Page 19 of Dante

“Yes. And I want to prove it to you.”

Dante stares at me for a few moments, an unreadable expression on his face. Just when I think he’s suffering from sudden onset amnesia, Dante blinks and comes back to me.

“I’m ordering pizza tonight,” he announces.

I couldn’t be more shocked if he told me a saber tooth tiger was outside my window. “I didn’t know you ate pizza.”

“I’m Italian,” he counters, readjusting so he can grab his phone.

I peer over at the screen, then giggle. “That may be true, but I don’t think Pizza Barn is winning any authenticity awards.”

Dante narrows his eyes at me, and I try suppressing a grin. The next second, he lunges for me, pressing my back against the mattress as he cages me in. “We’re having a good old-fashioned movie night. Shitty pizza included.”

“At the main house?”

Dante nods, and I cup his cheek, leaning up to give him a quick kiss.

“Thank you,” I whisper, blinking back tears. He’s trying to connect with his dad. The effort on his part means the world to me.

I’m already falling hard for this man. I just hope he doesn’t break my heart when he leaves at the end of the week.

CHAPTERSEVEN

DANTE

Iwasn’t sure what to expect when I proposed a movie night; I just knew I needed to show Cambria I could do better. I canbebetter— for her.

Looking across the living room at my old man snoring away in his favorite recliner, a sense of peace washes over me. We have a long way to go in mending whatever is left of our relationship, but seeing him at ease settles something deep in my chest.

Hearing Cambria’s confession about her mother felt like a punch to the gut. No, that’s not accurate. It felt like a searing hot blade being shoved into my chest, cracking it in two. I felt the weight of her guilt with every breath and saw it in every tear that fell from her eyes.

I can’t bring her mother back, but I can swallow my pride and try to salvage my relationship with my father. If Cambria found something good in him, maybe there’s hope yet. I could say the same for myself. I’m not sure what the bright, sweet, tender-hearted Cambria sees in me, but she found something worth saving.

I just hope she still wants me after discovering what I do for a living. It never occurred to me to tell her, but now it feels like I’m hiding something.

“What are you thinking about?” Cambria whispers from her spot next to me on the couch.

I peer down at her, smiling at how she’s wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket. She has part of it covering her head like a hood, those bright blue eyes shining up at me, and she’s so goddamn adorable, I don’t know what the fuck to do with myself. I’ve never had these intense emotions before, never wanted someone so completely, never needed to consume them and make them part of my being.

Jesus, I sound demented.

Instead of admitting all my obsessive thoughts, I rest my arm on the back of the couch, motioning for Cambria to scoot closer. Her cheeks flush pink, which might be my new favorite color. I'm curious how far down that blush goes and what else I can do to bring it out.

“Are you cold, sunshine?” I murmur, sliding a hand into her blanket. Her breath hitches, and she tenses before melting into my side. “I could warm you up.”

She nods before I’ve even finished my sentence, making me smirk.

Carefully, I readjust our positions so Cambria is sitting on my lap, with her back pressed against my chest. She tilts her head back, resting it on my shoulder, and I turn, grazing my lips across her exposed neck.

“That’s it, baby,” I whisper, covering us with the blanket. “Let me take care of you.”

I slide one hand inside her shirt, caressing the soft skin of her stomach as my other hand gently rubs against her core, pressing the fabric of her leggings right up against her heat. She bucks her hips, but I hold her down, soothing her with calming strokes.

“What about Raul?” she asks, suddenly remembering we’re not alone.

“You’ll just have to be quiet,” I tell her, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

She grins and wiggles her ass, making me groan. My dick is hard as a fuckin’ fence post, and she’s squirming around on my lap in the sweetest torture.

---