Dante's Angel

by Laurie Roma

  “I would love to take the position.”

  “Good. We’ll set the details up later today.”

  “Thank you. I—” GT cleared her throat. “Excuse me for a minute.”

  Dante and Malcolm watched as she hurried away toward the bathroom. When she was gone, Malcolm nodded. “That was a good move, but I thought Zoe was acting manager now?”

  “I hope to hell she’ll still help with the accounting crap, but she was the one who suggested GT. I should have done it sooner.” Dante felt good about the decision. And knowing Zoe didn’t need the money, he was glad the promotion would benefit GT and her family.

  “Speaking of, where’s our girl?”

  “My girl,” Dante stressed. “Zoe is over at the bakery with Kali.”

  Malcolm slapped his hand against the bar top and grinned. “Did you hear about their good news yet? Grandbabies,” he said with a wistful tone. “You need to give me some of those soon.”

  “I’ll start on that as soon as I convince Zoe to marry me.”

  “What’s taking you so long?”

  Dante laughed. Where Hammer had thought he’d been rushing into things, his father thought he was wasting time. Go figure. He sobered as he thought about the obstacles in his way of solidifying his future with Zoe. Telling his friends about her situation without her permission was one thing, but his father was a whole different story.

  Malcolm and Dante were tight, and they had no secrets from one another.

  “Hey, Pops? There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

  “So, talk.”

  “Not here. Let’s go back into the office.” Dante paused, trying to figure out what to say. “I…Dad, I need help with something.”

  “Anything,” Malcolm said without hesitation. “Tell me what you need.”

  Chapter Ten

  Dante finished his third helping of the chicken chow mein dish Zoe had prepared for dinner. It struck him as odd that he hadn’t known she was such a good cook, but then again, they usually ate at the bar. Since she’d grown up with servants, he hadn’t expected her to do something as mundane as cook, but when she’d told him she had made friends with the chefs of the hotels she had repeatedly visited, Dante had an overwhelming urge to ram his fist into her father’s face.

  If he ever got the chance, he’d damn well do it, too.

  After Dante had spoken to his father, he’d taken care of the paperwork to make GT the new daytime manager of the bar. The lunch rush kept everyone busy, and Dante was relieved when Brix had shown up earlier than expected. They closed early on Sunday nights, and with GT and Brix looking after things, Dante left as soon as he was notified that Zoe was at Fight Hard.

  They’d had fun climbing the new rock wall at the gym, then they’d gone their separate ways to complete their workouts. He loved watching Zoe flow through her tai chi forms. Distracted from his own workout, he’d spent most of his time glaring at the other men watching her.

  Hell, he really was a caveman when it came to her, but who could blame him for protecting what belonged to him?

  Dante kept the conversation light as he helped her clean up. There were things he had to discuss with her, but he was reluctant to dampen her good mood just yet. They settled on the couch together, and Dante found himself playing with strands of her hair that were still wet from the shower they’d taken when they got back to her apartment.

  “Will you play for me?”

  “Of course. I’d be happy to. Is there something in particular you’d like to hear?”

  “Surprise me.”

  She got up and walked across the room. He was startled when she started pushing her TV stand out of the way. “Wait…what are you doing?”

  Still bent over, she blew hair out of her face as she glanced over. “I’m getting my violin.”

  “From where, behind the TV?” he asked as he got up and strode over to her.

  “Nope. From under it.”

  Intrigued, he lifted the TV stand for her. His eyebrows lifted as he watched her kneel down to remove one of the panels of her hardwood floor. Leaning over, he saw that she had hollowed out a hole in the floor that she’d fit her violin case into.

  “That’s a little extreme, isn’t it?”

  She lifted the case out and said, “Not really when you consider that this is a Stradivarius.”

  Dante choked. “You have a Stradivarius? Holy fucking shit, what the hell are you doing with that thing in here? That should be in a museum or something!”

  “This isn’t one of the more expensive ones, although this is still a valuable piece. But what is the point of having such a lovely instrument if you can’t enjoy it?”

  He shook his head, still not believing that she was holding one of the most rare and extraordinary instruments in the world in her hands. Christ, he was going to have to put new locks on all the damn doors and windows in this place just so he could sleep at night now.

  Better yet, they should get a steel vault to put the damn thing in.

  Zoe had come from class. She’d lived a life of wealth and privilege, even if it had been in a gilded cage. Dante knew that her father was rich and that she had a trust fund, but he’d never thought about just how different their worlds really were. He felt privileged that she had chosen him. Felt awed that she could love him when he was just an ex-soldier who worked in a bar. Since he’d known her, she had never once made him feel like he was less than she was, even though he knew it was true.

  When she finished tuning her instrument, she began to play a song he instantly recognized as one of hers. As Zoe moved her bow over the strings, he was awestruck by the beautiful music she created. Dante sat there on the couch, swept away by her sheer talent, forgetting the panic of knowing the value of the instrument she was playing for the moment.

  She was so graceful in her movements, it was like watching living art.

  Even though her eyes closed as she lost herself in the melody, Dante felt that strange connection he’d felt the first time he’d heard her play in the bar. The music poured out of her, straight into him, tugging at his heartstrings.

  Dante was overwhelmed by the love he felt for her. She was it for him. Despite their differences—or maybe because of them—he knew they were perfect together. He loved her with everything in him, and wanted to spend the rest of his life making her happy.

  Zoe stopped as both of their phones signaled multiple text notifications. Worry clouded her eyes as she lowered her instrument. “The bar is closed now. Do you think something’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know.” Dante picked up both of their phones and looked at the screens. He smiled as he read the first message, then laughed as he read the others.

  “What is it?”

  “Everything is fine at the bar,” he said as he stood up and walked over to the balcony door. He unlocked it and slid the door open, allowing the cool night breeze to flow into the room. “The first message was from Sam. She wanted to know if we could open the balcony door so she could hear you better. Brix texted me the same question. Oh, and Jimbo and Lisa want to know if they could come up and watch you play sometime.”

  Zoe’s eyes widened and her cheeks flushed a bit. “Ah…I’ve only played here a few times. I didn’t want to disturb anyone.”

  “Angel, you aren’t disturbing anyone,” Dante said as he sat back down. “You’re amazing. They want to hear you. I don’t blame them. I could listen to you for hours.”

  She lifted her instrument, but put her arms back down again. “Okay, it’s weird now that I know people are listening.”

  “You used to play for thousands of people,” Dante reminded her.

  “Yes, but that was a lifetime ago.” Zoe blew out a deep breath. It had been a long time since she’d given a concert, and for a moment, she felt that familiar rush of panic she always got before a performance. Relax, she told herself. These were her friends.

  There was no expectation to be perfect.

  This was just for fun.

>   She mentally prepared herself, then lifted her violin, tucking it under her chin. Wanting to please her audience, she chose to play Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” for its various movements and to showcase her talent. Closing her eyes, she focused on the music inside of her, allowing it to flow through her hands.

  As she began, Zoe felt the vibrancy of every note. She started with the uplifting movements of Spring, flowing into the sweeping, almost frantic strains of Summer. When she transitioned into the joyful refrains of Autumn, a rush of exuberance hit her that she hadn’t felt in longer than she could remember.

  She’d missed the thrill, the pure bliss she felt when she lost herself in a piece of music. Feeding that pleasure into the melody, she allowed her body to sway as she continued to play. And when she arrived at the dramatic overtures of Winter, she gave herself wholly to the music she created.

  Time meant very little to her while she played, and it was only when she finally finished that she felt the fatigue in her arms. Zoe opened her eyes to find Dante staring at her with the most intense expression she’d ever seen from him. Smiling, she began to clean her violin. “So, did I horrify you into silence or did you enjoy it?”

  “Marry me.”

  It was a good thing she’d just put the violin down or she would have dropped it. She spun around and gaped at him. “W-what?”

  “Shit. I didn’t mean to do it like this.” Dante stood up and began to pace. He’d seen the instant shock on her face. Christ, he was fucking this up. What the hell kind of proposal was that? Did he think just blurting it out like that was going to make her fall at his feet? Zoe was a classy woman who deserved better…far better.

  But the damage was done now, and he’d see it through.

  “I had this all planned out. We were going to talk about things…get your past sorted out, then I was going to ask you. I was going to be romantic, damn it. But now all that is blown to hell. It doesn’t matter, though. It’s done now.”

  Amusement warred with panic, and Zoe let out a hysterical laugh. “It’s done now? What the hell do you mean by that?”

  He stopped and spun around, pointing a finger at her. “You damn well know what I mean.”

  “What I know is that you’re crazy. Dante, you know we can’t get married. I’m using a fake identity and I—”

  Dante stalked over to her, gripping her shoulders hard. “Do you think I give a shit about that? I don’t give a flying fuck what you call yourself—”

  “You should,” she argued. “How can we get married if it wouldn’t be legal?”

  That made him pause for a moment, but it didn’t sway him. If anything, it made him more determined with his course of action. “Fine, then. That gives us more reason to get this shit with the Wei family settled. But none of that really matters to me, not when it comes to you and me, and our future together.”

  Her eyes filled. “You can’t do this to me. Don’t make me hope for something I can’t have.”

  Dante pushed back his impatience when he saw the quiet grief in her eyes. Then a new thought occurred to him. “You don’t think you’re going to survive this. You think Paul Wei is going to get to you, don’t you?” he asked slowly, feeling the fury begin to smolder at the mere thought of that sick motherfucker putting his filthy hands on her. Pride had him snapping, “Do you really think I’ll let that sorry son of Satan touch you? I’ll break every goddamn bone in his body before I let that happen.”

  “Dante, nothing is guaranteed. And it’s not just me I’m worried about. I put you in danger when I told you everything. I should have thought about that. I should have—”

  “Zoe, I can take care of myself, but more than that, I can take care of you. I’ll protect you,” he promised. Normally, he would have been insulted, but he knew what she’d been through when her friend had been taken from her. He could see the panic she couldn’t hide from him, and it made him want to gather her into his arms and hold her close.

  “I love you, Dante,” Zoe said in a shaky voice. “So much more than I ever thought was possible. I’m terrified that something will happen to you. I can’t lose you.”

  “You won’t.” Lifting a hand to stroke her cheek, he used his other hand to lift one of hers and he placed it on his chest, right over his heart. “I’m not going anywhere, angel. I’ll be here for you. We’ll figure out the legalities, but I want you to give me an answer now. I love you. Belong to me, Zoe. Share my name, my life, and marry me. Let me love you for the rest of our lives.”

  Zoe felt her heart burst with love. He was offering her everything she’d ever wanted, but thought she could never have. She had become Zoe Lang to honor her friend, but she would take his name and become Zoe Fox for herself…and for him.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  “Yeah?” he said, grinning at her. “Well, hot damn!”

  She laughed as he jerked her to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her face up for his kiss, and felt a curl of lust unfurl in her belly. Zoe wanted to lose herself in the passion that flared between them, but he pulled away before she could take the kiss deeper.

  “Now that we have that settled, there is something else we need to discuss.”

  “We do?” Zoe was confused. Usually, she barely had to breathe and he wanted to jump her, but now that she’d just agreed to marry him, he still wanted to talk?

  What the hell was going on?

  Dante pulled her over to the couch so they were both sitting down. “I talked to my father today. I—shit! Wait here.” He jumped to his feet again and hurried into the bedroom, over to the dresser where he’d hidden the small jewelry box his father had given him earlier.

  When he walked back into the living room, he saw Zoe replacing the floorboard over the hiding place where she stored her violin. It made his teeth clench, and he promised that he’d be calling a security company tomorrow to lock her apartment down like Fort Knox. As he passed by her, he gripped her hand in his and forced her to follow him back over to the couch.

  “Here,” he said, shoving the box toward her.

  Zoe eyes widened as she looked down at the box in her hand. Slowly, she lifted the lid and her breath caught at the sight of the beautiful diamond ring nestled inside. It was a unique setting, with a round diamond in the center. Smaller diamonds formed several intricate leaflet designs around the center stone, making it look like a glittering flower, and the shank was hand engraved into a series of elegant leaves and scrolls.

  In a word, the ring was perfect.

  She looked up at him with drenched eyes when he cleared his throat.

  “The ring belonged to my granny. She and my grandaddy were married for sixty years. They died within a week of each other, and the ring came to my dad after they were gone.” He cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable. “I know it’s an old setting, but we can change it if you don’t like it—”

  “No!” Zoe clutched the box closer to her chest as if to protect it. “It’s beautiful. The most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen.”

  “Okay, then.” He smiled as he slowly reached for the ring. She allowed him to take the box from her and watched as he slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. Her hand was shaking slightly, and he held it firm in his. “It looks good on you.”

  “I’ll never take it off,” she vowed as her body started to tremble. “Oh, God. Oh, God, I can’t stop shaking. It’s real. It’s really real.”

  Dante lifted her onto his lap and kissed her gently. It made his heart swell with pride to see her wearing the ring that his granny had cherished during her lifetime. His father’s marriage to Dante’s mother might not have lasted, but Malcolm’s parents had loved one another with a strength and vitality that had shown Dante exactly what love was supposed to be.

  And he wanted that with Zoe.

  Wanted years of laughter and love with her. He wanted to raise a family with her, sharing the good times and the bad, but most of all, he wanted to see her look a
t him the way she was right now for the rest of his life.

  But in order to do that, they needed to be free of her past.

  When she tried to kiss him again, he held back. Damn, he wished he could just lose himself in her. He wanted to carry her into the bedroom and make love to her until neither of them could move, but he wasn’t finished with what he had to do tonight.

  “Zoe, hold on for a minute...”

  “No, I think we should celebrate,” she murmured as she began to nibble on his neck.

  Shit, all the blood in his head drained down to his dick. He was rock hard and aching, and when she started wiggling on his lap, his eyes all but rolled back into his head.

  “Fuck!”

  “Yes, please,” she whispered primly against his lips.

  He let out a shaky laugh. Damn, he deserved a medal for stopping now. “Angel, there’s something else I have to talk to you about, and I’m not quite sure you’re going to be feeling so amorous after.”

  She was pouting now, and he couldn’t help but kiss her again. Damn, her lips were so soft. It was inevitable to deepen the kiss when she opened for him, allowing his tongue to stroke inside. He steeped himself in the taste of her, sealing his mouth over hers as if he could just drink her in.

  Fuck! Focus, Fox!

  Dante took hold of her shoulders and held her a few inches away from him. He had to or he would end up losing control. It was better just to say it and get it done. “Sweetheart, when I got the ring from my father today…we talked about your situation a little.”

  “You—what?” She tried to jump off his lap, but he held her firmly in place. “Dante, how could you? You put Malcolm at risk by telling him! I’ll never forgive myself if anything happens to him!”

  Dante had been ready to face her anger and explain his actions, but he had no way to defend himself when she buried her face against his neck and began to weep. He’d been prepared for her to yell at him for telling his father, but hearing that her first concern was for Malcolm’s safety made his heart simply soar.