Katia

 

I waited days for Dante to call.

 

“He doesn’t care about me.” I pouted at Anya. We were lounging in my living room, going over my plans for the next month. “If he cares about me, he would’ve called me.”

 

Anya rolled her eyes. “That’s not true,” she said. “How did things end? I mean, you didn’t really get to talk to him much when they got Ryan, did you?”

 

I shook my head, letting my perfectly-waved blonde hair fall in front of my face. “I couldn’t talk to him,” I confessed. “I was covered in bruises and cuts. And besides, those cops dragged me off before I had a chance to say anything.”

 

I swallowed hard. Deep down, I was glad the cops had done something before I’d had a chance to embarrass myself further. I didn’t want to tell Dante how I felt, if only because I knew he didn’t feel the same way about me. Sure, we’d had great sex. But then he’d left me, and now he was avoiding me.

 

“I think he just wanted to get away from me, you know, a clean break,” I said carefully, reaching down for my cup of diet seltzer. “That’s how men are. They’re so noncommittal.”

 

“Call him,” she said with a sweet smile. “I know how you build things up in your mind, Katia. You always have to have the perfect man who’s a perfect gentleman. But Dante isn’t that kind of guy. And if you don’t tell him how you feel, you’re going to lose him forever.”

 

I licked my lips. Along with the rest of my body, they were finally starting to heal from Ryan’s assault. At the advice of the doctor in the emergency room, I’d started going to a counselor to deal with the “lingering trauma,” but aside from a few nightmares, I hadn’t really had anything too horrible to deal with. The bruises faded in a couple of days, the knot on my head drained down, and the cuts and scratches healed over in a remarkably short amount of time.

 

“Anyway, I’ll let you go,” Anya said, getting to her feet and wiping her hands on her round thighs. “I know you probably want some alone time.”

 

I felt a tug of anxiety on my heartstrings as I watched Anya gather her things.

 

“Hey,” I said softly. “Thank you. For—for everything.”

 

Anya smiled, looking pretty and ten years younger. She smiled back. “I love you, Katia,” she said. “Even if you’re a royal pain in the ass sometimes.”

 

I grinned, feeling much more like my old self. Just as I was about to get up to hug my best friend, my phone started buzzing on the table. When I saw that Dante was calling, my heart leaped into my throat.

 

“You’d better answer that,” Anya told me slyly. “I know how you’ve been dying to talk to him and all.”

 

I giggled. “Go!” I yelled playfully. “Give me some privacy!”

 

# # #

 

Six hours later, I stood nervously in front of my full-length bedroom mirror, staring at the way the black cocktail dress hugged my body. It was something I’d bought a few months ago but had yet to wear, and I was still self-conscious of the way it pushed my breasts into a high cleavage.

 

Still, it was probably the best thing I had for a date with Dante at Marcus & Fine, one of L.A.’s newest and most expensive steakhouses.

 

Sliding into the back seat of a cab, I pulled a mirror out of my purse and glanced at my reflection. With my hair teased and slightly over my forehead, the last of my bruises were all but invisible. Inside, though, I was feeling more nervous than I’d ever felt in my life. More nervous than when I auditioned for my first pageant, and much more nervous than I’d felt when I’d gone into my oncologist’s office to hear whether or not the leukemia had finally left my body.

 

Dante was sitting at a table in the back, looking incredibly handsome in a dark jacket with a dark T-shirt underneath. I instinctively grinned when I saw him.

 

Dante raised his eyebrows. “The lady arrives,” he said smoothly. He leaped to his feet, pulling my chair out in front of me. “Would she like to sit?”

 

“She would, indeed,” I replied as I sat down on the smooth velvet chair. The restaurant was dim and intimate with roses and candles on each table. Even though the tables around me were filled with chattering couples, I still felt like Dante and I were alone together.

 

“So,” I said softly. “How are you?”

 

“Well, things are getting back to normal,” he said. “I fuckin’ miss your condo though. That was a sweet place to crash for a while. My apartment doesn’t really feel the same.”

 

I smiled and blushed at the same time. As the waiter appeared to take our drink order, I grabbed the wine list from Dante before he could say anything.

 

“Ma’am?” The waiter glanced down at me with disdain. “Did you have a question?”

 

“No questions,” I replied sweetly as I pushed the wine list towards him. “But we’ll take the second most expensive bottle of wine on the list.”

 

Dante chuckled, and the waiter threw him a quick glare before turning his attention back to me. “But, madam,” he said calmly. “You don’t even know which kind of wine that would be.”

 

I shrugged. “I don’t care. I just know that it’s gonna be good.”

 

When the waiter left us alone, Dante stretched. He raked a hand through his dark hair; I noticed that it wasn’t nearly as unruly as usual. I blushed at the thought of Dante taking more time than usual to get ready for me. Something about that idea turned me on more than I was willing to admit.

 

I scooted my chair closer to the table. “So—”

 

The wine came, and I poured us each a generous glass, taking a sip of mine. The wine was a pinot noir, and it was delicious. I savored the way the rich, alcoholic flavor poured down my throat. It was almost enough to calm me, which is something I hadn’t felt since before The Incident had taken place.

 

“So?” Dante raised his eyebrows and eyed me. “What were you about to say?”

 

“I was just going to ask you how things were going. But now I think that we need to make a toast. We have our drinks now.”

 

“Okay.” Dante and I clinked glasses. His dark blue eyes stared into my own, and I felt a small shiver of arousal crawling down my spine.

 

“So, what do we toast to?”

 

Dante grinned. “You always gotta put me on the spot with these hard questions. But I think we should toast to you, Katia, for taking charge and clearing my club’s name with the cops. And for being fabulous, no matter what.”

 

My cheeks burned bright red. For a moment, I couldn’t even meet Dante’s eyes. Then I clinked my glass against his and drank.

 

“You were cool, too,” I said softly. “You—you saved me, Dante.”

 

Dante shook his head. “I didn’t do a good job. I really fucked up. It’s good you’re so strong, Katia. I know most women wouldn’t have been able to go through that and come out on top. But you…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “You’re a fucking champ.”

 

“I know and modest, too,” I replied, laughing and cocking my head to the side.

 

“You’re incredible,” Dante said in all seriousness. He stared into my eyes. When I could no longer meet his gaze, I had to look away.

 

I sighed. “I–I don’t know, Dante. I just—I can’t believe you left me. I woke up, and you were gone. Why did you leave me?” I demanded.

 

He ran his fingers through his hair, which ruffled the parts he’d tried hard to tame, and he let out a sigh. “I was trying to be the hero. I thought that I could take care of Ryan in one night, and in the morning, all your problems would be gone. I knew that you would try to stop me if I told you that I was going.”

 

“I probably would have,” I said with a bit of shame. I rolled my eyes and took another long drink of wine. “I’m sorry for being angry,” I added. “I just think I lost my confidence, or whatever it was that I had beforehand. Everything’s changed.”

 

Dante snorted. He drained his wine glass and poured himself a refill, smirking at me the whole time. “Well, I talked to the rest of Heaven’s Veil. And the other guys are with me, and they want to make sure that we stay as legitimate as possible. And Katia, that’s all thanks to you. If you hadn’t put in a good word for us, fuck, I don’t know. The cops would probably still be out there chasing me.”

 

I giggled. “I can’t believe they listened. If I had a dollar for every guy who thought I was some actress instead of myself.” I rolled my eyes.

 

“Well, I’m glad they listened,” Dante said seriously. “I’m actually going into body-work full time now, and the rest of the guys are going to do security or guarding or work as mechanics. Guns and drugs are off the table,” he added. “And thank you, Katia. Without you, I wouldn’t have had the incentive to really tell them how things had to change.”

 

I nodded. “So, you’re going to be working as a bodyguard again?”

 

Dante nodded. “Some girl, the daughter of the former mayor, she thinks she needs help. So, I’m going to be moving into the apartment over her garage to keep an eye on things for a few days.”

 

I couldn’t help it; my eyebrows went up. Suddenly, my mind was filled with horrible thoughts. What if Dante decided he liked this girl better than me? I knew exactly who he was talking about, too. She was young and very pretty. She’d already had dozens of boyfriends, and I knew that she’d like a guy as hot as Dante to watch over her. Probably a little too much, I thought as my eyes narrowed in jealousy.

 

“What?” Dante frowned. He took a sip of wine. “Aren’t you happy that I’m not a criminal anymore? Shit, Katia, part of the reason why I’m doing this is for you.”

 

I stared at him. “I don’t even know what that means,” I said, setting my wine down. The alcohol was starting to make me feel a little hot and fluttery inside.

 

“It means that I want to impress you,” Dante said patiently.

 

I licked my lips, not believing his words until he stretched his hand across the table and laced his fingers with mine. When he squeezed my hand, I finally looked into his blue eyes.

 

“You mean that? You won’t get all crazy over this new girl?”

 

Dante snorted. “She’s a child. I like you better.”

 

I love you, I almost said. The words were on the tip of my tongue. I swished them around in my mouth, staring at Dante and wondering if he felt the same way. After all, there wasn’t much he was getting from me anymore. I wasn’t paying him, and he’d even said that he was trying to impress me. So, what was I waiting for?

 

“So, again,” Dante said wearily. He grabbed my glass and refilled it to the brim. “Thank you, Katia. For saving my reputation and the reputation of my club. I really owe you.”

 

“It’s not a problem,” I replied tenderly. “I love you.”

 

Dante stared. As the blood drained from his handsome face, I felt my heartbeats race in my chest.

 

“I love you, too,” Dante said. He squeezed my hand. “Is there anything I can do to thank you?” His voice was husky and deep. Just listening to him sent frantic, delicious shivers down my spine.

 

“Well, there’s one thing...”

 

# # #

 

Twenty minutes later, we were in the back of a cab, kissing passionately. Dante wrapped his arms around my neck and pulled me close, trailing hot kisses down my neck and breastbone until I was moaning with pleasure. As he slipped his fingers over the bodice of my black cocktail dress, I wriggled under his touch, desperate for his fingers to touch my bare skin.

 

“Hey,” the cabbie snapped from the front seat. “What the fuck is going on back there?”

 

Dante and I burst out laughing. I sat up, straightening my dress and smoothing my hair.

 

The ride back to my condo was torture. I kept staring at the handsome angles of Dante’s face in the low light of the streetlamps. As the cab rolled through the hills of L.A., I thought about everything that had changed over the past couple of months. I’d gone from a silly, selfish, spoiled girl into a real woman. A woman who wasn’t afraid to admit her feelings; a woman who cherished and reveled in the idea of being in love.

 

But as soon as the cab pulled into my driveway, that love turned to lust. I grabbed Dante and kissed him passionately in the driveway, laced my fingers with his, and led him quickly up the drive. Inside the condo, we were kissing madly. Dante pushed me against the wall of the foyer, nudging my head back and nipping at the soft skin of my neck, as I moaned and ground my hips against his pelvis.

 

Dante reached down and wrapped his strong hands around my thighs, pulling my legs up and around his body. As we moved together in a slick, undulating rhythm, I let out a wild cry of pleasure.

 

Dante groaned. He bucked his hips, and I could feel his massive erection through his trousers. As he scooped me into his arms and carried me back into the bedroom, I closed my eyes and let my body relax fully. I wasn’t afraid, or anxious, or even worried that someone was watching us. Ryan was in jail, and my lawyer told me that there was a very good chance he’d go away for at least ten years.

 

“I love you,” Dante whispered. He nipped at my earlobe, and I cried out. The sensation of his hot breath and tongue on my skin was almost too much to bear. I twisted in his arms, tangling my hands in his dark hair and pulling his face close to mine. As we kissed, our tongues danced delicately inside of my mouth. The taste of wine and cigarettes in Dante’s mouth sent my level of arousal skyrocketing up to the starry sky, and I threw my head back and growled with lust.

 

“Come here,” I whispered. Scooting back on the bed, I spread my legs and slid a hand down my body. Dante’s eyes were glued to me as I threw my head back and arched my back, letting my fingers wander over my body. My dress clung to my skin as I slipped my hand between my legs, spreading them wide so Dante could see how aroused I was.

 

“God, Katia,” Dante panted out. He crawled between my legs on his knees and rested his big, brawny hands on my thighs. “You’re so hot.” He growled. I shivered as I felt his breath on my bare legs.

 

Dante lowered his face to my thighs and began licking the soft skin. It tickled, and I moaned again. As Dante pushed my hand out of the way, he slipped two fingers inside the sodden silk of my panties. I groaned and rubbed my crotch against his hand, desperate for more of the wicked pleasure he was granting me with every passing second. Dante slid a finger inside of me and gently wriggled it back and forth. He pushed the crotch of my panties to the side and lowered his head to my crotch. When I felt his hot breath on my soaked labia, I let out a wild cry of lust.

 

Dante’s tongue on my clit was heavenly. I bit my lip and purred as he swirled his tongue around my clit in slow, torturous circles. The feelings of pleasure swarming through my body were almost too much to bear, and I tugged at his scalp as I ground my hips against his face.

 

Dante pulled away from me just as I was about to come. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and yanked the top of my dress down. My breasts popped out, and he began caressing my stiff nipples with his fingers. As I reached out for him and pulled him close, Dante tumbled on top of me and pinned me to the bed.

 

The pressure of his muscular body against mine was exquisite, and I held my breath as I slid my hands under his shirt and stroked his silky skin. Dante growled as I tugged his shirt off and tossed it to the side. I sucked in a breath, staring at him. He was so perfect. His muscles were gleaming and tensed. Tracing a finger over the tattoo on his pectorals, I used my other hand to beckon Dante closer. He crawled on top of me, shoving his hips against mine.

 

I wrapped my legs around Dante’s waist and ground my crotch against his body. The pressure on my clit felt incredible, and I closed my eyes as tiny sparks of fireworks exploded behind my eyes.

 

I groaned. “God. Please, please, Dante!”

 

Dante growled. He reached down and tugged my dress over my head, throwing it to the side. With one hand, he ripped my panties off of my body. Now that I was naked, I loved the feeling of his trousers between my legs. There was something both lewd and sensual about being naked when my partner was clothed, and I moaned as Dante trailed a hand down my body. He pinched my nipples, making me cry out in pleasure mingled with pain.

 

With trembling hands, I unfastened the snap of Dante’s trousers and began tugging them down his narrow hips. As always, he wasn’t wearing any underwear. His cock sprang free. I grinned, then rose up on my haunches and pushed Dante over onto the bed. He returned my smile. As I got closer, I licked my lips and stared down at him. He was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen, especially when he was naked.

 

“I missed you,” I murmured as I crawled between Dante’s legs and wrapped my hand around the base of his cock. As I began to stroke Dante’s manhood with firm, slow movements, Dante groaned. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he arched his back, shoving his cock further towards me.

 

“I can take a hint,” I teased.

 

Leaning down, I slowly took the head of Dante’s cock into my mouth and began to suck. As I traced the tender underside of his manhood with my tongue, Dante jerked and jolted on the bed. He groaned as I took him all the way down my throat, moving my hand up to meet my mouth and ensuring that his whole cock was covered with my ministrations.

 

“I can’t take it anymore.” Dante growled. I didn’t listen. I wrapped my tongue around the head of Dante’s cock and swirled like I was sucking the world’s most delicious ice cream cone. I loved the taste of him and moaned softly as he groaned and I shifted him into my mouth once again.

 

Finally, Dante reached down and placed a hand on my shoulder. As he pushed me away, I fell back on my hands and knees. Dante’s hands were instantly on my body, pushing me down on my stomach. I moaned as I felt his fingers trace down my spine and then between the cheeks of my ass and force my legs apart.

 

“God,” I moaned out into the pillows. My whole body was buzzing and singing with arousal, and I wanted Dante to plunge deep inside of me and stay there forever. This is perfect, I thought. Just me and Dante, forever. That’s all I need, and all I want. I’m completely satisfied.

 

“I’ve thought about you every day,” Dante said.

 

He crawled between my spread legs, steadying himself with a hand on my hip. I arched my back, spreading my ass and raising my pussy up for Dante. I was so wet that I was leaking juices onto the bed, and I groaned when Dante slid a finger into my soaked cunt and pulled it out again, making me quiver with want.

 

The head of Dante’s cock pushed against me, and I raised my hips again, shoving back, desperate to be taken. As Dante plunged inside of me, I cried out into the comforter. Dante grabbed a fistful of my ass in one hand and began pumping into me slowly. As his cock slid in and out of my soaked pussy, I let out a cry of delight. Dante’s other hand tangled in my hair and he pulled my head back, grinding and thrusting against my body as he pulled me towards him with each delicious stroke of his cock.

 

“God… Dante!” I screamed his name into the comforter over and over.

 

As Dante slid a finger between the soaked cheeks of my ass, I moaned and blushed when I felt his fingertip slide over my puckering asshole. It felt dirty, taboo. As he slid his finger around the sensitive skin of my ass, I groaned and shoved my hips against Dante’s pelvis. His cock was buried inside of me to the hilt, and he squeezed my ass, groaning loudly with his own pleasure.

 

A sheen of sweat had broken out over our bodies, and we moved slickly together, like a sensual machine. Just when I felt my orgasm building inside of me, Dante pulled out.

 

I gasped as Dante grabbed me by the hips and forcefully flipped me over onto my back. I groaned as he slapped my inner thighs, spreading my legs. When he slid inside of me, I threw my head back and closed my eyes. Dante impaled me deliciously, sliding in and out of my body and holding himself up with one hand on my hip. He lowered his face to my chest and began sucking and licking at my stiff nipples, driving me into a frenzy of delight.

 

“I’m gonna come,” I said, wriggling and rolling around on the bed underneath my lover. “I can’t wait, Dante!”

 

“Come, baby.” Dante grunted.

 

Sweat dripped off his forehead and landed on my bare breasts as his thrusts grew more intense with each passing second. I stared into his blue eyes, feeling more naked and exposed than I’d ever felt in my life. As Dante’s cock began to pulse and twitch inside of me, I felt my pussy clamp down again and again with delicious pleasure. As my orgasm tore through me, I let out a wild cry of unbridled lust.

 

Finally, the shockwaves of desire passed through me and faded away into a delightful lull. Dante slid out of me, flopping down on the bed beside me and wrapping an arm lazily around my waist.

 

“Hey, Katia,” Dante whispered in my ear, “I’ve got something to ask you.”

 

I frowned and pulled away. “What could you possibly want to talk about after that? Aren’t you satisfied for now?”

 

Dante grinned. “Will you be my date to Anya and Troy’s wedding?”

 

I was so startled that I gasped. “What?”

 

“Anya and Troy’s wedding,” Dante repeated. “Will you be my date? Yes or no?”

 

I pouted. “Yes. But I’m so mad that she didn’t tell me first!”

 

Dante grinned. “Don’t say anything.” He pulled me close and tucked my hips under the silk sheet. “But he’s gonna ask her tonight. I know she’s gonna say yes, so I thought I’d get a headstart and ask you before any of these other Hollywood assholes get around to it.”

 

My smile was so wide that it hurt my face. “Of course,” I whispered. “There’s no one I’d rather go with.”