41. Chapter Fifty-One Jade
Chapter Fifty-One: Jade
I blinked the sleep from my eyes, the soft glow of dawn slipping through the blinds and announcing the start of another day. Sunday. In any other world, it would be a day to unwind, maybe curl up with a good book or take a long, lazy brunch. But this wasn't any other world; this was Dante Moretti's domain, where Sundays were just as strategic as any other day.
Turning my head, I found him beside me, chest rising and falling rhythmically. Even asleep, Dante commanded the space around him, an invisible force emanating from his relaxed form. He wore only black boxers, which did nothing to hide the power coiled in his muscles like a resting panther.
Everything came back in chunks.
The man who had attacked me, the way Dante had told me he was going to leave the Moretti family after everything.
I wanted to know more about him. I needed to.
"Whatcha got planned today?" My voice came out thick with remnants of dreams, but I couldn't help the curiosity that threaded through my words. Dante's plans, after all, had a way of spilling over into my life, whether I liked it or not.
He didn't even bother opening his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips as if he could sense my anticipation hanging in the air. "It's Sunday, beautiful. Even devils rest...sometimes." His hand found mine under the sheets, his touch sending a familiar jolt of heat straight to my core, reminding me of our escapades.
The room was cool, fall in New York City painting the penthouse with a chill that contrasted sharply with the warmth of his skin against mine. I shifted slightly, conscious of the sheer white shirt sticking to my skin and the dark blue panties that left little to imagination under the morning light.
"Rest?" I teased back, my own body waking up with every passing second, acutely aware of the danger and desire that slept next to me. "Since when does Dante Moretti rest?"
A chuckle rumbled in his throat, a deep sound that reverberated through the silent expanse of the bedroom. He finally opened his eyes, and I was met with the dark intensity that always seemed to see right through me. "For you, I might consider it."
“Good,” I said. “But don’t you have to worry about…you know. The thing that happened yesterday?”
"Someone's taken care of that problem from yesterday morning. No need to worry your pretty head about it." Dante's casual words cut through the lingering traces of warmth and intimacy, sending a cold reality check down my spine.
I sat up abruptly, leaving the comfort of our shared warmth. The sheets pooled at my waist, the morning air raising goosebumps on my arms. I wasn't naive; violence was part of his world—a world that had become mine by default. But hearing him speak of a man's life, one he had extinguished right in front of me, as though it were nothing more than taking out the trash...It was too much.
"I wasn't worried about that," I shot back, my voice sharper than I intended. Anger and frustration bubbled inside me, not just at the callousness of his statement, but at this gilded cage I found myself in. "But I can't do this anymore, Dante. This confinement...it's suffocating."
Dante sat up too, the sheets slipping off his bare torso, revealing the inked skin and sculpted muscles that told tales of his allegiance to a legacy of crime. His expression was unreadable for a moment, and I wondered if I'd finally reached the boundary of the freedom he'd granted me within these walls.
"Jade," he said, his voice low and controlled. "This is for your safety. You know why—"
"Stop," I interrupted, unwilling to listen to the same excuses. "I need more than just being kept safe, Dante. I need to be part of the world again, not just a spectator from behind bulletproof glass."
His gaze didn't waver from mine, and in those dark eyes, I saw the gears turning as he weighed his options, calculated his control. It was always about control with Dante, whether it was over his family's empire or over me. But I also knew there was more to him than the hardened mafia prince he presented to the world. There was a vulnerability he only showed in the quiet moments we shared, a humanity that struggled against the binds of his birthright.
"Alright," he conceded after a tension-filled silence. "You can meet with your friend. But I'm coming with you."
"You know her. Dr. Harper,” I said. “Ellie.”
“Yeah, I know her,” he replied. “You think she’ll be up for brunch?”
“I don’t know, but I need to do something, Dante.”
I held my breath, waiting for his verdict. Dante's presence filled the room, a silent assertion of his power. But in that instance, as he evaluated my plea with those calculating eyes, I saw the slightest softening—a crack in the armor he wore so well.
"Okay," he finally said, the word slicing through the tension. "But it's on my terms, Jade. You don't step out of my sight."
"Fine." The agreement came out more sharply than I intended, but the promise of seeing Ellie, of reclaiming a sliver of my old life, spurred a rush of adrenaline through my veins.
"Good." Dante's lips curled into a half-smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. It was the smile of a man who knew he had the upper hand, even when making concessions. "We'll set it up. Today you'll see Ellie, and we can pretend everything's normal for a little while."
"Thank you," I whispered, the words tasting like both victory and defeat. With Dante, every give came with an invisible take—a reminder that my world now operated on his terms.
"Get dressed. Something nice," he instructed. "I'll have someone pick up Ellie."
"Wait, Dante." My voice stopped him in his tracks, and he turned, one eyebrow raised in question. "Just—thanks."
“But you do like it here, right?”
“It’s not like I dislike it, I’m just…this is a lot, okay?”
"Let me remind you what's so good here," Dante growled, his voice a low rumble that vibrated against my skin.
He crawled over me, the predatory glint in his eyes igniting a familiar thrill of anticipation in my belly. His lips found mine in a fervent kiss that tasted of smoke and dominance, a reminder not only of the man he was but of the hold he had over me. The sheer force of his desire was intoxicating, and I found myself melting into him despite my earlier resolve.
His hand traced a path down from my collarbone to the hem of my sheer shirt, his touch leaving a trail of heat in its wake. My breath hitched as he dipped his fingers under the lace trimming of my panties, his thumb drawing lazy circles on my lower abdomen.
"Dante," I breathed out, squirming under his touch.
"Hush, Jade." His voice was like velvet, soft and commanding. "How wet are you for me?”
A blush crept up my cheeks at his words and I bit my lip, holding back a teasing retort. He knew exactly what he did to me and just how much I craved him.
His fingers moved lower, slipping beneath the damp fabric of my panties. His eyes held mine captive as he explored the wetness between my thighs, a smug satisfaction spreading across his face.
"How wet are you for me, Jade?" He repeated his question, an arrogant
"Dante," I whimpered, my words melting into the air between us as I clutched at his shoulders, anchoring myself against the onslaught of sensations.
His thumb found my throbbing clit, rubbing it in rhythmic circles that had me writhing beneath him. The slow build of pleasure was exquisite, a testament to Dante's experience and his knowledge of my body.
“You need to answer me,” Dante said.
"I'm...I'm wet. I’m so wet for you," I answered, my voice barely above a whisper. The confirmation only seemed to incite him further, his fingers pressing deeper into the slick warmth of my core.
"Say it again," he commanded roughly, his thumb increasing the pressure on my clit. A strangled gasp escaped my lips as I obediently complied, repeating the words that seemed to intoxicate him with a sense of power and control.
His free hand discarded my panties, leaving me bare under his prying eyes. As much as I hated to admit it, being under Dante's control was thrilling. It was unexpected and scary and so damn intense; it made me feel alive at a time when everything else made me feel trapped.
In one swift movement, Dante rid himself of his boxers, allowing me to see the full extent of his arousal. His firm length sprung free, hard and throbbing with desire. My breath hitched at the sight, the raw carnality of it sending a fresh rush of wetness pooling between my thighs.
He didn't waste any time in positioning himself between my spread legs, the head of his cock teasing at my entrance.
"Dante...please," I begged him, needing to feel him inside me.
“You love this, don’t you?”
I nodded, words too difficult to form in my current state. "Yes...please," I whispered, unable to tear my gaze from his. He stared down at me as if devouring me with his eyes, and the intensity of his gaze sent a shiver down my spine.
"Dante..." I started, but my voice broke when he entered me. His hardness filled me, stretching me deliciously while igniting a wave of pleasure that washed over my body.
"God, Jade..." Dante breathed out. His strong hands held my hips in place as he moved within me. Each deep thrust sent sparks of ecstasy shooting through my veins. My hands reached up to clutch at his broad shoulders, fingers digging into the taut muscles as the sensations overwhelmed me.
"Tell me how it feels," Dante demanded in a low growl, his earlier gentleness now replaced by searing dominance.
"It's...it feels...oh god,'' I moaned out, unable to construct a coherent sentence. My entire universe had narrowed down to this one man and the delicious friction he was creating inside me.
“You can do better than that,” he said, his voice strained.
"It's...incredible," I gasped as Dante hit a particularly sensitive spot, causing my body to jerk beneath him. "You're...I can't even describe it."
"Try," Dante ordered, rolling his hips in a slow, torturous rhythm that had time twisting into endless loops of pleasure.
"It's...like fire," I managed, my voice a breathless whisper against his ear. "Hot and consuming...and you're...you're making me..."
"I'm making you what?" His voice was a rough growl now, the sound vibrating through my entire being.
"Crazy," I admitted, my fingernails digging deeper into his back as I writhed beneath him. "You're making me crazy."
A satisfied grunt left his lips at my words before he bent down to claim my mouth in a bruising kiss. His tongue explored the depths of my mouth in tandem with his unyielding thrusts.
“I’m so close,” I said. “I don’t know if I can take more, fuck…”
His thrusting slowed, then stopped. "Can't take more?" he tossed back, a wicked glint in his eyes. "You'll take what I give you."
Pushing himself up, he surveyed my flushed face, my heaving chest, the sheen of sweat on my body gleaming in the morning light. He looked pleased -- like a predator relishing his prey.
I whimpered at his words, at the assertion of power that was as intoxicating as it was intimidating.
"Oh, god...Dante," I gasped out when he resumed his movements, deeper and slower this time. His cock dragged along my inner walls, hitting all the right spots and sparking sensations that left me breathless and clutching at the sheets beneath us.
A low grumble echoed in his chest as he watched me unravel beneath him. His name fell from my lips in breathless moans as he drove me closer and closer to the edge.
"You're so tight for me," Dante murmured, his voice husky with desire. "So wet...so responsive. You’re taking my cock like a good girl and I’m so proud of you.”
I let out a whimper, my body trembling with the force of my impending climax. His words were a match to the gasoline pooled in the pit of my stomach, igniting an inferno that threatened to consume me
Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes as pleasure bloomed within me, the tension knotting tighter and tighter until it was almost unbearable. "Dante...I'm...I'm..." I stammered, my body arching off the mattress as I clung to him.
"Come for me, Jade," he ordered gruffly, his movements becoming more frantic. "Let go."
With a final shuddering thrust, he stilled above me - panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath. Our bodies were slick with sweat and the evidence of our shared lust coated our thighs.
Slowly, Dante pulled out and collapsed next to me for a second.
After, he pulled back just enough to let the cool morning air slip between us, severing the connection we had forged in heat and desperation. His gaze, sharp and unyielding, held mine captive. The room shrunk to the space shared by our locked eyes, every other detail fading into insignificance.
“See? It’s not so bad,” he said, a smile on his face.
I closed my eyes, smiling as I caught my breath. “No,” I say. “I could get used to this.”
I was telling the truth…I just needed him to stop killing people first.