feel about it?’ Mia asked,
‘We’ll talk in the morning. You’re too tired now, but if you need anything...’
‘Dante—’ Except she was speaking to a closed door.
Mia kicked her heels on the bed in frustration and lay there scarcely able to believe not only that he knew about his father but that he was smiling, and that he would leave her hanging. But then she started to smile as she realised Dante was giving her a choice.
He always had.
From their first night together, not once had he pushed her, or tried to persuade her.
It was sex, Mia reminded herself.
Nothing more than that to Dante.
Yet he could be hers tonight, if she so chose.
And she so chose!
Mia pulled back the covers and rather gingerly climbed out of bed, because she loathed the house at night, but when she opened the bedroom door she had to smile, because Dante had left the lights on for her.
And there was a shoe at the bottom of the stairs.
A sock too.
Then a shirt.
There was a treasure trail, which she guessed would lead her to his door. She was glad of it, for Mia had never so much as been up these stairs before. There were his trousers halfway down an elegantly lit hallway, and she made her way down it, a little nervous, a little scared, a little cold, but desire propelled her. It was Dante she could accuse of being slovenly now for his black silk boxers were on the floor, leaving no doubt he was naked on the other side.
Pushing open the door, she was met by Dante’s smile in the softly lit room as he pulled back the sheet. She ran the last steps to his bed and climbed into his warm, waiting arms.
‘You know?’ she said, continuing their conversation.
‘I do, and I don’t care about all that now. Come here,’ Dante said, and pulled her not into his arms but up onto his stomach. ‘I only care to see the changes in you.’
He slipped her robe off but she fought to retrieve it as she felt very naked and very aware of his stomach on her sex. ‘Dante...’
‘What?’ he asked. ‘Are you going to play shy?’
‘I am shy.’
‘Not with me you’re not.’
It was true. With Dante she felt less shy.
‘Can I ask you something?’ Dante said, as he held her hips. ‘And you don’t have to answer, only tell me what you want me to know. When you said you’d never known such feelings...’ He felt her blush all over, even her thighs on his waist burnt with embarrassment. ‘Never?’
She nodded.
‘How?’ Dante asked, as if life without sex was an impossible feat.
‘Just...’ she shrugged ‘...no interest.’
‘None?’
‘No.’
‘So what about that look you gave me the day we met? That come-to-bed look, that get-down-on-your-knees look.’
‘I would never do that.’
‘Okay. What else won’t you do?’
She told him and Dante listened with great interest. ‘You have a very long not-to-do list.’
‘Yes.’
‘So you don’t ever want to taste me?’
Mia couldn’t believe she was discussing things she had always considered filthy, and, what’s more, she couldn’t believe that the thought turned her on. ‘Maybe that one I do want to try. Look, I don’t expect you to get it. You’re mad for all of it.’
‘I used to be,’ Dante said, ‘until an uptight girl came along and there’s been no one else since then. Waste of a condom last night, wasn’t it?’
‘You’re wicked.’ Mia smiled, trying not to show her deep thrill that there had been no one else, but Dante was examining those changes to her body now.
With one finger, he stroked her breast and his light touch had her clench in a heady mixture of frustration and pleasure. Then he upped the pressure and rolled her nipple between his finger and thumb and then with his warm palm he caressed her so softly that she leant into his hand for more.
His hand moved to the back of her head and he pulled her forward. Mia closed her eyes as his tongue flicked her swollen nipple then tasted her slowly and deeply, sucking on her and edging her towards desperation.
‘It’s going to be okay,’ he said, and ran a light hand over her stomach. ‘I’ll sort this for both of you.’
She gave a slight mirthless laugh because, whatever way Mia looked, there was going to be hell to pay.
‘I will. I’ll build a canopy over the residence and hide you both away,’ Dante said, while knowing that hiding was not the answer. ‘Come with me tomorrow.’
Mia tensed.