His lips were surprisingly soft, in contrast to the hardness of his kiss. He thrust his tongue into my mouth, and I instantly responded. He tasted of the breakfast we just shared, but a tangy different taste, something I didn’t recognize.
Whatever it was, it intoxicated me, disoriented me.
He kissed me like an animal devouring its prey, and I reveled in it—the feral, primal nature of it.
I’d had a couple one-night stands, so this wasn’t entirely new to me. Still it definitely wasn’t my norm. But if Dante was intent on taking me to bed, I wasn’t going to stop him.
I slid my hands over his shoulders, up his neck, over his stubbly cheeks—cheeks I’d first seen covered in blood—up into his thick black hair. I threaded his locks through my fingers and pulled on them.
He broke the kiss. “Feels good,” he grunted. Then he smashed his mouth to mine again.
His erection pushed into my belly.
This man was so gorgeous. What would his cock look like? Majestic… Just like the rest of him. And substantial, judging from the size of the bulge.
He searched every crevice of my mouth with his tongue, and when he finally pulled back slightly, I pushed my tongue into his mouth.
So sweet and delicious, every part of him. I traced his gum line, the inside of his cheeks, his teeth, and—
“Oh!” I broke the kiss.
A low groan emerged from his throat. “Need you,” he growled, his lips barely moving.
I touched my fingertips to my tongue. Blood. The metallic taste meandered over my tongue. Something had nicked me. Something inside his mouth. Did he have a tongue piercing? Not that I had noticed when we were kissing.
“Bedroom,” he said.
His dark eyes glowed with electricity. I looked down to his crotch and gulped. It had nearly doubled in size.
I took his hand and led him up to my bedroom. I hadn’t made my bed, but I didn’t care. Didn’t care that everything was in disarray. Only wanted to get my clothes off. His clothes off. Kiss him some more. Taste him some more. Puncture my tongue again. Get that massive dick inside me.
He pushed me toward my bed until my calves hit the mattress, unsteadying me. He grabbed me, gripping my shoulders and keeping me on my feet. He gazed into my eyes. “You’re beautiful. So beautiful.”
I smiled. “So are you.”
He slid one finger over my bottom lip. “That kiss…”
I opened my mouth, but all that came out was a soft sigh. He buried his nose in my neck and inhaled.
“You smell so good. I could exist forever on your scent alone.” He inhaled again. “Almost.”
Almost? I had no idea what he meant, but at the moment, all I wanted was his mouth on mine again. Though the wet kisses to my neck were pretty awesome, too.
When he made it back to my lips, I parted them for him immediately. He swept his tongue into my mouth, and I nearly collapsed into him, as if I were coming home after being gone far too long, acclimating to something familiar that had been denied me for years. I probed into him, aching for everything he could give me, everything I secretly desired.
And like magic, he deepened the kiss. I met the forceful demand of his mouth with renewed eagerness, a bone-melting fire igniting within the deepest part of me. A hunger coiled inside me, a hunger that only Dante could sate. And when he sated it, I wanted him to consume me.
My nipples hardened, pushing against my bra, yearning for his touch. Between my legs a party had started, the tickle morphing into a pulse of throbbing need.
Our tongues tangled, our lips slid, and when I knew in my soul I’d do whatever he asked of me—
He pulled away.
“Can’t,” he growled.
My mind was a maze. “What?”
“Can’t…do this to you.”
“No. It’s okay. You can.”
“Don’t want to hurt you…”
“You’re not hurting me. I swear. It’s okay, Dante. I’m not going to cry date rape.”
He cringed. “I would never!”
I reached toward him, but he cowered away.
“I know you wouldn’t. Please. Trust me.”
“I…do trust you, Erin. I wouldn’t have asked for your help otherwise. You could have had me arrested last night, and you didn’t. But do you trust me?”
Did I? It went against all logic. Why was I drawn to him so completely? Was I just horny? Cory and I had broken up two years ago, and though I was far from promiscuous, I hadn’t been celibate since then. No, horniness alone was not the issue. I couldn’t deny that I wanted Dante with a raw desire I’d never known, but I also felt something else. A need to be near him, to protect him.
And yes, I trusted him.
“I’m not sure why,” I said, “but yes, I do.”
“Then trust me when I say I can’t take you to bed. Not today. I thought I could. I thought I—” He inhaled deeply. “Your scent. Your arousal. My God…” He inhaled again.
Then—
“No! Not now!”