Chapter 18
GENESIS
T he days after Chant's death should’ve been lighter, but it was hard to shake the feeling that we were just at the edge of peace, not fully in it yet. Still, Dante and I had begun finding our rhythm. It wasn't forced anymore—being with him felt natural, like something I’d always been waiting for. Maybe that was what Mimi meant when she talked about fate.
Dante had been quiet lately, more focused. We spent a lot of time in his home, him doing business, and me trying to keep up with the chaos of integrating into the DeLuca family. There was a deep part of him that still hesitated, like he was afraid to truly claim the life we were starting to build. He’d never say it outright, but I could feel it in the way his hands would linger just a little longer when he held me, or how he’d glance over at Mia when he thought I wasn’t looking.
That night, after Mia had gone to sleep, I found him in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, lost in thought. His broad shoulders filled the space, casting long shadows in the low light. His shirt clung to his chest, and as he absentmindedly ran a hand through his short hair, I couldn't help but take him in—how he carried all this weight and still looked so strong.
"You okay?" I asked, stepping up beside him, resting my hand on his arm.
He smiled softly, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, just thinking."
I pressed closer, wrapping my arms around his waist. "About?"
He chuckled lightly, a low rumble that I felt through my chest. "About us. About everything."
I traced patterns on his back, leaning into him. "We’re doing good. Better than good. You feel it too, right?"
His hand came up to rest on mine, and he squeezed gently. "I do. It’s just...there’s so much I need to protect you from, Genesis. The past, my condition, the family...you deserve more."
I turned him around to face me. "I have more. I have you. That’s all I need."
His dark eyes met mine, intense and unwavering. "It scares me sometimes...how much you mean to me."
I kissed him softly, brushing my lips against his. "You don’t have to be scared. I’m not going anywhere."
We stood there for a while, just holding onto each other, letting the silence fill the space where words weren't needed. This was our new normal, and despite everything, it felt right.
I felt the need to distract him, so I stood on the tips of my toes and pressed my lips to his. My breasts pushed against his chest and when I began to unbuckle his pants, he groaned.
“Dante…” I breathed against his mouth.
“Yes, baby.”
“Let me heal you.” I stripped out of my clothes and pressed my body back against him.
“Say less.”
Dante lifted me, sitting me on the island. Gone was his gentle behavior and in its place was a raw and ruthless version of him.
He trailed small bites down the column of my throat. Then his hands pinned mine above my head. Heat pooled at my core and I knew I was ready for whatever he had planned. He tongued my nipples, kissing and making out with them as if it were my mouth. When he let go of my hands, I kept them in place, not wanting to move or disturb him. He clucked his tongue and smacked his lips, as he worked each nipple over until they were so tight they hurt. As if he knew, he moved to the other side and gave it the same sweet torture.
I whined, pleaded, and pushed my breasts further into his mouth. I needed more of what he was doing. He made my body flicker, popping in and out of reality. Or maybe it was my mind.
I came from all the attention, and I don’t know why I expected him to give me a minute, but he didn’t. Instead, he lowered between my thighs and focused his attention on tracing my pussy with his tongue. Over the fine hairs, over my clit, inside my canal, sucking my labia…
“Dante!” I exclaimed, losing my damn mind.
“Shh… I’m busy.” He said before going back to what he was doing.
I lost track of how many times he made me come. He rolled me onto my stomach and dripped saliva from his mouth down the crack of my butt. Opening it so it pooled in the opening there. He pressed his finger inside, inching in a little at a time.
“Dante?” I’d never done that and I wasn’t sure…
“Shh… still busy.”
I opened my mouth to speak and his finger began working me over. He pulled me so that my legs draped over the edge, lining me up for his shaft. He used his free hand to push inside me. He withdrew his fingers and then pushed them in when he pulled his shaft. One was always inside me, while the other retreated. In… out… in… out…
Breathless.
Something feral built inside me and I needed more of what he was doing.
“Harder…” I coached him.
“That’s my girl.”
His rhythm sped up and his thrusts became less gentle.
“Right there…” I crooned, a sucker for this nasty thing he was doing to me.
“Shh…” He whispered.
I was going to tell him that I couldn’t be quiet, but he gripped my ponytail and pulled me into his strokes.
“Ah!” I licked my lips, appreciating the pain.
“Shut… up…” He hissed.
At first, I thought I’d done something wrong. Then I noticed that the more noises I made, the more his body shook behind me. He liked it when I was vocal. The problem lied in his ability to not come fast.
Willing my bravado, I decided to challenge him.
“Or what?” I asked, looking over my shoulder. “Will I be in trouble?”
“More than you fucking know.”
I spread my legs wider, giving him more depth to stroke into. Pushing upward onto my hands, I bounced back into his thrusts taking him with force.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” He chanted, while bucking into me.
“Come on, baby,” I said to him. “Don’t ease up now.”
Dante leaned over me and bit my shoulder as he fucked me into the counter. I saw stars and hoped that I wouldn’t float away to a place I couldn’t come back from. He stood back up, adding another finger inside me, stretching me.
“What happened to you taunting me?” He asked.
Right, I was supposed to say a lot but right now, all I could focus on was the orgasms pounding through me. There were two of them. Both just out of reach, but right there.
“Now you want to be quiet?” Each stroke became punishingly rough.
“Gimme!” I screamed out, loving his side of him. Gentle was nice, but this was damn good.
“Hell yeah!” His hand seemed to be everywhere. My hair, neck, hip, shoulder, on my butt, and even slapping it too.
I screamed loud, not able to hold back as I came.
Dante growled, moving as if he was chasing either one of the orgasms. His thrusts pounded through me and as the second wave hit, I lost all sense of reality.