Dante's Angel Page 11

  Dante understood. She had lost Ashley—the one person she’d trusted—and it was obvious that she still felt guilty about it. It wasn’t hard to figure out that she would have done anything she could to protect Jessup Carter for helping her.

  “He drove out to the middle of nowhere one day and called your father to say that he knew someone who needed a job. Your father never hesitated. Just said to send me on over.” She blew out a breath. “So, I became Zoe Lang…a woman on the run, but living by my own terms.”

  There was a long pause before Dante said, “You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”

  Her cheeks flushed at his praise and she blinked at him, unsure what to say to that. “I’ve tried to be the sort of woman Ashley would be proud of. I wanted to make sure I honored her by doing what I want, and not being afraid.” Her smile faltered and her voice lowered to a whisper. “Moving to Breakers, working at the bar, that was intimidating at first, but I did it. But I’ve been afraid. Since I met you, I’ve been afraid.”

  “Oh, Zoe—”

  “No, please, just listen.” She set her glass down and reached out for his hands. When their hands were linked, she looked down at them. “I’ve been so afraid of how I feel for you. About lying to you about who I really am, and about how you’d feel when I told you the truth. I couldn’t…we couldn’t be together until you knew. You deserve the truth.”

  “I’m glad you told me. I needed to know.”

  “I know.” She looked up, meeting his gaze. “I’ve been afraid of falling in love with you, but I’m not afraid anymore. I know you probably need time to think about how you feel about all this—” She let out a gasp as he jerked her into his arms, dragging her body so she was sprawled across his lap. One of his arms wound around her waist, pressing her against him as the other cupped her cheek so gently, it was like a whisper against her skin.

  “Do you really want to know how I feel?”

  The tenderness in his voice almost broke her, but she continued to stare into his ice-blue eyes as she nodded. “I really do.”

  “Angelica, Claudia, Zoe…whatever name you go by, I know you.”

  “So, you haven’t changed your mind about me after everything I’ve told you?”

  Dante wanted to scoff. Change his mind about her? Hell-fucking-no, he hadn’t changed his mind. If anything, hearing her story only made him love her more. He’d been honest when he’d told her she was the most amazing woman he’d ever known, and now he was more determined than ever to claim her as his own.

  Seeing her eyes shimmering with hope had him biting back any sarcastic remark he would have made to cover how uncomfortable he was talking about his feelings. “Let me make something clear, Zoe. You’re mine and I’m yours. That’s the way it’s gonna be between us. It’s the way it has to be. I love you too damn much to accept anything less.”

  Her eyes widened. “You…you love me?”

  “Hell, yes, I do. Do you really think I’d let you run my life like you do if I didn’t?”

  Indignation had her brow furrowing. “I do not run your life.”

  Damn, he sure loved it when she got snippy. “Sure, you do. I like how bossy you are. Besides, I boss you around right back. Not that you listen to me much,” he added. “You’re it for me, Zoe. My perfect match.”

  “Oh, God. I love you, too. So much that it hurt not to tell you who I really was.” Tears sparkled in her eyes again, but this time it was with a look of such happiness, he felt his own heart ache.

  “I know you,” Dante repeated as he leaned closer and brushed his lips against hers. “I love you, angel. No more running. You’re home now.”

  Chapter Eight

  With a cry of joy, Zoe wrapped her arms around Dante’s neck and kissed him with all the love and passion she felt for him.

  She wanted to burrow as close as possible to him, to feel the warmth of his skin pressed against hers. Pleasure exploded inside her at his taste. It felt like a dream, finally hearing the words she’d longed to hear from him…and knowing that he was saying it to her, the real her, made her heart soar.

  He knew everything now, and still wanted her.

  No, not just want…he loved her.

  If it was a dream, she never wanted to wake up. Now that all restrictions were gone, she gave her desire free rein. Her tongue stroked over his lower lip, and she heard him groan. His mouth opened, his tongue meeting hers in an erotic dance that soothed her frazzled nerves and excited her at the same time.

  It felt like touching flames, and the heat seared her straight to her core.

  Taking over, Dante’s tongue plunged deep, taking and tasting in equal measure. He drank down her moans of pleasure as he held her in a fierce embrace. Hands stroked over her back, moving under her shirt so that his fingers glided over warm skin.

  She shivered in reaction.

  Zoe felt herself melting into him, felt his hard muscular body tighten with need as she took her own turn at touching him. One of her hands moved down so it rested on his chest, and she felt the rapid beat of his heart beneath her palm.

  This was what she’d wanted.

  The freedom to touch him, to explore his body with her hands, her mouth…her tongue.

  Images of what she wanted to do to him flickered into her head, and she clenched her legs together as she felt the answering slickness between her thighs. Her fingertips trailed over his shoulders, digging in as he sucked her at her tongue. She arched closer, reeling from the sensations he produced inside her. Her hands moved, sliding down his arms until she was gripping the bulging muscles of his biceps.

  God, she loved his arms. Just looking at them could make her want to pant, but touching them sparked her desire into overdrive. She sensed the coiled power in those straining muscles, and a feminine thrill raced through her.

  Dante Fox was like a powerful beast, wild and untamed…and he was all hers.

  Wanting him closer, she tried to shift on his lap so she could straddle him, but he held her in place. When he pulled back, they were both panting. Zoe’s heart was beating so hard she could hear it over the sound of rain pounding against the windows. “W-why did you stop?”

  “Not like this, angel. I don’t want your first time to be like this.”

  Confusion filled her. “But Dante, I told you. I’m not a—”

  “You are,” he growled, his blue eyes icing over with a dark fury. “What that motherfucker did to you doesn’t count. Not when it comes to your first time.”

  Dante pressed his face against the nape of her neck. He nuzzled there, just breathing her in. He’d hoped taking a break would help calm the lust careening through his system, but her sweet scent drove him absolutely out of his mind. She smelled of sex and sin, and love.

  Son of a bitch, did love have a scent?

  He really must be going crazy.

  She’d just told him one of the most horrific stories he’d ever heard, and all he could do was think about was pulling her beneath him, where he could show her what pleasure really was. Just thinking about how it would feel to be inside her made his cock throb so hard it hurt.

  Christ, he really was a bastard.

  Kissing her had been a revelation. Even now, he could still taste her. Her lips were so soft and sweet, he wanted to keeping kissing her until they both ran out of air. He wanted to strip her out of her clothes and touch her everywhere. To stroke his hands over her silky smooth skin and hear her cry out his name as he made her come, over and over again. Hunger swept through him with the force of a hurricane, making him mad with need.

  Damn it, he needed to get his shit together.

  His arms tightened around her, holding her in place when she began to pull away from him. Hell, no. She wasn’t going anywhere. As if she sensed what he was thinking, she stilled. Even as he cursed himself again, he felt her sigh as she rested her head on his shoulder.

  “Dante?”

  He wanted to wince as he heard the slight hesitation in her voice. “Yeah, angel?”<
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  “If you don’t want me anymore maybe you should just let me get up—”

  Dante growled low in his throat as his head whipped up. He stared at her incredulously. “Not want you? Baby, I want you more than I want to breathe.”

  “I want you, too. So, why—?”

  “I just need a minute. I’m feeling a little out of control here and I don’t want to scare you.”

  There was a long pause, then she whispered, “I kinda like you out of control.”

  Son of a bitch, was she trying to kill him?

  Dante huffed out a laugh. If he moved, he felt like he might break something. And his dick was so stiff, that was a real possibility. That was it. He really had lost his mind.

  He took a deep breath. Leaving her alone was just not going happen. He wanted her too fucking much. But it was important for him to make sure he took things slow with her now that he knew what she’d been through. Just the thought that he might do something to trigger a bad memory for her made him feel ill.

  “I want to make love with you, Dante. Right here, right now.”

  Her words made his body shudder. Fuck, he felt as nervous as a teenager necking on the couch with his girl for the first time. He’d never been with a virgin before—not even for his own first time—and the thought was intimidating as hell. Her previous experience had been an abomination, and Dante was determined to use all his skills to make sure he showed her nothing but pleasure when he touched her.

  Pushing aside his own nerves, he stroked his hands up and down her arms as he kissed her again. Once more, he pulled back. Staring into her eyes, he slowly began to raise her shirt. “Let’s get this off you, baby.”

  She lifted her arms up as she let him remove her shirt. When it was off, her arms raised to instinctively cover herself. His hands gently gripped her wrists, holding her in place. Flawless golden skin was highlighted by the pale candlelight, and he could see the musical note tattoos running up both her sides.

  “I’m not that big…”

  “You’re fucking perfect.” Proving it, Dante reached up and cupped her breasts in his large hands. She fit him perfectly, and he could feel her hard nipples stabbing at the center of his palms through the thin material of her bra. He wanted to remove the barrier, but didn’t want to freak her out by pushing too fast.

  “See, honey? You fill my hands, just like I knew you would. You’re so slim that I’m surprised you’re so full here,” he said, his Texas drawl becoming thicker as he continued. “I’ve wanted my hands on you for so long that this is like heaven. Does it feel good, sugar?”

  “Yes…oh, yes….”

  “Good.” Moving a little, he brushed his thumbs over her nipples and felt her shiver in reaction. “Normally, I have pretty decent control of myself, but whenever I’m around you I’m a walking hard-on,” he said, trying to sound casual as he continued to touch her. “Maybe it’s because I haven’t had sex in over six months—”

  “Three,” she corrected as she closed her eyes. “We made the bet three months ago.”

  “I know, angel. But I haven’t slept with anyone since I met you.”

  Shocked eyes flew open to meet his. “What?”

  “You heard me. I wanted you, and only you, but you kept turning me down. I tried,” he admitted. “But even kissing someone else felt wrong. I felt like I was betraying you, so I stopped. That’s why I thought up the bet. I had to get you to take me seriously.”

  “I didn’t know,” she whispered.

  “I know you didn’t.” But now that he knew about her past, he was glad he’d waited for her. Her body had gone stiff, so Dante began stroking his hands up and down her back to soothe her. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers again. “You’ve been mine since we met. I might not have known it at first, but now that I know you love me, there is no going back.”

  Zoe saw the hunger burning in his ice-blue eyes.

  For her. It was all for her.

  She wanted to belong to him, but she also wanted to claim him as her own. In order to do that, she needed to gather her courage and tell him exactly what she wanted. “Off,” she ordered as she pulled at his shirt. “I want everything off. I need—”

  Before she could say anything else, he lifted her off his lap and placed her on the couch next to him. She immediately felt chilled at the loss of his heat, and wanted to pull him back to her, but then he stood up and began striping off his clothes.

  She watched as Dante fisted the back of the t-shirt he wore, pulling it over his head. He dropped it on the floor, and her mouth dropped open at the sight of his muscular chest. Oh boy, all those late night workouts were certainly paying off…Dante was absolutely ripped.

  His abs looked like they were made out of sculpted marble, the contours so defined it was hard to believe they were real. Tattoos covered both of his arms, including a Ranger tattoo on his left arm right below his shoulder. She saw it as a badge of honor, a symbol of what he’d been through, and what made him the man he was today.

  He had a light dusting of dark hair on his chest that trailed down past the waistband of his sweatpants. He also had another tattoo on the right side of his torso that must have been a recent addition, since she’d never seen it before. She wanted to stroke her hands over him, to touch every inch of him, but before she could, he pushed down his sweatpants so he stood before her completely naked.

  Zoe forgot how to breathe.

  Her eyes went huge as her gaze roamed over the lower half of his body. His cock was thick with lust, so hard it almost slapped against his stomach. Fascinated, she watched as the large stalk throbbed slightly, then she gasped as a small drop of pre-cum seeped from the ruddy tip.

  Dante wanted her to be comfortable with him so he stood still, letting her look her fill. He knew he was fit, but damn, she was looking at him as if he were some sort of god. Wrapping his large hand around his cock, he started stroking himself as he continued watching her reaction. There was something highly erotic about touching himself while she watched.

  “You’re…”

  Trying for a little levity, he said, “You know what they say about everything being bigger in Texas. Don’t worry, baby, we’ll fit just fine. I won’t hurt you.”

  Soft eyes met his gaze as she whispered, “You’re beautiful.”

  God, he loved her. Seeing himself through her eyes humbled him. He wanted to give her romance for their first time together, but he felt too wild and out of control to wait much longer. He fought the urge to pounce on her, and pushed the coffee table back a few inches, slowly lowering to his knees in front of her.

  “This is yours,” he said in a low growl as he continued to stroke his cock. “And I’ll let you have it, but first we have to get you ready.”

  He let go of himself, and pulled at her legs until she was lying down on the couch. Her breathing came in short pants, but there was no fear in her eyes. His watchful gaze never left hers as he reached for her shoes, taking them off one by one. “Do you know what I’m going to do to you? Would you like me to tell you, sweetheart?”

  “I’d rather you show me,” she answered breathlessly.

  His laughter was low and sinfully wicked. “Oh, angel. I promise I’ll show you. But first, I want you to understand what’s coming so you won’t get scared.”

  Her brows furrowed as she frowned. “Dante, I’m not—”

  “First, I’m going to fuck you with my fingers,” he said cutting off whatever she was going to say. When her breath hitched, he nodded, pleased with her reaction. He began to unfasten her jeans, then he slowly slid them down her legs, pulling her panties with them.

  “I’m going to stroke them inside you until you come. Then, I’m going to do it again with my tongue until you’re screaming my name. When your tight little pussy is wet and ready for me, I’m going to push my cock deep inside you. So deep, you’ll see just how well we fit together. You’ll like that, won’t you, sweetheart?”

  “Oh, God. Dante…”

  H
e tossed her clothes on the floor, then reached up to removed her bra, baring her breasts to his heated gaze. He let out a low groan at the perfection of her naked body splayed out before him. “Sweet Jesus, baby. You’re so damn beautiful it hurts to look at you. And you’re bare here…so soft and sweet.”

  “I like how it feels.” Her body jerked as he reached out to stroke a hand over the soft, smooth skin of her mound.

  “So do I.”

  Zoe’s breath left in a rush as he raised one of her legs, pressing soft kisses on the inside of her thigh. Her hands gripped the couch, but she reached for him now. On edge, she was ready to come from his words alone. “Dante, come to me now. I’m ready.”

  A low moan escaped as she felt one of his thick digits penetrate her pussy, easily sliding into her slick, wet heat. Her body clenched around his invading finger and her hips jerked as his palm brushed against her clit. His touch felt like being jolted with electricity. It felt so good, and each stroke made her desperate for more.

  “You’re wet, but really tight, angel. And my dick is pretty big,” he told her bluntly. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  She could barely hear him now. The pleasure inside her was growing as his fingers slid in and out of her. His touch was so hot, she felt burned alive. Her hips began to move, following the rhythm of his movements. Zoe should have felt exposed lying there naked before him, but she reveled in his touch too much to feel self-conscious.

  Zoe gasped as he leaned over her so he could press his lips against her quivering stomach. He moved up her body, taking her right nipple into his mouth. She writhed beneath him as she felt the sharp tingle shoot straight to her core when he increased the pressure. Her hands flew up to grip his hair, holding him to her, then her body arched when he curled his fingers inside her, reaching that secret spot she’d only heard about.

  “Holy fucking shit!”

  “My angel has such a potty mouth,” Dante murmured softly against her skin. “You liked that, huh? You’re so damn tight, I’m gonna lose my mind when I get inside you.”