by Laurie Roma
She let out a low moan when his mouth moved over to her other breast, giving it the same treatment as the first. It only took a few more strokes before her body clenched down on him and she screamed out his name.
Dante growled in satisfaction as he watched the pleasure take her. Feeling her body come apart made him want to roar out in triumph. She was his. He’d never felt so utterly possessive of a woman before. The desire to mark her, to brand her in some way so everyone would know exactly who she belonged to, was strong.
Insanity. Fuck, he felt like the damn caveman she called him.
Needing her to come again, Dante lowered himself down between her parted legs. She tried to close them, but he used his free hand to jerk her thigh up onto the couch, holding it there so he had complete access to her. He kept his fingers inside her, continuing to push them into her tight, hot hole as his tongue began to lash at her tiny clit.
The sound of her strangled scream made his cock jerk. Her body bucked, but he didn’t stop. He loved the way her hips ground against his face as he lapped at her pussy. The taste of her spilled onto his tongue like sweet, hot honey, and he craved more.
He felt her body begin to shake, and he glanced up to see her watching him with those dark, erotic eyes of hers. Her gaze was filled with a mixture of such hunger and love, it made his heart swell with pride that she was really his.
“I want you to come again for me, angel. Come now.”
Keeping his eyes on her, he latched onto her clit with his mouth and sucked hard. Thunder boomed outside, drowning out her cries. Dante felt her body jerk, and he braced his hand on her stomach, holding her still beneath him as another orgasm ripped through her.
“Dante!”
Zoe trembled in the aftermath of her release. She hadn’t even realized that she’d closed her eyes until she had to pry them open again. She looked down and her breath caught at the passion blazing in Dante’s ice-blue eyes.
“I need you now, Zoe,” he growled out. “I can’t wait any longer.”
“Then come to me, Dante. I need you, too.”
Zoe held up her arms to him. He wiped at his mouth with the back of hand, then crawled up until his large body was pressed over hers. Her legs lifted, so she cradled him between her thighs. She felt the hot length of his erection against her bare mound, and she shifted her hips against him erotically in invitation.
“Shit, baby. I need to protect you. I’ll be right back.”
He started to rise up, but she wrapped her legs around his waist to hold him in place. “You don’t need to,” she told him. “I can’t take the pill, but I’m on the depo shot. I—”
Dante let out a low growl as his mouth slammed down on hers, cutting off her words. He lifted her, shifting her fully onto the couch. Slanting his mouth over hers, his tongue delved deep. Their lips fused together as he lodged the head of his cock against the opening of her pussy.
With one hard thrust, he buried himself deep inside her.
He swallowed her cry with his mouth. It felt so good, he thought he would go mad from the pleasure of finally feeling her surrounding him. She was tight, so much tighter than he’d expected, but she felt so damn good he had to fight back the urge to pound himself into her until they both came. He rotated his hips, making sure he was as far inside her tight sheath as he could go, then he froze, holding himself completely still.
Dante lifted his head so he could look down at her. “Zoe, are you okay?”
Zoe could feel his steel-hard length throbbing inside her. She felt wonderfully full. She loved his weight on her, loved feeling the corded muscles on his back as she stroked her hands over him. Winding her arms around his neck, she whispered, “Dante?”
“Yes, angel?”
“If you don’t shut up and start moving, I’m going to have to hurt you.”
“Yeah?” His chuckle was a husky sound filled with dark promise. “I wouldn’t want that. Spread you legs wider for me, sweetheart. I’m gonna take you for a ride.”
She pulled his head back down, taking his lips in a searing kiss. Zoe could taste herself on his lips, and she found it both erotic and slightly sinful. She willed her body to relax, to accept him. As soon as she did, she felt him slide deeper. Their moans of pleasure mingled as he began moving inside her, pulling his cock out, only to push in again, harder, deeper.
His huge shaft rubbed against the sensitive nerve endings inside her pussy, pushing her closer to climax with every thrust. He played her like the finest instrument, striking the chords that set her body humming, building to a crescendo with a strength that terrified her.
“So good. You feel so good inside me.”
“I knew it would be like this. So damn tight and perfect. It’s like you were made for me, angel,” Dante panted.
Crushing his mouth against hers again, he angled his head to the side to take the kiss deeper. He had stamina, knew how to make sex last for hours, but with Zoe, all of that was blown straight to hell. The need he felt for her was overwhelming. All consuming. Loving her, being with her this way was like sharing a soul, and he never wanted it to end.
Zoe tore her mouth away from his, gasping for breath. “Oh, God. I’m…fuck, Dante! I’m gonna come! Harder. Give me more.”
Dante’s control snapped at her demand.
Bracing one foot on the floor, he levered up over her. He pushed her thighs back toward her chest and powered into her, driving his cock into her tight pussy over and over again. Their lovemaking turned wild, out of control, like the storm that continued to rage outside. He thrust hard and fast, wringing moans of ecstasy from her that almost sounded like sobs.
Their pace grew frantic, both of them racing toward something just out of reach.
The world dissolved around Zoe as she came. Her orgasm hit her with a force that had her back arching off the couch. She couldn’t stop it, and wouldn’t even if she could. She began chanting his name, over and over again in time to the waves of pleasure wracking her body.
“Damn, baby. You’re so fucking sexy when you come. I need to see it again.”
“Oh, God. I can’t.”
“You can. I need to see it. Come for me, Zoe. Give it to me. Give me your pleasure.”
He reached down and stroked his fingers over her clit as he pounded into her tight pussy. She screamed as her pussy clamped down around his thick cock, her body exploding again before she’d had time to recover from the last. She clung to him, nails digging into his arms as she cried out for him, her orgasm consuming her until nothing existed for her but him.
“You’re mine, Zoe! All mine.”
Dante thrust once, twice more, then he let out a wild roar as he erupted inside her. His hips kept jerking as he filled her with pulse after pulse of his hot seed. Still shuddering from his powerful climax, he fell over her. He was careful to keep his full weight off her smaller body as he buried his face into the crook of her neck.
Minutes passed as he nuzzled against her soft skin, and a sigh of contentment left him as he felt her hands stroking over his back. “Did I hurt you? I was a little rough and—”
She sighed. “It was wonderful.”
The awe in her voice had him lifting up so he could see her face. She had a soft smile on her lips and he couldn’t resist leaning down to kiss her. “You were wonderful.”
Her smile widened. “I told you, I’m a fast learner.”
Dante laughed. “I remember. You told me that when I hired you, but I didn’t know you’d excel at everything you tried.”
Her brow arched. “Excel, did I? I think I like that.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” It took some maneuvering, but he managed to shift them on the couch so she was sprawled over him. He groaned as he felt her body clench down on his cock at the movement.
“Umm…Dante? Didn’t you…you know?”
Amusement had him grinning. “Did I come? Hell, yeah I did. I came so damn hard, I thought my heart was gonna stop.”
There was a long pause b
efore she asked, “Then why are you still hard?”
He sighed loudly. “I’ve wanted you for a long damn time. I think it’s going to take me awhile before I get my fill of you. He’s going to stay hard whenever you’re around.”
“He? Oh, please tell me you aren’t one of those guys that talks about his dick like he has a mind of his own. Does he have a favorite color? Maybe he likes a certain TV show?”
“He certainly likes you,” Dante said, then he cringed. “Okay, let’s stop talking about my dick like he’s a different person. It’s starting to creep me out.”
Zoe giggled as she burrowed closer to him, resting her head on his chest. It was comforting to lie there, listening to the beat of his heart. Being with him had been…amazing. She’d worried that she wouldn’t be able to let go after what had happened to her, but sex with Dante was unlike anything she’d ever imagined.
It was like being given a precious gift she would always cherish.
A sigh escaped as she thought back to how wild and uninhibited she’d been with him. She was a little sore, but that was expected. He was big, and she wasn’t used to sex. Not yet, at least. Even now—after he’d made her come so many times, she’d lost count—she still wanted him. She shivered a little when she shifted and felt his cock move inside her, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. It pleased her that he didn’t seem to want to break the connection between them either.
“Are you cold?” Before she could answer, Dante pulled a soft blanket from the back of the couch and spread it over them. “Just so you know…I’ve never done it without a condom before.”
“I know. Your paranoia about protection is legendary.” She yelped when he pinched her lightly on the butt.
“Don’t mock me while I’m still inside you.” He waited a beat before saying, “I got tested the day after we made the bet. I’m clean. I wouldn’t have put you in danger—”
Reaching up, she put a finger over his lips as she glanced up at him. “I know you wouldn’t.”
She figured the subject must have made him uncomfortable because he shoved her head down on his chest again. She didn’t mind, especially when he began stroking her hair. “Dante?”
“Yeah, angel?”
“Is it always like this?”
“No.” Dante wrapped his arms around her in a fierce embrace. “It isn’t. This was special. I’ve never felt like this before. It’s because there’s love between us. Do you understand?” He tilted her chin up and looked down so their gazes met. “I’ve never loved another woman before you, Zoe. It was different with you. I’m different with you.”
“I love you, too, Dante.” She stretched up and kissed him, pouring all the love she felt for him into it. His mouth opened under hers. This time, they went slow, savoring the contact. She felt him harden inside her, growing thicker with each stroke of her tongue, and her body heated.
When he pulled back, he growled, “Stop that, or you’ll get me going again.”
Sitting up, she pushed the blanket off them and placed her hands down on his chest. She wiggled her hips a bit and was rewarded when his cock jerked inside of her. “Again? Hon, it doesn’t feel like you ever stopped going.”
He frowned at her. “I wasn’t exactly gentle before—”
“And I loved every minute of it.” Leaning down so her lips were a breath away from his, she whispered, “It took me awhile to learn how to ride my motorcycle, but I think I’ve got the hang of this already.”
His laugh turned into a groan as she began to move, sliding her slick, wet heat over him. “Damn, woman. You’re already so good if you get any better, you’re gonna kill me.”
Yes, there was love between them. Dante could see it shining in her dark eyes as she looked down at him. He drank in the sight of her moving over him like some golden goddess bathed in candlelight, and he knew without a doubt that he’d never seen anything more beautiful.
She was his now, and he’d never let anyone hurt her ever again.
He’d damn well make sure of it.
Chapter Nine
The next several days passed by in a blur.
That first night Zoe and Dante spent together had been magical. They’d rested on the couch, making love a few more times before he’d carried her to his bedroom where they’d fallen into a deep sleep with their bodies entwined.
And waking up in Dante’s arms the next morning had been like a dream for her.
It had been late in the afternoon when they’d finally woken, and Zoe had smiled at the way Dante had wrapped his large body around hers as if to protect her even in sleep. They’d showered together, which led to another round of hot, steamy sex before they’d stumbled into the kitchen to make breakfast.
When the rain continued to fall, Dante had insisted she leave her motorcycle in the garage. He drove them back to town in his truck, and she’d insisted on stopping by her apartment to change her clothes before they went to work. It had been surprising just how comfortable they’d been with one another after their night of loving. Zoe had worried about feeling awkward with him, but it hadn’t been strained at all.
It was as if they’d always been together.
Zoe had been careful at the bar, not wanting the other employees to feel weird about her relationship with the boss. She’d made Dante promise to behave while they were at work, but it had all been for nothing. There was no way to hide the loving glances they sent one another, nor was it possible to conceal the gentle caresses they gave each other whenever they were close.
She’d been baffled when every single employee had thanked her for the improvement in Dante’s mood, and she’d outright laughed when GT had gleefully told her she’d won the bet. Dante hadn’t been amused when Zoe told him about the wager the employees had made about them, but he’d found the humor in it after she’d joked about their own foolish bet they’d made.
“So, who won ours?” she’d asked playfully.
“We both did,” was his simple reply.
Was it any wonder she was in love with him?
Overall, the employees and the patrons of the bar didn’t treat Zoe any differently, which pleased her greatly. They were so busy with the spring break crowd that she didn’t have much time to dwell on her worries, anyway.
There had been only one incident that had called attention to her and Dante’s relationship that had given her pause. One drunk local from the next town over who had an issue with Dante had tried to start shit by sneering at Zoe as he’d tried to give her a new nickname…Fox’s hole.
Unfortunately for the idiot, he’d made the comment in front of Dante, who had promptly smashed his fist into the guy’s face, knocking him out cold. The people who’d been standing near them had frozen in place. The mood had shifted as Samantha Kane casually poured the rest of her beer on the unconscious man to wake him up.
When he came to sputtering, she’d stared down at him in disgust. “Cool off, asshole.”
Reggie had lifted the man up with one hand, then dragged him out of the bar as the patrons had roared with laughter. Dante had smiled at Sam and said, “Your next beer is on the house.”
Dante had been pissed about what the man said, but Zoe had quickly calmed him down after she’d dragged him back into his office to kiss him silly. They’d locked the door and made love on his desk, both of them desperate for one another. By the time they were done, all the items on his desk had been shoved off and papers covered the floor. Zoe had ordered him to clean up the mess, winking at him as she left the room while he’d stood there laughing.
Since their first night together, she and Dante spent every waking moment together. They still bickered, but their disagreements usually ended with him kissing her senseless instead of him stomping off like he used to.
When they were alone, they talked about everything, holding nothing back. She told him more about her life, and how isolated and alone she’d felt before meeting her friend, Ashley. When she finally informed him about who her father was, she’d expected him
to be impressed, and maybe a little intimidated. Her father was an important businessman, after all. But it had only made her love him more when Dante had just shrugged and said, “Who cares, he’s still an asshole. No amount of money can change that.”
In turn, Dante talked about his own childhood. He told her about his mother leaving, and how it had affected his family. She could tell it hurt him, even though he pretended it didn’t. She loved hearing the funny stories he told about growing up at the bar, and she enjoyed hearing about his father and sister. Zoe could tell that Dante was proud of both of them. She loved Malcolm Fox, but she’d never met Danica, Dante’s sister, and couldn’t wait to meet her.
Zoe was surprised when Dante spoke of his time in the Army, telling her about some of the more harrowing situations he’d been involved in. He didn’t give her specifics, but she could tell that his time overseas had changed him. She understood how circumstances could alter a person, and when he told her about some of the issues he still had, she’d simply wrapped her arms around him and told him how much she loved him.
Each night, Dante made love to her over and over again until they fell asleep, exhausted and sated. Somehow their love seemed to keep their nightmares at bay. Just as he’d said, they were perfect for one another. They were both survivors, and it only made their bond stronger.
It wasn’t until Zoe’s day off that she discovered just how tense Dante was about her situation. It was Sunday, and Zoe wasn’t scheduled to work. Normally, she looked forward to her time off, but this would be the first time since she’d told him about her past that they wouldn’t be spending the day together.
The Saturday night crowd hadn’t seemed to want to go home after last call had been announced, and both Zoe and Dante were exhausted by the time they’d stumbled into her apartment. He never slept well in her queen size bed when he stayed over. He was a big man, and she always laughed when she saw his feet hanging off the end of the bed when they woke up.
That morning, Dante was in a particularly bad mood. He’d brooded over their breakfast, then he’d loved her with a desperation that had slightly alarmed her as they’d shared a hot shower together. She waited him out, sure he wouldn’t be able to contain what was bothering him for long. As she expected, she’d just finished drying her hair when he finally erupted.