Gold(23)

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.

Except she did know who he was, even if she didn’t know his background. He was strong and kind and a bit silly and impulsive and loyal and…

She trailed off as she remembered to get out of the car, dragging her bags with her. She wondered what Dante would think of the clothes she’d bought for them both. He’d mentioned wanting to find something more suitable for the mountains, and she’d gotten what she thought would work.

And in the meantime, remembering his words about wanting to see her body, she’d gotten a few things to tease him as well.

Hopefully she wasn’t just humiliating herself and he really did want to see her.

When they walked in the front door, sister in the lead, Ella’s eyes immediately went to Dante, searching him out like a safe haven, as if he were the only secure place to land.

He looked up at her, clearly in the midst of an argument with her dad and future brother-in-law, and when she saw what he was holding in his hand, she realized why.

“Dante!” she yelled, running forward and yanking the book out of his hand. “You weren’t supposed to show them.”

“So it’s yours, then? I knew it,” Ben said smugly. “I bet Melanie doesn’t read those.”

Melanie stayed silent, and Dante stood and took the book back, holding it out of her reach. She looked up his long body, making eye contact with his rock-hard, broad chest and then his beautiful, amused face.

“No, it’s mine,” he said stubbornly, lowering it and tucking it under one arm. “How are you doing, sweetie?” he asked, leaning forward to place a kiss on her forehead. He waited for her to meet him halfway, and she did, wondering to herself at how good a kiss on the forehead could feel.