“Of course you’d be the insatiable boyfriend,” I said with a mock roll of my eyes, and then realized what I’d said and looked down as my cheeks burned.
Dante shifted, propping himself on one elbow so he could look down at me. His hair was damp with sweat, his chest rising and falling against mine. His gaze searched my face like he was memorizing every detail.
“What is it?” he asked quietly. “You think I’m not boyfriend material?”
“Um... I mean, we’re probably not there yet, right?”
“This,” he said, voice low, gravel scraping over velvet. “It can’t just be nothing. Agreed?”
My throat tightened. “It’s not nothing.”
“Then why won’t you look at me when you sayboyfriend?” he pressed, because he knew there was always abutwith me.
I pushed my hair back, stalling. “My dad would—”
“Fuck your dad,” Dante cut in, sharp and immediate. “You’re not him, Sav. You don’t need his permission to breathe.”
I flinched, but he caught my hand, thumb stroking over my knuckles until my pulse steadied again.
“I’m serious,” he said, softer now. “You’re not going to lie there and keep trying to find reasons this won’t work, because look at us. Tell me this doesn’t feel right.”
I closed my eyes, hating that I couldn’t lie to him. “It does. That’s what scares me.”
He leaned in, his forehead pressing to mine. “Then let it scare you. But don’t walk away.”
The breath I let out shook. “We’d have to be careful. So careful.”
His mouth curved, not into a grin but something steadier. “Careful’s not my style, Cole. But for you? I’ll play the long game. Whatever it takes.”
I looked up at him, and I let myself believe he meant it. “Okay.” I licked my lips. “So... you’re my boyfriend?” I asked shyly.
“Well, Sav, I’ve been inside you three times, and I plan on doing iteveryday, probably more than once, so if you don’t want to label it—” he kissed me softly — “tough. You’re labeled. Already told you, at least twice now, you’re mine.”
I started to laugh, turning and lying on my back as I giggled. “What’s the label?” I asked him playfully. “Property of Dante Spence?”
He moved until he was over me, propping himself up on his forearms as he looked down at me. I adjusted until he was lying in between my legs, his hand in my hair. “Well...” He peppered my jaw with kisses. “I was going to say the label wasmine.” He kissed me lightly. “Butproperty of Dante Spence...” He kissed me again, deeper this time. “Fuck, that got me hard. So yeah.” He nipped at my lower lip. “That’s the label. Property of Dante Spence.”
My legs tightened around his hips as he ground lightly against me, my sleep shorts the only thing between us.
“And what’s your label?” I asked him, only semi-seriously, because he was movingjustright over my clit, lightly but with intent. “Property of Savannah Cole?”
Dante groaned low in his throat. “Yeah, I’m going to need these to come off, Sav,” he mumbled, sitting back so he was kneeling between my legs. He tugged my sleep shorts off. “You got more condoms in that drawer?” he asked, throwing my shorts aside. “No clothes rule for bed,” he added with a wink. “And I don’t want to know who those condoms were bought for,” he said, and looked like he genuinely meant it.
I rolled my eyes, which quickly became me arching my back as he slipped two fingers inside me. “My mother bought me them when I was a freshman, you’re the first time I opened the drawer for them.”
“Your mother?” His fingers paused as he hesitated. “She’s alive?”
The question threw me. “Dante, when you have your fingers inside me, can you not talk about my parents?”
He laughed, resuming his gentle thrusting. “Right, sorry.” He withdrew his fingers, and I mewled in protest. “I’ll make it up to you,” he whispered, his tongue replacing his fingers. “Until you forgive me.”
Jesus. . .
* * *
I don’t know when I fell asleep. All I knew was that when Dante said heneeded a minute, it was a lie. The man kept me awake most of the night, and I have a dim recollection of being helped to the bathroom and then staggering back and collapsing beside him, my body completely satiated.
He was sleeping soundly beside me. Since the rooms were soundproof, I had no idea if Bev was home, and I was too comfortable to move to see what time it was. However, sunlight was coming through my window, it was Sunday, and I had nowhere to be.
