Page 25 of Dante (Members From Money Season 2. #153)

"You have books," he concentrated on the food and the conversation. If not, he was going to haul her into his arms and devour her.

"Tons. My brother bought some and I went crazy ordering some more on Amazon. And I've read most of them." She spooned up some more soup. "I want to know everything."

"Are you scared?" he asked quietly.

"No." She shook her head. "Just a little intimidated. I'm carrying a life inside me, one that I am completely responsible for."

"Any regrets?"

"Not now." She stared at him for a second before going back to her soup.

"My baby comes first Dante. I was pissed off with the guy and thought for a few minutes that I should do something about it, but I have grown to love the life growing inside me.

" She looked up at him. "That's not going to change. "

"And you think I would want it to?"

She shrugged. "You said that this is a first for you. I want you to know that it's strange for me as well. I don't know what we're doing here, and I don't know what it means."

"Beef?"

"What?" She blinked at him.

"There's beef as well."

"Oh. No, I'm full." She gazed at the bowl in surprise to find it empty. "I find that when I eat too much, I tend to be queasy."

"Are you?"

"No." She shook her head. "I was before, but the soup took care of it."

He stacked the plates and left them on the table.

"Should I take them down?"

"Why?" he asked in surprise.

"I was just wondering. I'm not used to leaving dirty dishes lying around."

"Mrs. Hughes would be offended if we start doing her job."

"We can't just leave them here," she protested.

"That's exactly what we're going to do." Taking her hand, he helped her up and onto his lap.

"What're you doing?"

"What does it look like?" he asked mildly.

"Getting us more comfortable." He toyed with the fringes of her hair at the base of her neck.

"I never thought I wanted to be a father.

My own dad was a no show. He came around a few years ago, just popped up, claiming that he wanted to be more involved in my life. "

A grim smile touched his lips. "Claimed that he was scared and that's the reason he ran. Said he's now running a 'foundation' to help teenagers who have been abandoned by their parents."

"He wanted money."

"Yeah. Wanted a slice of what I worked so hard for over the years.

I took care of the woman who beat the crap out of me every chance she got and saw to it that she lived comfortably until her former lifestyle caught up with her.

She died of kidney failure. Too much alcohol will do that to you. " His fingers lingered on her neck.

"I told the old man that I wasn't about to have history repeating itself. I threw some money his way and told him that was that. No more. He threatened to go to the press and tell them what a heartless son of a bitch I was, and I told him to go ahead. He was not getting another red cent out of me."

"I don't blame you." She touched the side of his face and felt her heart melting for the boy who had suffered so much.

"I said all of that to say this. I want to give your baby my name."

She stared at him in shock, her mind whirling. "I..."

"I want you to marry me. I've never proposed before and I might end up messing things up. But here's the deal. I think I'm in love with you. Having never been in love before, never even coming close, I'm still trying to process."

"You want to marry me."

"Yes."

"And give my baby your name."

"Yes. What do you say?"

"And you love me."

"Yes. Believe me when I say I tried a hell of a lot not to."

She gave him an unconsciously haughty look that had him grinning.

"Is that so?"

He framed her face between his palms. "A hell of a lot." Tilting her head up, he laid his lips on hers and for the next few minutes as he deepened the kiss, everything slid from her brain.

He tasted dark, dangerous, and so achingly sweet that she wondered if she was not drunk on the taste. Her hands crept up and around his neck as she sank into the forbidden taste. Would she ever stop craving him? She wondered as he took her even deeper.

Dante was thinking the same thing. Marriage had never entered his mind before. His heart had been bruised and battered since his youth. The first woman in his life, the one who had given him life had taken something away from him with her needless cruelty. And it had broken him.

He had decided a long time ago that no one would ever be powerful or effective enough to do that to him again. Until her.

Lifting her against him, driving himself mad with the taste of her, he carried her unerringly to bed.

Still fully dressed, he laid her down and covered her body with his.

He wanted nothing between them, but he could not stop kissing her.

He wanted the taste of her inside him, nothing more could ever suffice.

He was amazed that in a few short weeks she had come to mean more to him than even the company he had fought to build.

Lifting his mouth from hers, he fought to regain some sanity. His heart was racing, and his body was straining from a desire so strong, he could not control it.

"Marry me," he whispered roughly.

"We should wait..."

"No." He stamped her mouth with his again and had her moaning.

"Dante... Oh God." She was vibrating beneath him.

"You're going to change your mind."

"Do you love me?"

"What does that have to do with..."

"Answer the question."

"Yes. I love you." She closed her eyes briefly as she fought the emotions tumbling around inside her. "Yes, I love you so much."

"Then it's settled." He sighed deeply, before taking her lips in a kiss that had tears spilling from her closed lids.

Later when she fell asleep in his arms, he stared up at the ceiling, a frown etched on his brow. It seemed like the events were sailing right along without his input. This wasn't him. He wasn't one to hurry things along. He had almost begged her to marry him.

He was not a safe bet, and he would not just be taking on her, he would be taking on her child as well.

His stock wasn't good. A drunken and abusive mother and a father who had disappeared as soon as he was born, only to resurface years later when he made his fortune. The only thing he had been interested in is if the old man had donated any more sperm. But ironically, Dante was his only offspring.

He did not know how to be a father. The only thing he knew how to do was make money.

But he loved her. Tipping his head down, he was careful not to disturb her as he stared.

Even in sleep, she was striking. Her short hair was hopelessly tousled from his roaming fingers with locks of it falling over her forehead.

Her lips were still swollen from his avid attention and her lashes were thick and long.

But it was her complexion that caught his notice. It reminded him of strong black coffee laced with heavy cream and was completely flawless. Lifting a hand, he carefully brushed away the tendrils off her face.

He had asked her to marry him and meant it. But was troubled that he would hurt her. And the kid. What if he decided that he... No! He shook his head fiercely. That was not going to happen. He was not like the man who had made him and left him with a woman who took out her frustrations on her son.

He would be a father to her child and perhaps they would make one of their own. The idea of his seed growing inside her sent shivers throughout his body. When she stirred and murmured, he gathered her close and knew he would protect her with his life.

She avoided his eyes as she tried to start the engine again.

"You're going to flood it." He popped the hood just to take a look. "It's the battery. And it's a mess in here." He contained his anger just. "How often does this happen?"

"Once." When he leaned his head around the raised hood and stared her down, she lifted a shoulder. "Okay, maybe twice before. I could get a new battery..."

"You're getting a new car and riding with me. I'll call Roger..."

"No..."

"That wasn't a question." Slamming down the hood, he dusted his hands and glanced at his watch. He had been the one who delayed them in the shower. A wet Courtney was incredibly hard to resist, and he had to have her. So, he did.

"The car will be delivered here."

She got out of the vehicle, clearly agitated. "I cannot ride in with you. I'll just call for an Uber..."

Snagging her hand, he marched her over to the BMW this time and opened the passenger side. Almost lifting her, he put her in and secured the belt himself.

"Dante."

"Be quiet."

Folding her hands on her chest, she waited until he was seated before rounding on him. "You might be my boss..."

"And the man you're going to marry." He pushed the button and warmth flooded the vehicle, almost making her purr.

The seat was plush and as soft as butter and was already warming her butt.

"People are going to talk."

He slid her a glance and drove out of the parking lot. "That's the idea. It's time everyone knew."