Page 125 of Enforcer

“You’d pine for me if I left?” he asks, changing the subject and waggling his eyebrows.

A laugh barrels out of me as I slap the side of his arm. That’s what I’m talking about. The way he brings me right out of a dangerous place. He’s meant for me. But things like love and the future scare me.

Petrify me.

I know all about his wife. About her death. While I’m not afraid of the end, as all things must come to one, I’m so scaredof hurting him further. His vivacious spirit, his deep laugh, his beautiful smile.

“You’re grinning. You’re thinking about me, aren’t you?” He smirks, and I can’t help it. I laugh again.

“Stop! I’m being serious.”

“This is security. Is everything alright up there?” a man asks through the red intercom on the wall.

Dante rolls his eyes. “This is Dante Ricci, we’re fine.”

“Yes, sir. Of course.”

Now I’m the one rolling my eyes. “You love throwing all that power around, don’t you?”

He shrugs. “My favorite thing in the world is handing it to you. It was scary at first, I’ll admit. It’s why I was so angry after you ran from me the first time. I know now I’m a goner. There’s no fixing it.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration. “I just don’t want…”

“I don’t care what you don’t want, Alyssa. Please tell me what you want! For the love of fucking Christ!”

“You!” I shout. “I want you! I love you, you idiot. And I fucking hate you for it!”

He smirks his goofy smile, and I hang my head in defeat.

He takes over all my good sense.

“Awe, I love you, too, minaccia, but you don’t have to shout.”

I lift my eyes back to him to yell strings of curses at him again, but he descends on me with his mouth. The kiss is all-encompassing. I hook my leg around his back, sinking my hands into his hair.

He loves me, too.

It keeps rolling through my brain.

He peels off my mouth, breathless. “But if you want to still fuck in closets and bathrooms, I’m so fucking down. I love tosee how greedy you are for me. Even when you’re fighting it, minaccia.”

I swat his arm again. “What now?”

He shrugs. “Forever, I guess.”

“Oh, is that all?”

He moves over toward the panel and pulls the e-stop back up. We begin the downward trek to the garage, and I move closer to him, dropping my hand into his and letting our fingers intertwine.

“Yes, that’s all.” He smiles, and I try to capture the moment mentally. Like Nico is the start of something new for Brynne and Slate, this elevator ride starts something new for Dante and me.

And I can’t fucking wait!

We burst inside the apartment,knocking shit this way and that. Dante lifts me and drops me onto the counter in the kitchen as I rip my shirt over my head.

He reaches behind me, unhooking my bra and tugging it off. His rough hand palms one and then the other, and I lean back, my hands pressing on the cold granite counters as I moan and let him feel his fill.

Things between him and me have been muddied over the last seven months. I was an idiot after the accident and an even bigger idiot once I realized I loved him.

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