Page 2 of Red Hot Harmony

The truth of his words was a rock in my throat.

I swallowed.

“I think you’re afraid to get your heart broken again and you’re choosing to keep it locked up,” Dante continued, his face nearing mine, so dangerously close that I couldn’t separate my breath from his. “But know this, Camille, if you keep it locked up too long, you’ll forget you have it altogether.”

“And who made you an expert?” I blurted, my mind swimming and blanking, my thoughts scattering.

“No one. Besides, I don’t claim to be an expert. As a matter of fact, I’m as lost in this world as a newborn baby.” He shifted, aligning his body with the length of mine, our clothes rustling, stray wisps of our hair meeting in the air. Red and black. “All I know is that I want you.”

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think straight.

Dante closed whatever distance was still left between us and his mouth touched my temple. A delicate brush of his lips over my skin. A shiver rolled down my spine and into my legs, my knees weakening. His hand finally freed mine, only to end up on the curve of my hip.

“You should let me take you out,” he rasped out, then took my chin between his fingers and angled it toward his face. There was heat in his hooded gaze, deep and sultry and infuriating. His mouth came down on mine, and despite all the conflict that swirled through me, I surrendered to his pull. I gave in to the allure of what he could offer as a man. This was different, not aggressive, but slow and measured, his firm lips teasing, his tongue finding its way in.

And I allowed it.

I allowed him to kiss me.

Because it felt nice and because it felt real and because, for once, I deserved to be worshiped the way he worshipped me.

It was a little after midnight when Dante’s car pulled into the driveway of my house.

“That was awesome,” Ally said from the front. She spun and stuck her head between the seats to look at us, mischief in her eyes evident. “I’ll give you two some privacy.”

My blood froze in my veins. Earlier, I wasn’t sure if my daughter had seen what happened by the pool and she hadn’t indicated so on the way home, but now that we were about to part ways, her mask of cool indifference fell away, revealing absolutely everything.

She saw Dante kiss me and she sensed the tension between him and me.

It was like a livewire strung up through the back seat, ready to snap at any second.

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, Hendrix,” Dante said calmly. “I hope you made some new friends.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw him smiling.

“Totally. Cassie’s brother is a total tool, but Izzy is awesome. We exchanged numbers.” Ally grinned and slid back into her seat, then pushed the door open. “I’ll see you inside, Mom.”

I watched her crossing our tiny front yard and disappearing into the house, my heart beating a little faster now.

Dante leaned forward and whispered something to the driver, who promptly stepped out of the car, leaving me one-on-one with the man who’d been relentlessly pursuing a date with me for nearly three months.

All my instincts told me to run, but I was still under his spell, under the spell of his scent, his voice, his eyes, his drive to win me over. No one had ever tried so hard. Of course, there wasn’t much to compare to.

“I know what’s at stake here, Camille,” he said, dropping his gaze to my hand as he took it. Our fingers laced together looked so different. My tan was just slight. His, in contrast, was deep and rich.

“I don’t care about getting hurt anymore, Dante. I’m a big girl and I can take a hit. It’s Ally you should think about. If things don’t work out between us, she’ll hate you and she’ll hate me even more for letting you go.”

“I promise, no matter what goes down, I won’t desert her.” He shifted, his body nearing mine. The leather of the seat beneath us squealed a little, which made me realize how quiet it suddenly was. The music my daughter had been playing earlier was turned off now and I could hear the crickets and the distant noise of a lone car whooshing by somewhere on the freeway, far from my house, so far that the noise was just a gentle whisper.

“Okay,” I finally said, nodding. “You want to go on a date?”

“I do. I want to take you out and talk and spend time with you and not pretend I’m not attracted to you.” He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. “And then, after we’ve had our fill of conversation, I want to kiss you until you’re so dizzy, you won’t be able to stand.”

My gasp caught in my throat. I shoved my growing anxiety down, but it was useless. My entire body rebelled against the restraints I’d put on myself long ago, the restraints that made it difficult to breathe.

“You talk a good talk, Dante Martinez,” I teased him.

“I walk a good walk too.” He smiled against my cheek, then his lips slid down and caressed the corner of my mouth.

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