Page 3 of Claimed By the Don

I wrap my arms around his neck to anchor myself as he takes the kiss deeper, his tongue playing wickedly against mine. He tugs me flush against him until there's no daylight between us, my hips cradled in the vee of his hard thighs. This close, I can feel the press of his erection against my belly, thick and insistent. The knowledge that I affect him sends a thrill rattling down my spine.

Everything narrows down to his hands, his sinful mouth, the weight of his muscled body blanketing mine. I feel fevered, desire licking through my veins like wildfire. More, more, I need more.

I arch into Dante, my fingers sinking into the thick silk of his hair. He groans his approval into my mouth, the hand at my back dipping down to palm my ass. Possessive. Greedy. He kneads the generous curve and I moan, too turned on to be self-conscious about my ample size. He seems to like my body just the way it is, if the growing bulge in his slacks is any indication.

"Fuck, your ass," he rasps against my lips, giving the rounded globe a firm squeeze. Calloused fingers slip under the hem of my short dress to encounter bare skin and he hisses. "No panties? You're killing me, Ginetta."

I feel dizzy, drunk on arousal and this man's bold touch. I've never been this wanton before, this desperate for more of a virtual stranger's hands on me...in me. But Dante makes me feel sexy, powerful. Like I could bring a man to his knees with just a crook of my finger.

His lips trail across my jaw, my neck, his stubble scratching deliciously against my overheated skin. "I want to taste every inch of you," he murmurs into the hollow behind my ear before tugging the lobe between his teeth. A bolt of lust sizzles through me and I whimper. "Spread you out and feast on this gorgeous body until you're begging for my cock."

Oh, damn! I nearly go up in flames at his dirty words, graphic images flickering through my fevered mind. Dante's dark head buried between my thighs, big hands gripping my hips as he devours me with single-minded focus, just like he's devouring my mouth now...

Warning bells start clanging through the haze of desire. I'm getting carried away, swept up in the moment. I came to this VIP room to escape the intensity of Dante's stare, not throw myself into his arms. And now I'm letting him take liberties, touch me in ways I normally wouldn't allow from a man I just met. This is moving too fast, no matter how much my body craves more.

Digging deep for willpower, I wrench my mouth from his and press a hand against Dante's chest. He stills at once, his eyes opening to pin me in place. They're black in the dim light, pupils blown with lust.

"I...I can't," I manage, fighting to steady my breathing. My lips feel bruised, tender. "I don't even know you."

Something tightens in his chiseled face before it smooths out into an unreadable mask. But he releases me at once and sits back, giving me space. I feel cold without his scorching body heat.

"You're right," he says evenly. There's no censure in his tone, even though I'm sure he's not used to women pumping the brakes. "I got carried away. You're just so fucking responsive, tesoro. I couldn't help myself."

I shiver at the endearment, some part of me thrilling at it even as my rational side screams to run.

Dante produces a business card seemingly from thin air and presses it into my hand. His fingers linger on my palm, calluses scraping my sensitive skin. "I want to see you again, Ginetta. Take you to dinner, someplace nice. Get to know the woman behind the gorgeous face and even more incredible body."

It's tempting, so tempting. Everything in me wants to melt back into his arms and let him have his wicked way with me. But I force myself to stand on shaky legs, smoothing down my dress.

"I...I'll think about it," I hedge, slipping the card into my bra. His eyes follow the movement with avid interest before rising to meet mine again. There's a new tension in his big body, a coiled readiness. Like he's fighting the urge to pounce.

"Don't think too long," he warns softly. "I'm a man who knows what he wants. And I want you, Ginetta. In my bed."

His words send a shiver skittering down my spine, a potent mix of arousal and trepidation. I'm in dangerous territory with this man. The smart thing would be to run and never look back.

But I've never been the best at self-preservation where my heart's concerned.

"I'll call you," I promise rashly. Then I'm turning on my heel and fleeing the room before I can change my mind.

I find Natalie on the dance floor and let her pull me into the writhing throng, hoping the crush of sweaty bodies will erase Dante's touch still branding my skin. But it's futile. I can still taste him on my lips, feel the ghost of his fingers on my fevered flesh. Some reckless part of me is already counting the minutes until I see him again.

It's well after three AM by the time I slide into my cold sheets, aching and restless. I close my eyes, fingers drifting over the card tucked under my pillow. Even now, Dante's dark intensity simmers under my skin, making my pulse leap.

I should throw his number away and forget this whole night. Sensible Ginetta would nip this dangerous flirtation in the bud and focus on her semester, her responsibilities.

But the wanton creature he awakened in me can't stop replaying his scorching words: "I want to taste every inch of you." Can't stop imagining those lips, those hands, that big body mastering mine.

I want everything Dante tempted me with tonight - pleasure, passion. Him. No matter how foolish it may be.

Chapter TWO

Dante

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I drum my fingers against the leather armrest as the chopper soars over the glittering expanse of New York City, anticipation humming through my veins. I've been looking forward to this all week - getting Ginetta alone, away from prying eyes and interruptions. Just us, the open sky, and the simmering attraction that's been building since the moment I first laid eyes on her.

I can still picture her so clearly in that club - those dangerous curves poured into a barely-there scrap of a dress, raven hair tumbling down her back, olive skin glowing under the neon lights. She was a fucking vision, an oasis of pure sensuality amidst the brittle, neon-bright people crammed into Indigo. I wanted her instantly, with a fierce hunger I've never experienced before. And when she disappeared into that VIP room, I knew I had to have her. Consequences be damned.

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