Page 72 of Rock Bottom

“No, I don’t…” I shook my head again. “I just don’t want it to hurt.”

He put his hand over mine. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” I was surprised at how fast and easy the answer came.

“Then trust me to take care of you the way you deserve.”

“I trust you,” I repeated and pulled his lips down to mine.

I’d intended for it to just be a quick kiss in case he wanted to keep talking, but one kiss wasn’t enough for that. I kissed him again, and again, until the kisses blended into something long, soft, and deep. Not like any other kiss I’d ever given him. Those had all seemed either awkward and desperate, or hurried by lust. There was a spark of that in this kiss, but it was different. It was the kind of kiss real lovers shared, one that meant something.

We were breathless by the time we parted, but Dante stayed right there, his mouth hovering over mine like he just wanted to breathe the same air. His fingers slid down to the tie around my neck and my breath caught as he slowly tugged it loose. I tried to kiss him again, but he put his hand on my chest and pushed. I fell back, my shoulders hitting the mattress, and then he was on top of me, his hips straddling mine, his tongue in my mouth. His fingers slowly worked their way down, unbuttoning my shirt at a maddeningly slow pace until I couldn’t take it anymore. I pushed his hands away and started unbuttoning it myself, kissing him between each button.

I sat up to shrug the shirt off, but he pushed me back down. Before I could protest, he dragged his tongue down my chest and closed his lips over my nipple. I hissed at the scrape of his teeth, back arching into him. I couldn’t decide if I loved or hated that because it made my brain shut down and my body react. It was as if he’d found some secret button to make me lose control.

Oh, no. Wait. I definitely loved it. I let out an involuntary low whine as he moved to the other nipple, sucking and licking it before he came back to claim my lips again.

He sat up to pull off his shirt before asking. “Good?”

“So far,” I said with a nod, and ran my hands over his chest.

Dante’s body was beautiful, lithe perfection. I almost couldn’t believe he’d be interested in someone like me whose skin was riddled with scars, but he kissed them without fear, and didn’t ask me to relive how I’d gotten them. He didn’t treat me like I was made of glass, either. There was a balance, one even I hadn’t been able to get right, and yet Dante had done it instinctually.

As Dante kissed his way down my body, I undid my pants and helped him take the rest of his clothes off, too. Being naked with him felt natural too, in a way I hadn’t thought I’d ever feel with someone. Ever since my imprisonment, it was difficult to even consider being so vulnerable again. My captors had taken away my clothes, and with them, any shred of dignity and humanity. They made me feel like an animal waiting for slaughter, but Dante made me feel human and alive.

Dante ran his tongue slowly over my hard cock, making me groan louder than I meant to, but I was starting not to care. Bowie knew what we were up here doing. He’d sent me there to do it so he’d have to live with that decision.

But he apparently wasn’t above a little payback. Dante was kissing his way over my hips and thighs when the opening notes of “Unchained Melody” blared downstairs.

“I’m going to kill him,” I growled through gritted teeth.

Dante laughed, his shoulders shaking as he pressed his nose to my hip. “It could be worse. He could’ve picked ‘Mmmbop’.”

“Don’t give him any ideas.”

“Relax, baby,” he said, reaching to pull open the bedside table. “If you can’t handle a little music, how are we ever going to have sex with a houseful of kids?”

“Kids?” I lifted my head, suddenly feeling dizzy.

Dante pushed me back down with a laugh. “I’m joking. Or am I?”

I honestly couldn’t tell, and the wink didn’t help.

“Seriously. Relax.”

That was easier said than done, especially with the appearance of the lube bottle and a rubber. I felt like there was a band tightening around my lungs, even after he tossed both items aside on the comforter. But when he moved up my body to kiss me again, all my nerves gradually began to fade. I just had to force myself not to think about being too loud, or taking too long, or clenching up too much or—

“Stop it.” Dante nipped at my bottom lip. “Don’t time travel on me.”

“Time travel?” I asked.

“You’re jumping ahead into a future of what-ifs. Stay here. With me. I promise I’ll make right now worth it.” He dropped back down my body to take my cock in his mouth.

I let my head fall back and tried to calm all the racing thoughts in my head so I could focus on what he was doing. It felt good, and right, and it was what I wanted, except I didn’t want it to be over as quickly as the last few times. I had to have better control, no matter how good it felt, because dammit, I wanted this.

Dante’s pace increased, and I whimpered, biting my lip hard, hoping the pain would keep me from coming. There was a loud, wet pop, and I thought I was getting a reprieve until he said, “Look at me.”

I let out a groan and covered my face, shaking my head. “I can’t. I don’t want to come yet.”

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