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He scoots closer to me and puts one of his hands on the side of my face. His stormy gaze looks directly into mine, and for the first time since we met, I actually let myself stare back. I finally notice just how beautiful his eyes are—the depth of the blue color, flecks of gold and silver, a slight hint of green.

My stomach tingles and I tilt my face into his touch.

“How do you feel?” he asks. His voice is quiet, but still a bit harsh. I don’t mind it.

“Fine,” I lie.

My trembling lip betrays me.

Dante scoots in closer. “If you’re hurtin’ you gotta tell me. I can’t help you if you don’t let me.” His voice deepens. “Tell me, Ethan.”

My tears are growing too heavy for my eyes, and they threaten to spill over.

“I’m scared,” I blurt out. “Oh, my God. I could have died.”

Dante’s fingers curl against my face and his expression darkens.

“I won’t let you.”

“Why?” I ask him. “Why did you do this for me? You could have died. Dante,youcould have fucking died for me!” I grab his shoulders.

“I don’t know why, but I think I’d do anything for you,” he admits. “Whether or not you ever admit how you feel.”

My heart squeezes. The room feels like it’s spinning.

“I broke up with Lena,” I tell him, the words spilling out of my mouth before I can think about them.

He blinks at me. “What?”

“After I kissed you. I needed some time, but I broke up with her,” I admit. “You were right. I wasn’t being honest with myself. I still…I don’t know what to call it, but…”

I lean closer to him and lean my forehead against his. His is so much hotter than mine, and I feel his breath against my chin and lips.

“I’m the reason you almost died tonight,” Dante tells me. “An enemy of my family planted that bomb in your car because they saw us together. They know I’m interested in you.”

I hold onto him tighter, curling my fingers into the shoulders of his leather jacket.

“No, it’s not your fault.” I say the words even though I haven’t had time to decide if they’re true or not. My entire body is shivering, my heart racing, my groin aching, and all I want in this moment is to be close to him.

Tears spill onto my cheeks, and I brush my nose against his.

“You saved my life,” I whisper.

Dante’s hand slides from my face to my shoulder, then down my body to my hip as he pulls me closer to him.

“I’d do it again,” he says huskily.

His hand slides up my shirt, rubbing at my side with his bare hand, and I shiver.

“You’re trembling.” Dante pulls his hand back. “This is wrong. I shouldn’t be this close to you after what happened. You’re in shock.”

He starts to pull away from me, but I grip him tighter. “No! Please.”

Dante looks at me, confusion in his eyes. “What is it?”

My vision blurs for a moment as more tears roll down my face, and I force the words out of my mouth.

“I want you,” I tell him. “I don’t u-understand. I’m terrified, I’m crying…I should want to scream, yell, curl up into a ball,anything, but instead, all I want is you close to me.”