever knew."
