Chapter 17 Angelica
ANGELICA
Ifollow Dante into his room knowing exactly what's about to happen.
My body is already feeling the electric current of arousal because it feels like the whole night was leading to this.
Tonight was sweet.
He stayed engaged with Sofia and me during the entire concert except for that bathroom break.
He held my hand during the carols.
He smiled when Sofia got excited about the cookies.
He carried our daughter to bed without being asked.
For a few hours, I let myself imagine what it would be like if this were real and we were truly a couple together.
It's everything a woman wants, right?
A man to call her own, one who'll provide for her and protect her?
And I'm not blind either.
He's gorgeous.
What's not to love about that?
But his life… It still makes me pull back because I fear the risk more than I desire that reward.
Dante steps closer and reaches up to cup my face in his hands.
His touch is gentle though the calluses on his hands are rough. "Stay with me tonight."
The way his eyes search my face, it's like he's this fragile thing, like if I say no and pull away, he'd shatter.
But I don’t want to pull away.
I want nothing more than to get lost in his nearness and lose myself in the connection.
"Okay," I whisper hesitantly.
I don’t want to send the wrong signals to him, but I swear I'm sending them to myself anyway.
Dante is addictive and I always get sucked in. I can't help myself.
It's like the best drug on the planet to be wanted and needed by someone so powerful, and when he's gentle with me, it’s even more difficult.
He leans down and kisses me tenderly, like he's asking permission for something we both already agreed to.
I kiss him back and let my hands slide up his chest until he pulls me closer so there's no space between us.
"You're so beautiful, Angelica," he murmurs against my lips. "You've changed my life… Made me a better man."
The words wrap around my chest and squeeze until I'm pressing back, fighting the desire to tell him he's changing me too.
He kisses me again, deeper this time, and I start to let go little by little.
When his hands slide lower I arch into his touch and let go of every doubt and the inhibitions that keep me feeling withdrawn.
Dante's fingers trace the hem of my dress before lifting it slowly over my head, exposing my skin to the cool air of the room.
I shiver from the way his eyes darken with appreciation as he takes me in completely. Like he's hungry and I'm satisfying his craving.
He discards the dress to the side and runs his palms up my sides, cupping my breasts gently, sending sparks straight to my core.
I reach behind to unhook my bra myself, letting it fall away so he can touch me without barriers.
It earns a satisfied growl of appreciation before he leans in to kiss the swell of one breast while his hand massages the other.
His thumb circles my nipple until it hardens under his attention and I thread my fingers through his hair, holding him close as a soft moan escapes my lips.
The sensation builds a steady ache between my legs that makes me press my thighs together for relief.
"You're perfect," he murmurs against my skin before taking my nipple into his mouth, sucking lightly and then grazing it with his teeth.
The mix of pleasure and the slightest edge of pain makes my breath hitch in my throat.
I pull him up for a deep kiss, tasting sweat on his tongue as our bodies align more fully.
His hands move to my panties next, sliding them down my legs in such a slow seductive manner that I clench around nothing.
God, I'm aching for him.
I step out of them and kick them aside, feeling exposed, and he sheds his own pants quickly, revealing his arousal that stands ready and eager for me.
Dante guides me backward to the bed where I lie down, watching as he sheds his tie, then his shirt, and finally his boxers.
He's beautiful too, like a chiseled statue on display for me, his body honed by years of effort. And I spread my legs for him as he crawls over me.
He positions himself at my entrance, rubbing the tip against me to coat himself in my wetness.
The teasing contact makes me whimper softly, urging him forward with a roll of my hips.
"I want to feel all of you," I tell him, reaching for him until my fingers find flesh.
He nods and pushes inside me inch by inch, filling me completely until our hips meet.
The stretch is exquisite, a perfect fullness that has me arching upward, wishing he could go deeper.
We stay still for a moment to savor the connection, his forehead resting against mine as our breaths mingle, and he brushes his lips over mine, grunting, "You fit me so well, Bella."
Then he begins to move, withdrawing almost entirely before sliding back in with a smooth thrust.
Each motion builds a rhythm that syncs with the pounding of my pulse, so slick with my arousal the movements are seamless.
Dante's hands brace on either side of my head, giving him leverage to deepen his strokes without overwhelming me.
I wrap my legs around his waist to pull him closer, meeting each thrust with a lift of my own hips.
The friction between us creates a heat that spreads through my veins like wildfire.
"You're so tight around me," he groans, and his eyes never leave mine.
The way he speaks to me, like I drive him insane, makes me all the more aroused.
I clench around him and he responds with a slightly faster pace, still controlled and attentive to my reactions.
I run my nails lightly down his back, feeling the muscles flex under my touch as he drives into me again and again.
The pleasure coils tighter in my lower belly, a building pressure that promises sweet release.
My breaths come in shorter gasps now, matching the increasing urgency of our movements.
"Oh mio dio…" I grunt, feeling my body surging toward climax.
Dante shifts his weight slightly to one arm, freeing his other hand to caress my side and then trail down to where we're joined.
He strokes my thigh, encouraging me to open wider for him.
The new angle allows him to hit deeper, brushing against that sensitive spot inside me with every thrust.
Then his thumb finds my clit and presses and stars explode behind my eyelids. I'm so close.
"Tell me what you need," he whispers, his voice husky with restraint as sweat beads on his brow.
I shake my head because words fail me in the moment, but my body speaks for itself by arching higher into him.
He understands and maintains the rhythm, letting the sensations build naturally between us.
The room fills with the sounds of our union—the soft slap of skin on skin and our mingled moans.
I feel the first orgasm approaching like a wave cresting on the horizon.
It starts as a tingle in my toes and races upward until it crashes over me fully.
My body tenses around him as the climax hits, waves of ecstasy pulsing through every nerve ending in rhythmic contractions.
I cry out his name breathlessly and Dante holds me through it all, slowing just enough to prolong the bliss without stopping entirely.
My body twitches and jolts and my muscles stay locked around him until every last convulsion simmers.
As the aftershocks ripple through me, he kisses my temple and murmurs, "Do you have any idea how beautiful you look when you come undone for me?"
The tenderness in his tone reignites the spark within me almost immediately.
I pull him down for a passionate kiss, our tongues dancing in a way that mirrors our lower connection.
We continue moving together seamlessly, his pace picking up again to chase the lingering heat between us.
My sensitivity from the first release makes every sensation more acute now.
I savor the way he fills me over and over, each stroke rebuilding that delicious tension.
Dante's breaths grow ragged against my neck where he buries his face for a moment. "You make me lose control," he admits between thrusts that grow deeper and more insistent.
Those words send a thrill through me because even in his world of power plays and danger, here he's vulnerable with me.
I decide to take more initiative and push gently at his shoulder until he understands my intent.
We roll over together without separating, ending with me straddling his hips while he lies beneath me.
This position gives me leverage to set the pace now, grinding down onto him with such control it has him gasping.
My hips roll and rock, and he presses his eyes shut and grits his teeth.
His hands settle on my waist to steady me as I rise and fall along his length.
The view from here lets me watch his expressions shift from pleasure to awe.
I lean forward slightly to brace my hands on his chest, feeling his heart thunder under my palms.
"You're incredible like this," Dante says with genuine admiration as he thrusts up to meet my downward motions.
The combined effort creates a deeper penetration that hits all the right places inside me.
I moan in response, letting the rhythm build faster now.
Sweat slicks our skin where we connect, making each slide smoother and more intoxicating than before.
I vary the speed sometimes—slowing to tease us both before accelerating again.
His fingers dig lightly into my hips not to dominate but to anchor himself amid the growing intensity.
The second climax begins to form low in my belly like before but stronger this time from the prolonged buildup.
Every downward motion amplifies it until I'm chasing that peak so intensely I forget everything else.
Dante senses me nearing the edge and matches my energy perfectly without overtaking it.
"Let go for me again," he encourages softly while looking up into my eyes.
The hooded gaze and his rumbling tone tip me over into oblivion again as pleasure explodes outward from my core in powerful spasms.
My inner walls flutter around him tightly while I ride out the waves above him.
He follows soon after with a deep groan that vibrates through both our bodies together.