Page 36 of His Bride

I jerk away. “Don’t. You don’t understand. You can’t.”

“Then help me understand,” she pleads.

I look at her then, really look at her. So young, so innocent. How can I drag her into this darkness?

But as I stare into her eyes, I see more. Strength. Determination. Maybe…acceptance?

The fight drains out of me, leaving me hollow. “I hate backstabbers,” I mutter. “In this life, loyalty is everything. Without it, we’re nothing.”

Adriana nods slowly, processing. “And Marco… he broke that loyalty?”

“Yeah,” I say, suddenly exhausted. “He did.”

She takes my hand, her touch grounding me. “I’m sorry, Dante. That must have been difficult.”

I close my eyes, letting out a shaky breath. When I open them again, Adriana’s still there, steady and sure. For the first time since discovering Marco’s betrayal, I feel the knot in my chest loosen. Just a little.

I pull Adriana close, burying my face in her hair. She smells like jasmine and safety. My hands grip her waist, desperate for an anchor.

“Dante,” she says my name softly, her breath warm against my neck. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

My emotions snaps. I capture her lips in a searing kiss.

I devour her mouth, my tongue demanding entry. Adriana yields with a soft gasp, her body melting against mine. The taste of her – sweet, innocent – is a foil to the blood and violence that stains my soul.

My hands roam her body, greedy and possessive. I need to claim her, to remind myself that in this fucked-up world, she’s mine.

“Dante,” she breathes as I trail kisses down her neck.

I break away, panting. “I need you, cara. Now.”

Her eyes darken with desire. “Then take me.”

My hands shake as I strip her, revealing soft skin inch by tantalizing inch. She helps me out of my clothes, her touch setting my nerves on fire.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” I growl, admiring her naked body.

I pull her to me and suck one her perfect nipples then lift her onto the bed, covering her with my body. My cock throbs, aching to be inside her.

“Tell me you want this,” I demand, voice rough with need.

Adriana arches against me. “I want you, Dante. All of you.”

I slide into her wet heat, groaning at the tight fit. She whimpers, adjusting to my size.

“That’s it, cara,” I praise, kissing her neck. “Take me.”

I start to move, slow at first, then building to a punishing rhythm. Adriana meets me thrust for thrust, her nails digging into my back.

“You’re fucking perfect,” “I grunt as I gently ran my tongue along the shell of her ear.

Adriana whimpers, her cunt gripping me even tighter. I thrust harder, savoring her every gasp and moan.

“Mine,” I growl, claiming her mouth in a fiery kiss.

She comes apart beneath me, crying out my name. The sound pushes me over the edge, and I follow her into blissful oblivion.

I collapse beside her, both of us breathing heavily. The rage that consumed me earlier has dissipated, replaced by a strange sense of peace.

---