29. Chapter Thirty-Nine Jade
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Jade
L ying in the tangled sheets, I was caught between the remnants of raw pleasure and the aches that came with it.
My wrists throbbed with each pulse, a stark reminder of how the silk ties had dug into my skin. Noon sunlight filtered through the half-closed blinds, casting stripes across Dante’s bare chest as he lay beside me, a silent sentinel to my inner turmoil.
“Are you hungry?” His voice, deep and unexpectedly gentle, pulled me from the haze of my thoughts.
I glanced at the silk ties discarded on the bed, their innocuous appearance belying the intensity of what had transpired. I could still feel the ghost of his touch, the promise of protection laced with the threat of possession. My stomach answered for me, growling its demands despite the tension coiling within me like a tight spring.
Dante’s lips curved into a knowing smile, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he inched closer to me. The sight of him, all hard lines and inked skin, sent a conflicting surge of fear and desire through me.
“Come on, Jade. You slept. The food is getting cold in the kitchen.”
“Maybe later,” I murmured, tracing the edge of the sheet pooled around my waist. His hand, warm and steady, brushed against my arm, his fingers coaxing away the shivers that weren’t entirely from the chill in the air.
“Jade,” he said softly, and I could hear in his voice the unspoken acknowledgment of the life growing inside me, of the precariousness of our situation.
“Alright,” I relented, feeling the weight of his concern. “But only if you’re coming with me.”
His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes as he nodded and slipped out of bed, his naked form commanding yet vulnerable in the daylight. He extended a hand to help me up, and I took it, allowing him to guide me toward sustenance and away from the thoughts that clawed at my mind.
“Jade?” Dante’s voice was a soft rumble as we lay there, the quiet between us heavy with words left unsaid.
I turned my gaze to meet his, searching the depths of his dark eyes for the truth. “What would have happened if something went wrong? If you hadn’t come back in time?”
He tensed, the subtle shift in his body betraying his cool exterior. “There was no chance of that,” he said firmly. “I had eyes on you every second. You were never in danger.”
“Hard to believe,” I whispered, my voice tinged with skepticism. “I’m pregnant. You left me tied up and…”
Dante reached out, his thumb caressing my cheek with unexpected tenderness. “I would never hurt you, Jade. You have to know that.”
I held his gaze, searching for any sign of deceit. But all I saw was sincerity, and something else—an emotion I couldn’t quite name. “Okay, I believe you,” I said finally, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
His touch lingered on my skin, soothing and possessive all at once, and I leaned into it, craving the comfort it provided.
Dante’s fingers traced the line of my jaw, drawing a path down to where my pulse throbbed in the hollow of my throat. The air between us was charged with a tension that spoke of things left unspoken—promises and threats woven into the very fabric of our existence.
“But tell me the truth…did you not enjoy it?” His voice held an edge, rough like gravel. “The edging, I mean.” His hand paused at the nape of my neck, playing with a strand of my hair that had escaped its confines.
I hesitated, my mind warring with the raw honesty that wanted to pour out. “I did,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. My confession was true; the intensity of the sensations had been unlike anything I’d ever felt. But another truth gnawed at me, sharp and unwelcome. “But it made me feel trapped. You made me feel trapped.”
“I mean, you were trapped,” he said. “You are trapped. I wish you weren’t but…”
“Right. That was the point,” I said, meeting his stare head-on.
Dante’s expression softened, a shadow of regret passing over his features. “Jade,” he began, his tone imploring, “you can’t try to escape. You’ll get hurt.” He cupped my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing against my cheeks. “And that’s the last thing I want. I need you to understand that. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
His words were a cold splash of reality, a reminder of the gilded cage I found myself in. I nodded slowly, the weight of his declaration settling over me like a shroud.
We moved together toward the living room, our bare feet silent on the cool marble floor. Dante’s presence was a tangible force, enveloping me in warmth despite the absence of clothing.
“I’m sorry, Jade.” The words tumbled from him unexpectedly, laced with an emotion that seemed foreign on his lips—regret.
I turned to look at him, the apology catching me off guard. For a fleeting moment, the barriers crumbled, and I saw the man beneath the mafia prince fa?ade. “Why are you apologizing?” I asked, my voice a mix of confusion and curiosity.
“Because I never wanted to hurt you.” His admission pierced through the armor I had carefully constructed around my heart. I believed him. “Come on. Let’s eat.”
We settled onto the plush rug, the comfort of the fabric a small consolation in the vastness of his penthouse. Dante reached for the paper bag, and the aroma of greasy burgers and fries filled the air, grounding me back to simpler pleasures. As he handed me a wrapped burger, the warmth of his fingers brushed against mine, sending a jolt of awareness through me.
“Jade,” he said again, his voice low and coaxing as if reading my mind, “do you want to go out tonight?” His question lingered between us, an invitation that both tempted and unnerved me.
I hesitated, searching his face. I wasn’t sure whether to take him up on it…I know what happened when I went out with him. Yet, the promise of fresh air, a taste of normalcy, was too enticing to ignore.
“I thought you didn’t want me to go out.”
Dante’s expression softened, the predatory edge that so often defined him giving way to something more gentle. “Not without me. You won’t be protected without me. But I think you need a break from these walls.”
He was right. The stir-crazy sensation that had been nagging at me for days now clawed relentlessly at my consciousness. Despite the risks, the thought of another evening confined within these four walls was suffocating.
“Okay,” I agreed, the word barely above a whisper but decisive.
“Good.” Dante’s smile was quick and genuine. “Let’s find you something beautiful to wear. We’ve got a night to enjoy.”
As I bit into my burger, the simple act felt like sealing my consent. Tonight, I would step out of the shadows and into a sliver of light, however fleeting it might be.
Soon enough, it was night.
The evening air was a cool caress against my skin as we stepped out of Dante’s penthouse. I could feel the city’s pulse, like a living thing, with its rhythmic heartbeat and electric veins stretching into infinity. The blue dress clung to my curves in a way that felt both empowering and vulnerable, while Dante, ever the embodiment of controlled power, looked sharp beside me in his suit.
“Ready?” he asked, his voice a low hum that resonated with the promise of the night ahead.
I nodded, the motion slight but determined. “As I’ll ever be.”
The car engine purred to life beneath us as we pulled away from the curb. The city lights blurred past, their reflections dancing across Dante’s face, revealing a man caught between darkness and light. He glanced at me, and for a moment, his usual armor seemed to falter.
“Before we go out to eat, there’s something I need to ask you.”
I waited for him as he seemed to steel himself.
“I want to go to the hospital. Tonight, I want you to meet someone,” Dante said, his tone casual but his grip on the steering wheel tightening. “My brother, Marco.”
“Your brother?” The words tumbled out, a mix of surprise and apprehension tangling in my throat.
Dante’s eyes met mine, steady and searching. “He’s... different from me. But he’s family.”
“Is this a test?” I asked, half-joking but feeling the weight of the question press down on me.
“A test? No. He’s going to be part of the baby’s life so it’s important that you two meet. Think about it,” his lips quirked up in a half-smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I know he’s curious about you. He’s protective of me, in his own way.”
“Curious how?” I ventured, my curiosity piqued despite the unease that knotted in my stomach.
“Well, he knows you’re pregnant,” he said. “So does my dad. I think it’s probably better if you meet Marco before you meet my parents. He’s not normal, but he is the most normal of them all.”
“Aren’t you the most normal?”
He laughed. “Oh, God, I hope not,” he replied. “That would be terrifying.”
“And what is he so curious about?”
“Curious to know if you’re a threat or an asset, I suppose,” Dante admitted, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through the cabin of the car. “But don’t worry, I’ll be there. You’re with me.”
The reassurance should have eased my nerves, but instead, it was like a silent acknowledgment of the dangers that lay in the shadows of Dante’s world. A world where trust was both currency and weapon. And here I was, about to step further into the lion’s den, draped in a blue dress that felt like armor crafted from silk and vulnerability.
As the cityscape blurred past us, skyscrapers giving way to the less opulent parts of town, I clutched at the door handle, feeling the cool leather beneath my fingers—a stark contrast to the warmth emanating from Dante.
“Jade?” Dante’s voice pulled me back from my spiraling thoughts. “You okay?”
I nodded, forcing a smile as I met his probing gaze. “Just...thinking.”
“About what?”
“Everything. This. Us.” The words slipped out before I could catch them, and I braced for his reaction.
Dante’s hand left the steering wheel for a moment, landing briefly on my knee—a touch that sent a jolt through me, grounding me to the moment. “We’ll figure it out,” he said, his voice a blend of determination and something softer, something that made my heart thrum faster.
I turned my head, watching the streets change as we delved deeper into territory marked by the invisible stamps of Dante’s family.
And for a split second, all I wanted to do was believe him.