Chapter Nine
Samantha
Dante’s assistant, Susan, delivers my dress as promised, and I gawk over how gorgeous it is. We both squeal over it, and when I try it on, it’s perfect.
Susan is a sweetheart. She’s in her forties, absolutely calm and collected. I’ve talked to her a couple times when she’s come to the penthouse, and she genuinely seems like a nice person. I don’t know why that surprises me, but it does. After I finish trying the dress on, I ask her if she wants to stay for lunch, and she looks totally shocked.
“I mean, you don’t have to,” I tell her.
“If my schedule wasn’t packed today, I would love to,” she tells me. “I’m just surprised. Dante has never asked me if I wanted to have coffee or anything like that,” she says with a little laugh.
“Is he a good boss?” I ask curiously.
She nods. “He is. Actually, he’s the best boss I’ve ever had. My youngest son has some health issues, and it was almost impossible for me to keep a job before. Lots of time off needed for doctor visits and tests and the occasional terrifying hospital stay,” she explains, and I nod. “But Mr. Knight is really great about it. I’m mostly able to set my own hours, as long as I get the things he needs done, done. No hassle about the times when I can’t come in to the office. No stress over whether I’m going to lose my job because I need to be there for my kid. I’m very lucky to work for him.”
“Is it like that throughout his company?” I ask, thinking of his father, who didn’t seem much like Dante at all.
Susan shakes her head. “Definitely not. I’m lucky. My contract is with Dante, not with the company.”
After Susan leaves, I have time to think that over. He’s much kinder than I expected at first. Even to me. I recognize that paying one million dollars for a handful of events is going above and beyond, even if he is filthy rich.
I spend the day doing my usual: checking through upcoming casting calls in L.A. I’m pretty sure that’s where I’m going to move my Pops and me after this is all over. A fresh start in the heart of the entertainment industry. Maybe one day I’ll make it out to New York, but L.A. sounds pretty damn good. So I spend time every day looking through ads and a few industry websites for casting calls, and then I spend a little more time looking for apartments for rent. With what Dante’s paying me, I can pay off Pops’ debt, buy him a little place, and still have enough left over to live on while I find a job and go on more casting calls.
One thing I know for sure: I’ll never strip again. I mean, I didn’t even really do it at the Calla Club; I hadn’t had a chance before Dante bid on me. But I’d come close, and I can’t see ever being in a situation where I’ll need to again. Some women find it empowering and fun, and that’s awesome for them, but I’m still a romantic at heart, maybe.
I only want one man looking at me naked.
Damn it.
I hate him. At least, part of me hates him. I hate that I want him to touch me again. I hate that I can’t get the feel of his body crushing mine out of my mind, or that I crave the sensation of him filling me, thrusting into me so hard I feel like I’m going to be split in two. I didn’t expect to be this out of my mind, this horny, this needy for him again, even after he acted like such a jerk.
I look at the dress Susan brought for me. It’s gorgeous, a long, violet Valentino gown that looks like it belongs on the red carpet, not hanging in my closet. Of course, Susan brought shoes, a tiny clutch, and matching underthings as well.
This makes me remember those red panties the first night and the way Dante tore them from my body. He was almost frightening in his determination to have me, and it had only made me want him more.
I close my eyes. But we’re not doing that again. He’s a jerk and we’re both adults. We know it’s a bad idea. My brain gets that, even if my body refuses to listen.
At seven, I’m ready to go. I give myself the once-over in the full-length mirror in my room, and I have to say, I look damn good. The Valentino gown hugs my curves perfectly. It’s a sleeveless, strapless design, and my breasts look freaking amazing, the tops of them peeking out over violet satin. The skirt is swishy and floaty, and it moves like a cloud around my legs. My makeup is minimal, and I’ve left my hair down.
I’ll just admit it. Part of me wants Dante to suffer tonight. He hurt me more than I wanted to show, but I’ve seen the way he looks at me when he thinks I’m not looking. That hungry, almost feral look…he wants me. If he hadn’t acted like a jerk, we could have been screwing like mad this past week, and my body would be a lot calmer.
So payback is a bitch and, I guess, so am I when the situation merits it.
I grab the little black clutch Susan brought for me and take a deep breath before stepping out of my room.
Dante’s standing in the living room dressed in a black suit that was clearly custom-made for him. It fits him perfectly. He turns from the windows and his dark gaze flicks over me. It’s impossible to miss the appreciative look in his eyes, but I stay as cool and aloof as I have been every time I’ve seen him this past week. It’s a role, I’m an actress. I can be anything. Even indifferent to Dante Knight.
“You look nice,” he says.
“You too, Mr. Knight.”
“Can you stop that?” he mutters.
“Stop what?”
“Stop with the Mr. Knight bullshit.”
“I’m your employee. All of your other employees call you Mr. Knight.”
He seems like he wants to say something to that, but he bites back whatever it is.
“For tonight, for this event, I would appreciate it if you’d go back to calling me Dante,” he says, and there’s a low growl to his voice that tells me he’s not feeling as calm as he’d like.
Good. That makes two of us.
“Of course. Is there anything I should know about the couple? Things the wife is interested in, places they’ve traveled?”
He shrugs. “I have no idea. I know they like theater, so you should be able to talk to her about that if nothing else.”
“Lovely.”
He’s looking at me again, and there’s a dangerous glint in his eyes, like he’s a man on the edge and I’m the one he blames.
“Let’s go,” he mutters. He walks toward the door and pulls it open, waiting for me. I walk past, keeping my eyes straight ahead. We take the elevator down to the lower level, get into the back of the limo, and then we’re away.
The truth is, I’m having a hard time pretending indifference to him. His dark, intense gaze undid me the moment I saw him at the Calla Club, and it’s only more potent now that I know the passion that lies behind it. Flashes of that night, of the things he did to me, keep crossing my mind as we sit in the back of the limo, and the spacious car suddenly feels as cramped as the little used Honda I drove through high school and college.
We sit through the ride in silence until we pull up in front of a sprawling mansion in one of the more exclusive suburbs. Our driver gets out, and Dante looks at me. I’m sitting in the seat across from him.
“Sit over here so they can sit next to each other,” he says, and I quickly move over to the seat beside Dante’s.
“You don’t have to sit all the way over there,” he says in a wry tone. “We’re at least supposed to act like we can somewhat tolerate each other.”
I take a deep breath and scoot a little closer to Dante, and then the door opens and an elegant woman with snow white hair and a stunning black gown slides into the seat across from mine, just as a man in a tux seats himself across from Dante.
“Stunning as always, LeeAnn,” Dante says, briefly shaking the woman’s hand. “Nice to see you, John,” he says to the man who has silvery hair and a goatee to match. “LeeAnn and John Carver, this is my friend Samantha Day.” I shake hands with both of them, and then Dante is chatting with John and LeeAnn and I start gushing about the show we’re about to see. We’re at the theater before I know it, and I’ve decided that I like LeeAnn a lot. She’s as much of a musical theater geek as I am, except that she’s seen more live shows.
An usher guides us to our seats, except of course we’re not sitting where everyone else sits. He leads us to a private VIP balcony. There’s a door, and the usher closes it behind him as he leaves. In the VIP box, there are four cushy-looking seats, and we have an amazing view of the stage. I expected LeeAnn and John to sit next to each other, but it ends up that Dante and I are sitting beside each other, John next to Dante, and LeeAnn next to me. I’m glad to have her there; chatting with her distracts me from having Dante so close to me. I swear I can feel the heat emanating from his body, and the scent of his cologne is making me feel warm. I had that same scent all over my skin the night I spent with him, and I know I’ll never forget it.
I can almost forget about him, though, once the show starts. Every moment of the show, every song, every dance, has my heart pounding, and I can’t stop smiling. This, what these amazing people on stage are doing, is what I’m meant for.
At one point, I swear I can feel Dante’s eyes on me, and I turn to look at him. He’s watching me intently, and I blush and look away.
The first act wraps up, and the house lights come up for the intermission. John and LeeAnn say they’re going to get a drink and ask Dante if we’re coming. Dante shakes his head and says he’ll see them in a while. When they leave, Dante and I sit there in awkward silence for a bit. He’s watching me, and it’s almost like a caress.
***
Dante
She’s so fucking gorgeous I can’t take my eyes off her. I can’t do this anymore. I’m out of my mind being near her and not touching her, and the excitement in her eyes, the little smile she wore through much of the first act, only made her even more beautiful.
“You seem really into this,” I finally say, determined to break the ice. The ice I put there, and never should have. She’s clearly not falling apart over me, so my whole “I don’t fuck virgins” thing seems pointless now. And if I don’t have her again soon, I’m going to lose my mind.
She glances at me, and she’s too happy to be wary of me. “This is amazing. Everything. The choreography, the music, the sets, the costumes! Oh, my god, the costumes,” she says, smiling and shaking her head. “They’re all so talented, and I’m going to remember seeing this show forever.”
“I have no idea what’s going on in the show,” I tell her, and she gives me a glance.
“Yeah, you have to listen to the lyrics a bit to pick up all of the details,” she finally says with a laugh.
“That’s not it.”
“No?”
“No. Kinda hard to pay attention to anything else when all I can do is stare at you.”
She swallows, and I can see her pulse jumping at the base of her throat.
“The show’s more interesting, I’m sure,” she finally says.
“Not even close.”
She looks away, and I reach out and run my fingertips over her shoulder and down her arm. I feel her tremble beneath my touch, and I know this little cool and professional act she’s put on with me all week is just that: an act. She’s as affected by me as I am by her.
I run my fingertips back up her arm, her shoulder, up the side of her neck, and she lets out a shaky breath. When I lean over and press my lips to her shoulder, I take the fact that she doesn’t back away as a good sign.
I need her. Now. The idea of fucking her right here, right now, has my cock in agony. I kiss the side of her neck, and she lets out a little whimper. I kiss her, nibble her, and at the same time, my hand finds its way under her dress, up her thigh, and when I finally cup her pussy, she lets out a strangled little cry.
“Your panties are so wet, baby,” I murmur against her ear. I squeeze her pussy, just a little, and she moans. It only takes a second for me to push her panties aside, and my fingers find her wet, swollen, and needy for me.
“Fuck,” I growl, and she whimpers as my fingertips brush over her clit. I rip her flimsy panties off and stuff them into my pocket, and she looks at me with wide eyes. I know no one can see us up here, but even if they could, I’d fuck her right there and let them have the show of their lives.
I unbutton my pants and let my cock spring free. “Come here, Samantha,” I demand, and when she doesn’t even hesitate, I nearly roar in victory. I dig a condom out of my wallet and quickly slip it on.
“What if they come back?” she whispers.
“I don’t care.”
She’s on my lap, straddling me, and in one hard, fast thrust, I’m inside her finally, and I groan in relief. She moans, and her tight cunt clenches around me.
“Do it, Samantha. Ride me hard,” I growl, and she does, slamming onto me hard over and over again. The only thing that would make this better would be her gorgeous tits bouncing as she fucks me, so I push her gown down and they spill free.
“Harder, Samantha. Show me how much you need my cock,” I rasp, and she starts riding me harder, faster, tits bouncing, hands gripping my shoulders. She’s so wet, so tight, and I’m so fucking close. I lean forward and take one hard nipple into my mouth, sucking hard, and she cries out. She’s getting tighter, tighter, her movements jerkier, and I’m about to explode. I grab her ass and squeeze, my fingertips just grazing her tight hole, and she lets out the most helpless, perfect whimper I’ve ever heard.
“Come for me, baby. You know you want to. Look at you, fucking a man you barely know in a theater where anyone might see you. I did this to you, and it’s just the beginning,” I finish, and she comes, smothering what would have been a magnificent scream against the side of my neck. I keep talking, because it’s clear how much she gets off on it. “I didn’t tell you to stop, Samantha,” I growl, and she’s riding me again. “I’m going to take you, over and over and over again, until the only sensation that feels right is my dick pounding into you, and you feel empty without me there.”
She moans and slams onto me harder.
“You want that, don’t you?” I demand.
“Yes, Dante,” she breathes.
“You’ve wanted this since the first time we fucked, haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to have you as often as I want, aren’t I, baby?”
“Yes, Dante. Please,” she begs, and then I’m pounding into her, hard, fast, brutal, and when I come, I swear I almost black out from the force of it.
When I’m spent, I pat her ass and claim her lips briefly. She shakily pulls herself off of me and goes to work putting herself back together again. She pulls her dress back up over her tits and fixes her skirt, then runs her hands over her hair. After throwing the condom into a nearby trash can, I tuck my dick back in and straighten my jacket.
“That was just round one,” I murmur to her, and she glances away. I hide a smile. A little bit more of her innocence taken by me. It won’t be the last time I corrupt her, either.
***
Samantha
When LeeAnn and John come back into the VIP box, I’m still in shock over what I’ve just done. I rode Dante like a lust-crazed slut in a public place. Anyone could have walked in and seen. I feel filthy…and I want to do it again.
My thighs are sticky with wetness, and I shift uncomfortably in my seat. I feel thoroughly used, but I don’t doubt him when he says there will be more later. This has been building between us since that first night, and I’m tired of fighting it. He’s an asshole, and he acted like a jerk, but I can’t resist the things he tells me to do. I need them the way I need air. I try to act natural, talking to LeeAnn before the next act starts, and I’m relieved when it does. I still enjoy the play, but I can’t stop thinking about what I just did, about how good it felt to do what he said, as if he read my mind and knew exactly what I needed.
I do not know how I feel about that. Right now, though, my body is pretty damn approving of it.
The show ends, and we all stand up and head out to the lobby. Dante, John, and LeeAnn decide to have a drink at the bar before we leave, and I excuse myself to go to the restroom. I want to get cleaned up as much as I can and try to get myself back together after what happened between Dante and me. I started this night feeling confident and in control, and now I don’t feel any of that. I feel like a mess of a woman who wants nothing more than to be alone with Dante again.
I spend a little time in the bathroom just breathing. I use some wipes to clean up my thighs, then I touch up my makeup and get my hair back under control. I stand there in my Valentino gown that probably costs more than the first three houses I lived in combined, and I feel like a stranger in my own body. I’m a good girl. I always have been, even with a body that seemed to make men assume the exact opposite. I’ve never felt anything like this, never wanted to be used the way Dante uses me, and it scares the hell out of me.
When I finally feel like I’m able to face him again and continue to play the calm, cool, collected “friend” on his arm, I force myself to leave the bathroom. I’m just rounding the corner, heading toward the bar, when I see Dante. Except he’s not alone, and he’s not standing with LeeAnn and John. There’s a tall, drop-dead gorgeous blonde standing with him. Model gorgeous. And she and Dante are leaning in, talking in a way that suggests a definite closeness and level of familiarity between them that most definitely doesn’t exist between Dante and me. My steps falter, and I feel my stomach twist. Envy, nerves, whatever it is, I kind of feel like I want to throw up.
“Hey there, gorgeous,” I hear a smooth, oily voice say behind me, and I recognize it at once. Anton, the slimy guy from the gala, is standing just behind my right shoulder. “Fancy seeing you here. The night just got a whole lot more interesting.”
“Anton,” I say stiffly, glancing toward Dante. His reaction that first time suggested that he wouldn’t like Anton talking to me, but he’s still engrossed in his discussion with the blonde.
“Ah. Don’t have Dante’s attention tonight, huh? Well, don’t feel too bad,” Anton says, and I can feel his breath on my shoulder.
“Who is she?” I ask, and Anton laughs.
“Dante hasn’t told you?” he sneers.
“Told me what?”
“That’s Marlena. His off-again, on-again fiancée. They break up every few months, and then they always end up back together. They were on a break when he bought you.”
It feels like I’ve been stabbed, right in the heart, and I’m surprised by how much it hurts.
“Looks like they’re about to get back together again, and then he won’t need you anymore,” he continues. “It’s okay, sweetness. Once upon a time, Dante and I used to share all our toys. I’ll make sure you earn out the rest of your contract.”
Now I really want to throw up, and preferably all over Anton’s expensive shoes. Luckily, he laughs low one more time and then walks away, leaving me standing there. I stand there catching my breath, and after a moment, Marlena moves away and Dante glances in my direction. He walks toward me, and he doesn’t look like a man who’s looking at someone who means nothing. He looks like a man on a mission, a man with a singular focus, and it isn’t directed at the blonde.
Anton’s a snake. I know this. I don’t doubt that Dante and Marlena have a history, but I’m the one here now, not her. And Dante doesn’t strike me as the cheating type.
So when he meets my eyes, when he holds out his hand, I do the one thing I’ve wanted to do since the first time our eyes met: I place myself in his hands. It won’t be forever, but I’ll take the way he makes me feel in the moment.
Because he makes me feel alive, and he’s introduced me to a side of myself I didn’t even know existed, and I want more.