Page 14

Chapter Fourteen: Dante

I wanted her so much. I had desperately wanted her since the last time I had seen her.

I pressed my lips against hers, softly at first, then with a desperation born from the knowledge that every moment was precious, and every choice came with a cost. Her lips moved against mine, hesitant at first but growing bolder with each caress, her hands clutching the lapels of my coat as if anchoring herself in the turbulent sea that was our situation.

My mouth away from hers, and I slowly slid my mouth down her chin, nestling into the sweet spot where her pulse throbbed against her neck. Her scent, the familiar melody of oranges and cinnamon, stirred up a maelstrom within me. As my lips traced the curve of her throat, soft sighs escaped her lips, her fingers threading through my hair.

“Dante,” she breathed, her voice a soft plea tangled with desire and uncertainty.

My hands slipped down to the small of her back, pulling her tighter against me, the swell of her stomach pressing against mine. The reality of our unborn child caught between us.

Gently, I pulled back, my gaze dropping to her rounded stomach. My hand moved naturally there, as if it was drawn to the tiny life that grew inside her. Jade watched me silently, her eyes shining with tears, and the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

“You’re starting to show,” I said.

“Maybe I’ve just been eating my feelings.”

I chuckled at her dry humor, a sound that felt unfamiliar to my own ears. “You’re beautiful,” I told her, my hand still resting on her belly, the warmth seeping through the fabric of her clothes.

“Thanks. It’s hard to feel it right now.”

I shook my head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “My beautiful Jade,” I said. “Let me remind you.”

Before she could protest, I swept her into my arms, her soft gasp echoing in the stillness of the room. I moved slowly, taking in every inch of her flushed face, every flicker of anticipation that danced in her eyes. I peppered kisses onto her neck, drawing a shaky breath from her lips.

“Dante,” she whispered, her voice trembled, a mix of surprise and pleasure.

She clung to me as I carried her across the living room and into the bedroom. The room was softly lit by the dying sun filtering through the opened blinds; casting long shadows on the carpeted floor and creating a halo around Jade’s dark hair as I laid her delicately on the bed.

“Have you been touching yourself thinking about me?” I asked.

She groaned. “I left in a rush, which means I didn’t get my vibrator.”

“So you’ve just been using your fingers? Retro.”

“I was getting by,” she retorted, though there was a hint of a blush creeping up her neck.

I chuckled softly at her indignance, leaving a trail of kisses down the length of her exposed throat. “I’ll have to make it up to you then.”

She gasped as my mouth found the softness of her shoulder, her fingers tangling in my hair. The rest of the world seemed to fade away, all that mattered was us, wrapped in this moment.

And then I kissed her again. Deep, my tongue in her mouth, fingers threaded into her dark, wild hair and pulling her tighter against me. Her breath hitched, hands traveling the length of my back, nails pressing through the fabric of my shirt.

My response was lost in the sudden rush of yearning that consumed me. Her words were forgotten as I pressed my mouth to hers, drowning in the taste and feel of Jade Bentley — the woman who had irrevocably changed my life. The mother of our unborn child.

“Dante,” she breathed into my ear. Her voice hitched as I began to unbutton her blouse, my fingers slow and deliberate. “Don’t tease.”

“I’m not,” I murmured, pressing my lips to the column of her throat. “I’m savoring.”

A soft groan escaped from her lips as I continued my maddeningly slow pace, each button revealing more of her skin to me. Every inch was a revelation, a testament to our shared desire.

“Patience is a virtue,” I teased, my lips working on the exposed swell of her chest.

“My virtue went out the window when we started this little dance,” she quipped back with a chuckle that turned into a gasp as I traced the edge of her bra with my fingers.

My response was lost in the sudden rush of yearning that consumed me. Her words were forgotten as I pressed my mouth to hers, drowning in the taste and feel of Jade Bentley — the woman who had irrevocably changed my life. The mother of our unborn child.

I slowly slid my mouth down the front of her body, until her chest was bare and I exhaled hard against her nipples before I took them in my mouth.

Jade gasped, her fingers gripping my hair in an instinctive response. Her breath hitched at the sensation, and she gave a soft moan, encouraging me further. My hand caressed her side, tracing the curve of her body and briefly resting on the swell of her stomach.

My mouth slid further down now as I slowly got on my knees in front of her, the sight of her before me invoking a primal need within me. Her blouse was discarded, bra straps hanging loosely from her shoulders, chest rising and falling with each breath she took, already marked by my kisses. I traced the edge of her slacks, my fingers dipping beneath the waistband to feel the soft curve of her hips.

“Fuck,” I said. “You smell so fucking good.”

With that, I began to work on her slacks, tugging them down her legs, revealing the rest of her in stages, like unwrapping a long-awaited gift. Her breath hitched as I paused to appreciate her exposed skin, the soft light casting an ethereal glow over her.

“I want you,” she whispered, reaching out a hand to cup my cheek. “I need you.”

And how could I deny her? When all I wanted was to lose myself in her, forget about the threats lurking outside, if only for a bit.

“Let me take care of you,” I murmured, tracing a path with my fingers up her bare thigh. She gasped in response, her fingers clutching the sheets beneath her.

My hands moved with slow deliberation, working their way back up her body until I reached the waistband of her underwear. I wanted to tear her underwear off and bury my cock in her so bad, but I was going to take my time.

I was going to relish this. I was going to relish her.

I traced the edges of her panties, teasing and provoking her. My fingers slipped under the elastic band, and she shivered at my touch. She was soaked, evidence of her anticipation pooling beneath my fingertips. Jade closed her eyes, her chest rising and falling with quick, shallow breaths as I started exploring her folds.

“Dante,” she gasped, her voice a mixture of plea and command, “I need...”

“I know what you need,” I interrupted, my voice husky as my fingers found her clit. I circled it slowly, the heat of her desire blazing against my skin. Her breath hitched in her throat as a jolt of pleasure shot through her.

“Fuck,” she whimpered, her hips lifting off the bed in an instinctive response. Her hands clutched at the fabric of the couch beneath her as wave after wave of pleasure rocked through her body.

I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. This was Jade — wild, beautiful, and beneath me. Her body writhed, consumed by a pleasure that I had the privilege of giving her.

“When’s the last time you squirted, love?” I asked, driving my fingers deeper, listening to the sharp intake of her breath as I grazed her g-spot.

“Dante,” she gasped, bucking into my touch. “I don’t know. With you. The last time you made it happen, fuck!”

“That’s what I thought.” Satisfaction coursed through my veins knowing that only I was the one who could make her feel like this, only I could bring her to this edge.

“Dante,” she whined, her body trembling as my fingers continued their merciless assault on her sensitized flesh. Her hands yanked at my hair, pulling me closer as if begging for release. “Please.”

“Say it again.” It wasn’t just about the physical sensation anymore. It was about having Jade surrender to me wholly, comprehending the depths of our connection that extended beyond mere bodies.

“Dante,” she cries. “Please!”

Her plea was all the permission I needed. My thumb circled her clit with a steady rhythm as I plunged my fingers deeper, stroking that sensitive spot inside her which I knew would send her over the edge.

She screamed louder, her body convulsing in pleasure as she climaxed. Her walls clamped around my fingers, drenching them in warm, slick liquid as she rode through the waves of her orgasm.

As I slowly withdrew my fingers, Jade lay panting on the couch, her body spread out like a work of art beneath me. Her half-closed eyes and flushed cheeks were a testament to the pleasure she had just experienced. I lifted my hand to my mouth, tasting her on my fingertips. “Delicious.”

She watched me through heavy-lidded eyes, the sight of me tasting her causing her breath to hitch again. “Dante,” she whispered, reaching for me.

I gave her a slow, smug grin as I moved closer to her, pressing my body against hers. “What is it, Jade?” I murmured against the shell of her ear.

“I want you,” she whimpered, pulling me closer. Her hand slid down my chest and lower until it rested over the bulge in my pants. She gave a squeeze, causing me to hiss in pleasure.

“Patience, love,” I murmured, repeating my earlier advice. “I promised to take care of you.”

With a regretful groan, I pulled away from Jade and rose to my feet. She watched me with a dazed expression as I unbuckled my belt and unzipped my pants, freeing my aching cock.

Her eyes widened at the sight of me, her tongue darting out to wet her lips. A rush of desire surged through me at her reaction.

But I ignored it. This wasn’t about me. Not yet, anyway.

Returning to the couch, I parted her legs and settled myself between them once again. My hands traced the curves of her hips as I lined myself up with her entrance.

“Dante,” she breathed out, her fingers digging into my shoulders.

“Hush,” I told her gently. “I’ve got you.”

Slowly, deliberately, I began to push inside her. Jade’s breath hitched as she felt herself stretching around me.

“Dante,” she repeated. But this time there was no fear or hesitation in her voice. Only anticipation and desire.

I bit back a groan as she wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me deeper inside. The walls of her pussy clamped around me like a vice, hot and wet and so damn

perfect. We both stilled as I came to a stop, buried to the hilt inside her. Jade’s eyes fluttered shut, a satisfied sigh escaping from between her parted lips.

Holding her gaze, I started to move. Slow, gentle thrusts that had her whimpering in pleasure. Her hands found purchase on my shoulders, fingernails digging into the firm muscles beneath my shirt as I began to pick up the pace.

“Dante,” Jade gasped, tilting her head back against the thick cushions of the couch.

I was torturously slow, savoring the feel of her around me.

“Fuck, Jade,” I grunted, my voice rough with desire. “You’re so damn tight.”

Her body responded to my words, her inner walls tightening deliciously around me. She bit her lip, stifling a moan.

“Let me hear you,” I growled into her ear. “I want to hear how good I make you feel.”

She obeyed, whimpering and gasping beneath me. Each sound she made spurred me on, my hips thrusting into hers with newfound urgency. She was driving me crazy with her tightness, the wet heat of her surrounding me each time I buried myself deep inside her.

“Dante,” she cried out suddenly, her body arching off the couch as an intense wave of pleasure washed over her.

“Fuck,” I choked out as her pussy clenched around my cock. Every part of me wanted to let go but I resisted the temptation; tonight was about Jade. For Jade.

I leaned down, capturing her lips with mine in a heated kiss while my fingers worked their way down to that sensitive bud nestled between her folds. With every thrust of my hips, I was met with the silky softness of her inner walls clamping down on me.

“Dante,” Jade gasped, her hands clawing at my back as another wave of pleasure washed over her.

“Again,” I commanded, my fingers circling her clit rhythmically as I continued to thrust into her.

With a cry, Jade arched her back, her body trembling as she climaxed for the second time. The tightening of her inner walls around my cock was too much. With a low growl, I let myself go, an intense orgasm ripping through me as I emptied myself inside her.

I collapsed on top of her, our heavy breathing filled the room, mingling with the faint scent of our lovemaking. For a moment, we stayed like that. Jade’s hand tenderly stroked my hair while I luxuriated in the warmth of her body beneath mine.

And for a second, I let myself believe everything was okay.