I laugh but quickly smother it. The sound of my happiness seems out of place here. “I miss her.”
Dante loosens his grip on my fingers and turns me toward him with his hands on my shoulders. His serious gaze drills into mine as he frames my face between his palms and stares down at me with somber, heavy intensity. “I’m sorry that she can’t be here for you.”
In an instant, I’m taken back to that defining moment when I bumped into Dante outside our condo on the day my father told me whom I was to marry. I remember the safety I felt in his arms. Snow dusted his hair and coat, but I was warm. Scared. Relieved. It was the first time I experienced a man’s desire for me. It was the first time a man vowed to fight for me. In that moment, I knew in the deepest corners of my heart that I’d always fight for him too.
Just like on that day, he opens his jacket and folds it around me, wrapping me up in his arms and scent. He showered. His skin smells clean and of that sophisticated but subtle cologne I love so much. He hasn’t been busy with work. He’s been on a job.
I pull away to look at him. “Are you all right?”
Taking my hand, he kisses the back. “Are you worried about me?”
“Always.”
He pulls me against him with an arm around my shoulders and steers me toward the path. “You shouldn’t be.”
“How did you know I was here?”
He looks at me and raises a brow.
I smile. “Are you having me followed?”
“If my men report your movements to me, it’s for security reasons.”
“You can just say it if you’re worried that I’m meeting someone in secret,” I tease. “I have nothing to hide.”
He stops dead and faces me squarely. “Good, because if you ever see another man, he will be dead before you can utter his name.”
“Dante,” I exclaim. “I was just pulling your leg.”
He presses a possessive kiss on my lips. “Let’s go. It’s getting cold.”
Dante and I leave together in his car, but instead of going home, he takes me to a building I’ll never forget. My heartbeat quickens when he helps me out of the car in the underground parking lot.
I stare at him, noticing the tight set of his jaw and the strained look on his features. “Why are we here?”
He leads me to the elevator without answering. His men follow us inside and get out with us on the top floor, but they remain in the hallway when he unlocks the penthouse door and ushers me inside.
I walk to the center of the open-plan living area as he closes and locks the door. The place looks exactly as I remember. The only items missing from the picture that’s burned into my mind are the champagne, candles, and rose petals.
I turn to Dante in surprise and repeat my question. “Why are we here?”
He walks to me with determined, predator-like steps. “Do you remember this place?”
Just like the first time he brought me here, nerves flitter in my belly. “Of course I do. You brought me here to take my V-card because you thought a hotel room would make me feel cheap.” I close the remaining distance between us and place a hand on his chest. “It wouldn’t have, just so you know. Being with you can never feel cheap, no matter where we are.”
He catches my wrist and presses my hand on his heart, preventing me from pulling away.
“Dante.” My voice is soft. “Why are we here?”
The darkness I glimpsed at the cemetery moves across his features. “I want you to give yourself to me.”
“I have.” I stare into his eyes. “Body and soul.”
“Do it again,” he challenges. “Show me.”
I don’t know why he needs this, but I do know that he needs me. So I show him. I drop my bag on the sofa and reach behind me to unzip my dress. The soft fabric pools around my heels, leaving me in the underwear set I found in my drawer with the price tags still intact. Silver thread weaves through the lace, and pink ribbons decorate the straps. The bra and panties are sexy but classy, portraying soft, innocent femininity. I can’t be sure, but I think he bought them for me.
He drags his gaze over my body, studying my curves with a hungry look in his eyes.
