still keeping eye contact, Dante cupped her cheek, the skin of his palm rough. A hint of alcohol clung to him, noticeable only because he stood mere inches away, so close she could run her nose along his scruffy jawline and breathe him in if she wanted to.
God, how she wanted to.
"You smell like a bar," she told him.
"You smell like the hospital," he said in return.
She cringed. Gross. "Is that a problem for you, too? We can add it to the list."
"Oh, we're making a list now?"
"We might as well," she said. "Things that are a problem for Dante Galante."
"Ah, if I have to name everything that bothers me, we'll be here for days, so maybe we ought to focus on what doesn't bother me… like you not wearing any pants."
Rolling her eyes, Gabriella pushed him. "You're ridiculous."
"Am not," he said. "Baby, you've got the kind of legs that men would go to war for. That'll never be a problem for me."
Baby.
Her stupid heart almost leaped right out of her chest.
"Everyone tells me I got my mother's legs," she said. "They look great in a pair of heels."
"I bet they do."
"Yeah, it's those Brazzi genes… you know, because I'm a Brazzi, in case you've forgotten."
The humor in his eyes died at those words, the reminder sobering him up, his expression turning serious. He pressed his lips tightly together, regarding her in silence. She wondered if that was it, if he had nothing more to say, but he sighed after a moment.
"I have no problem with your family," he said. "We get along well enough. So it's nothing personal, you know... I'm not that kind of man. Or maybe I am, but I don't want to be that kind of man. I watched my sister get caught up in it all over a guy she was better off staying away from, and some things are just too close for comfort. I don't like it."
I don't like it.
Those words made her stomach sink, drowning those butterflies.
"But I like you, Gabriella. I do. I like you a lot, although I probably shouldn't."
"You totally shouldn't."
"I shouldn't have even come here."
"You're right."
"And you probably shouldn't be standing in front of me in just your underwear."
"Well, I mean, I've got my shirt on, but I get what you're saying."
"But still, I like you, and here I stand, and you're right there…"
"So now what?"
He reached for her, his hands grasping her hips, pulling her closer to him, his voice gravelly as he whispered, "Now I jump."
His lips smashed against hers, catching her off guard. She gasped, as Dante winced from his split lip, but it didn't deter him. He kissed her hard, backing her up toward the sliding door leading to her bedroom.
He stalled in the doorway, like he was waiting for an invitation, but Gabriella dragged him inside the room with her. It was too late to second-guess it now. They were already free falling.
Breaking the kiss, Dante grasped the bottom of her tank top, pulling it over her head. He dropped it to the floor right where they stood, discarding it, his eyes glossing over her chest and trailing along her stomach. His hands snaked around her, reaching for the clasp of her bra, unhooking it with just the flick of his fingertips.
He was better at that than even she was.
"Do you do that often?" she asked, curious.
"Do you really want me to answer that right now?"
She hesitated before shaking her head.
No, she didn't want to know.
The bra straps slid down Gabriella's arms, and she let it drop to the floor. Dante palmed her breasts, thumbs grazing over her nipples. They perked up at his touch, goose bumps trailing from them, radiating across her skin. It had been a long time since anyone had touched her like that… way too long. Warmth spread down her torso, settling in that spot between her thighs. She let out a soft moan as she wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him even closer, absorbing his warmth.
Dante kissed her again as he pulled her onto the bed. She lay back, head resting on a pillow, as he hovered over her. His lips left hers, making their way along her face and down her jaw, a searing trail leading to her neck as she cocked her head, giving him better access. The skin prickled, tingling, as his tongue traced circles, drawing patterns on her flesh the whole way to her chest. His lips encircled a nipple, sucking. It