“Did I wake you?” He looks frustrated and runs a hand through his dark hair. “I'm sorry.”
“I just need some coffee.” I smile, moving my expression slowly to keep the pain away, and move closer to him. “You look like I feel. What's wrong?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.” Dante just shakes his head and then forces a smile. “Would you like me to order you some breakfast?”
“Just coffee right now,” I tell him. My stomach is clenched tight with stress. If Dante's worried, then I'm worried. I touch his arm, trying to get him to open up to me. “You can tell me. Otherwise, I'll just worry.”
His smile stays wooden, but he leans forward and kisses my forehead. “Just business. Three new lawsuits, a broken contract, and to top it all off-” he pauses and holds up his phone for effect, “a reporter from the Times is calling to ask me about some rather concerning allegations. The police have already called me twice, and it's not even noon yet.”
“That's terrible.” I bite my lip. I don't like the way this sounds. He shrugs and goes to the kitchen and pours me a cup of coffee.
“It's strange, really,” Dante muses, adding a little sugar to the black liquid for me.
“How bad is it?” I ask, following him to the warm kitchen counter.
“Bad.” He frowns and hands me the cup of coffee. “But I don't want you to worry.”
I kiss him on the cheek and then take a sip of my coffee. It's sweet and perfect. Just like him. “How about I worry just a little bit? So you don't have to quite as much.”
He grins and kisses my head again. “I want you to know, I'm taking care of your problem. It should be solved by the end of the week. I can make it sooner if you want. The price isn't a problem.”
For once, I question my Aunt's lack of desire to use hired killers. In this situation, it feels justified.
“Thank you.” I mean it. I set my coffee down and smile up at him. A weight I didn't know was there lifts from my shoulders. I'm going to be free. Free of the monster that has haunted my dreams for so long. Really free. My mother avenged. And it's all because of Dante.
I kiss him. It starts sweet, but my hormones start to take over. I need him, more than just emotionally. I need to show Dante how much he means to me. How grateful I am that he's saving me.
I don't mean for it to become sexual, but what he is doing for me means so much, and I don't know any other way to thank him. I know how to show gratitude with my body, not my words. I need to show him.
He kisses me back until he remembers I'm injured.
“Vesper,” he says, pulling away . His hands are tangled in my hair. “I don't want to hurt you.”
“Then be gentle,” I tell him, grazing my lips against his. “But I need you. I need to show you how much this means to me.”
I look up at him. He's so beautiful. Strong. Young. Safe. I'm safe with him.
He presses his lips against mine, his teeth nibbling on my lower lip as his tongue invades my mouth. He tastes sweet, like heaven.
His hands go to my hips. He makes sure that he doesn't hurt me. He kisses my lips, but then moves his mouth to my throat, down to my collar bone and then to the collar of my nightshirt. A low, happy noise of pleasure is the only sound I can make as he lifts my shirt and hooks his fingers around my panties and pulls. They slide off my legs easy and once I'm free of them, his hands are on my waist again.
With wonderful ease, he picks me up and sets me on the kitchen counter. The granite is cold on my bare butt, but everything else about me is heating up. The fires of lust are burning brightly deep in my belly. My body is craving more.
Dante puts his hands on my knees and spreads them wide. He goes to his knees, kissing up from my feet. He is so careful it makes me want to cry. From my feet, up my shins, up to my thighs, he avoids every bruise and scrape, concentrating on kissing only the skin that won't hurt at his touch. By the time he reaches the top of my legs, I'm panting with want.
His beautiful dark eyes flash up to mine once before he lowers his head and presses his tongue against my sweet spot. I whimper with pleasure, tangling my hands in his dark hair as he begins to work his magic. His tongue swirls and his lips suck and play with me in all the right ways.
My legs start to vibrate as I approach the precipice of my climax. All the stress of yesterday melts away under his careful ministrations. Mr. Norwood is going away and it's because of Dante. I'll be safe. No more fear.
I let myself go. Lights and colors fill my vision as my entire body clenches and rocks on ecstasy. This is what it feels like to be happy.
Slowly, once the colors fade, I open my eyes. Dante is staring up at me, watching me with those beautiful eyes of his. They are blue sapphires of adoration and care. His mouth curves upward slightly when our eyes connect. I can't help but smile back at him.
His hand grazes one of the large purple bruises on my thigh as he stands and I wince. I'm surprised that something so superficial can hurt so much, but the after-effects of my orgasm quickly diminish due to the sudden pain.
“Sorry,” Dante apologizes, moving his hand to a different spot. I can't help it. I squirm slightly at his touch, afraid that he will accidentally hurt me again. “I won't hurt you,” he says, putting his hand firmly on the counter where it won't do any harm.
I bite my lip and look up at him.