Page 51 of Handsome Devil

Her arms fell to her sides. “You can’t tell the queen to be quiet.”

“Oh, but I can. Because I am the king.” He outlined her lips with the tip of his tongue.

She laughed, as if she couldn’t help it. “God, I hate you.”

He plucked her plump bottom lip between his teeth. “But you like how I make you feel.”

Desire wrapped him in a thorny caress and abraded his skin. Pressing his lips to hers, he kissed her with feeling. She moaned and twisted her arms around his neck, and he devoured her for an eternity before backing her toward the bed.

“Let’s get you out of this,” Dante said huskily, pulling the filmy dress over her head.

He stopped for a moment to appreciate the sexy La Perla lingerie underneath. White lace cupped her breasts—the contrast of the stark color against her golden-brown skin making him harder than steel. He trailed a finger along the edge of the matching white lace thong hanging from her hips.

“You are so sexy,” he breathed, molding her hips in his hands and smoothing up her torso to cup her breasts.

Annabelle lay back on the bed and popped the front clasp, freeing her caramel-colored areola and nipples to his hungry gaze. Bending over her, he licked one taut peak and then the other. She sighed and arched into him, cupping the back of his head to smash his face against her soft flesh.

He had never met another woman who set his world on fire the way she did. Every woman since Annabelle had paled in comparison. They didn’t have her appetite, and they didn’t make his blood boil at the slightest touch.

They stripped naked, and he climbed on top of her on the bed. Pulling one succulent nipple into his mouth, he worried the hard tip with his tongue and teeth until she was moaning and twisting beneath him uncontrollably.

He took his time making love to her, the provocative twisting of her body and her sharp inhales letting him know which licks and kisses she enjoyed the most.

He massaged her swollen breasts and sucked her hard nipples until she begged him to stop. Stretching her hands above her head, he joined their bodies and rocked her with rhythmic thrusts.

Soft, mewling gasps filled his ears until ecstasy tore through them both and the volume of her cries increased, right before they collapsed in a heap of ragged breathing and damp skin.

23

Annabelle was a bundle of nerves. The board was meeting later than usual tonight. Meanwhile, Lacey was having her first fashion show to publicize her fall line. Annabelle had intended to go alone, but she and Dante were getting along so well, she invited him at the last minute to be her escort.

To her mild surprise, he said yes, and she secretly looked forward to the night out with an embarrassing amount of excitement. She wore a floor length olive skirt and backless cream top with long sleeves, both of which were Lacey creations. She slipped her feet into platform shoes with thick heels and finished up by spraying her pulse points with a favorite fragrance.

Leaving her hair down and straight, she tucked one side behind her left ear while the other side fell across her brow and partially covered her face. After placing a Coach purse in the crook of her arm, she exited the bedroom.

At the same time, Dante came out of his dressing room wearing all black—black long-sleeved shirt, black jacket, black slacks, black shoes.

“You look incredible,” he said, blatant male appreciation in his gaze. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes.”

Within minutes, they were in the back of the black Lincoln SUV with Dante’s favorite driver and on their way to the venue.

“Have you heard from your father yet?” Dante asked.

Annabelle shook her head. “Not yet.” Why did the board meeting have to take place tonight, the same night as Lacey’s event?

Depending on their agenda, the meeting could run late, which meant she might not find out what the board had decided until after the show. She couldn’t keep her phone turned on during the event, and she didn’t want to constantly check for missed calls during the show.

Dante took her hand, and the reassuring warmth of his touch calmed her. “You have nothing to worry about. The board will vote in your favor.”

She nodded, grateful for his positive remark.

She glanced down at their hands clasped together on the leather seat. The new unspoken understanding between them caused feelings of anger and resentment to all but disappear. She and Dante regularly ate dinner together, and if he was running late to get home, he called. What a difference a few months had made. Hell, a few weeks.

Annabelle’s cell phone rang, piercing the quiet dark of the vehicle. Dante twisted his head to look at her and squeezed her hand. She held her breath for a second before pulling the device from her purse. Her father was calling.

She swallowed down the ball of nerves that leapt into her throat. This was it. She would soon learn if she was going to take over the CEO position and keep the jobs of everyone at the company secure, or if they’d all be jeopardized by the board turning down her father’s recommendation.

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