Falling for Dante Read online

  After he had kissed me breathless, he pulled back. "You know we don't have to do this. If you're still not sure, say the word, and we'll stop."

  I palmed his face, overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness. "No. I'm sure. I want this."

  "Thank God," he murmured. He hopped off the bed and pushed his boxers down. The second his erection sprang free my mouth went dry. That was not going to fit inside me. Before I lost my nerve, he forced a condom down his length and moved over me.

  "You're so wet. I can't wait to be inside you."

  "Let's get it over with, then," I whispered. The crown of his cock played at my entrance and I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain.

  "Erica, look at me." I opened my eyes, surprised to see a small smile teasing his lips. "We're not getting anything over with. It will hurt at first, but I promise if you relax, I'll make you feel good." I nodded and kept my eyes peeled to his as he inched in further. "Oh, fuck, you're so tight."

  The pressure was overwhelming and I winced. "It hurts."

  "I know. Give it a second. I promise it will get better."

  I wanted to believe him, but the raw burning was impossible to ignore. His arms trembled and sweat beaded his brow. "Am I hurting you?" I asked.

  "Fuck, no. You feel so good. It's just torture, taking it slow."

  "Then don't."

  His eyes glossed over and he thrust into me with one sharp swivel of his hips until he was seated so deep my eyes rolled into the back of my head.

  "Oh," I cried out.

  I squirmed and bucked under him, but he held me steady, shushing me while I grew accustomed to the stark fullness. He licked my collarbone and trailed kisses up my neck, sucking the tender lobe of my ear to distract me.

  "You feel so good. Better than I ever imagined. Do you know how badly I've wanted this?" I nodded because I couldn't utter a single word. He ran his hand between us and caressed the key to my pleasure, which lessened the pain, stroke by tender stroke. "Relax, babe. Let me make you feel good."

  I closed my eyes and focused on the hum of the ocean in the distance and the soft rush of the ceiling fan above us. He pulled out and rocked back in, setting a languid pace. Within seconds the burning had morphed into an intense ache that was amplified by each of his thrusts.

  "Better?" he asked with a moan.

  "Yes. It feels better."

  "Look at me, Erica." I opened my eyes, gazing into the lust-ridden abyss of his. "I want you to come, again."

  He circled my clit with increased pressure and I arched my hips, needing more of everything. The hard length of him pressing against every part of me, the tender sweep of his fingertips on my sensitive flesh, the sweltering heat of his ragged breath on my neck. When he leaned over and bathed my nipple with sharp flicks of his tongue, he flipped a switch. Heat flooded my entire body, igniting a fire that detonated in my core.

  "Dante," I screamed, digging my nails into his back as ripples of pleasure surged through me. My walls clamped around his cock, milking him, over and over. With a guttural groan, he thrust inside me one final time, throwing his head back as he pumped his release.

  He slumped on top of me and nuzzled the crook of my neck as we both tried to catch our breath. I tickled my fingers over his back and across the dark ink of his tattoos. Even though he was crushing me, I welcomed his weight.

  "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice muffled against my neck.

  "Yes. Better than okay."

  "Good," he murmured. With a grunt, Dante pulled out and sauntered to the bathroom, no hint of modesty in his steps. I couldn't move. I laid there, listening to the running water in the bathroom with eyes half-closed, contemplating the surreal events of the last twelve hours.

  A few minutes later, he returned with a warm washcloth and cleaned between my legs with soft strokes. I tried to stop him, but he pushed my hands away.

  "Thank you," he said, sincerity softening his voice.

  "For what?"

  "For entrusting me with something so precious."

  His lips found mine and he kissed me so tenderly I almost cried.

  The shrill sound of the phone ringing woke me from the most erotic dream of Erica riding me to orgasm. Oh, wait. That hadn't been a dream. I sighed with contentment as a myriad of images from the night before came rushing back. I savored my favorite, which had been her on the bed with her own hand nestled between her legs.

  Erica stirred in her sleep and the soft swell of her breasts pressed against my ribcage. The incessant ringing inspired a growl and she pushed up onto her elbows, staring at me with bleary eyes. Disentangling her limbs from mine, she smoothed down her wild hair and glared at the phone on the nightstand.

  "Who the hell is calling me this early in the morning?"

  "It's not that early. It's eleven, babe."

  "God, I hope it's not my mother," she grumbled as she lifted the receiver to her ear. "Hello." Her eyes narrowed. "No. I haven't spoken to him." She shot up in bed and turned away from me. "Really? He's there now? Okay... No... No. Please don't call the police."

  What the fuck is going on? I sat up and inched closer, rubbing her bare shoulders. She glanced over at me and mouthed, Sorry. "I guarantee he'll pay for any and all damages. Yes. Thank you."

  She slipped the phone back into its cradle and cursed.

  "What's going on?"

  "Apparently, my brother trashed his suite last night. He was supposed to check out this morning, but the janitorial staff found him passed out on his bed."

  "Oh, shit."

  "Yeah. I have to find out what's going on." The soft swell of her ass jiggled as she stumbled to the bathroom. I followed, enjoying her naked form, which was even more spectacular in the light of day. She dragged on jeans and a t-shirt, wincing with every movement.

  "Are you okay?" I asked. My morning wood was impossible to hide and she licked her bottom lip before raising her eyes to meet mine.

  "Just a bit sore."

  "Sorry," I said with a grin.

  "I can tell you're really torn up about it."

  "Do you want me to come with you? I'm pretty good at taming the wild beast that is your brother."

  "No, stay here. I have a feeling it has something to do with Janice."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Yeah. Plus, I don't want Damian finding out about us, just yet."

  I leaned against the door frame and smiled. "So, I'm the dirty little secret, huh?" That was a new one for me, but I could own it if I had to. Although it wasn't going to be easy keeping this from my best friend.

  She watched me through the mirror as she splashed water on her face and tugged a comb through her tangled hair. "For now. I don't need my brother kicking the shit out of you. At least not until I get my fill," she said with a flirtatious smile.

  "Mm, I like the sound of that. I'll fill you anytime, babe."

  She giggled. "Order some coffee and breakfast. I shouldn't be too long."

  "Okay." As she moved past me, I snagged her elbow and pulled her tight against me. "Barring the soreness, how do you feel?"

  Placing her hands on my bare chest, she smiled up at me. "Other than that, I feel terrific. But, how could I not? You made me come like half a dozen times last night."

  "I'm not done with you yet. Besides cleaning up Damian's mess, what are your plans for the day?" I asked. What was wrong with me? I should have been trying to make a hasty exit. Instead I was toying with the idea of spending the rest of the weekend with her.

  "I didn't really have any. What about you?"

  "I was thinking about renting a bike and doing the Haleakala Crater tour."

  She groaned. "There's no way I can ride a bike today."

  "Oh, right," I said with a chuckle. We had gone at it like two horny teenagers into the early morning hours. We had barely been able to keep our eyes open and had passed out from sated exhaustion when the sun was creeping up on the horizon. "I'll think of something else. I mean, if you're interested in spending the day with me."

  "Are
you asking me out on a date?"

  I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."

  Her eyes lit up with excitement and she dropped a quick kiss on my lips. "I would love to spend more time with you."

  Worry nagged at my consciousness, but I pushed it aside. I didn't want Erica to get the wrong idea about my intentions. While I planned on continuing to sample her addictive pussy, there was little chance that anything more was going to come of our time together.

  After Erica had slipped out, I hurried back to my suite to shower and change. While I was there, I called the concierge who gave me some great ideas about how to spend our remaining days on the island. I booked a room at the Travaasa Hana Hotel, dismissing the voice in my head telling me that I was making a huge mistake. I packed a bag and was about to head back to Erica's room when my cell phone rang.

  I couldn't help the groan that erupted when I saw my mom's name lighting up the screen. I contemplated ignoring it, but she would make my life a living hell the next time I spoke with her.

  "Hey Ma, how are you?"

  "Please explain why I had to find out you were in Maui from your brother?"

  "Does it matter?"

  "I don't care how old you are, I need to know where my kids are." More like she needed to know where her money tree was. "And why the hell did you go to Maui?"

  "I came for the Woods' wedding anniversary."

  "When you gonna stop taggin' along with them stuck-up rich folks?" she huffed.

  "Ma, what do you need?"

  "Well, I'm a bit short this month. What with my cell phone bill and all the utilities, I'm running low on cash. This house sure does cost a lot to run."

  I took a deep breath. I wasn't shocked that my mother had called to ask for money. The only time she bothered to contact me anymore was when she needed something. I had no idea where all her money was going. Granted, she only brought home a grocery clerk's wage, but she had no other bills. I had paid off all of her debt, purchased a car and the house she was currently complaining about, my first year in the NFL.

  "Why don't you ask Dejon?"

  "Yeah, uh, that's the other thing I was calling about. Your brother lost his job..."

  "Again? You've got to be fucking kidding me." I sank down onto the bed and rubbed the dull throbbing in my temples.

  "Don't you cuss at me," my mother chided. "Dejon does the best he can. He's gonna need a little bit to see him through for the next few months."

  Footing the bill for my little brothers' college educations hadn't been enough, apparently. I was on the hook for the foreseeable future, since neither of the three men my mother had spawned children with were in the picture. My father included. But, unlike Dejon's and Darius' fathers, my father wasn't a deadbeat dad—he was just dead.

  "Fine, I'll transfer some money into your account."

  "It must be nice," she murmured in a wistful tone as she puffed on a cigarette. "Running off to a tropical island."

  "Yeah, it is." I didn't care that I sounded like an asshole. My mom loved to make me feel guilty for enjoying the life I had worked hard for and sacrificed my body to obtain. "I gotta go. I have plans with Erica."

  "Damian's little sister?"

  Fuck. Why had I let that slip out? "Yeah."

  "What are you doing with that girl? Isn't she ten years younger than you?" she asked, clucking her tongue.

  "No, five."

  "You need to find a nice girl like Keandra."

  "Nice and Keandra don't belong in the same sentence."

  "I hope you don't think you could ever have something with a girl like Erica."

  "What's that supposed to mean?"

  Her caustic laughter turned my stomach. "Boy, it don't matter how much money you got now. Those people will never see you for more than what you were... and that's a poor boy with big dreams."

  Sourness flooded my mouth. The woman had the ability to amputate my happiness right below the knee. After a quick goodbye, I hung up before I said something I might regret.

  But, hell, maybe my mom was right. Erica and I came from opposite sides of the track, literally and figuratively. Even though I knew Erica didn't give a shit about any of that, it didn't bode well for the long-term.

  I shook my head. Why was I even pondering this shit? There wasn't going to be a long-term. The furthest I could look into the future was today. Beyond that, it was anyone's guess.

  "Are you going to tell me where we're going?" I asked.

  We had stopped in the laid-back, hippie town of Paia to grab lunch and people-watch, but Dante had yet to tell me our ultimate destination. He glanced over at me from the driver's side of the Jeep with a grin. The backward baseball cap and aviator sunglasses gave him an edgy look that had my heart racing.

  Or maybe it was the fact that he had one of his broad hands on the steering wheel while the other rested possessively on my bare thigh, just below the hem of my beach tunic. We'd been back on the road for thirty minutes and every time his hand inched higher a rush of arousal spiraled through me.

  "Are you going to tell me what happened with Damian?" he countered.

  "It's not my story to tell," I murmured. Wind ripped through the open frame of the Jeep and I tugged my frenzied hair back into a high ponytail. "Plus, I don't want to ruin our day with the melodrama that is my brother's life."

  My brother had destroyed his suite in a fit of drunken rage. The act had been a symptom of a much deeper problem stemming from underlying issues with Janice. I was pretty sure Damian was head over heels in love with the girl. I just hoped she didn't break his heart.

  "Fair enough," Dante replied.

  Soft clouds kept the bright sun company in the sky and the breeze was ripe with the fragrant aroma of flowers and the salty tang of the ocean. It was the perfect day to explore Maui with a man who rivaled its natural beauty. In spite of the overabundance of champagne and lack of sleep the night before, I felt alive, and Dante was the reason.

  The buzz of my phone interrupted my musings and I pulled it from my purse. The incoming text brought me straight back down to earth.

  Brent: Give me back what you stole.

  An involuntary shudder ran through me. How did Brent know? I peeked at Dante, who seemed focused on navigating the narrow road, and typed a response with trembling fingers.

  Me: I don't know what you're talking about.

  Brent: Don't fuck with me. I saw you.

  Of course, the sicko had cameras in his office. I had hoped that his private study wouldn't warrant surveillance. But the asshole was probably paranoid given his disgusting propensities.

  Me: Consider it my insurance policy.

  Brent: Get your ass back to NYC with the thumb drive, or I may have to pay a little visit to that queer makeup artist you call a friend.

  Afraid of what I might find, I still hadn't worked up the courage to peruse the contents of that little piece of plastic. Now, it was clear that something lingered on that thumb drive and it was damning enough to warrant Brent threatening Jake. I was pretty sure it was an idle threat. Brent was a photographer, not some common street thug. But I made a mental note to text Jake as soon as we arrived wherever we were going.

  "Everything okay?" Dante asked.

  "Yeah. Just work stuff." I turned off my phone and slipped it back into my purse.

  "Are you sure? You look like you're about to cry."

  I waved away his concern, doing my best to calm the anxiety bubbling in my stomach. "So, where are we going?" I asked, hoping to change the subject. Dante had told me to pack an overnight bag.

  "I thought we'd head to Hana."

  "Really? I've always wanted to go there." I held my hand out the window and let the warm wind sift through my fingers.

  "Good. I thought we could hike Twin Falls or do the Garden of Eden, or whatever you want. And since we got such a late start, I booked a room for us at the Travaasa Hotel," he said.

  "You booked a room? A bit presumptuous, don't you think?" I teased.

  Dante's ha
nd inched higher. I was sure he could feel the heat building between my legs. "Maybe, but something tells me you don't mind." He slid his hand under my dress and palmed my mound. My bikini bottoms were already soaked through and Dante groaned his approval.

  "Dante," I hissed as I checked the side-view mirror. I couldn't see his eyes behind his dark sunglasses, but I was sure they were twinkling with amusement.

  "Has anyone ever finger-fucked you in a car?"

  Heat flamed in my face. "I think you know the answer to that, and do you have to be so crass?"

  "You didn't seem to mind it last night."

  That I had not. Dante's dirty words had only seemed to stoke the fire he'd ignited with his hands, mouth, and cock. Before I could reply, he slipped a finger under my bikini bottoms and ran it through my arousal. I gasped and lurched forward in my seat.

  "Shit, babe, you're dripping."

  I should have stopped him, but then he pressed that long finger deep inside me, grazing his thumb across my clit. I threw my head back and gripped the door handle so hard my hand ached.

  A sedan pulled up alongside us and I tried to push Dante's hand away, but he didn't stop. With his gaze focused on the road and lips lifted into a pleasant smile, it was unlikely that the people in the much lower car had any inkling of what was going on inside our Jeep.

  "Dante, what if they see?"

  "Relax. They aren't going to see. And if they do, who cares?"

  He shifted in his seat and I noticed the tenting of his board shorts. I would have touched him, but I was too overwhelmed by the throbbing between my own legs. Dante slowed down and the sedan passed us. A relieved sigh slipped from my lips.

  With a chuckle, he pressed his finger deeper, arching it forward just enough to press against the sweet spot. I moaned with each persistent thrust of his finger. When the tip of his other finger ghosted over the puckered opening of my ass, I jerked in my seat and cried out as hot sensation flooded my core. My hands flew between my legs to hold his in place as I bucked and writhed within the confines of my seatbelt.

  I'd clenched my eyes shut, but I snapped them open when the Jeep took a sudden, sharp turn down a gravel road.