Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
DANTE
The urge to run away crawls over my skin as we ride the elevator back up Rev’s apartment.
I do the cowardly thing and wait for him to hop into the shower before bailing. My emotions are too big right now. I don’t know what to do with them. I don’t know how to force myself to pretend things haven’t shifted in the way I feel about Rev or hunting SIXX or bumming off my brother.
As I rush toward the front doors in Sinro’s main lobby, I’m halted by the deep voice of Cain Vincent calling my name.
Fuck.
Muscles locking up, I glance back to see Cain and Ezra near the elevators, greasy bags of takeout in their hands. Somehow, the concern etched into their faces makes every wriggling, terrible thing inside of me feel like they’re going to burst out of my skin.
“Where are you headed?” Cain asks firmly.
Gritting my teeth, I drop my gaze to the polished floor. I just want to curl up under my blankets in bed and cry alone.
No. That’s a lie. What I really want is a certain someone to hold me, but I’m currently running away from him out of fear.
“Home,” I mutter.
“We’ll give you a ride. Come on.”
Cain’s tone leaves no room for argument. Tugging up my hood, I join them in the elevator.
Without speaking a word, we load into a fancy BMW in the parking garage. To my surprise, Ezra sits in the backseat with me. At some point during the drive, his hand slides across the seat to grip the fabric of my sleeve.
I don’t question Ez touching me. He doesn’t fit into the box with everyone else. Something inside me recognizes his battered soul, kindred to my own. He fights with a desperation most people don’t understand.
I don’t know what kind of hell he survived, but it’s not something I feel comfortable asking when I know from experience how badly those internal wounds can bleed.
Shutting my eyes, I let my head rest on his shoulder.
“This okay?” I whisper.
I catch Cain’s dark eyes looking at us in the rearview mirror and expect a scolding, but he drops his gaze back to the road.
Ezra’s fingers slide down my sleeve to intertwine with my own. “This is what friends do, right? Take care of each other?”
Tears prickle behind closed eyes, and I squeeze his hand.
I don’t know how I’m coming back from this.
I finish one last rotation upside-down on the pole before heading back to the changing room at Club Saturn to slip on my clothes. I don’t have time to shower. Laz is supposed to be picking me up.
However, it’s not my brother’s name that pops up on my phone.
Rev:
Be there in ten. Don’t leave.
I debate doing just that. Why should I play by his rules? What if he asks me to spend the night again? How do I turn him down?
A rush of nerves floods my system. The longer we play this game, the more I worry he’ll get sick of me. I’m not always the Dante with the sharp tongue and claws. Sometimes I’m the Dante who struggles to express himself. The Dante who hides.
I brace my arms on the bar top and watch the door as I sip on a glass of ice water Kayla handed me from behind the bar. She’s queen bee around here. Friendly in that no-nonsense way. As long as you don’t cause trouble, she’s got no problem with you.
My heart skips as Rev strides in. He’s dressed down in a hunter green corduroy button-up over a white T-shirt and dark blue jeans that hug his thighs.
His attention immediately cuts to the platform where I’m normally dancing. I play hard to get, leaving him to hunt me down in the crowd. When those icy blue eyes finally lock on me and light up with hunger, a thrill shoots through me.
Gage did my makeup tonight. It’s more than I usually wear—a heavy gold shimmer on my eyelids and mascara to lengthen my lashes. I was worried Rev wouldn’t be into it when I got his text.
Pretending to be unaffected, I turn away and take another sip of my drink.
I almost forget how to swallow as his body molds to my back. His heat and spicy, woody scent wraps around me.
Why did I run from this?
Soft lips brush along the shell of my ear. When I tip my head back on his shoulder, Rev hums in satisfaction.
I’m so done for. I’m so tired of fighting this thing between us. I tried avoiding him. Even my anger wasn’t enough to fend off this sexual tension.
Warm lips brush up the column of my neck. “Miss me, baby boy?”
“Only been a couple of days,” I mutter.
He nips at my earlobe, one hand snaking around my waist to pull me tighter against him. “Yes. Eternity. You’re testing my sanity, Dante.”
I snort. “What sanity?”
“Mmm. Good point.” He places a tender kiss on my jaw that leaves my skin tingling.
Without warning, he spins me around and crowds me against the bar top. “You’ve been avoiding me again.”
“Have not,” I lie, but my hands come up to fist in his shirt.
I’m unraveling. Falling apart at the seams. Worse, I’m debating asking him if we can go home together tonight.
Leaning in, I bring my mouth to his ear. “I want to dance.”
Avoidance is the game, though I know it’s inevitable that I’m gonna end up in one of his beds again.
He nuzzles his face into my neck. “With me or for me?”
“Can you even dance?” I tease.
“Dare to find out?”
A coy smile plays on his lips as he holds out a hand. I glare at it before interlocking my fingers with his own and letting him guide me through the swaying mobs of people to the center of the dance floor.
When he hooks his fingers in my belt loops and pulls me snug against him, I go a little weak in the knees at the ravenous look in his eyes under the flashing spotlights.
I touch my hands to his stomach, gliding them up to his pecs while the pounding bass coaxes me to start moving.
This is bad. This is dangerous territory.
Rev snakes his arms around my waist and matches the seductive movement of my hips.
I shouldn’t be surprised he can dance. He probably comes to clubs a lot. Probably picks up guys here.
Probably fucks like nobody’s business.
Fuck everyone who knows that from experience. I’m the one in his arms tonight. Not them.
Spurred on by jealousy, I grind against him every which way. He returns everything I have to give, keeping me smashed against him like he can’t survive without every inch of our bodies sealed together.
We dance for what feels like seconds, though I know we’ve cycled through a dozen songs by now. One track blends into another. One touch leads to another. His lips trace the curve of my neck, ghosting over my rapidly beating pulse as his fingers slip beneath my sweatshirt to tease my hot skin.
Again, I find myself hating clothes. What would he do to me if we were naked?
The thought nearly has me groaning as he drapes himself around me, blanketing me in lust and warmth and raw desire.
Turning in his arms to face him, our lips almost brush. That ache in my groin builds until I’m no longer thinking about the regret that will no doubt come tomorrow. I’m not thinking about Laz recently distancing himself or SIXX and how to make them suffer.
I’m not thinking about how gutting it’s going to be when Rev decides I’m no longer worth the effort.
Licking my lips, I slide his corduroy button-up off his shoulders and onto the floor. My mouth waters as I coast my hands down his arms, squeezing his hard muscles.
God, I want to feel all of them flexing on top of me.
I drop low, hands exploring the strength in his thighs, too. When I peek up at him through my lashes, he’s staring at me with absolute reverence. His hand moves to cradle my cheek. Then his thumb slips down to press on my bottom lip.
In a crowd of people, he makes me feel like the only person in the world.
My mouth parts for him, and a surge of power comes over me as his nostrils flare. When he dips his thumb between my lips, I playfully bite down. If I’m not enough of a fucking tease already, I suck a little before spinning away from him and dragging my ass up his body as I rise.
Rev pulls me hard against him, his breath hot on my neck. “Careful, kitten.”
Sneaking a hand between our bodies to tease him, I stroke his hard cock through his pants.
“Dante.” He growls.
A smile quivers on my lips. I bring my other hand up to the back of his neck, holding him close as I run my fingers along every impressive inch of him. I’ve seen his dick before. Had it firmly gripped in my hand before.
But it’s not enough.
Teeth press into my pulse point, and I moan.
“This is a warning, baby boy. I’m at my limit. Keep that up, and nothing will stop me from fucking you mercilessly. I don’t care if we’re in public.”
My heart stutters. I’m about to tell him to do his worst, but I don’t fancy catching an elbow or getting tripped up in the mob of dancers.
Turning around, I bring my lips to his ear. “Back room. Now.”
I’m the one to initiate the hand-holding this time—an act I pretend to despise.
As soon as I yank him through the employee door, his mouth crashes into mine. He leaves me no time to overthink or push back. The kiss is all-consuming, driven by too many fucking weeks of restraint.
Rev tears my sweatshirt off and pushes my back against the cold cinderblocks separating the showers from the lockers. His lips are everywhere. My jaw. My neck. My collarbones. I whimper, fisting his hair as he runs his tongue over my nipple.
“You have no idea how eager I am to see what makes that sassy mouth beg,” he murmurs.
I’m about to snap at him, but he moves to my other nipple, giving it the same torturous treatment while his hands slip down the back of my sweats.
He jerks away. “Lace?”
Swallowing, I nod.
Blue eyes shine with murderous intent. “Sweats off. Now. Fucking now, Dante. Let me see them.”
Heartbeat racing, I clumsily step out of my sweatpants. Rev drags his gaze down my body, landing on my cock, stretching the fabric of my lace thong.
I touch a hand to my erection at first to hide it. But the pressure feels too good, so I give my cock a squeeze.
A muscle in Rev’s jaw twitches.
“Take me already,” I beg.
I don’t want the soft shit. If he fucks me like he hates me, I won’t fall for him.