AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her stomach fell. “Oh. Yeah, I feel bad about that.”
“Why? There’s no reason to. If anything, it confirms what I already suspected we should do.”
“And what’s that?” she asked, not sure she was going to like the answer. Afraid she might love it.
“I think this should be a permanent arrangement.”
She did love it. A rush of joy, of complete and utter joy, filled her. “Really?”
“It seems the best thing to do, all things considered.”
“Yes,” she said, walking to him and throwing her arms around his neck. “Yes.” Her mind went blank of everything, everything but the moment. Everything but him.
He pulled her in tightly, kissing her lips, his hands roaming over her curves. They kissed as they went up the stairs before Dante swung her up into his arms, holding her to his chest, his mouth devouring hers as he set her on the bed, stripping his clothes and hers as quickly as possible.
* * *
In the aftermath, she lay there replete, the room spinning, her heart pounding. She rolled over, ready to pull Dante into her arms, but he was already up and getting dressed, his expression tight, shuttered.
“I think we’ve proven that there are even more reasons for us to stay together,” he said, as he tugged his pants on, his tone conversational. “The chemistry between us is incredible.”
“The chemistry?” she said, feeling thick and fuzzy from her release still. Chemistry didn’t sound right, though. It sounded like nothing more than a base, chemical reaction and yet she felt like there was so much more between them. There was for her, at least.
“It’s the best sex I’ve ever had.”
She felt struck by that comment. So bald and so basic. At any other time, she might have found it sexy to hear him say that, felt complimented. But when she’d offered love twelve hours before, and this was her gift in return, no, it didn’t feel so good.
“And is that…all?” she asked.
“There’s nothing more, Paige. Nothing else that matters.”
“Dante…”
“Now that we’ve settled things, I do have more work to do.” He tugged his shirt on and buttoned it with deft, steady fingers. He slicked his hair back with his hand and it was like nothing had just happened between them. As if a storm hadn’t just blown through the room, blown through them.
He turned and walked out of the room, closing the door firmly behind him. Paige pulled her knees up to her chest and sat there, stunned. She felt…sad. Drained. Used.
She let the feeling wash over her, wash through her. But only for a moment.
Then she remembered the look in his eyes. That awful blank look that she knew so well. Dante was running scared. Trying to have the basest arrangement with her without giving anything of himself. Only his money, his body.
But she wouldn’t accept that. The old Paige would have. She wouldn’t have tried for more.
But this Paige, this woman who was, in part of Dante’s making, was going to try for everything. All she needed was a plan.
* * *
Dante couldn’t concentrate on his work. He could concentrate on nothing. He had left work at three in the afternoon, come home and had passionate, intense…It was sex and yet at the same time, something more, with a woman who seemed determined to break him open with a battering ram.
And she was close. Too close.
Three hours on and his body still burned. His chest aching like there was a hole in it.
“Dante.”
He turned and his heart nearly stopped. Paige was standing there, a chiffon gown that had no substance at all wound around her curves, the light behind her showing the silhouette of her body beneath the gown.
“What are you doing?” he asked, his throat tightening, threatening to choke him.
“I’m here to talk.”
“You don’t look like you’re here to talk,” he said.
“But I am. I’m here to lay it out for you, as clear and honest as I can.”
“Lay what out?”
“Everything. What I feel. What I feel for you. I’m not going to do it while I’m half-asleep, while you can pretend you didn’t hear. I’m going to tell you now, to your face.”
She crossed the threshold of his office and came to stand in front of his chair, her blue eyes bright, determined. She cupped his face, her eyes never leaving his as she leaned in and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
