“Stay here,” he whispered. “I'm going to check upstairs.” His feet left soft thunks on the wood, and as he disappeared above me, I could follow his movements as his shoes made gentle taps across the ceiling. I knew what room he was in and where he was going next just by following the sound of his feet.
His face finally popped back into view, his body more relaxed and at ease. “It's empty, whoever was here is gone.”
“Maybe no one was here to begin with.”
“Someone was here, Ivy, I can feel it. I just don't know if it was my dad coming to look for us or if it was someone else. But someone's been here.” Closing the door, Dante walked over to the chair by the fireplace and dropped into it.
“So, now what?” I asked.
Holding out his hands, he shrugged. “The funeral is tomorrow, then I'll talk to a few guys and figure out how to go about this whole thing.”
Walking over to him, I ran my hands over his shoulders. “What time do we have to be at the funeral?”
“We?”he asked, angling his head. “No, I don't want you there, you're staying here. I can't have you exposed like that, Remo could be there waiting for just that reason.”
“Dante—”
“No.” His arm wrapped tightly around my waist, steering me in front of him. “You're not going, and that's it. It's too dangerous.”
“Dante, there's going to be lord knows how many people there. Remo isn't stupid, he wouldn't try something like that. And if he did, it'd be his dumbest move yet.”
Walking his fingers up my back, Dante rested his forehead against my belly. “I'm sorry, but no. You'll stay here where I know you'll be safe.”
“But you think this place got broken into, how is this safe?”
“It was just my dad, it had to be, I'm sure of it. He probably came back here looking for us, that makes sense.”
“I don't want to stay alone, I hate being alone.”
Sliding his chin up over my stomach, he tugged me onto his lap. “You won't be alone for long. I'll go to the funeral and come right back.”
“I don't like it, Dante.”
“Princess, trust me, nothing will happen while I'm gone. I'll be back before you know it.” His hands teased the ends of my hair, tickling the base of my neck.
Goosebumps jumped off my skin, circling my body. Rolling my head to the side, I asked, “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Make me forget the world around me with just your touch?”
A smug grin filled his face, eyes sparking and igniting the rich color. “Because I'm that good.”
Giggling, I locked my fingers behind his neck. “You are so full of yourself.”
“No, I just know what I'm good at.” Dante's hands worked their way down my ribs, slipping firmly around my ass. “And that's you, Babe, I'm good at working you.”
My lips perched to the side, lids lowering. “I think you have that backwards.”
Grinding his hips up, I felt his cock poke up into the heat between my thighs. “Do I?”
Shaking my head yes, I rolled my waist over the thickening muscle. “I'm the one on top right now, so I'm pretty sure that means I'm working you.”
“I stand corrected, work away, Princess, work away.” Dropping his arms onto the chair, he stared up at me with need in his gaze.
Shifting on his hips, I tucked my knees by his sides and began to rock slowly. “I'm in control this time, that could be dangerous.”
“Just because you're on top doesn't mean you're in control.” Dante's hand stretched up, curling into my hair. Tugging down hard, he forced my head back. “Just because you're on top doesn't mean I can't take you how I want.”