Page 116 of Theirs to Rule

"You feel that?" he asked softly.

"I feel it," I breathed back.

I felt a rush of emotions, a mix of awe and a deep, grounding sense of being seen. Dante's eyes held mine, and in them, I saw not just the man I cared for, but a reflection of my own soul, raw and open.

The experience was unlike anything I'd ever known. It was intimacy on a level I hadn't realized was possible, transcending physical boundaries and touching something deeper within us both.

After what felt like an eternity and a single moment all at once, we slowly broke the gaze, both taking a deep breath as if coming up for air, and he reached for my hand to give it a squeeze – like he was bringing me back down to earth.

"Yeah, awkward as hell at first," Dante murmured, his voice soft, a smile playing on his lips.

I nodded, still processing the depth of what we'd shared. "But then it wasn't," I found myself saying, my voice barely above a whisper. "It was... beautiful."

“Not as beautiful as you. Nothing is as beautiful as you, sweetheart.”

Dante caressed me and as he did, he directed me to keep our gazes locked. Through his slow and deliberate movements, every touch felt like a spark, igniting something deep within me. I'd never experienced anything like this. Every movement of his hands, every shared breath felt like we were syncing in a way I hadn't thought possible.

"Fuck, Dante, this is... I don't want this to stop," I gasped, as his fingers danced across my skin, sending waves of pleasurecoursing through me. Every touch sent a shockwave of sensation through me, like my nerve-endings were lighting on fire – like I was boiling from the inside out. He smiled, that knowing, confident grin that told me he had so much more to show me.

"You know, one of the best parts of what I've learned," he murmured, his breath hot against my ear, "is how to control my climax. I can make this last for hours if you're up for the challenge."

I shivered, not from cold but from sheer anticipation. "Hell, yes, I'm up for it."

And he wasn't lying. What followed was a dance of touch, breath, and movement that had me spiraling into pleasure again and again. Dante knew exactly how to push me to the edge, then pull me back, a cycle that had me begging for release but not wanting the experience to end.

His tongue grazed over the inside of my bottom lip, and his gaze burned into mine – like he couldn’t get enough of me, like he couldn’t even imagine it. I groaned as he drew me back from the edge of orgasm once more, my hips grinding up against him as he held himself inside of me.

"You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?" I gasped.

"Of course I am," he replied, chuckling, stirring his hips against me. "Making my gorgeous girl shake and moan...fuck, what’s not to like?”

And then, finally, he sank into me again, and my body was consumed with pleasure. He moved with me, against me, inside me in a way that felt like we were creating our own universe, one where only we existed.

It was intense, intimate, and absolutely mind-blowing. I lost track of time, of how many times I came, each climax rolling into the next until I was sure I couldn't take anymore. But Dante was relentless, in the best possible way, guiding me through it all with a patience and focus that left me awestruck.

By the time he finally allowed us both to tumble over the edge one last time, I was spent, my body a mix of helpless satisfaction and tingling pleasure. I lay there, draped over him, both of us slick with sweat and breathing hard.

A long time later, he gently shifted me in his arms. He got up to take care of the latest condom he’d used then immediately gathered me in his arms again.

"I love you, Dante," I whispered, the words slipping out before I could stop them. It was the truth, a truth that this experience had brought to the surface. I loved him, not just for what we'd shared physically, but for the person he was, for the way he made me feel seen and understood. I knew in my heart this time that my love for Dante wasn’t a betrayal to Kage—it was a testament to Kage’s love for me. That he would not just share me with Dante, but he would encourage our connection, knowing how much Dante fulfilled my soul.

He stiffened slightly beneath me, then relaxed, his arms tightening around me. "I love you too, Camille," he replied, his voice rough with emotion. “I always will.”

I nestled closer, my head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. We stayed entwined, talking and laughing, sharing kisses and gentle touches until the need for sleep became too strong to ignore.

Chapter 52

Camille

Aweek after Kage’s birthday, I was both elated and frustrated. My relationships with Kage and Dante were strengthening, my trust in them rebuilding, and I enjoyed spending as much time with them as I could between classes. However, classes were ramping up, which meant that time with them had been limited. Worse, we hadn’t made any progress with our investigation—limited as it was given what little we had to work with. Kage’s mafia connections had come up empty, as had Dante’s attempts to pry for information through his unique connections with CU faculty.

Bianca and I had started hanging out more, and not just to discuss things like whether the university president might be involved in murder and mayhem just because his driveway gates were etched with tree shapes. We had gotten to the point where we could laugh and share stories again, especially about Kage and Dante. Funnily enough, though, Bianca asked the most questions about Ty, who had spent the last week hunkering down for classes, too; at least, that’s what it seemed like whenhe was rarely at the chateau, and when he was, instead of taking time to bait, bully, or bewitch me, he merely acted politely.

Polite but distant.

Some might say that was better than bullshit and bullying, but I wasn’t sure.

I was struggling with studying for an upcoming math exam when my phone buzzed with a text from Bianca.

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