Page 29 of Theirs to Ruin

"And what else have you been struggling with?” Dante asked, his voice rough.

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him about the incident at The Roost and how Kage saved me. About how I still missed Ty, who we’d talked about in vague terms but whose betrayal still stung. And about the pressure being put on me by my dad to land a husband. But what was the point? In the end, what it all boiled down to was… “I just…I feel lost. Who am I? Right now, I don’t know. I just know that I’m not who I want to be.”

“That’s tough. I’ve felt that way. I still do sometimes.”

“You?” I almost scoffed at the idea. “You seem so confident in who you are.”

“More so now. Before not so much.” He looked out at the view, his eyes distant. I scooted closer to him.

“Is that what all your philosophy and Buddhism books are about? You’re on a journey to figure out who you really are?”

Dante smirked before looking back at me. “To become who I want to be,” he corrected. “I’m realistic about who I am. I’ve done things I believe are right, but others wouldn’t. And I’ve done things I’m not proud of.”

“We all do.”

“Care to share?”

I think of fucking you. All the time.

And of fucking Kage.

And of the two of you fucking me together.

“You saw me at Devil’s Engine yourself,” I said.

“You’re a young girl stretching her wings. You did nothing to be ashamed of.”

I shrugged. “Some might say I put myself in that position.” I thought of how pissed off Kage had been at me for accepting those drinks from Billy.

“Mm. ‘Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life.’”

I smiled. The guy looked like sin on wheels, especially sporting bruises and a split lip, but I loved that he had a deeper side to him. “Is that Buddha?”

He nodded. “He was speaking about mindfulness, being present. My spin on it is not to dwell on the past, including what others might deem mistakes. No life worth living is without risk.”

I bit my lip. “What you did to Serpent... I don’t think the Buddha would approve.”

“No, he wouldn’t. But does that mean I should stop learning?”

I tilted my head and studied him. “Not at all,” I said. “Thank you, by the way. I know you probably would've protected any student, but…”

He tipped my chin up, making me gasp at the heat of his touch. “You’re more than just a student to me, Camille.”

His words, spoken in his deep voice, sent shivers down my spine. I felt my breath hitch. God, I wanted him. Wanted what I couldn’t have.

Or could I?

He’d just told me I wasn’t just any student to him. And from the heat in his eyes and the way his pulse beat rapidly in his throat, I was starting to believe he wanted me, too.

My body aching for his touch, I reached up for his hand and placed it on my thigh. I waited for him to yank it away and tell me I was being inappropriate.

Instead, his eyes narrowed as he sucked in a slow and deliberate breath. But he didn’t pull away.

This is a mistake,I thought, even as I leaned closer and softly brushed my lips against his. He groaned, the sound filled with pleasure, spurring me on. I leaned against his warm, strong body, then pulled away from his mouth, but only to layer kisses over the bruises on his face. When he still didn’t move, I paused. “Dante?” I breathed, my lips hovering over his. I wanted him to either push me away or take me in.

For a moment, time hung suspended, the gentle wind brushing across my skin, the trees whispering in the background, the faint scent of fir and pine mixing with Dante’s scent slipping through my senses. Then, with a loud tortured moan, Dante slid a hand behind my head, tilted it to the side, and covered my mouth with his.

My heart pounded against my ribs, a heady beat that sent my head spinning. To my surprise, the kiss was soft. Gentle. The kind of kiss that doesn’t steal your breath away but gives it back to you. A comfort, a promise, and maybe even a hint of salvation.

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