Dante resisted the urge to punch the fool. “Come on, Ella. Let’s go.”
“Hey, wait,” John said, turning to follow them as they tried to pass. “We haven’t gotten to catch up for old time’s sake.” He reached for her, but Dante stepped in front of him with a snarl.
“Woah, “John said, putting up his hands. “Easy. Geez, Ella. This guy is out of control.”
“Only when dealing with jerkwads,” she snapped back at him.
John’s gray eyes went dark. “I don’t need to hear that from you, fatty.”
Dante felt his fist go through the other man’s face before he’d made a conscious decision to do it. John was knocked back off his feet and rolled a few times before coming to a stop.
Dante stayed where he was in front of Ella. As far as he was concerned, John had gotten the least he deserved for insulting his mate.
John wiped his mouth indignantly, but as Dante challenged him wordlessly to stand, he stayed down.
“That’s what I thought,” Dante said, putting his arm around Ella.
“That’s right. Walk away, fatty,” John said.
Dante let out a roar and was about to go back to him, but Ella’s soft hands reached up to catch his face, and he felt himself jerked down by surprisingly strong fingers into a kiss.
She was standing on her tiptoes to reach him, and for a moment, he tried to pull back, the need to go end that guy surging through him uncontrollably.
Then it hit him. Ella was kissing him. Ella was kissing him. Ella was…
He melted into her, curving an arm around her waist, pulling her in tight as their lips melded together. He didn’t need to open her mouth; he just wanted to stay there like that, joined with her, softly touching as the dragon inside him slowly calmed.
When she pulled back, he was sure his shock showed on his face.
“Thanks for that,” he said.
“No problem,” she said, putting a hand in his to lead him to the Ferris wheel. “Let’s get airborne before we cause more trouble.”
Fine by him. Maybe snuggling would be involved.
After they gave their tickets to the attendant and stepped into the little car together, putting the guardrail down, Dante gasped as they were lifted off the ground and up in the air in a smooth circle. The view around him was amazing. The view beside him? Sublime.
“Thank you,” she said, putting a hand over his. “No one has ever stood up for me.”
He froze. “What?”
“I know,” she said. “I was bullied all through high school by John and guys like him. I guess I always dreamed of having a prince to stand up for me. Now I have one, even if he is just doing it as part of his job.”
But I’m not, he wanted to say.
“I noticed other couples were cuddling,” he said. “Maybe since you’re so grateful for what I did, you’d be into that?”
“Don’t push your luck, dragon,” she said. But she leaned into his chest.
As her curvy form fit in against him, he felt all his fantasies confirmed. Her soft breasts pressed up against his arm, making his whole body tighten.
“Are you okay?” she asked, looking up at him innocently.
“Sure,” he said, not knowing how he was going to hide the huge “problem” that was going to result from this. But hey, she’d know he was sincere in his attraction.
Luckily, she seemed focused on the view.
“I’ll always stand up for you,” he said quietly.
“Sure,” she responded. “Until the contract ends.”
He didn’t say anything, just quietly put a hand over hers and enjoyed the ride.
Six
When they got home from the fair, the whole family ate dinner together, and then Ella asked for some time in her room while her dad invited Dante to play a few games of pool.
He was really growing to like her family. Goodness knew he’d never had much of one. But still, every moment without Ella just felt a little empty. After excusing himself and thanking her father, he headed upstairs to find her.
Once again, he forgot to knock before entering, and he saw her jump up nervously, trying to hide something. This time, the embarrassed look on her face was just too cute, and he couldn’t resist lunging onto the bed to retrieve whatever it was she’d tried to hide.
He rummaged around, ignoring her pitiful attempts to stop him, and was surprised to find… a book?
He pulled it out and looked at it, narrowing his eyes when he saw a man’s torso with rippling abs on the cover.
“Mine are better,” he muttered.
She jerked it back from him, clutching it to her chest. “Get out. You had no right to do that.”
He grinned. “Come on. Show me. What kind of book is that?”
“A romance,” she snapped.
He realized her hair was coming loose from her ponytail, almost all the way down. She was wearing sweatpants and a big, baggy, buttoned-up sweater above it.
She held on to the book like a lifeline, and he wanted to know why she so badly wanted to hide it from him.
“Let me see it,” he said.
“No,” she said stubbornly.
“Oh, come on,” he said. “I’m not going to judge you. Besides, I thought you hated romance.”
“I—”
He took advantage of her slight distraction to swipe the book from her. Opening it to a random page while holding it high above her attempts to get it back, he read aloud.
“They kissed, and the kiss went on forever, as if eternity weren’t long enough and the love they shared…” He trailed off as he realized she wasn’t grinning.
Instead, she looked pissed.
He lowered the book. “I don’t understand. You hate romance, but you read books like this in secret? Why bother to hide them?”
She grabbed it back, and he let her. She huffed and scooted back against the headboard. “I lied, okay?” she said, pushing her hair back behind her ears. “I don’t hate romance. I just gave up on the idea of it a long time ago. But I suppose I don’t want anyone to know about it.”
“About what?”
“About the fact that the only romance I get is in books!” she shouted, looking embarrassed.
He sat by her on the bed, keeping his posture friendly and relaxed. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s probably my kind of book.”
“How so?” she asked.
“Well, the abs resemble my own, and then there is the fact that I’m a hopeless romantic. Unashamedly so, unlike you.”
“Yeah, well, you were born beautiful. You can have anyone you want.”
“So can you,” he said.
“Yeah right,” she retorted. “As if.”
“You’re beautiful, too,” he said. “You just hide it.” He hesitated. “May I touch you?”
She nodded slowly, and he reached for the top button of her cardigan and undid it. Soft, creamy skin was revealed, making him suck in his breath. He undid another button, then another, and realized to his delight that she was wearing a formfitting camisole underneath that outlined her curves.
Luscious boobs, soft, rounded waist.
His mouth watered.
He set her cardigan back in place and scooted a bit back from her. Then he reached for her hair, pulling it out of the ponytail and letting it fall around her shoulders, moving it into place with his hands, loosening the tight curls.
“There,” he said. “Beautiful.”
She gaped at him for a moment, then grabbed her cardigan, pulling it together. “Stop lying to me.”
“I’m not lying to you,” he said.
“There’s a limit,” she snapped, trying to gather her hair back into a ponytail, twisting it in her hands. “I know you’re paid to make me feel better, but—”
He leaned forward, kissing her, stopping her words. It was different than the fair this time. He was showing his feelings for her, and his tongue urged her soft lips open before diving inside. She moaned a little and let him, losing hersel
f for a few seconds before grunting and pushing him back.
She was breathing more heavily as she tucked her hair behind her ears. “I…”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I keep touching you without asking.”
“I keep… letting you and not minding,” she said. “It’s weird.”
He laughed and sat back on the bed. “I don’t think it’s weird at all. I’m hot.”
She swatted him. “You.”
“Banishing me to the floor already?” he asked with puppy dog eyes.
She looked a little guilty but nodded.
“Fine,” he said. “Since I got a kiss, we’ll call it even.”
He started to make up his bed, weirdly pleased by how the day had gone.
He wanted to read her mind, as all dragons could. See what she was thinking, but he knew it wasn’t right. Sometimes he heard thoughts by accident, but other than that, he didn’t try.
Oh well. Her kiss told him enough for now. When the lights were off and he was tucked in, he found himself drifting off to sleep more easily than he had in a long time.
Ella heard Dante’s soft snores in the darkness and smiled to herself.
Her body was still unbelievably hot from his kiss, from the sincerity of his words when he complimented her.
It was like something from her books, but she’d be stupid to believe it was real, right?
He’d defended her that day, too, and it’d been hard not to fall for him. He was so hilarious at times, like when he’d surprised himself by almost destroying that game booth at the fair or when he said he’d like to read romance.
He was winning her over much faster than she’d ever thought possible.
As the house was dark and quiet, she decided to get up for a glass of water, hoping it would help her cool down.
She quietly wrapped a fluffy robe around her already modest pajamas and stepped softly over the floor to the room.
For a second, she had a thought of what Dante’s response would be if she dared to wear more revealing pajamas. Maybe even something a little bit silky.
But then dark thoughts clouded her mind, reminding her why she didn’t trust romance. Or men.
They had pretty words when they wanted something, but they wouldn’t hesitate to cut you down.
She stepped out onto the stairs and shut the door behind her, looking around.
A few doors still had faint light coming out from under them, and she sighed in relief that she seemed to be the only one up. As she crept down the stairs and into the kitchen, the floor creaked, and she tensed up.
She looked around her and then relaxed as she went to the fridge. Glancing inside at her options, she decided to treat herself to some orange juice. She poured a glass and sat at the counter with it, listening to the rapid beating of her heart.
Dante’s face burned in her mind. Those gold eyes, hot and cold at the same time. Almond-shaped, exotic. That hard jaw, tensed whenever he was angry, usually for her sake.
That perfect nose she liked to stare at from the side.
She pushed her juice away and rested her head on her arms. What the hell was she doing? Maybe she was an idiot. Maybe this was why she fiercely avoided romance and letting people in.
Maybe she should just go back upstairs to Dante and tell him in no uncertain terms that he needed to keep this a business arrangement and nothing more.
But her heart ached slightly at the thought. Even if he was just trying to help her have fun because it was his job, why shouldn’t she enjoy it for once?
As long as she didn’t allow herself to be fooled as she had in the past, she should be fine in letting herself live a little.
She heard footsteps approach the cabin and male voices, and her heart thudded as she wondered if she could run for the stairs before the door opened.
“Nah, I’m staying here the next few nights,” a familiar, unwelcome voice said. “Talk to you tomorrow.”
She pushed off her stool and was about to run for the stairs when the door opened and shut, the living room light flicked on, and she found herself face to face with Cliff.
Her worst nightmare.
She straightened, trying to look brave and unaffected. You aren’t seventeen anymore. You don’t idolize him. You know what a monster he is.
She glanced up at the bedroom where Dante was. Too far away. And even though he’d been there for her, she was still stuck in her own stupid independence, too afraid to call for him. Too afraid to expect something that would be crushing if she didn’t get it.
“Ella,” Cliff said softly, walking forward with a confident grin. “Just the girl I wanted to see. I’ve been wanting to catch you without that big brute around.”
She backed up and made a run for the stairs, but he caught up to her, slamming his hands down on the railing on either side of her, trapping her.
Darkness clouded her mind, foggy memories pushing through, stifling her, making it hard to breath.
She shoved at his chest until she heard a door open at the top of the stairs.
“Ella,” Dante called, snapping her out of her stupor and giving her a chance to escape as Cliff slowly pulled back.
She ran up the stairs to Dante, and he pulled her inside and then shut the door.
Her heart was still hammering as she stumbled to the bed and sat on it.
She finally came back to her senses when the door was shut and locked and Dante faced her.
“Just who the fuck was that, and what was he doing with my woman?” He turned to go. “Hold on while I go beat the shit out of him.”
She grabbed the bottom of his shirt. “No, don’t go.”
He stopped, his harsh gold eyes softening as he looked at her. He sat on the bed with a sigh.
“Okay.” He took her hand. “If you insist.”
“I insist,” she muttered, surprised by the soothing feel of his touch.
“What did he do to you?” Dante asked firmly.
“Nothing.”
“Not now, in the past. Why does he make you react like that?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about it. I can’t.”
He gently tilted up her chin so she had to face him. “Please, Ella. If I’m going to protect you, I need to know.”
“No, you don’t,” she said. “I’ll be more careful. I won’t be around him. I’m just glad you didn’t punch him.”
“I will punch him if he touches my woman again.”
“I’m not your woman,” she muttered under her breath, leaning into him. He scooted back on the bed and rested against the headboard, bringing her with him and pulling her onto his lap.
“Is this okay?” he asked.
She nodded.
He put a hand in her hair, gently stroking. “And is this okay?”
She nodded again.
He let out a sigh. “Big, tough businesswoman letting me hold her in my arms. Heaven.”
“Stop teasing me,” she said.
He let out a long breath of frustration. “You keep saying you aren’t my woman. That it’s not real. What if I told you I wanted it to be?”
She tried to push away. “Oh, come on. You expect me to believe—”
He pulled her back gently but firmly and nodded. “I do. You’ve seen my eyes when someone touches you. You’ve seen the way I’m desperate to see more of your body. The way I want to be close to you. I’ve been attracted to you from the start, Ella. I just wish you would let yourself see it.”
She closed her eyes, trying to take it all in, but it was too much after what had just happened. “You have to understand,” she said. “You’re a lot to take, Dante. You’re offering me an ice cream sundae when I’ve never been offered so much as a cherry.”
“Take the sundae, then. Enjoy.”
“I can’t,” she said, resting against him.
“Can you try?”
“I don’t know,” she said, crawling out of his arms before her body could react more to his touch. What she needed was sleep and
to think more clearly in the morning about what he was saying. “But if you want, you can sleep on the bed tonight.”
His expression relayed shocked. “Really?”
“Yes, but no funny business!”
He laughed. “Okay, no funny business. I won’t touch you unless you ask me to.”
“Right, like that’s working out,” she said sardonically. The problem was she wanted him to touch her all over and more and more frequently. Damn, why was this man making her want to lose control?
They got ready for bed and got under the covers, and she realized it was a lot different sleeping with a warm, solid man just a few inches away.
She longed to scoot over and curl into him, but she wasn’t the kind of woman who could just do that. That had been taken from her a long time ago.
So instead, she curled up in her covers and willed herself to go to sleep.
When she’d almost drifted off, she saw a small light go on and turned over to look at Dante.
He grinned guiltily, holding her book under a reading light. “Is that okay?”
She shook her head, completely puzzled by the man in her bedroom. “Whatever you want.”
And then she really did fall asleep.
Ella had the entire morning shopping with her mom and sister to get her thoughts off Dante’s comments.
Maybe he was just being silly, trying to make her feel better after her confrontation with Cliff.
Whatever it was, she was glad to have a break from it, even if it did mean dealing with her sister’s bitchy comments. She didn’t know why Melanie hated her so. She’d always gotten what she’d wanted, and Ella had kept to herself as the bookworm and never gotten in her way.
At times, Melanie had even seemed to encourage the bullying against her, but Ella didn’t hold any grudges over it. After all, it happened long ago, and they were adults now, with their own lives.
Her sister was about to get married. She should be happy, not sniping at Ella.
But telling her that wouldn’t achieve anything.
When they pulled up in front of the house, Ella felt her heart rate slowly increasing. Just the thought of seeing Dante was making her excited and nervous. What was happening? She barely knew the man.
Gold (Date-A-Dragon Book 1) Page 6
