Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
REV
Ispent most of the time Dante was hiding away debating how I would punish him.
Kidnapping dominated the list of tame options, followed closely by coercing him into marriage with me. These ideas grew more depraved as the days slipped by and sleep evaded me.
But now that he’s back in my life, how can I stay mad at him? He planned a perfectly lovely party for Sinro during a holiday that gave him one of his most treasured memories of what a family can be.
Swoon, right?
I watch the festivities, leaning against the kitchen counter, sipping at my hot chocolate that’s gone lukewarm. At least it’s keeping my hands occupied.
The next time I touch Dante, I’m not letting go.
My eyes track him as he crosses the living room to drop onto the couch between his brother and Ezra. He’s smiling. It’s a full-on, heart-warming smile that has my muscles tensing to spring on him.
Would he break into laughter if I tackled him, or would he fight me?
I want both equally.
He’s dressed to kill tonight, his curls partially tied back and his glittery top showing off just enough glimpses of his abs and the arch of his lower back to draw admiring looks.
And not just from me.
As much as I’ve enjoyed the food and laughs, if our guests don’t collect their shit and leave, I can’t be held responsible for my actions. I’m barely holding on by a thread.
Too bad Alaric decided to take the night off to be with us, or I’d call him to make up some sort of fake emergency to evacuate my apartment.
A buzzing has my attention dropping to the kitchen island where Dante’s phone is going off with a call. He ditched it there while plating up food for people to take with them as they’ve trickled out the door.
I let it go to voicemail. Everyone important to him is here in my apartment. No room for more.
However, his phone lights up and vibrates again. Instinct has me leaning over to read the name, thinking it might be SIXX trying to fuck with him again.
Wyatt James
I don’t know who the fuck Wyatt thinks he is, but he’s about to learn a very important lesson. Dante is mine. I’ll kill for him.
I’ll even risk his temper by taking his personal call.
“Dante’s future husband,” I answer.
“Um…hello,” Wyatt replies in a flustered voice. “Sorry to call on Christmas Eve, but I was actually hoping to catch Dante? It’s a bit of an emergency.”
“I’m sure it can wait, Wyatt.”
The silence gives away his nerves, and I preen internally at the victory.
“You’re so right. I’m sorry for bothering you, but I wanted to share the news as soon as possible. I’m the director at Eastview Ballet Company. One of our principal dancers fractured his ankle this evening, and well, his role was supposed to be Dante’s.”
My gaze cuts to Dante, who has his head resting on his brother’s shoulder.
“You need him,” I state.
“God, so badly. I know he’s been struggling, and I don’t want to push him if he’s not ready. But our stand-in can’t keep up, and Dante left me that voicemail…”
“A voicemail, hmm?”
“Yes, he mentioned coming back, so I just wanted to give him time to prepare for auditions. We’re planning on recasting for The Weight of Gold the first of the year.”
Pretty brown eyes meet mine and widen in recognition of his phone pressed to my ear. Dante shoves off the couch, rushing over to lunge at me. Smirking, I turn my body away from him, effectively keeping the phone out of his reach.
“I’m sure he’d love to audition for the part, Wyatt,” I say.
A sigh of relief comes through the line. “Oh, thank god. I know tomorrow is Christmas, but any time Dante wants to sneak in extra practice, please tell him to reach out, and I’ll open up a studio for him.”
Dante leaps onto my back, fingernails slashing at me. I can’t help but laugh.
“Of course. Thank you for the call, and happy holidays,” I reply.
Hanging up, I hold Dante’s phone over my shoulder. He snatches it and drops off my back. When I spin around to face him, his hands are shaking as he stares down at the caller ID.
“What have you done?” he mutters.
I reach around him to pluck a red grape off a fruit tray and pop it into my mouth. “You’re auditioning for something at your old dance company.”
“I’m…what?” Sharp eyes meet mine.
“Something about an injury. They’re recasting. You’re going to get the role because you’re dedicated as fuck.”
Dante straightens up, his chest rising and falling a little faster. “What role? Did Wyatt say?”
“He did not. Only that it was supposed to be yours.”
He sinks down into a squat behind the kitchen island. “Fuck.”
I drop low with him and brush a hand along his cheek. “I cannot wait to see you on that stage doing what you love, kitten.”
He lifts his head slightly, blinking back at me with wide, terrified eyes. I hoist him upright and draw him against me. My hands naturally slide beneath his loose top, resting along his warm lower back.
Dante lets me hold him for a while. And when he finally pulls away, his anger is back in full force. “You have some fucking nerve.”
I peck a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “You love it.”
Surprisingly, his arms loop around my neck, pulling me closer. “I do.”
“Now can we kick everyone out?” I ask, nuzzling my face into his neck. I leave kisses all over his vanilla-scented skin, addicted to the way he arches into me.
Dante blows out a shaky breath. “What are you going to do to me when they’re gone?”
“Unspeakably filthy things.”
He shoves at me playfully, breaking our bodies apart.
I smirk at the rosy flush painting his cheeks.
Then he starts tidying up the kitchen, which I’ve learned is a universal signal for get the fuck out.
Gage picks up on it right away. Rising to his feet, he skips over to kiss Dante on the cheek.
“Don’t be a stranger, sweets. Movie night soon. ”
Dante pushes containers of food at him, and I noticed Forest hurrying to grab his sweater off the back of the couch, eager to follow the flirty, attractive man who clearly has him by the balls.
Wonder if they’ve fucked yet.
Gage tosses me a menacing look, like that’s all it takes to keep me in line after a lifetime of doing whatever the fuck I want.
I air smooch him back.
When it’s only Cain, Ezra, and Laz left gathering up their things, Dante stops his furious cleaning to say goodbye to his brother. Laz catches him in a headlock, but Dante escapes and crushes his brother into a hug.
“Love you,” he whispers.
Laz’s throat bobs as he wraps his arms around Dante. “Love you more, manito.”
What Dante doesn’t know is that I handed over the keys to the spare apartment across from mine to Laz this morning. Laz agreed to keep it secret until after I ask Dante to move in with me. I don’t want his choice to be influenced by his need to be close to his brother.
Laz also accepted Cain’s job offer. He’ll be on contract to start, only because he expressed interest in easing back into professional fighting.
However, I wager he’ll end up full-time at Sinro. His loyalty is something to be admired. And he’s not afraid to do bad things to protect good people.
As soon as Dante drops his arms from his brother, Ezra sweeps him up in a hug. Cain and I exchange a quick look. The fact that Ezra’s willing to be so physically affectionate with Dante—and Cain allows it—proves this is fate. The four of us were meant to come together.
Or maybe I read too many why choose omegaverse books.
Cain reels Dante in for a side hug that makes Dante’s cheeks flush. I quickly snatch him up in my arms, moving him away from Cain. “My boyfriend.”
Cain snorts. “Yeah? Maybe you should tell him about the photos you took of my husband?”
Dante stiffens. With an eye roll, Ezra latches onto Cain’s arm and tugs him toward the front door. “That was years ago, and he only did it because you wouldn’t touch me.”
“What, like this?” Cain scoops his husband up in a fluid motion and carries him out the door while they bicker softly between kisses.
And then we’re alone in my home.
Dante turns in my arms and forces me against the wall. “Photos, huh?”
“Already deleted.”
“Shame. I bet they were sexy.”
Smirking, I flip our positions and crowd him against the wall. “Naughty murder kitten.”
Dante slips a hand between our bodies, pressing his palm against my hard cock. “So, what? Are we fighting or fucking?”
Grinning, I bring our mouths close enough that our lips brush. “Why not both?”
I kiss him forcefully, swallowing up his whimpers. I’ve waited weeks to have him back in my arms.
Dante smooths his hands along my shirt, his fingers shaking as he fumbles to undo the buttons. With a soft laugh, I cover his hands with my own and give them a light squeeze. “Need help?”
“Fuck,” he whispers. “I need you, Rev.”
Easing back, I let my eyes run down his body and back up. He’s a mess of frizzy hair, rosy cheeks, pink lips, and short breaths. He’s angry and sensitive and so fucking cute.
I kiss his beauty mark. “Strip for me, kitten.”
“You strip,” he replies defiantly.
Working the buttons free, I peel off my dress shirt. My cock jerks at the way he drinks me in. Sliding my belt from my slacks, I give it a crack.
“Your turn,” I say.
Eyelashes fluttering, he drifts a hand down his sparkly shirt to undo his pants. Slowly, he tugs the zipper down, and what I glimpse beneath has me losing all control.
Tossing my belt aside, I pin his wrists against the wall. “Are those…”
“Silk,” he confirms with a tiny nod.
I spin him around and flatten his front against the wall.
Then I yank his pants down to reveal the smooth globes of his ass in those pink silk panties.
I drop low to kiss both cheeks before moving a hand to stroke his erection through the soft material.
The contradiction of something so masculine covered in such pretty, dainty material has me aching to come.
“You do like to hurt me,” I accuse.
“You can take it.”
Pushing to my feet, I grab the hem of his shimmery shirt. His hands snap to mine.
“Don’t ruin it,” he says in a firm tone.
Fighting against my desire to shred every bit of his clothing, I carefully slip the material over his head. To spite him, I pull out his hair tie, freeing his curls.
Fire sparks in his brown eyes as he glares back at me over his shoulder. When I go to turn him around so I can fully admire him, he attempts to push me.
We end up in a battle of strength that results in him sprawled beneath me on the cold floor. Dante hisses as I force him to lie flat, my knees pressed into his hips so he can’t wriggle away. He’s got his fingernails sunk into my bare chest. I groan as he drags them down my flesh.
Despite the pleasure rolling through me and despite this primal urge to flip him over and fuck him raw on the cold, hard floor, I bask in his discomfort as he squirms and growls beneath me.
I won’t let him suffer for long. Just enough to learn not to fuck around and hide away from me for weeks again.
When he finally gives up trying to get free, I lean down to kiss him tenderly. “You wearing pretty clothes might be my favorite thing.”
“Not maiming people?” he mutters.
“Close second.”
He snorts. “You’re unhinged.”
“Pretend like you don’t fucking love it.”
His hands come up to cradle my face as his expression becomes serious. “I love you.”
My head drops into the crook of his neck as I shut my eyes and bask in the moment. I told myself I didn’t need those words from anyone. But coming from Dante’s mouth?
This right here is what I was built for. To love Dante.
“You are destroying me tonight,” I murmur, running my lips along his warm neck.
His fingers curl into my back, pulling me closer. Eventually, he rocks his hips up against mine. “Please don’t leave me like this.”
I scoop him off the floor, earning a yelp and then a giggle.
“Not here,” I say, carrying him into my bedroom. “We’re gonna do this properly.”