Page 22 of Theirs to Rule

Her arms were still pinned above her head as I fucked her, but my other hand moved greedily all over her body – groping at her tits, her waist, her ass, her thighs—committing every inch of her to memory. God, she felt so fucking good, her body more perfect than I even could have imagined it – her skin soft, her curves so tight. Even the lewd sound of my cock thrusting in and out of her was magic to my ears.

I shifted my hips slightly so that I was grinding against her clit with every thrust. Pulling back, I watched as her face registered the new shockwave of pleasure.

"Are you going to come around my cock, Camille?" I murmured, and she squirmed beneath me, shifting her legs sothat her ankles were wrapped around my back, drawing me in even deeper. I traced my tongue around her ear and bit softly on her lobe as I continued to move inside of her. Sure enough, a few seconds later, I felt it – her pussy pulsating around my cock, her body spasming as the pleasure coursed through her. She cried out as she gave in to her orgasm, and it was that pretty sound that pushed me over the edge and into my own release.

With a deep groan, my cock pulsed as I filled the condom. I didn’t know what was going to happen after this, but in this moment, as she came around my cock, I knew we belonged to each other, and that was all that mattered.

I held myself inside her for a long time and she wrapped her arms around me, face in my neck, breathing hard.

"Dante," she whimpered, and I finally eased myself back.

“You’re incredible, Camille. So fucking perfect for me.”

“So good, Dante. You make me feel so good when I’ve been feeling so bad. Promise me you won’t stop. Promise me you’ll always care for me this way. Promise me that you won’t hurt me the way they have. Ty. Kage. Please.”

Her pleas were both music to my ears and a stain on my soul. I wished I could promise her all those things with the full intention of it being true. But I couldn’t. My life was a mess, and as soon as she found out why, Iwouldhurt her. Still, a small part of me held on to hope that maybe she would understand. Maybe, if I embedded myself so deep inside her that I became part of her, she’d understand what motivated me to do what I do.

It was that lingering hope that made me do something I hated. I lied to her even as I told her the truth.

“I won’t ever hurt you, Peaches. I’m going to devote my life to your safety. Your happiness. Even if I can’t be with you, all you need to do is reach out, and I’ll be there, and I will fucking destroy anything and anyone who tries to get in my way.”

Chapter 11

Camille

We spent the next hour just lying there, Dante holding me like I was the most fragile thing in the world. It was nice—too nice, really. His arms were warm, his steady breathing a reminder that someone was there for me, no matter how messy everything had gotten. But his phone kept buzzing, little reminders that life wasn’t going to let us stay in this bubble forever.

Eventually, I sighed and sat up, pulling away from him. “Sounds like someone’s trying to reach you,” I said, my voice light, even though my chest felt heavy.

“They can wait,” he replied, reaching for me again, his touch as easy as breathing. But I slipped out of bed, pushing the covers off and swinging my legs to the floor. Distance. That’s what I needed, just a little space to untangle the storm in my head.

He got up too, grabbing the shirt he’d been wearing and handing it to me. “Here, wear this. I’ll make breakfast.”

The shirt smelled like him—clean and woodsy—and I pulled it on, the soft fabric brushing against my skin like a hug. “Thanks,” I said, trying to sound normal.

I followed him into the kitchen and perched on the counter with a mug of coffee, my legs swinging against the cupboards. Dante moved around like he belonged there, pulling ingredients out like he’d done this a million times. I watched him work, trying not to let my mind wander too far.

Would people at CU even believe this scene? Me, sitting here in Dante’s kitchen, wearing his shirt like we were some cozy couple. What would they say if they knew? And worse—what were they already saying about me? About Kage? About the fact that I’d fallen for him so hard, not once thinking he was engaged to another woman.

The smell of food brought me back to the moment, and Dante set a plate in front of me. It was simple but perfect, the kind of breakfast that made you feel cared for. We ate mostly in silence, but it wasn’t awkward. For a little while, the food gave me something to focus on other than the mess my life had turned into.

After we finished, Dante leaned against the counter, his eyes on me. “What’s your plan for today?”

I shrugged, staring into my coffee like it held all the answers. “I don’t know. Guess I should figure that out instead of hiding here all day.”

“You going to let me help you with that?” His voice was easy, but his eyes were searching, like he was trying to read my mind.

God, it would’ve been so easy to say yes. To let him fix things, to let him make me feel okay when everything else felt impossible. But I couldn’t do that to him, not again. He’d already done so much for me.

“I’ll figure it out,” I said, my voice soft but firm.

My eyes drifted to the jar of peanut butter chocolate candies on the counter. I’d noticed it the last time I was here, and it was still full to the brim. “Do you actually eat those?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

He chuckled, the sound warm and familiar. “I have one or two sometimes, but I always fill it back up.”

“That’s kind of ridiculous,” I said with a laugh.

He shrugged, but his face turned serious. “Maybe, but it’s my reminder. I have my vices, but I can’t let them control me. Can’t let them take me to a place I can’t come back from. Because one day, I might not make it back.”

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