An ache settled in my throat. “I know.”
I didn’t have the closure I wanted, but I had the one I needed.
“I’m impressed you held back at dinner,” I added, trying to lighten the mood. “I’d prepared myself for the verbal insults. Maybe a few threats and punches to keep things interesting.”
Dante hadn’t said a word during the confrontation. I’d never seen him so quiet for so long, but I appreciated it. I had to fight my own battles instead of relying on others to fight them for me.
“I’ve been practicing my restraint.” The faintest tip of his mouth. “Like I said, this trip isn’t about me.”
Awareness tingled as our eyes held.
My room was large enough to accommodate four, but Dante’s presence filled every corner, making the edges of my mind hazy and the hollow in my chest a little less empty.
“Thank you for coming with me.” I tried to ignore the way his stare bathed me with warmth. “I know how busy you are, and it can’t be fun staying under the same roof as someone you hate.”
“I don’t know. It was pretty fun seeing him almost burst a blood vessel at the table.”
An involuntary laugh spilled past my lips. “You’re horrible.”
“Only to those who deserve it.” Another smile tugged at his lips. “It’s nice to hear you laugh again, mia cara.”
My smile faded at the soft, heavy meaning tucked between his words.
Another silence fell between us, thick and charged with tension. Lit fireflies danced over my skin, leaving trails of electricity in their wake. My dress felt heavy, and I shifted on the bed, trying to ease the new ache blooming in my stomach.
Dante’s eyes darkened at the corners. His jaw ticked for a moment before he pushed himself off the wall.
“It’s late.” Roughness edged his voice. “We should both get some rest.”
He made it halfway to the door before I stopped him. “Wait.”
He paused, his shoulders stiff. He didn’t turn to look at me.
The air stretched taut around my chest as I worked through my next move.
I’d made amends with my mother, sort of. I’d found closure with my father. The only relationship I had left to untangle was Dante’s.
It’d shifted and rearranged into multiple forms over the past year. We’d gone from strangers to roommates to adversaries to friends to lovers to exes…the list went on. Eventually, it would have to end, and it was up to me to decide where the cutoff was.
I stood, my pulse beating faster with each step as I slid between Dante and the door.
He stared down at me, his expression indifferent but his eyes hot enough to make every inch of me burn.
What was my dealbreaker?
Keeping my father’s manipulation a secret from me? Pushing me away? Trying to destroy my family’s company? All things worthy of my anger, but also all things backed with a reason.
It took time and effort, but we figured it out. I think you and Dante can too.
“You didn’t have to be here.” His time was the most valuable thing he owned.
Those coal-black eyes burned hotter. “No.”
My pulse became a roar. “This afternoon, several major newspapers retracted their stories about fraud at Lau Jewels.” I’d gotten the alerts before dinner. “Interesting timing.”
“Interesting, or coincidental.”
“Maybe. But I don’t believe in coincidence anymore.” The words drifted between us on air and hope. “Why did you do it?”
Indifference melted into something softer. “Because they’re still your family, mia cara. Because if I could go back in time and stop your father from blackmailing me, I wouldn’t. Otherwise…” His voice dipped, just the tiniest fraction. “I wouldn’t have met you.”
The words throbbed in my ears and hummed in my blood. Emotion blocked any words from leaving my throat, so I did the only thing I could.
I stood on tiptoes and gently pressed my lips to his.
A breath passed between us. A motionless beat stretched.
And then his palm was on my cheek, and his mouth was moving over mine. Softly and desperately, as if he wanted to take his time reacquainting himself with my taste but was afraid I would disappear any second.
Lazy tendrils of desire curled through me as I slid my tongue against his and savored the taste of our kiss. Bold and rich, like hunger spiced with longing and sweetened with forgiveness.
I panted into his mouth, licking and exploring, as I edged us toward the bed. Dante was usually in control, but this time, he let me take the lead. He watched me, his eyes heavy-lidded and chest heaving, as I removed our clothes.
Our hands roamed, our hearts pounding in sync and our kisses growing in intensity until the heat became too much to bear.
I sank onto him, slowly accepting him inch by inch until he was buried fully inside me.
We groaned in unison. Dante’s hands gripped my hips while I rocked against him. Sweat misted my skin, soft pants and moans filled the air, and a delicious pressure built inside me, climbing higher and higher until my mind was hazy with lust.
His muscles visibly strained from the effort of holding back, but he didn’t attempt to take over as I rode us into a simultaneous, toe-curling orgasm.
It was the first time we’d ever come together.
The overwhelming intimacy of the moment set off a second, smaller climax, and the aftershocks were still rippling through me when Dante pulled me down for a kiss.
“You look good in control, mia cara.” His velvety rumble caressed my skin as surely as his hand on my neck.
“I think so, too.” I brushed my lips against his before growing serious. “I’m not ready to move in with you again just yet. I still need time to breathe. But…we’ll get there eventually.”
“Take all the time you need. I’ll be here.” Dante rubbed his thumb over my nape. “Per te aspetterei per sempre, amore mio.”
“Spero non ci vorrà così tanto.“ I smiled at his shock. “I speak six languages, Dante. Italian is one of them.”
His surprise dissolved into a laugh. “You’re full of surprises.” He kissed me again, his face softening. “Ti amo.” I love you.
Maybe it was my closure with my family. Maybe it was the thrill of finally taking control of my life.
Whatever it was, it’d demolished the walls in my chest, and my reply finally made its way out in a whisper.
“I love you too.”
CHAPTER 44
Dante
“That’s Scorpio.” Vivian pointed to a spot in the sky. “Do you see it?”
I followed her gaze toward the constellation. It looked like any other cluster of stars.
“Mmmhmm. Looks great.”
She turned her head and narrowed her eyes. “Do you really see it, or are you lying?”
“I see stars. Lots of them.”
Vivian huffed out a half groan, half laugh. “You’re hopeless.”
“I told you, I’m not and never will be an astronomy expert. I’m just here for the view and the company.” I kissed the top of her head.
We lay on a pile of blankets and cushions outside our glamping resort in Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the world’s top stargazing destinations. After all the shit that’d gone down last month, this was the perfect place to reset before our wedding, which we’d pushed back to September due to renovations taking longer than expected.