Page 92 of Theirs to Rule

“I wasn’t, but if you’re offering…”

“Come over here,” Dante nodded at me and motioned for me to scoot closer.

I climbed into his lap, making myself comfortable. He began to rub my shoulders. I groaned. The moment his fingers started digging into the knots in my back, I was in heaven.

“Holy fuck, that feels amazing,” I groaned, inadvertently pressing back against him. I bit my lip as I felt him stiffen, his cock pressing against my back.

“Is that your phone, or are you just really happy to see me?” I quipped, shooting a look over my shoulder at him. Out here, in the middle of nowhere, it was all too easy to forget about the rest of the world.

He nibbled at my ear. “I’m always happy to see you,” he murmured softly, gently grinding himself against me. “You’re so tight, Peaches.”

“That’s what he said,” I joked.

Dante chuckled. “Seriously though, you’re holding onto so much tension. You really need to find a way to relax. Have you ever tried meditation? Yoga?”

I shook my head. “I can’t switch my mind off long enough to meditate and I’m definitely not flexible enough for yoga,” I mumbled, shivering as his muscular hands worked my neck.

“Oh, I think you’re more than flexible enough,” he murmured. I felt his cock stiffen even more, and I grinned, loving how dirty his mind was.

“Why do I need to bother with meditation or yoga when I have my own personal masseuse at my beck and call?” I said, releasing another moan as he dug into my collarbone. “But seriously, I feel like I should be paying you for this. It feels incredible.”

“You can repay me by giving meditation a go.”

“Fine, I’ll try it, but I promise you, I’ll suck. I’m not good at that kind of thing,” I warned him.

When I glanced over my shoulder at him, I expected him to be grinning back flirtatiously—but instead, something seemed to have crossed his mind.

“What is it?” I asked, worried.

"I... there’s something I have to tell you," he said. "And I’m worried how you’re going to take it."

“There’s a phrase that never ends well,” I joked—or half-joked. Deep down, his serious look and soft voice had me worried. “Are you going to tell me you’re secretly a murderer? No wait, a drug dealer!”

Something flashed through Dante’s eyes that I couldn’t read, but then as fast as it was there, it was gone. He looked down, his fingers entwining in mine as he summoned up the courage to tell me whatever it was that was on his mind. I decided to lighten the mood by getting something off my chest first.

“Can I tell you something first?” I asked.

“Sure.” He looked relieved for the interruption.

“I just wanted to thank you. Kage forces me to be stronger—which I need. Ty brings out the darker side of me, which I also need. But you…” I wet my lips, suddenly feeling shy about what I was saying to him. “You let me be who I am. I feel so calm and relaxed around you because you don’t expect anything other than what I want to give you.”

Dante smiled and kissed my hand. “Then you’re welcome.”

“What was it you wanted to tell me?”

“That I love you,” he murmured. His gaze was fixated on me, soaking up my reaction. I smiled, unable to hold back the feelings of joy his words gave me.

“Why would telling me that worry you?” I murmured softly.

“Because it’s a lot,” Dante admitted, stroking my cheek. “Because of Kage and your feelings about him. I know our situation is complicated, but I needed you to know how I feel. You don’t need to say anything back to me. No pressure.”

Regardless of how strongly I felt toward Dante, I wasn’t ready to tell him that I loved him yet. I wanted to, but something stopped me—a feeling of guilt that somehow, I’d be betraying Kage if I did. I was, however, ready to show him how much I cared about him. Leaning closer, I kissed him, sucking on his lower lip. He slipped his hand behind my neck, his fingers pulling me closer to him as he kissed me back with a sense of urgency.

He lifted my shirt off, his strong hands running over my bare skin. I shivered, relishing his touch, then I reached behind me and unclasped my bra. I tossed it aside, running my hands through Dante’s thick hair as I guided his mouth to my breasts.

Tilting my head back, I groaned as he sucked my nipples, his magical tongue flicking and twirling until they were stiff. His hands moved beneath my skirt and roughly grabbed my ass cheeks.

“Fuck, you’re so sexy,” he muttered, eyeing me like he wanted to devour me.

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