Page 94 of Theirs to Ruin

When he straightened, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He looked like someone had promised to give him heaven then pulled him into hell.

Shaking my head, I said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have?—”

“Don’t,” he said. Slowly, he opened his eyes. “Anything you offer me – your lips, your tits, your thighs – it’s a fucking miracle, Camille,” he said. “Do you know how hard it is to turn down a miracle?”

Dante dragged a hand over his face and I wanted so terribly to saydon’tin turn.

Don’t turn it down.

Don’t turnmedown.

It felt cruel to tempt him. But, God, how I wanted to tempt him.

“Let’s head back,” he said.

“I can manage on my own.”

Suddenly he smiled, as if he found me utterly amusing. The hint of mischief in the chuckle Dante let out brought about in me a mix of curiosity and irritation.

“Alright,” I huffed. “What’s the joke?”

“Life, Camille. Life’s the biggest joker of them all, and we’re all playing our parts. Especially tonight. But with all the battles you’re facing,” he murmured, “remember, you’re not alone. You have Kage now. I know enough about how he’s treated you recently to trust him. And while I don’t like this Mateo or the rumors that circle around him, I know he’s not a danger to you.”

“How?”

“We had a chat and a meeting of the minds before you moved in. Otherwise I’d never leave you with him.”

I hesitated. “Do you know Mateo is Ty?”

“A student from Italy who started the quarter late? I suspected. Ty confirmed it.”

“Why haven’t you said something to me about it?”

“The better question is why haven’t you told me?”

I struggled with what to say but remained silent.

He tapped the end of my nose. “When you can answer that question honestly, find me and we’ll talk about him again. But whether that happens or not, Camille, you don’t just have them, you have me, too. For whatever you want or need me for.”

The weight of his words hung between us like the most tempting of diamonds, sparkling through the cloudiness of my uncertain future. I swallowed hard, then said. “Thank you.”

As we neared the chateau, the soft glow from the indoor lights spilled onto the path leading to the entrance. When we got to the front door I reached out, cupped his cheek, and said, “I want you to know, I believe you. I know you didn’t have anything to do with Ava’s death. I know you were there because you were looking out for me.”

He turned his head and kissed my palm. “Good. But just so we’re clear, I’m not just a good guy looking out for you, Camille. I went to find you by the river because I was worried you’d wandered so far from the party. But if I’d found you and discovered you were fine, I don’t think I could have stopped myself from kissing you. And if you would have let me, I would have tasted you. And I’m not just talking about your mouth. I would have started with the nipple you just offered me and I wouldn’t have stopped until my face was buried between your thighs and licking up every drop I could coax from your sweet pussy.”

I sucked in a breath. It wasn’t just the raw honesty, but the explicit imagery he’d just painted in my mind that shocked me. Heat rushed to my cheeks, my heart thudding so loudly I could feel its every beat echoing in my ears. My core pulsed and warmth spread throughout my body.

I tried to imagine it—his face buried between my thighs. His fingers spreading me wide as his tongue explored my pussy.

“I still want that,” he continued, “and much more. I’m not pressuring you. I’m not claiming you. Those boys you live with, they want you, too. Whose sweatshirt are you wearing?”

My face flamed at the reminder that Dante had kissed and touched me even as I wore Kage’s sweatshirt. “It’s Kage’s.”

“Right. So you want Kage. And you once wanted Ty. You want to explore with them, that’s fine with me. And if you want to explore with me, too, well, that’sreallyfine with me. Just go into things with your eyes wide open.”

Why did his words give me both freedom and frustration? “So what you’re offering me—it’s just sex, nothing more?”

He slipped a strand of hair from my cheek and tucked it behind my ear. “I didn’t say that. But you’re just realizing your power, and you shouldn’t be tied down or limited. You’ve experienced too much of that already. If I can be a small part of your freedom, if I’m allowed a glimpse of it happening, I’ll be damn lucky.”

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