The Fall of Cinderella

by K. Street

  “You’ve been commando all this time? Fuck, woman, are you trying to kill me?”

  Her response is to undo the clasp of her bra and slip the straps down her arms, teasing me, before dropping it to the floor.

  Tessa is perfection. The swell of her tits, the curve of her hips. I want to take her against the wall and fuck her until neither one of us can stand. I reach for her hand, drawing her closer, and then drag my index finger down her spine and across the arc of her sweet ass. My knuckles graze over her hip, along the side of her breast, and across her hardened nipple. She hisses out a breath.

  “Do you have any idea how sexy you are?” I ask, bending low to kiss her.

  Then, I pull her into the shower. She’s warm and wet and pressed against me. We kiss under the hot spray, and then Tessa’s lips move down my torso. She shocks the hell out of me when she drops to her knees and wraps her soft pink lips around the head of my painfully hard cock. She swirls her tongue over my tip before taking my dick into her mouth as far as she can go.

  “Fucking hell,” I hiss, bracing my hand on the wall.

  One of Tessa’s hands plays with my balls while the other grips the base of my shaft.

  “That feels so damn good.” I feel her smile around me, and she increases her speed. “Tessa, if you don’t ease up, I’ll be shooting down your throat.”

  She doesn’t let go. Instead, her hands grip my ass, driving me forward, and there’s no way in hell I can stop it now. I bury my hands in her wet hair, taking control of her movements, and I fuck her mouth. It doesn’t take long before I’m blowing my load in the back of her throat, and she swallows everything I give her.

  I guide Tessa to her feet and crush my lips to hers. When I pull away, I glance down at her in awe. “Damn, woman.”

  “Dante…”

  My forehead rests on hers. “Mmhmm?”

  “I need you inside me.”

  thirty-two

  Tessa

  I’m lying in Dante’s bed, fresh from the shower. Wet and wanting. Aching with need. My body wound so tight, a single touch would trigger detonation.

  He moves up the bed and places his legs astride mine, caging me in with his arms. There’s only him and me and the sounds of our breaths.

  We hold each other’s gaze in a soundless conversation. Thick lashes frame his dark eyes, showcasing his raw emotion. There’s something between us that goes deeper than lust, and it terrifies me. Unable to withstand the intensity of the moment, I blink and turn away.

  “Dante.” His name is a plea. It’s too much and not enough.

  Dante bows his head and ghosts his lips over mine in the whisper of a kiss. He leans over me to reach into the nightstand and grasps a foil packet. The wrapper crinkles when he presses it into my palm. I watch as he pushes himself back on his haunches.

  I take a minute to appreciate the view, letting my eyes rove over his body. The square set of his jaw and the small scar near his right eye. Wide-set shoulders built like they could handle the weight of the world. His biceps look like they’re carved from stone. Dante’s hard chest and defined torso have my tongue running over my lower lip. His muscles cut into the perfect V, and the trail of dark hair at his belly button draws my eyes downward to his massive cock. The sight of him fully erect and thick makes my mouth water.

  Sitting up, I rip the corner of the foil with my teeth. With slow deliberation, I sheath his cock, enjoying the weight of him in my hands. I lean forward and plant a kiss in the center of his chest before lowering myself back against the pillows.

  And then it hits me. Trevor was the last man to be inside me. Dante has brought me to orgasm with his face between my legs. I just sucked him off in the shower. But this is different. My eyes lock on Dante’s, and I realize how much I want this with him, but I’m also scared. My hands are shaking.

  His gaze is intense, scrutinizing my thoughts, seeing all my fears. “Tessa? We don’t have to do this.”

  “I want to.” And I’m not sure which one of us I’m trying to convince more. My body is there; my heart will have to catch up.

  Dante braces himself on his forearms as he covers me with his body, and his eyes never leave mine. The second I give him any indication that this is more than I can handle, he’ll pull away. I suck in a breath and try to separate my emotions from the physical act. His crown nudges my entrance, but he makes no move to push inside.

  “Tessa.” His deep timbre cascades across my flesh, and I try to let it lull my fears.

  Tears prick my irises. Dante’s face looms above me, and I see pain and regret flicker in his eyes. It’s not his fault, and I hate myself for not being able to compartmentalize.

  Why the hell can’t I just get over it already?

  Dante climbs off me, taking his warmth with him, and I try to curl into the blankets to hide my face from him, but he doesn’t let me.

  He sits up and leans against the headboard. “Come here.”

  He covers his lower half with the bedspread. Then, he gathers me into his arms. My cheek rests on his chest, and he adjusts the blanket, so I’m wrapped in its warmth.

  “Talk to me, Tess. Why are you crying?” He kisses the top of my head. “Let me in, baby.”

  “I’m afraid.”

  Dante slips his hand under the blanket and draws circles on my back. “If you’re afraid, then be afraid with me. I won’t ever let anyone hurt you. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

  I hide in the crook of his neck and let my tears fall on his skin. “I’m sorry,” I whisper.

  “Shh. It’s all right. You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”

  I need to tell Dante the truth, so he knows what a mess I truly am. “I know it doesn’t make sense…” I let go of a ragged breath. The tears trail slowly down my cheeks.

  “Baby, you’re fucking gutting me. Please don’t cry.”

  I lift my head to look at him, and he wipes away my tears with the pads of his thumbs.

  “I’m not in love with Trevor anymore, which is why I feel so stupid. What he did…was awful. But he was the last man to…” I carefully choose my words, wanting him to understand. “If I let you make love to me…I’m afraid I’ll be erasing the very last part of him.”

  Dante tenses beneath me and looks away.

  I lay my head back on his chest. “I’m sorry, Dante. Hurting you is the last thing I want to do.”

  “I care about you so much. More than you could understand. I won’t push you to do something you aren’t ready for, no matter how much I want it.”

  Dante holds me, and we’re quiet for several long minutes.

  I think about how, even in death, Trevor has a foothold on my life. From six feet under, he’s the puppet master because I repeatedly give him the power. I’m desperate to break the chains shackling me not only to Trevor, but also to the life we shared.

  I lean up, locking my gaze with Dante’s, and then I brush my mouth over his. It takes a split second for him to react, like he’s giving me time to be sure. One of his arms goes around my back, and the other grasps the nape of my neck. Then, he nips my lower lip.

  We kiss slow and deep for a long time. He trails his tongue over the remnants of tears on my cheeks. Dante licks away my fears and ignites a fire in my belly. He kisses me until my lips swell and bruise. He makes love to my mouth, and desire beats through my body like a pulse. Wetness pools between my legs as he grows hard again beneath the blanket that acts as a barrier between us.

  The need for oxygen takes over, and I draw back. “Dante.”

  “Yeah, baby?”

  “I’m ready.” A blush creeps up my cheeks as my face heats.

  The tenderness of his stare holds me captive. “Are you sure?”

  “More than ever.”

  “If you change your mind, I swear to you, we’ll stop. You’re safe with me. You’ll always be safe with me.”

  “I know. I trust you.” I rise and shove the blanket down, so I have access to his cock.

  “Ride me.
I want you to feel in control,” he says.

  I straddle his lap and lift his hands to cover my breasts. Dante’s thumb rubs over one peaked nipple and then the other. His palms glide down to my hips. And his mouth takes the place of his thumb. With every swipe of his tongue, I grow wetter. My hands move to the back of his head, and I press his face into my chest. He sucks my flesh, and I want more.

  “That feels so good.”

  “You taste amazing,” he says.

  I feel his hand slide between my legs. He drags a finger through my center.

  “I need you inside me. Please, Dante.”

  His hands move to my thighs, and I shift down a bit until I’m hovering above his cock. I hold on to Dante’s shoulders while he guides me on top of him.

  “Ah,” I whimper as I sink down his length.

  “Nice and slow, baby.” He holds on to my hips as I rock my pelvis.

  I feel so full. It takes a few minutes for us to find our rhythm, and when we do, I’m certain nothing has ever felt as good as having Dante inside me. I throw my head back in near ecstasy.

  “Tess.” His voice is gravelly and full of longing. His hands dig into my hips. “Stay with me. Open your eyes.”

  Unable to deny him, I do as I was told, my gaze meeting his. “I’m with you.”

  His pelvis shoves upward, driving his cock deeper.

  “Ah. Oh God. Yes. Please, don’t stop,” I beg him. “Dante.” It comes out breathy and urgent.

  He thrusts into me, filling me and stretching me.

  “So fucking beautiful. You feel so damn good,” he groans, rocking into me over and over.

  The flame burns hotter. His finger moves back to my clit.

  “Ah, Dante,” I cry out, climbing higher and higher.

  Exquisite agony blazes through me. And I’m soaring. Free-falling into my orgasm. My walls clench around him, and he drives into me hard, finding his release.

  I collapse against his chest. We’re panting breaths and racing hearts. His fingertips languidly trail down my body—from the nape of my neck to my tailbone and back again. Dante repeats the action several times. I could fall asleep just like this, but I’m not sure how comfortable it would be for him. After a few minutes, I lift my head and plant a kiss over his heart. I rise up, carefully climb off him, and lie back against the pillows.

  “I’ll be right back,” he says, walking toward the bathroom.

  When he returns, the condom is gone, and he is holding a washcloth in his hand. He gingerly wipes between my legs and then tosses the cloth across the room into the basket.

  “Are you okay?” he asks, climbing into bed. He draws me flush against his chest and cocoons me in his arms.

  I answer him as honestly as I can, “Right now, I’m better than okay.”

  He holds me close, and I fall into a dreamless sleep.

  thirty-three

  Tessa

  I stretch my limbs and yawn, wanting nothing more than to snuggle into the pillows and sleep for a few more hours. My body is sore in places it hasn’t been for a long time. Then, the rough pad of Dante’s finger skates across my bare skin.

  “Good morning,” he says, his voice gritty with sleep.

  Sunlight bathes the room in a warm glow. I roll over to face Dante. His erection pokes me, and I laugh softly, casting my gaze downward before my eyes move back to his face.

  “Well, good morning to you, too.”

  “How’re you feeling?”

  I see the worry lining his eyes.

  “Honestly”—my face blooms with heat—“my body is a little sore.”

  “And the rest of you?” His hand sweeps the hair from my forehead.

  My index finger lazily draws infinity loops over his chest. “Still terrified, but I’m working on it.”

  He leans in, kissing my lips. I give him a chaste peck and get up because the whole morning-breath thing freaks me out.

  He grins at me, and I push myself off the mattress.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To brush my teeth.”

  “Are you worried about morning breath?” he asks, seeing right through me.

  “Maybe.” I laugh.

  “I like the way you taste anytime.” He waggles his brows.

  “You’re awful.”

  “True.” He smirks.

  On my way to the bathroom, I call over my shoulder, “I thought I’d go to work with you, so I can visit Katie, and it’s probably time to clean out Trevor’s office.”

  “Sounds like a plan. We’ll grab breakfast on the way in.”

  I hear the mattress creak and know he’s getting up.

  We both stand in his bathroom, brushing our teeth side by side. It’s very domestic, and I try not to think how I’ve done this a thousand times with Trevor. Suddenly, I’m caught up in memories of my former life. All the ordinary days that blend together. How we’d move through the same space in a synchronized dance, the way partners do without thinking.

  “Tess?” Dante’s fingers graze my arm. “Where’d you go?”

  “What do you mean?” I ask, feigning ignorance, hoping he can’t read me.

  “You checked out for a second.”

  “Nope. I’m right here.”

  “Don’t do that,” he says with an edge to his tone.

  “Do what?”

  “Make me compete with a ghost in my own house.” Dante turns on the water, rinses and spits, and then walks out of the bathroom without saying a word.

  I finish up and walk into the bedroom. I try to slink past him, so I can grab my clothes, but Dante reaches out and tugs me into him. A storm is brewing in his eyes as he cups my face in his palms. His breaths come quick and hard. He crashes his mouth to mine. Hard and demanding. The way Dante’s mouth moves against mine is about ownership. Every sweep of his tongue is almost brutal. And, no matter how much my body responds to his touch, I’m not an acquisition. I shove hard against his chest, and he barely moves an inch. I shove harder, and we break apart.

  I jerk from his hold. “What the hell was that?”

  “Tess…” His voice trails off.

  He doesn’t have to answer. I understand what it was.

  “We shared a life together, Dante. I’m going to think of him, but it doesn’t mean anything. There’s a piece of him interwoven with my fabric. Trevor is a part of me. No matter how much I wish to God I could erase the memories of him, I can’t.”

  “I’m sorry.” He rakes his hands through his hair. “The last thing I want to do is make this harder on you.”

  Sometimes, I forget how difficult this is for him. The situation is incredibly awkward, and I think we both need to cut ourselves and each other some slack.

  “It’s just going to take time.”

  “You’re right.” He hugs me close before letting go. “We’d better get ready to go.”

  Salinger and Salinger is a few blocks from Dante’s place, so we stop at the coffee shop around the corner to pick up breakfast. We’re alone as we ride the elevator up to the floor that houses S&S.

  “I need to make a few calls. Come find me after you visit with Katie.”

  “I will,” I tell him and crane my neck to give him a kiss before we exit the lift.

  Katie is sitting at her desk, her long brown hair in a top knot, and she’s staring at the computer screen. Her attention shifts to us, and her whole face lights up. She’s out of her chair so quickly, her black knit dress swooshes behind her. I barely manage to set the coffee on the table in the empty lobby before she’s wrapping me in a hug.

  “Tessa, it’s so good to see you.”

  “You, too. I’ve missed you.”

  “Good morning, Katie,” Dante says.

  “Morning, boss.”

  “All right, I’ll leave you ladies to it.” His coffee already in hand, Dante takes his breakfast into his office and closes the door.

  Katie sits in one of the lobby chairs, and I sit opposite her. The bag crinkles as I remove the other sandwiches from the
bag and pass one to her.

  “Thanks. That was sweet.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Tessa,” Katie begins, “I’m so sorry. I haven’t been a very good friend. I didn’t know what to say.”

  “It’s all right, Katie. Did Dante tell you what happened right before I left for Charleston?”

  “No.”

  I take a deep breath. “Were you aware Trevor had an affair?”

  Her eyes go wide, and her mouth gapes open. You can’t fake that kind of shock.

  “What? Oh my God, Tessa. That’s awful. I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

  Between bites of breakfast, I spend the next hour explaining everything to her, breaking when she needs to answer the phone and picking up where I left off when she’s done with the call. By the time I finish, she looks like she needs something stronger than the coffee we brought her.

  “Holy shit.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  I leave out the details of whatever is going on between me and Dante. I don’t have a label for it.

  “What happens now?” she asks.

  “For starters, I think it’s time to clean out Trevor’s office.” I stand to my feet.

  “If you need anything, just holler.”

  I assure her I will, but right now, I just want to go in his office and shut everyone else out. The phone rings, and Katie gets up to answer it. I gesture toward the hall to Trevor’s office, indicating my intentions. Then, I grab my purse and my coffee.

  I twist the knob and go inside, closing the door behind me. Huge picture windows showcase the Chicago skyline. A large desk faces away from the windows and matching shelves flank the opposite wall. I amble toward his desk, set my coffee down, and take a seat in Trevor’s high-back leather chair. A picture of us at Navy Pier is in a frame on his desk. It’s the same one that used to be on my phone.

  Tears simmer behind my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. I shove out of the chair and walk to the small closet. Inside, there’s a large copy paper box with one ream left in it. I set the paper on the shelf and return to Trevor’s desk. I place the box on the floor and lay the picture inside, facedown.

  I begin rifling through Trevor’s desk. The usual office supplies are in the top drawer. There are several files, but everything seems work-related. I’m not sure what I expect to find, but when I pull open the bottom drawer, my breath catches. On top of a manila folder is an envelope from a one-hour photo place. With shaky fingers, I open it and withdraw the pictures.