Page 39 of Ivory Legacy

“Jade,” I started, stopping mid-stride, “I laid it all out for you. My skeletons aren’t just in the closet; they’re sitting at the dinner table with us.”

She looked up, her face a study in contrasts—those intelligent eyes reflecting both the sharp edge of her analytical mind and the softness of emotions she couldn’t hide. “Dante, knowing everything...it changes things. I can’t just flip a switch and pretend it’s not a big deal.”

“Of course, it’s a big deal. But look. I didn’t lie to you. I just didn’t tell you everything. It’s probably a stupid defense, but I only wanted to protect you.”

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the weight of her gaze. This was the woman who could dissect me down to my very core without so much as blinking—an ability that both thrilled and terrified me.

“Look, I get it,” I said, my voice rougher than I’d intended. “You need space to figure this out. And maybe there’s no solution that includes me anymore.”

Her lips parted slightly, but she remained silent, letting the unspoken words hang heavy between us. I knew what I had to do, even if every fiber of my being screamed against it. But I’d be damned if I made this any harder on her than it already was.

“Jade,” I whispered, my resolve cracking like thin ice underfoot, “no matter where we end up after this, know that you’ve changed me—in ways I didn’t think were possible.”

And then I closed the door to the living room behind me, because I couldn’t stand to look at her, to hear her silence.

Because it broke my fucking heart.

“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, my hands curling into fists. The walls of the bedroom closed in on me, every corner a reminder of her, of us. But if she couldn’t be sure about what we had, then I had no business lingering like some ghost of a happier past.

My fingers grazed the worn leather of the duffel bag, the one I’d kept ready for quick escapes. The one I’d brought all the way here in case we both had to quickly leave Harbor Cove together, which now felt like it had been a very stupid idea.

That’s all my life had been—escapes from the cops, from rivals, from reality. Only this time, I was running from the possibility of rejection.

“Stop.” Her voice, firm yet laced with something that sounded like pain, halted my movements.

I turned to find her there, her arms reaching out and wrapping around me from behind. My heart skipped, or maybe it stopped; either way, it reacted in ways I thought I’d long since mastered control over.

“Jade?” Confusion mixed with a flicker of hope that I immediately tried to squash. I couldn’t afford hope.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her breath warm against my skin. “Thank you for telling me the truth. For trusting me with your past.”

“And Dante,” she continued, her grip tightening, “I miss you. God, how I miss you.”

My chest tightened, and for a moment, I allowed myself the luxury of just feeling her presence, pushing aside the storm of my thoughts. This wasn’t a solution, but for a second, it was enough.

Her arms were still locked around my waist, her body pressed against my back, igniting every nerve ending with a fire Icouldn’t contain. With a ragged breath, I turned within her embrace, my hands finding the soft curves of her hips. Pulling her close, the distance between us vanished in an instant as my lips crashed onto hers.

It was reckless, this kiss. It was a plunge into depths unknown, a leap towards a horizon that might never dawn. My mouth moved against hers with a hunger sharpened by the threat of loss. Her taste was the promise of a life I’d dared to dream, but never quite believed I could have.

“Jade,” I said, my voice low and steady despite the storm raging inside me. “I don’t give a damn about the uncertainty right now.” I paused, letting the weight of my admission hang between us before continuing, “All I care about is you—in this moment—feeling pleasure, being close to you.”

She drew in a sharp breath, her eyes searching mine for the truth behind my words. She found it there, naked and unashamed—the raw need to claim her as mine, if only temporarily.

I followed the impulse that pulled me towards her like gravity. “You don’t have to decide anything about us,” I murmured, my hands finding the small of her back, pulling her even tighter against me. “That doesn’t change how much I want you. How much I want to make you come.”

The words hung heavy in the quiet of the room, every syllable a testament to my longing. A question lingered in the air, charged and waiting for her to breathe life into it with a single word.

“Jade,” I broke the silence, my heart hammering against my chest like it wanted to break free. “Do you want me to?” The question was out there, naked in the stillness of the room.

Her eyes held mine, those dark pools reflecting a storm of emotions that matched the chaos inside me. And then, she whispered the word that unraveled all restraint.

“Yes.”

The single syllable ignited something primal within me. I pulled her closer, and our lips met in a collision of need and hunger that knew no caution, no hesitation. There was just skin, breath, and the pulse of desire that coursed through us both.

I kissed her again, this time, my hands wrapped around her waist and my body pressing into her. I knew she could feel how hard I was for her, and my groan echoed in her mouth as her own fingers dug into my back, pulling me closer.

“Dante,” she gasped against my lips. Her voice hitched as I trailed kisses down her neck to where her pulse danced beneath her skin.

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