Chapter 37 Dante
DANTE
Itake Grace's hand in mine.
She blinks and glances up at me. She’s been lost in thought for most of the evening. And even though she's looking at me now, I can tell she has a lot on her mind.
We just had dinner at a cliffside restaurant that serves authentic Balinese cuisine. Nico is now poring over the dessert menu.
I lean in to whisper in Grace's ear.
"Everything okay, little bird?" I ask.
She nods, but her eyes still look troubled.
"Let's get some fresh air," I say, standing.
She glances at the group, but they’re all deep in conversation. They don’t question us as Grace and I slip out the back of the restaurant.
"Where are we going?" she whispers.
Even her voice sounds defeated. Something's not right.
I want her alone, so I take us down the path of steps that leads to the beach. I stop when I come across a viewing point that shields us from public view.
The ocean roars behind us as I pull her toward me.
"Something's clearly bothering you," I say. "What is it?"
"It's not a big deal," she says, shaking her head. I watch as the wind rearranges her mahogany hair.
"It is a big deal if it's causing you stress," I say. "I don't like seeing you like this.”
She looks out at the turbulent waters below. They’re an inky blue that glisten silver under the moonlight.
"I heard you talking to your sister about a dream,” I say. “Is that what has upset you?”
She blinks a few times, like she’s trying to keep herself from crying. I cup her chin in my hand and make her look at me.
A flash of lightning splits the sky behind us, striking the ocean below. A roll of thunder follows.
"Talk to me, Grace," I say. "I need to know every thought you have in that pretty head."
"They're not pretty thoughts," she says.
"I still want to hear them."
"I have this sick feeling in my stomach that everything's going to end," she says.
"She pulled the Death card. She said I had nothing to be worried about and that all I had to do was be strong.
I don't know if I have what it takes to be strong when the moment comes.
I turn so pathetic every time I'm in front of my mother. "
I try to piece together everything she just said. It sounds like she had a bad dream that triggered her.
A drop of water falls on her forehead. She blinks as it rolls down her cheek. I wipe it away with my thumb and glance up at the sky.
The skies open, violently saturating us with rainwater.
I could take her back to the restaurant, but I'm not done talking to her. Instead, I tug her down the stairs and take her to an alcove that’s been carved into the rock.
"Shouldn't we go back to the restaurant? They’re probably waiting for us," Grace says.
"They can wait," I reply, threading my fingers into her hair. "I want you to keep talking. Tell me every single thing you're worried will happen."
She blinks. "I'm used to keeping those thoughts in my head."
"You don't have to," I tell her.
She fastens those pretty brown eyes on me. And like always, my entire world screeches to a halt.
"My mother has always found a way to ruin every good thing in my life," she says. "Every time I found happiness in something, she found a way to take that from me. And..."
She looks at the ground for a moment and then back up at me.
"And?" I say.
"And I found something I never want to lose," she says. "I don't want to lose you, Dante. That's my biggest fear right now. That I'll have a taste of heaven and then everything will go to ruin immediately after."
Her eyes brim with tears before they spill down her cheeks.
"You don't understand," she says. "I had a dull heart my entire life. I barely ever felt it beating in my chest. And then you came along, and the intensity of what you make me feel is almost too much. And I'm sorry if it's too much for you to hear, but it's my truth."
"Is that all?" I ask, wiping the tears off her cheeks. “Is there anything else you’re worried about?”
She stares at me for a moment, blinking rapidly.
"I'm scared that you're going to come to your senses," she says. "That you're going to see me the way my mother sees me. My mother always said that I was big, coarse, and undesirable. And I know you want me now, but what if you change your mind?”
I place my hands on her hips and press her against the stone wall. And then I step forward until our bodies are sealed together. Her eyes widen when she feels the rigid length of my cock.
"I desire you, Grace," I say. "Every second of every day.
I desire your soft curves against my body.
I desire those pretty eyes looking at me.
I desire your kind heart that's way too good for me.
I've desired you from the moment I laid eyes on you. And this obsession has only gotten stronger with every day that passes.”
She shifts her hips as she listens.
This girl forces me to be the best version of myself. She demands me to leave all of my fears behind because there's no space for that between us.
And so I say the words I never thought I'd say in this lifetime.
"I love you, Grace," I say. "I fell in love with you at first sight. And this affection for you has rooted so firmly inside me that it's a part of me now. I can't imagine going through life without you."
Her eyes are wider than ever before. She licks her bottom lip. I'm filled with the urge to kiss her, but I need to confess everything I was afraid to say out loud.
The rain outside is almost deafening, spraying mist toward us.
"I should have told you sooner, but I was scared," I say. “Ever since I was a young boy, I lost every person I ever loved. And I saw, with my own eyes, how love is manipulated in the mafia. But I can't ignore it anymore, piccola. I love you with everything in me.”
She wraps her arms around my neck now, leaning into me. Our mouths are inches apart.
“I love you too, Dante,” she confesses. “So much that it scares me.”
"I only ever want to be a source of comfort in your life," I tell her. "I don't ever want you to be scared. About anything. You're mine, Grace. I protect what's mine."
And I kiss her now.
It feels different from every other kiss we shared before.
I lick the seam of her lips. She lets me in with a gasp, letting my tongue inside her mouth. I hold the back of her head as I claim her. God, she's decadent.
Her little gasps and sighs make me so fucking hard. She grinds her hips against my cock, seeking friction.
"You can't help but be a tease, can you?" I say, wrapping a hand around her throat. "You can’t help but make me lose my mind."
She tugs me closer, making sure all of her curves are pressed against my frame. I heft her breasts as she arches into me, filling me with more of her softness. I tug on her nipples like they're strings of a guitar, making her moan against my mouth.
"I was just going to kiss you, but that's never enough for you, is it?" I say, squeezing her breasts in my palms as I wedge my knee between her thighs.
She starts riding my knee shamelessly, using me to get off. I tug down the straps of her dress. My mouth waters at the sight of her breasts spilling out of her bra.
"I have a horny little girl on my hands," I say, pushing my knee higher as she grinds against it. I kiss her slowly, taking my time with her. I kiss her until she’s soaked all the way through her panties. "Do you want Daddy to play with you, Grace?"
I still have my hand around her throat, so I know the exact moment her pulse skyrockets.
She blinks at me. Her lips are swollen from being kissed. Her cheeks are flushed, and her eyes glisten with mischief.
"Play how?" she asks innocently.
I drag my hands down her waist until they're resting on her curvy hips.
"I noticed that you’ve been tossing and turning in your sleep lately," I say, slowly tugging up the hem of her dress.
She shifts against me, her soaked panties on full display now.
I reach between her thighs, skimming my fingers over her puffy slit.
I nearly come undone when I feel how hot and wet she is for my touch. "Is this the reason, piccola?"
"It aches," she says. "I don't know why."
"It aches because you're a big girl now," I say.
"But it aches all night," she pouts.
"Let Daddy get a better look at it then." I push aside the fabric of her wasted panties. Her eyes turn heavier when I slide my finger over her slit. I tap the tiny hole of her entrance. "Is this where it hurts, piccola?"
Her cheeks flush for me. "Yes."
I keep sliding my finger up and down her slit, from her tight asshole to her little clit. She's always wet for me, but my girl is soaked for me now.
A possessiveness curls around my heart.
All of her is mine. Mine to touch, mine to suck, mine to fuck.
"Let me see if I can make it better," I say, dropping to my knees before her. I slant my mouth over her wet pussy and kiss her there. She bucks against me, restless and horny again.
"Does that feel good, Grace?" I ask.
"Yes," she sighs.
I nip her clit, making her cry out.
"Yes, what?" I ask.
"Yes, Daddy," she whispers. I feel her getting even wetter for me. She feels like the softest silk on my tongue.
"Be a good little girl and let Daddy take care of you," I say, lifting one of her thighs and placing it on my shoulder. I push her hips back against the stone, pinning her in place as I drink from her pussy.
"Oh, my God," she whimpers. "It feels so good."
I suck on her little clit until she cries my name.
"I have no business being anywhere near your pretty little pussy, but I can't help myself," I say. "It calls to me. I dream about it every single night."
She's jelly in my arms now, all soft and pliable. I stand, towering over her again. I keep my hand over her pussy, massaging it until she's slick between her thighs again.
I turn her around, making her brace her hands against the stone wall. I keep a hand wrapped around her throat, tilting her head up until she's looking up at me.
"Are you ready for Daddy's cock, bella?" I ask, squeezing lightly on her throat.