Chapter 31
Dante Valentino
I gave Cali one last look before exiting the room with Daniel and Blake.
I was angry with myself for putting her in a position like that. It scared the hell out of me when the guy grabbed her. It scared me even more that she was acting so nonchalant about it. I had my suspicions that she wasn't telling me something about her past. Well, she really hadn't told me anything: I told her about mine but she didn't tell me about herself.
I smiled at the realization, she just kept surprising me.
"He's been keeping tabs on her, Valentino. He's been watching her every move."
I stopped at the center of the hallway and turned towards Daniel, using my height to intimidate, "How?"
Daniel visibly gulped, "He must've bugged one of her bags or something. If he bugged her phone you would've been able to tell."
I nodded my head in understanding and mentally kicked myself, of course he had bugged her.
"We'll leave first thing in the morning. We're taking Lily and Cali back to Ohio-they have a wedding to attend."
I was losing my sense of knowledge. My father had raised me to know everything about everyone and trust no one. Cali was invading my every thought. But I didn't have the heart to push her away. She currently held it in her own hands.
~
Cali Woods
I tossed and turned in the hotel bed. Everything about it just felt wrong. The blankets were too scratchy and whenever I kicked them off I'd get extremely cold. But when I put them on I'd get extremely hot. I just couldn't win.
I let out an agitated sigh and slapped my hands on the comforter, leaving it halfway on my body. I had completely given up on sleeping for the night.
Events from the last two days seemed to be invading my mind. My mind telling me that wherever we were was not good and I needed to get out.
Dante.
Dante would help me out. He had to. I'd just have to ask him when he got back if I could go home.
My anger for him was dwindling away quickly. The longer I stayed in this dark hotel room the more I wanted his body pressed against mine to reassure me everything was fine. Even if he didn't say anything.
The door to the hotel room squeaked open. Letting light from in the hallway flood in and blind me momentarily. I squinted my eyes, sitting up and shading my eyes.
Dante quietly walked in, already realizing I was awake but didn't say anything.
He disappeared into the bathroom for a bit reappearing without any shirt or pants, only his black boxers. He switched off the light, leaving the room once again black, only the little bit of light from the moon shining through the curtains.
"Is everything okay?" I asked as he slowly climbed into the bed.
Dante nodded, grabbing my waist and pulling me closer to him. I had to lift my hands up to stop myself from slamming into his chest and crushing my nose.
"What're we going to do?" I wondered aloud, wrapping my own arm around his torso.
Every bit of anger now completely gone.
Dante reached up and began stroking my hair with his hand, "We're leaving in the morning."
I pushed myself up, "What?"
He turned and rested on his side, his fingers playing with the hem of my shirt, "Cody's coming here, thinking we're oblivious by it, so, might as well head back to Ohio."
I smiled and grabbed his hand from trailing up my shirt, "So you're coming too?"
"Mhm," he mumbled, "You're staying at my house, also."
I raised an eyebrow, "Oh really?"
Dante hummed in response and laid on his stomach, giving me a perfect view of his defined back muscles and large tattoo that covered his whole back.
"I'm going to be your wedding date too." He mumbled into the pillow.
Wedding?
"What are you talking about?" I asked, tracing the curve of his spine with my index finger.
Dante shivered, "What's her name? Amelia-"
I gasped, "I completely forgot! Their wedding is this weekend," I remembered, "Is Lily and Daniel coming too?"
Dante nodded his head into the pillow, groaning when I kneaded his broad shoulders. I hadn't realized exactly what I was doing until he grabbed my hands from sliding into his underwear.
I gasped at his quick motion and my stupidity of not watching what I was doing, "I-I-"
Dante was lying on his back now, watching my reaction, his hand still around my wrist. Stopping my wandering hands that had a mind of their own.
He sat himself up, steadying himself on his elbows, now coming face to face with me, "I take it you're not mad at me anymore?"
I bit my lip and shook my head, watching his lips as he talked, "I understand."
"Good," Dante stated, "I'm glad you understand that I having nothing but good intentions towards you."
His lips met mine in a hot, needy kiss. Making me nearly lose my balance that was resting on my hand. His hands tangled themselves in my hair as he brought me down towards him.
I wounded my legs around his waist and grinded my hips against his.
He groaned, traveling his tongue along my bottom lip. I moaned in delight as his wandering hands traveled over my body.
The first time we had kissed this intimately my mind and body were fighting each other. Each one saying something completely different. But now they were finally agreeing. His kisses were dangerous, but maybe being dangerous wasn't always so bad?
His lip ring was cold against my tongue as he sucked it into his mouth. The cold night that had been keeping me awake earlier was gone and replaced with the heat between our bodies. Dante flipped us over, now straddling me against the hotel bed.
My body forgot about the scratchy material of the mattress and focused in on his muscular body pressed tightly against mine and heating up my whole body.
"Dante." I whimpered, his hands traveling up my shirt and to my flat stomach.
His lips traveled down my neck, sucking and laying sloppy kisses. His manhood was pressing itself against my lower region, causing me to whimper.
His hands reached to my waistband and expertly pushed my shorts down, exposing myself to him like at the café. I caught his lips on mine again and traveled my hands down his abdomen, tracing every perfectly carved muscle with my shaking finger.
The room grew ten times hotter as my hands made a brave move and stroked his member through his boxers. Dante stilled and sucked in a breath that almost sounded painful.
I looked up and met his eyes, they held no emotion as they stared down at my wide ones. He grabbed my hand and held them with his own, "As much as I want this to happen, "He whispered against my neck, "I know you're not ready, piccolo."
I drowned as I realized he was right. What was I thinking? I had never done this before and now I was breaking the personal square unconsciously. I wasn't ready for this, and I owed him for realizing it before me.
"I'm sorry." I whispered, bringing my shaky hands to my chest. My heart was rapidly beating against my chest.
Dante placed a chaste kiss on my forehead, lingering. He laid down next to me and wrapped his muscular biceps around my waist.
I turned away from him embarrassed, and closed my eyes. Giving into my exhaustion.
"Si meritano molto meglio." Dante whispered against the back of my neck, his arms tightening.
~
"Lily!" I squealed, running towards my blonde headed beauty and throwing my arms around her.
Lily hugged back as tightly as I and laughed, "It feels like you've been held hostage ever since the ball."
I took a peak at Dante who was talking to a Blake. He looked deep in a conversation, his eyebrows furrowed and jaw tight as he listened to Blake speak.
"Well ya know. When you have a protective boy around you don't get much free time out."
Lily quirked an eyebrow in amusement, "Your boy, huh?"
I giggled and nudged her with my shoulder, "Speaking of boys. Everything okay with Daniel?"
Lily gave me a goofy smile, "About that-"
"Are you ready?" A deep voice interrupted her.
I turned to see Dante standing beside Daniel with our bags in their hands, "You'll ride with me while Daniel and Lily go together. They have a few stops on the way."
I looked at Lily skeptically but she ignored it and beamed at Daniel who made his way to her side, "We'll go dress shopping as soon as we make it back!" She yelled at me while walking to Daniels Suburban.
I rolled my eyes but gave her a thumbs up. Dress shopping with her was always an adventure. We usually ended up in trouble after.
Dante placed his hand in the middle of my back and nudged me towards the sliding doors of the hotel. His black sports car was no where in sight.
He surprised me when he led me towards a black Jeep Wrangler, "My cars temporarily in the shop. So we're sticking with plan B."
"A Jeep being our getaway car?" I joked.
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