Page 48 of The Sterling Acquisition (Manufactured Mates #1)

“Go away.” He tried to kick at Dante through the thick fabric, his bare foot connecting with Dante’s shoulder. “I said g-go.”

Dante caught his ankle before he could pull back and yanked. Orion went flat on his back with a jarring thud, his head bouncing off the wooden floor as his lower half was pulled up onto Dante’s lap. Stars exploded behind his eyes, and the comforter tangled around his torso.

“Stop being a brat about this,” Dante snapped. “You’re in heat, you need help, and you know I can give you what you need.”

Desire clawed up from his core despite the cold flashes. Orion wanted to fight, to preserve the last shreds of his independence, but the throbbing emptiness inside him made it hard to think, to breathe, to do anything except arch toward the Alpha’s touch.

“Go away,” Orion gasped, trying to twist away from Dante’s hold. “I don’t n-need help. Don’t touch me.”

But Dante’s hands were already moving to the waistband of his soaked jeans, and Orion lashed out desperately, his heel connecting hard with Dante’s face.

“Don’t!” Orion snarled, fighting against the position, against the heat building in his body, against the way part of him wanted to give in. “I said, don’t touch me!”

Dante was stunned for only a second before he licked the spot of blood that trickled from his nose and smiled down at Orion. “Is that still how you want this to be?”

Before Orion could answer, Dante was caging him to the floor with his body, pinning him in place. The weight of him, the heat radiating from his skin, made Orion’s temperature swing violently again—from freezing to boiling in an instant that left him dizzy and gasping.

“Get off me,” Orion growled, shoving at Dante’s shoulders even as his treacherous body responded to the contact.

He could feel a gush of slick coating the inside of his underwear, the anticipation making him want to rub against Dante despite every rational thought screaming at him to fight.

His body was feral for touch, but he refused to give in without a struggle—not because he didn’t want this, but because surrendering meant acknowledging how deeply he craved it.

“Fuck you,” Orion spat, bucking against Dante’s hold. “Get the f-fuck off me or I’ll k-kill you, I swear to God I’ll—”

Dante caught his face in one hand, thumb brushing over his cheek with that infuriating gentleness. “I’m going to kiss you,” he said, his voice soft and reasonable like he was discussing the weather. “You need the practice anyway. And you better not bite me.”

“You son of a—” Orion started to snarl, but Dante’s bloody lips met his and his mind went blank.

The kiss was passionate, sweet even, tasting of copper and Dante. For a moment, Orion’s body melted into it, his anger dissolving under the gentle pressure of Dante’s mouth moving against his with devastating skill.

Then he felt Dante’s hand sliding up under his wet shirt and the spell shattered.

Orion’s hand shot to Dante’s throat, gripping tight. “I said go away,” he hissed against Dante’s lips, his voice deadly quiet.

Dante kissed him again with a grin, unfazed by the hand at his throat. “It’s so fucking hot how much you fight me.”

Orion shoved Dante’s face to the side and used the confusion of the tangled comforter to slip out from beneath him.

He rolled away, panting and erect and still dripping cold water, struggling to get his bearings on the hard wooden floor.

His legs were unsteady, forcing him to grip the footboard of the bed just to stay upright.

“I said I’d handle it myself!” Orion spat, literally spitting Dante’s blood onto the floor between them.

Dante made a slow shushing motion, that infuriating smirk still playing at his lips.

“Oh, please. Tell me how you plan to handle it.” He leaned back on his hands, looking relaxed despite the violence.

“If you can explain to me in detail how you’re going to calm your pheromones, I’ll gladly sit back and watch. ”

His eyes raked over Orion’s shaking form with clinical assessment. “But we both know you’re not just inexperienced with other people, aren’t you? You’ve used that rage of yours to resist even yourself.”

Orion felt his face burn with humiliation as Dante’s implication sank in—that he’d been so determined to maintain control, so furious at his own body’s responses, that he denied himself even the most basic relief.

It was true—in all his years of heats, he endured them through sheer stubborn will, refusing to touch himself, to acknowledge the need, to give his body what it craved.

It had been a point of pride, a way of proving he was stronger than his biology .

Now, that pride felt hollow in the face of his overwhelming need and Dante’s knowing gaze.

Orion stood there, gripping the footboard, water dripping from his hair, and refused to give Dante the satisfaction of confirming what they both knew was true. Instead, he just glared, his jaw clenched so tight it ached.

Yet beneath the anger, something else stirred—a quiet voice wondering what it might be like to stop fighting. To let someone—to let Dante—take care of him, just once. To experience pleasure without the bitter taste of defeat.

Dante rose to his feet. “That’s what I thought. All that defiance, all that rage, and you’ve never even touched yourself, have you? Too proud, too angry at your own body for wanting things.”

He took a step closer, and Orion automatically backed up until his shoulders hit the wall.

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” Dante continued, his voice dropping to a rough whisper that carried the raw edge of his rut.

“I’m going to start by kissing you until you stop thinking so hard.

Then I’m going to strip you out of those wet clothes and lay you down on that bed.

I’m going to use my mouth on every inch of your skin—your throat, your chest, those pretty nipples that got so hard when I touched them. ”

Orion’s breath hitched and he bit down hard on his lower lip to trap the sound that wanted to escape.

“I’m going to kiss my way down your body until I reach that sweet cock of yours,” Dante continued, his eyes dark with hunger.

“And I’m going to take you in my mouth and suck you until you’re sobbing for more.

Then I’m going to flip you over and use my tongue on that tight little hole until you’re slick and desperate and begging me to fuck you. ”

Dante took another step closer, prompting Orion to take a shaky step back.

“Then I’m going to open you up with my fingers, slowly, stretching you until you can take me.

And when you’re ready—when you can’t think about anything except how much you need my cock inside you—I’m going to fuck you until you forget your own name. ”

Orion was trembling, his back pressed against the wall, torn between the vivid images Dante was painting and his lifelong defiance. His teeth dug into his lip hard enough to draw blood as he fought against his own desire.

“Stay away.” But the words lacked force, coming out breathless and weak. Orion’s body screamed for what Dante was offering, even as his pride still fought to maintain some semblance of control.

“It’s okay, Orion. Not everything needs to be a fight. You can give in. It’s okay to let me take care of you.” Dante’s eyes darkened as he stepped even closer, his voice surprisingly gentle despite the predatory gleam in his eyes.

The words “give in” sent a shock of rebellion through Orion.

Before he could think, he swung his fist at Dante, aiming for his face.

Dante caught Orion’s wrist with a firm grip, his reflexes sharp and precise.

Orion tried to yank his arm back, but Dante held on tight, pulling him away from the wall and into the room.

“No!” Orion snarled, biting down hard on Dante’s knuckles. Dante’s grip tightened, and with a swift, powerful motion, he tripped Orion, sending him crashing to the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of him, leaving him gasping for breath.

Dante loomed over him, his breath coming in ragged bursts, a mixture of pain and desire clear in his eyes. “I’m more than happy to do things this way,” he growled, his voice husky with desire. “In fact, I prefer it. ”

With that, he started kissing his way down Orion’s neck, his hot breath sending shivers down Orion’s spine. Orion struggled, trying to kick and punch, but Dante’s weight on top of him was immovable. Each kiss was a spark, igniting a fire within Orion’s body that he couldn’t seem to control.

“Get the fuck off me,” Orion hissed, even as his body betrayed him, arching into Dante’s touch. “I swear to God, I’ll—”

Dante’s mouth found Orion’s nipple through his wet shirt, and he sucked gently, drawing out a sharp gasp from deep within Orion’s chest. The sensation was overwhelming, and Orion’s protests turned into gasps and broken whimpers.

“Like that?” Dante murmured against his skin. “You love it when I touch you, don’t you?”

Orion’s teeth clenched tight, but the sound that escaped him was more moan than snarl. “You’re an asshole,” he managed, even as his body shuddered with pleasure.

“And you’re perfect,” Dante replied, his hands moving to Orion’s shirt, tearing it open to reveal his bare chest. His mouth found Orion’s nipple again, this time with no barriers, and he teased it with his teeth and tongue until Orion was writhing beneath him.

Part of Orion still fought, still thrashed and cursed and called Dante terrible names—but another part, a growing part, was surrendering to the exquisite sensations Dante was creating. It was terrifying and liberating at once, this feeling of letting go, of allowing someone else to take control.

“Fuck you! I’m going to—I’m going to—” The threats dissolved into incoherent sounds as Dante’s mouth trailed kisses down his torso.