Page 27 of Ivory Crown

And fuck, I already wanted him to fuck me.

I had to remind myself not to get swept away by Dante’s practiced charm or the way the suit hugged his frame, hinting at the power coiled beneath. It was all too easy to see him as just a man when he stood there, adjusting his cuffs, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips—a man who could laugh, who could, perhaps, dream of being more than what his bloodline dictated.

If only he hadn’t decided to kidnap me and keep me prisoner.

“Ready?” Dante’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

“Let’s do this,” I replied, my voice steadier than I felt.

We left the penthouse in a dance we hadn’t rehearsed but somehow performed flawlessly. The elevator descended, and with each passing floor, the reality of the evening ahead settled over me like a second skin—one I wasn’t sure fit quite right.

The car was sleek, its engine purring to life as we slipped inside. Dante’s hand found mine, an anchor amid the chaos of the city that rushed by us. The skyline melted into streaks of light as we moved through the streets, a living painting of vibrant hues against the darkening sky.

“Roll down the window if you need air,” Dante said, noting how I leaned towards the slight opening.

“Thanks.” I welcomed the cool breeze that brushed my face, mingling with the scent of leather from the car’s interior. It was refreshing, almost cleansing, like it could strip away the layers of tension that clung to me.

“Whatever happens tonight, just stay close,” Dante instructed, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“Like I have a choice,” I muttered, trying for levity but finding only the raw edge of truth. “Wait. What’s going to happen tonight?”

He laughed. “I have no idea. I’m just doing my due diligence by warning you.”

Streetlights painted streaks across his face, highlighting the angles of his jaw and the intensity of his focus. With every turn, every shift of gears, I sensed the silent pledges we exchanged: to protect, to trust, to navigate this night together.

“Jade,” Dante said, startling me out of my reverie, “whatever happens, just remember—“

“I know. You just said. Stick with you.” The words tumbled out, laced with a mix of frustration and resignation.

“Good girl,” he murmured, and something in his tone sent a shiver through me—though not from fear.

We were probably close to wherever we were going. “Are you really going to let me have a break tonight?” I asked.

His smirk widened into a grin. “Do you want me to let you have a break tonight?”

“I mean, there’s no good answer to that, is there?”

He laughed. “Yes, there is. You can always tell me what you want. As long as your body isn’t contradicting your words, I’ll fucking do anything.”

“But what if I don’t know what I want?” I asked, my gaze locked onto the cityscape blurring past us.

“Oh, you know what you want,” he replied. “You just aren’t brave enough to admit it to yourself. You’re the smartest person I’ve ever met and somehow somehow the most foolish one as well. Trapped in your own head, denying yourself the very thing you crave the most.” His voice had softened, though the chuckle that followed was decidedly dark. “But don’t worry, Jade. I can wait.”

“So far you have not waited.”

“I don’t mean to fuck you or make you come,” he said. “I want to do that every night, and you want me to, too. I mean for you to admit that you want this too. That this thrills you more than it scares you. I could have done a lot more to keep you chained up in my penthouse, Jade. But you…you love this.”

“You’re wrong,” I countered reflexively, but my voice lacked conviction. The terrifying part was that he might be right. Was it possible that there was a part of me that craved the danger, the unpredictability, the raw connection that pulsed between us? “I don’t—“

“You do,” Dante interrupted gently, his eyes never leaving mine in the reflection of the car’s window. The city lights raced past us, illuminance that momentarily lit up his face in a breathtaking display of masculinity. “None of this scares you as much as admitting that you enjoy it. It’s kind of hot, honestly. But it’s going to be even hotter when you realize it.”

“When I realize what?”

“When you realize just how much you want to submit,” he said.

“Submit to…”

“Me,” he said simply. “Only to me.”

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