Page 119

Then he growled—low, quiet, almost involuntary.
Anya turned her head, and her eyes met his. Dante’s were closed. But as soon as she moved, he opened them and stared straight into her soul.
His lips lowered, brushing hers in a slow, lingering kiss that melted everything else away. When he finally pulled back, it was only to lift her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her fingers.
Then, out of the blue, he slid a ring onto her finger, and leaned close, whispering against her ear—
"You're getting married to me."
Her breath caught. She looked down at her hand, eyes widening when she saw a delicate, glittering ring sitting perfectly on her ring finger.
"Oh my gosh…" she gasped, stunned.
Before she could say more, he turned her gently onto her back. His bare body pressed against hers, warmth and weight grounding her. One elbow braced on the mattress beside her, the other hand caressed her cheek, his eyes full of affection.
"I want one thing before our marriage from you," he said, voice soft but serious.
Her brows knitted slightly. He had never asked her for anything before, so the request surprised her. “Yes?”
He leaned in, brushing a kiss to her cheek, then trailing his lips down to her neck—leaving slow, lingering kisses that made her toes curl.
"I want…" he whispered against her skin.
A soft shiver ran through her as pleasure surged, and her eyes fluttered closed.
"I want exclusive rights to gift you rings."
Lost in pleasure, his words barely registered in her mind. “What..?”
"Rings," he repeated, kissing lower, his lips roaming the column of her neck, already covered with his hickeys, yet still not enough for him. Her neck was his favorite place to kiss, he was addicted to the way she trembled beneath his mouth. His tongue teased her skin in slow, warm licks.
"Promise me," he murmured. "No one else gets to give you a ring. Not even a girl. Only me."
The seriousness in his tone made her eyes blink open. And despite the heat curling through her body, a soft laugh slipped from her lips.
He pulled back just enough to look at her, but his hand moved up to her chest, fingers brushing over her bare skin, his thumb lazily circling her nipple.
Her laugh quickly dissolved into a moan.
"Don’t laugh." he growled.
Her eyes opened, locking with his. A teasing smile danced at the corners of her lips.
"Does it matter that much to you?"
He nodded instantly, sincerity written all over his face, boyish yet intense, his innocence laced with obsession.
"I don’t like it," he confessed softly. His fingers stroked her nipple with featherlight touches, making her thighs tighten around his hips and her breath hitch sharply.
"Please?” he mumbled. “Promise me. I will give you all the rings in the world. Whichever one you want. One every day, for therest of your life. No matter how rare, how expensive—I’ll get it. Just don’t take a ring from anyone else. Only I can put rings on your hand."
She pressed her lips tightly to hide the smile threatening to break free, then settled into a serious, almost stern expression.
“If I say no, are you not going to marry me?” she asked, eyes locked on his.
His scowl came instantly, sharp and fierce. “How can that be?” Without warning, his fingers pinched her nipple hard.
“Ahh!” she gasped, burying her head into his neck to hide the sound.