Page 55 of Pain and Pleasure

Dante chuckles and pushes my hair back from my face, kissing each of my rosy cheeks before looking into my eyes.

"Patience, mi ciela. The night is still young," he says before feeding me the last scallop.

He's right. It's only half past six, but I'm ready to get lost in him once again. He makes me insatiable, this man. He pays for our meal and walks us to the bar, taking our seats next to Benjamin as he orders us more drinks. It's unlike him to let me drink this much, but I ignore it. He knows I'm under a lot of stress and I guess he's finally allowing me to let loose, thank God.

We finish our drinks in under ten minutes and now I am fully drunk. My balance is off and I can't stop giggling. Dante holds me up and against him as we stand, steadying me as I stumble and laugh.

"I wanna dance. Please, Dante. Please, let's go dance." My hands rub at his chest and he looks to Benjamin, raising an eyebrow before smiling down at me.

"You heard the lady. To the dance floor we go." I clap excitedly and we make our way to the club inside the casino.

It's dark except for a soft, ambient glow. I see bodies swaying under the twinkling lights, a slow melodic sound playing over the speakers.

Dante pulls me to the center of the dance floor, holding me against his hard body as we sway and move together. He kisses my ear, my neck and then my lips. I'm so drunk that all I can do is sway against him and smile. He looks down at me, his eyes wild and bright.

"I'm going to marry you one day, Esmeralda," he says, his voice thick and dark.

Chills erupt across my skin and a warm, fluttery feeling enters my stomach. I feel both frisky and flirty, so I decided to tease and play along with him.

"You know we're in the perfect city for that, so what are you waiting for?" I tease him and he smiles slightly, rubbing his nose against mine.

"You're right. What am I waiting for?" he says as we move against each other.

I get lost in his touch and smell, swaying against him until I'm dizzy. His kiss is the last thing I remember of the night.

25

Esmeralda

I awake with a pounding headache.

Every time I open my eyes, I'm faced with blinding sunlight. I put my hand over my eyes and feel something hit me as I try to rub my face. It's heavy and sharp and as I open my eyes once more, I gasp at what I see.

On my left ring finger, lies a diamond the size of quarter. It is pear shaped and looks like a giant, glittering teardrop.

What in the actual fuck?

I sit up abruptly, feeling around the bed for Dante but coming up short. Where the hell is he? What happened last night? The last thing I remember was eating scallops from Dante's fingers, even dancing is a blur.

I'm going to marry you one day, Esmeralda.

The memory hits me like a freight train. Or is it a memory because it feels like a dream. I look at the diamond once more. There's no way. There is absolutely no way.

"Dante!" I shriek.

He runs into the room suddenly, a towel wrapped around his waist as he exits the bathroom. His hair is dripping wet and he looks worried. His eyes snap to my hand and the anxiety leaves his eyes as a small smile flirts with his lips.

Mother fucker. This better be a joke. A cruel, sick joke.

"What the fuck is this? What happened last night?" My voice is panicked, and he picks up on it.

He goes to sit at the edge of the bed, the towel opening up to show me a glimpse of his tan skin. If I wasn't so pissed and confused, I'd be aroused.

"Tell me this isn't a goddamn wedding ring, Dante," I hiss. He looks sheepish and it makes me even more angry.

"It's not a wedding ring, mi ciela. It's an engagement ring."Oh thank God, but still, what the fuck?

"Why am I wearing an engagement ring?" I ask through clenched teeth.

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