7. Chapter Seven Dante
Chapter Seven: Dante
I led Jade through the park, the city lights a distant hum against the early night. Autumn had stripped the trees bare, and their branches clawed at the sky like desperate fingers. The air was crisp, carrying with it a promise of winter’s bite.
“Nice evening for a walk,” I remarked casually, though my mind churned with the complexities of our situation. It wasn’t lost on me that every step we took was shadowed by the weight of my family’s legacy.
“Beautiful,” she agreed, her voice steady despite the chill. She looked up at the skeletal trees and then to the stars peeking through. The park was dark enough to offer a semblance of solitude, far from the prying eyes of my world.
We found an empty bench, secluded and coated in the day’s last warmth. I sat first, patting the spot next to me. When Jade settled beside me, her dark hair catching what little light filtered through the leaves, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into me, her head finding its place against my shoulder in a comfortable gesture that sent a ripple of something tender through my chest.
“Jade,” I began, turning to look down at her, “how are you holding up?” The words felt inadequate for what I wanted to convey. I knew the chaos that had become her life, all because of me—because of us.
She sighed, a small sound that spoke of weariness and contemplation. “It’s not easy, Dante. I feel...out of my depth.” Her confession was like a punch to the gut, reminding me of the innocence I’d ensnared in my world’s thorns.
“Look, I know this isn’t ideal,” I admitted, tightening my grip slightly as if I could shield her from the truth of my existence. “But I’m here for you, Jade. Whatever you need.”
“Even a way out?” There was a flicker of hope in her question, but also resignation.
“Even that,” I lied smoothly, knowing full well that I was definitely not going to give her a way out. Not until I knew she was safe. Tonight, under the cloak of the night and the quiet of the park, I let that lie stand as a beacon of false promise between us.
I moved my body so it was close to hers. “Now,” I said, my finger trailing down her chest. “How can I make you forget?”
Jade’s eyes held a spark of surprise, but quickly softened as she made no move to pull away. Instead, she seemed to relax into me, her body language mirroring the familiar intimacy we’d grown accustomed to over time.
“Dante...” The way she said my name was always laced with a hint of uncertainty, and I couldn’t help the regret that filled me every time. But tonight, there was also something different in her tone—a certain curiosity, perhaps?
I undid the buttons of her coat. We were in the dark, so I didn’t feel bad about moving my hand down her chest, down her stomach, toward her leggings.
“Do you want me to stop?” I asked.
“It depends. What are you planning to do?” she asked.
“I’m planning to make you come. Right here and now.”
Her eyes widened, and her breath hitched. She glanced around the park, but it was deserted. I could see the wheels turning in her head, contemplating her options. But I already knew what she wanted.
“Dante,” she whispered. Her fingers gripped my arm, a silent plea that only added fuel to my already raging desire.
“Trust me,” I whispered against her ear before kissing her neck. Letting my hand slide further down, I pushed past the fabric of her leggings, meeting the heat of her core. Her gasp echoed through the quiet park, a renegade sound swallowed by the night.
“Relax,” I murmured close to her ear, positioning her so that we were hidden from any onlookers. I pushed my fingers into her, and she exhaled sharply, her grip on my arm tightening. My touch was slow and measured, a counterpoint to the inferno that raged within me. Patient. Methodical. I knew what she needed.
“Dante,” she gasped again, her voice shaking as she buried her head in my shoulder, biting down to smother her sounds.
I whispered words of encouragement into her ear, watching the moonlight play on the lines of tension in her face. I could feel her moving against my hand, her breaths coming in ragged pants. Her eyes fluttered shut and I could see the pleasure etching itself across her beautiful face.
I traced my thumb over clit as she jerked against me. A low moan escaped her lips, muffled by my suit jacket. I plunged my fingers deeper. A soft whimper escaped her. I continued to work her, my touch becoming more insistent as I felt her body start to tremble against me.
“Look at me,” I murmured, wanting to see those brilliant eyes of hers clouded with pleasure. She obeyed, her gaze meeting mine, raw and unfiltered.
My fingers began their dance, stroking and teasing with an expertise that had her gasping silently. “Let go.”
Her breath hitched as I worked her over, a silent plea forming on her lips. She was close; I could tell by the quickening of her pulse beneath my touch. “Are you going to squirt for me, right here in public?” I asked, my voice low and edged with the thrill of our dangerous game.
Jade shook her head, a mix of mortification and desire swimming in her dark eyes. “I...I don’t know if I can do that,” she whispered, her composure fraying at the edges.
“Ah, but I know you can.” My fingers pressed harder, relentless in their pursuit. “And you will.”
The intensity of my touch was punctuated by the silence around us, amplifying the sounds of our illicit intimacy. Jade’s breathing grew ragged, and she clenched her hands tightly around my arm as I worked her over expertly. The rhythm of our actions, the persistence of my touch, it all became a dance of heat and desire under a star-studded sky.
“Dante...I...” she began, and I felt the vibrations of her voice travel through me. Her words trailed off into a breathy moan.
“Let go,” I urged again, my voice barely above a whisper as if we’d disturb the tranquil peace of the night. In this secluded space, where only nature witnessed our secret rendezvous, I felt an exhilarating thrill mixed with an unnerving guilt.
I slid my fingers further inside her, curling them to find the sweet spot that would push her over the edge. My thumb circled her clit again, picking up pace. Her body tightened next to mine, a drawn bowstring ready to snap.
She arched into me as waves of pleasure rippled through her. Her eyes were wide open; they mirrored the stars above us, shining with unshed tears of ecstasy. She was beautiful like this—unhinged and wanton under my touch.
Her hands clung to my arm, her nails digging into my suit as a silent scream formed in her throat. “Fuck,” she said, her voice muffled against my skin.”
“Do you want me to do this harder?”
She didn’t answer at first, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Finally, she nodded, her eyes squeezing shut as she braced herself. I took that as my cue. Tempering my desire with a fine veil of control, I pushed deeper, feeling her body clench around me.
A whimper escaped from between her lips, the sound half-strangled and raw. A jolt of satisfaction coursed through me – I was wrecking her with pleasure, reducing her to a trembling mess in my arms under the indifferent gaze of the moon. The knowledge was heady and irresistible. Stoking my desire for more.
“You can squirt for me now, right?” I asked…not in a whisper. Just loud enough for anyone to hear us.
Not that there was anyone around.
“I--” Jade choked out, her body quivering on the brink. It was a beautiful sight, the way her chest heaved, the blush spreading over her cheeks as she bit her lip. I could feel her walls pulsating around my fingers and I knew she was close.
“Go on,” I encouraged, my voice a velvety murmur as my fingers picked up their pace. “I want to watch you fall apart.”
Jade’s eyes opened at that, finding mine in the darkness. There was a wild, desperate beauty to her then – this brilliant, dedicated scientist teetering on the edge of absolute chaos. She nodded, letting go of any remaining inhibitions as she surrendered herself to me.
And then she broke.
Her body jerked as pleasure ripped through her. Her mouth fell open in a silent cry as she squirted against my hand, soaking the material of her leggings and my suit trousers. I stifled a groan of satisfaction watching her collapse against me. Her body was limp, drained from the overwhelming waves of ecstasy that had crashed over her.
Pleasure pulsed through me as I watched her ride out the aftershocks. She clutched at me, her fingers digging into my arms as if she were trying to ground herself.
I continued to finger her; slowly, carefully, as I coaxed her through the last waves of her orgasm. The sight of her spent and satisfied was almost too much for me to bear. The temptation to take her right there, on the park bench under the cloak of night, was nearly overpowering. But I knew this wasn’t the time.
I felt her body gradually relax against mine as I withdrew my hand slowly. Her head rested on my shoulder, her breathing still uneven.
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s go home.”
I stood, tugging my suit jacket into place, feeling the dampness that hadn’t been there before. Jade’s eyes locked with mine, a flicker of something wild still dancing in their depths. She looked down at her hand—my release smeared across her skin—and then back up at me, her gaze challenging, yet vulnerable.
“Clean my fingers,” I instructed, my voice low and even. There was no room for argument, only obedience.
She hesitated for only a second before lifting my hand to her lips. Her tongue darted out, licking my fingers with an unexpected grace that contradicted the raw debasement of the act. My body tightened in response, the sight stoking the fire that never quite seemed to die whenever she was near.
“Good girl,” I murmured, approval lacing the words despite the edge that always lingered beneath the surface with her.
Offering her my now clean hand, I helped her to stand, noting the slight tremor in her legs. She leaned on me more than she intended, or maybe it was exactly as much as she needed to. We walked in silence towards the penthouse, the city lights casting long shadows that stretched out before us like silent witnesses to our twisted game.
“Am I just a prisoner here?” Jade’s voice broke the silence, her question hanging between us like a delicate thread threatening to snap.
“Prisoner?” I scoffed softly, the idea almost amusing. “A prisoner can’t leave. Call your best friend. Prove you’re free to do as you please.”
Her eyes narrowed, searching mine for the trap in my words. But there was none to find. Whether she believed that or not was up to her.
“Okay,” she said after a pause, her voice carrying a hint of defiance. “I will.”
“Good,” I replied, feeling the weight of her phone in my pocket.
“Well, I’ll need my phone back…”
“You’ll get it. When we get back to the penthouse. You’ll call Ellie tonight,” I said. “I promise.”
She furrowed her brow. She didn’t ask me any more questions as we walked, hand-in-hand, toward my building.
We stood in the lobby as we waited for the elevator. I listened to her try and catch her breath.
The metallic ding of the elevator echoed through the grand, marbled lobby. The doors slid open, revealing an empty, mirrored interior. With a hand on Jade’s lower back, I guided her inside. As soon as the doors shut with an ominous click, I turned to face her.