Page 27 of Dante
“How did you know?”
“Because your aura changed color again. Just wait a few more minutes, and we will have that cocoa you wanted, and we can talk about taking our relationship to the next level.”
By next level, he meant claiming one another, right? There wasn’t anything else. Was there? I thought about it for a moment and came to the conclusion that the only thing between what we had now and claiming each other was just having a sexual relationship. I shook my head. No. Just no. I couldn’t accept that.
“You’re still doing it,” Dante said. He directed me up the walkway to his house, and the door opened as we approached. I would have wondered if someone was inside if not for the factthat Dante had magic. “After you,” he said. “Did you wish for help with your boots?”
I looked down at my feet. They were covered in a bit of snow, and I was making a mess on his floor. “Oh, sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be. I’m not worried about the mess. I was just wondering if you wanted help taking your boots off.”
I looked up at Dante. “Please? I didn’t think to stomp my boots on the front porch.”
Dante shrugged. He pulled my hat off my head, and I could feel my hair standing up and out. I was certain it looked horrible, but this was me, and if Dante had an issue with any part of it, then he wasn’t the right mate for me.
“You were cute before, but with your hair like that…” Dante shook his head. “Too adorable.”
I grinned back at him while undoing my coat. “That’s good because I have some serious bed head in the mornings. Just so you know.” I got serious for a moment. “Not that we’re going to be spending the night together anytime soon or anything like that.”
Dante sighed. “I’ve messed up. A lot. I would like to discuss that?”
I nodded, and when he reached for my coat, I handed it and the gloves to him. They disappeared, and I had to assume they went into a closet somewhere. I didn’t see one, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have one.
Dante led me into the back room, and I stopped short. The walls were the same, but the super-comfortable blue couch was gone. In its place was an oversized leather sectional. It looked comfortable as well, but I had to wonder where the other couch had gone.
“I got rid of the blue couch.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” I looked up at my mate. “Why?”
“I got tired of sticking to it. I didn’t like having to lift and reposition myself every time I sat on it.”
I laughed at that. He wasn’t wrong though. We did stick to it. Especially when wearing jeans, I’d noticed. “Well, the new one looks just as comfortable.”
“Good. Shall we sit and talk for a bit?”
I nodded and went to my usual position—the center of the “v” of the couch. Dante sat beside me and held out his hand. I took it, and he played with my fingers for several moments before he looked at me.
“Don’t cringe, please,” Dante said. “I’m going to say the most cliché thing ever, but it’s not you, it’s me.” I rolled my lips inward to keep from snorting. Dante noticed and nodded. “Yes, it’s bad. I get that.”
“I didn’t say anything,” I said.
Dante nodded. “I…” He took a moment, and while he seemed to be gathering his thoughts, he placed my hand between his, sandwiching it with his larger, impossibly warm hands. “I’ve never been in a relationship. Ever. I’ve had sex, but it was merely for relief. I was a selfish lover and never cared about them even a little as long as I got what I wanted or needed.”
I felt a bit of the excitement of the possibility of us going further slipping away. “You didn’t…” I took a deep breath. “Did they consent?”
Dante’s eyes widened. “Yes. Always. But I didn’t necessarily give them what they needed. I didn’t care if they enjoyed or if they got off. I just wanted my own release.”
I took a deep breath. Not the greatest thing to learn about your mate, but I was thankful for knowing this now instead of after we’d claimed each other. “Okay. Well, I hope things will be different between us.”
Dante took one of his hands and ran it down his face. “I know they will, but that’s not all. I have scars. I haven’t tried to removethem now that I have my magic back. I don’t even know if I can remove some. They were given to me by my creator, and I don’t think my magic is strong enough to undo what he did.”
I tilted my head. “We don’t scar though?” I said. Then it hit me, and my eyes rounded. “You were hurt that seriously?”
Dante nodded. He pointed to his cheek. “I have a scar that cuts across my cheek to my chin. It pulls on my lip, which is why my smile looks more like a grimace. That’s why I have the beard. It hides it, and people don’t stare.” Dante pointed to his stomach. “I was seriously injured in the jungle in Colombia. There was a tiger shifter that was there. He was one of the guards. He leapt out at us when the enforcers were in the midst of the rescue. He caught me in the stomach before he was killed.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, but I needed to know. “How bad was it?”
Dante chuckled. “Let’s just say that if there weren’t magic wielders there, I wouldn’t be here with you now. My insides weren’t still inside where they should be, and some of them were in multiple pieces.”
