36. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Alina
Training had left her sore, but she felt strong, capable, and present. She reached her door, pushed it open, and froze.
Dante was inside, standing in the center of the room.
He looked up slowly, his eyes sweeping over her—the sweat, the bruises, the exhaustion. “Training went long.”
“Yeah. Luca wanted me to practice the twist again.”
He went still. “He pushed you too hard.”
“No,” she said. “I asked him to.”
That surprised him, and a new tension shimmered between them. He shouldn’t be here, but he couldn’t stay away. Seeing her so fierce sent a painful twist through his gut. This wasn’t the woman who had needed him to rescue her at the airport; this was someone else entirely.
He stepped closer. “You’re hurt.”
“It’s training.”
“Alina—”
She stepped closer, not backing down. “What are you trying not to say?”
He froze. She was right. He was trying not to say something dangerous, something real.
“You’re pushing yourself too fast,” he said.
“No. I’m catching up.”
He didn’t know what to do with that. He looked conflicted, but as she stood inches from him, she said softly, “I’m not trying to replace you. I’m trying to stand beside you.”
Surprise, relief, fear, and desire flickered across his face. “You already do.”
She stood there, breathing him in. He reached out—slow, hesitant—and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She leaned into it.
“You scare me,” he said, his voice low and rough.
“Why?”
“Because you’re changing. And I don’t know what that means for us.”
“It means I’m not running anymore.”
He stepped closer. “Alina, this is dangerous.”
“I know.”
“And you’re still standing here.”
“Yes.”
“Then so am I.”
She reached out and took his hand. He froze, then closed his fingers around hers.
“This is my first step, remember,” she whispered.
“Then I’ll take it with you.”
She didn’t know who moved first. In one moment they were standing there, breathing the same air; in the next, Dante cupped her face and their mouths met in a kiss that felt like both surrender and a claim.
It started gently—his lips warm and reverent—but Alina didn’t want careful. She rose onto her toes, threading her fingers into his hair. A low sound rumbled in his chest, but he still held back.
“Dante,” she whispered against his lips. “Stop handling me like glass.”
“You’re sore from training. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I want you to,” she said, kissing him deeper. “I want to feel you. All of you. Please.”
Something in him cracked. He walked her backward until her legs hit the bed, laying her down with aching slowness. His hands trembled as he undressed her, kissing every inch of skin—the bruises on her shoulder and the curve of her hip—like an apology.
He wanted to devour her, to bury himself so deep she forgot everything but him. But he was still trying to be gentle, shielding her with his body, one hand cradling her head while the other gripped her thigh like an anchor.
“Tell me if it’s too much,” he whispered, straining.
He pushed inside—slow, thick, stretching her open. Alina gasped, wrapping her legs around his waist and digging her heels into his back.
“More,” she breathed. “Don’t hold back.”
Dante groaned, burying his face in her neck. His hips rolled in long, deep strokes. Every shared breath and whispered name wove them tighter. She pulled him under, her nails raking down his back, her hips rising to meet every thrust.
His control frayed. He gave in, his thrusts growing deeper and more powerful. Even as he drove into her, one hand stayed gentle, his eyes locked on hers.
“I’ve got you,” he rasped. “I’ve always got you.”
Pleasure coiled tight inside her. She came with a broken cry, clenching around him until Dante followed, spilling inside her with a guttural groan.
They stayed locked together, trembling. Dante collapsed carefully to the side, pulling her against his chest and stroking her spine.
“I love you like this,” she whispered. “Gentle when I need it… and not gentle when I don’t.”
Dante let out a wrecked laugh. “You’re going to be the death of me, Alina.”
“Good. Because I’m not going anywhere. Not without you.”
He tightened his arms, and for the first time, the tension between them felt like peace. They had collided, and neither of them wanted to pull away.