The Twelve Vitali Ch. 30

"It's a big undertaking, but if we get the house done first you could live here while other works were being completed," Logan said. "We've got at least six months or so before you need to be able to move in?" he looked at Cat, who nodded her agreement and blushed. "Most of the heavy lifting can be done by then, if you're not squeamish about the cost and the weather holds."

"There's a large gym as well, next to the meditation retreat. We could move it, though, if that doesn't work for you." Cat said quickly, as Matteo looked at the plans in deep concentration while he listened to the explanation from the three professionals.

"These buildings would all be relatively uniform and compliment the house?" Matteo asked, not one hundred percent sold on the exteriors shown in the drawings.

"We thought so. But what did you have in mind?" Bryce, the architect, asked.

"There are some new environmentally sound products I'd like to try," Matteo considered. Building had always been his first love, and building this house had been a labour of love for him in more ways than one. He felt he needed the change to be more pronounced than it was, but he was reticent to say so directly because he had given the house to Cat and promised her she could do as she liked with it. It wasn't that Nik haunted this house as he thought she would, but rather the façade was hard and angular and cold almost, just as Nik had been, and he felt Cat needed something softer and more natural. "But it would be up to Cat in the end."

"I think I'd like a more natural look," Ricco came to Matteo's rescue. He hadn't given Cat the house or promised her not to interfere. "These greenspaces and natural areas that have been incorporated into the design don't quite gel with the glass and carbonate of the exterior. I think cedar or some sort of environmental save the world type stuff that Matteo loves using could soften the coldness but keep the view."

"I guess," Cat said, feeling forced to speak, and Logan and Bryce looked at her for confirmation. "Do you all mind if I chat with my husband alone for a moment. We won't be long." She started to lead the way toward where his large office stood. She was suddenly mad, and she didn't want to fight in front of all those people. As soon as the door closed behind them, she wheeled around and glared at him, "What the hell was that about?"

"What was what about?" he asked, shocked by the fact that she was angry with him. He'd made a suggestion, that was all.

"Good grief!" she flung her hands up in the air.

"I was just suggesting a change to the exterior. It's your house, you can do what you want with it," Matteo said, confused by how angry she was with him.

"That's just it! It's not my house, it's our house, and you're the one with the expertise, not me! I don't know anything about building or materials or whatever!" she threw her hands up again. "I just didn't want you to knock it down! Now, suddenly, you're acting like I will explode if you make a suggestion in front of everyone!" she said hotly. "You've spent the last months telling me it's our family, our home, our money, our life, but suddenly I have to take responsibility for this house on my own when I don't have the foggiest clue what I'm doing, or even if it's possible when you so obviously want to be involved! How is that our anything? I'm getting more honesty and input from Ricco about this house than you, and you're the man with a construction company!"

Matteo stared at her dumbly. He couldn't work out whether she was mad because he had made a suggestion or if she was mad because he hadn't been more involved in the process.

"Look, I took all this on because I didn't want the house demolished because of your ex! I didn't want you unhappy here because you were reminded of her, but you have told me several times you haven't even thought about her while we've been here! So why aren't you helping me? It will be our home, not mine! You obviously talked to Ricco about it!" Cat raged. "Why are you acting like I'm some sort of control freak that won't let you make the changes you want? You don't think I have enough to deal with at the moment and that I need the stress of trying to read your mind about what you want for this as well?"

"But I gave it to you," he said quietly. "The house, I gave you the house the day you agreed to marry me."

"So you're saying what's yours is mine, and what's mine is mine too?" Cat asked, trying to show how dumb that statement was. "We got married, no prenup, no agreements! You keep telling me everything is ours! Why is this house different?" She challenged him.

"It will be our house," he let out a frustrated breath, "I want you to have what you wanted. Not a house I designed and built before I even knew you. I already did that with the penthouse. I wanted to knock this house down and build you a house of your own; you are the one who wanted THIS house."

"It's a great house, I would have asked for the same, if not similar, and the penthouse is wonderful because you created it and let me have input into the interior. This is what you love; construction and building materials, and all the things that make me glaze over with the details. The bigger idea's; the concepts, the interior feel, I'm good with, but I don't care enough about the difference in density of brick compared to stone and how they expand and contract in different weather cycles. I just want it to look pretty, Matt," she finally sighed. "I want a home we can bring up our family in. I don't really care about its construction, that's your thing. I know I should be more interested, but the facts and figures and graphs go over my head. Can't you just build it now that I have said what I want?"

"You don't want to be involved at all?" he asked, not really understanding what she was saying.

"I do, but only on the surface level, I am happy to choose materials from how they look, and colours, but I don't understand half of what goes into the logistics of building a house this big. I can't do this, and Logan needs more guidance than I can give, and I need you to stop acting like I have to make all the decisions!" Cat flopped back into the chair having run out of steam and anger. "I don't want the pressure or responsibility for this to rest solely with me. I'm not even sure if what I have asked for is entirely possible, or if Logan is just humouring me. I have no idea what I'm doing, and everyone seems so worried that I will start crying again if they tell me the truth."

"She's right, you know," Ricco said from just inside the door. He'd come in during the heated diatribe of Cat unnoticed and had just stood, taking it all in. "You were acting weird in that meeting, we all noticed it."

"I'm weird?" Matteo asked, turning to look at his brother.

"Matt, you're a control freak. A lovable one, but a control freak non-the-less, it's how you've been so successful in business. Seeing you seem tentative to even make a suggestion is weird. Cat's exhausted from doing all of this alone, and you're being weird about it, so she can't ask for the help she needs when you are the one guy she should be able to turn to," Ricco lectured. "I'll admit I didn't realise how pressured she felt either, but I don't know about this stuff, aside from the legal issues, but this sort of law is more Cobi's domain anyway. If Cat decides to sue you for undue hardship, then I'm her man."

"There's a thought," Cat grinned. "How much do you think I could get?"

"As everything is our money and our assets, you would get exactly the same as you have now," Matteo grinned. "Everything." He walked to where she sat and picked her up, sitting down in the chair and pulling her into his lap.

"Okay, I'm listening, tell me what it is you want and how involved in the construction you want to be and I will get it done," he kissed her lightly. "Logan will still be project manager, but I will oversee the grand design and details."

"Can you talk to him about a playroom? I just couldn't," she blushed. "Both of you, if you want elements in the meditation space, like the one you have now."

"We can do that," Matteo said. "Anything else?"

"I'd like to see any changes to the design as you make them, I just don't need to know the minute details of why one cement is better than another cement. It's cement, it's hard and cold and grey. What's to know?" Cat asked sincerely, making Matteo chuckle.

"There's a bit more to it than that, but I get your point," he continued to chuckle.

"Great, because I'd like a date day with Cat after most of the family and staff have returned to the city. We'll just keep Hugh and Bradbury for the day," Ricco said. "I'd like to have a picnic in the meadow with the wildflowers before it gets lost under the construction machinery. Just the two of us," he explained further as Cat looked questioningly at him.

"Sounds good, even if we haven't made a decision on the type of cement, we can have a team in here marking out the construction and levelling the ground next week," Matteo nodded. "I can meet with the guys again tomorrow and make some of those decisions on specifications for us," he said. "I'll let you know if we change any details of the design."

"Thank you," Cat smiled and kissed him lightly. "Can you tell the guys to come in here, they can show Matt the computer graphics that he can fiddle with."

*****

Ricco laid out several lengths of the specialised rope he had ordered weeks ago when he had first taken Cat to his meditation room at Uncle Salvatore's house. He hadn't planned to have this moment with Cat so soon, but with the building on the site about to begin, he had no choice. He had sat in his office day after day staring at the paintings of wildflowers and planning the scene in his head. He had ordered the equipment he needed and, luckily, it had come in on time.

"Arturo and Lisa just left, we have the place basically to ourselves now," Cat said, coming into the office space where Ricco was laying out the strangely shaggy green rope.

"Hugh and Bradbury are in the security alcove?" he asked.

"I think Bradbury is doing a perimeter check first and making sure the driveway gates are locked," she said, but knew that he would return to the security alcove when he returned.

"Good, it's been a while since we've had time alone," Ricco said softly, and moved to her, kissing her with a passion that belied his smooth, calm voice. "I told you once I had an idea for Matteo's birthday, which isn't until November, but, not knowing how much of the field will survive, I need you to trust me now and help me with this," he began.

"You planned a photograph like the one in your retreat?" she asked, looking again with new eyes at the equipment in the room with them.

"Yes, now I think it will be for my birthday next month by the time we check the proofs and decide on size and framing options," he answered a little anxiously. He worried that Cat mightn't want to be photographed in such a way after her reaction to the threat of public binding before the wedding.

"So, it would just be you and me out there, and the only people who will see the photos are you and Matt?" she asked, considering what he had said.

"Yes, unless you say otherwise. Even the ones Matteo sees, you will have final say over," he reassured her.

"It's a little different now that I'm pregnant, my breasts are really tender," she prevaricated.

"I have noticed the small changes in your body," he chuckled and kissed her again. "I love this body and know every little piece of it very well. I am looking forward to seeing your belly grow and change with our baby, as well as your breasts grow and fill with milk. I want it all. Every experience we can possibly have together, I want them all, including today. This is possibly our last chance to take these pictures of your body before it changes. It might be nice to take them again in a few years and show how being loved so much has changed you. You would never have to worry about what to get me for my birthday if you posed for me each year."

"I get to see them before anyone else, even Matteo?" she asked. "I would get the right of veto?" she asked. He nodded, a small grin starting to curl his lips. "I guess enough people know about the playroom that a picture in your gallery wouldn't raise too many eyebrows, as long as it was artistic and not pornographic," she said softly.

"Did you think anything in the gallery was purely pornographic?" he asked, a little hurt by the comment.

"No, but I am the mother, it would matter if other people saw it and knew it was me," she sighed.

"Trust me, with the shot I have in mind no one would know for sure if it was you or not," he grinned wider as he knew she was saying yes now that she had expressed her concerns. He kissed her again, deepening the kiss and peeling off her shirt and bra as they stood close together beside the desk where the rope he planned to use lay.

"It's cool outside this morning, so I'd like to do most of the binding here, and then, once the sun has warmed the ground, we will go out," he murmured, running his hands over her tender breasts. "Will you call me Master today?" he asked in a husky voice, making her look up at him.

"Yes, Master," Cat whispered. She hadn't seen the darkness in his eyes to this degree for some time, and a quiver of anticipation ran through her. True to his word, he had never pushed his darkness onto Matteo, and, as he had said, they had little opportunity to indulge his pleasures over the last weeks since the gathering and wedding.

"Thank you, beautiful," he captured her lips again, his kiss becoming more demanding and possessive now that he had her consent to truly dominate her today. He moved to the dock where his phone nestled and turned on the device, and quiet, soothing music that had natural notes through it started playing. He brought forward a stool for her sit on as he worked.

He took up the first rope and stood before Cat. Starting with a loop of rope, he draped it around her neck and then began a series of intricate and decorative knots with the shaggy green rope. It was softer than the rope he usually liked to work with, and he made small adjustments as he created highly decorative patterns between her breasts and around her waist and up her back to the collar of the rope at the nape of her neck.

While he worked, he kissed and teased her skin. The chest harness almost complete, he had purposely left her breasts untouched between the strands of rope. Once they moved outside, he would add the finishing touches, which might cause her sensitive breasts some discomfort. Due to the pattern and style of Karada he had designed, he didn't want to bind her breasts or hands until she was in position so that it would not be an overly long time, which would cause her more discomfort than he was willing to have her bare due to her pregnancy. He kept this to the forefront of his mind, despite becoming excited at the fact that she would suffer for him today. These initial ropes could be done here before they moved on to the fun and games of what he had planned for them today.

Tying off several strands, when he stepped back she had several long ropes hanging down from the chest harness she now wore. He'd been planning this for weeks, and, as he looked at her critically and tilted his head, he made several small adjustments.

Cat took his outstretched hand and stood obediently as he undressed her, completely discarding her skirt and underwear. Ricco picked up another length of rope and, with practised care and firm hands, he bound her waist, creating matching intricate patterns with the rope over her hips and loosely between her legs, nestling beside the lips of her pussy rather than between them. He kissed her then, rubbing against her and showing his desire for her, but not acting on it before breaking the kiss and moving away.

The music played softly, and neither of them had spoken for the longest time as he prepared her as much as he could before taking her out to the meadow where he planned the photo shoot to take place. Picking up a pale blue kimono, he helped her into it and gathered up the long ends of the rope, tying them in loops to the waist of her Karada.

Cat slipped on some flat shoes and held the kimono tightly closed as they exited the house, with Ricco leading her out to where he had set up what he needed. Cat had to admit she was amazed by his preparation. The cameras and a tripod were set up on and around a thick picnic blanket on a small patch of clipped grass in the middle of the meadow. An insulated picnic basket stood to one side of the blanket, and she knew that Lisa would have prepared something sumptuous for their lunch. Large bunches of the wildflowers and grasses that had once stood on this clipped grass lay around the blanket.

"This is lovely, Master," Cat whispered, keeping to her submissive role, but finally feeling the need to speak and tell him of her appreciation of the scene he had set.

"You are lovely," he pulled her to him, kissing her. Breaking the kiss, he stroked her face. "You're so beautiful," he whispered, and kissed her again, pushing the kimono from her shoulders, exposing her body to the cool air of the day. Winter had been late in starting, but there was still a slight crispness to the air. "Now the fun begins," he murmured, his eyes flashing darkly at her as he stepped back again.

Ricco moved again to start on the lengths of rope that hung from her waist rope. He knotted two of the lengths together, his fingers working nimbly as he drew it from the back to front over her shoulder. He positioned the knots above and below her nipple, pulling the hard, pink nub between the two strands of rope, trapping it as if in a rope clamp before continuing the knots back down to the waistband. He repeated the process on the other side before running a rope between her legs, knotting it at her clit and anus to rub and titillate her each time she moved.

Cat's body, which had begun responding to what was happening when she had first seen the darkness in his eyes and whispered the word Master to him, went into pure need as the ropes caressed and teased her most sensitive parts. He took her hands, binding them behind her to the chest harness so that they were bent at the elbow and her forearms rested side by side within the spiral binding. This had the added effect of pulling her shoulders back and thrusting her breasts forward, making the bindings trapping her nipples pull against the pink flesh and cause her to whimper and squirm, which only put more pressure on the rope between the lips of her pussy and ass cheeks.

Ricco enjoyed the sight and sound of Cat as her breathing quickened noticeably and the small panting whimpers escaped her mouth. She was perfect, so utterly perfect. He crowned her head with a circle of wildflowers and smiled. Kissing her neck, he swept her hair over one shoulder and walked her forward into the long grass.

"Don't move at all," he murmured as he moved around her, placing wildflowers and grasses to blend with the green rope bindings. He had created props with a mixture of rope and bamboo, and, as he set the first shot, it looked as if the meadow itself was reaching out to claim her. He undid and repositioned her arms down and backwards with her hands about a foot from her body, her wrists wrapped in restraining green rope and grasses. He placed a soft pad beneath her, then he took up his camera.

"Kneel!" he commanded, and took pictures rapid fire as she lowered down into the meadow. He went to her then, caressing and kissing her exposed skin as he repositioned not only her but the props and grasses around her. This was the specific shot he wanted and had envisaged... A girl in a meadow surrounded by nothing but blue sky, sun, and the meadow which bound her with love. He moved around her, taking shots. He lay on the ground as well as stood over her, giving instructions for movements of her head.