Page 109 of Auctioned Innocence
His laugh is soft, genuine. “Even the dangerous parts?”
“Especiallythe dangerous parts.” I tilt my head up to meet his eyes. “They’re what kept me alive.”
His expression grows more serious, thoughtful. “You know, I’ve never had someone say that to me before. Accept that part of me.”
I tilt my head, puzzled. “What do you mean?”
Dante sighs. “Most people see what I do and they’re either afraid or they try to pretend it doesn’t exist. But you…” He traces my cheek gently. “You see all of me and you’re not running.”
That is the dumbest thing I’ve heard, and I’ve heard a lot of stupid shit before. “Why would I run from the man who saved my life?”
Something shifts in his eyes, like he’s wrestling with whether to tell me something. “Sofia, there are things about my past…things I’ve done…”
It’s clear he wants to tell me but he’s struggling to do so. “Do you want to tell me?” I ask gently.
A long pause. Then, “Not tonight. Tonight is just us.”
He kisses me then, deep and desperate, rolling us so I’m beneath him again. This time is faster, harder, both of us needing to prove something.
After, catching our breath, we lie tangled together. The city spreads out below us, millions of lights twinkling like stars.
“We should probably,” Dante starts, then sighs. “Mario. We should check in with Mario. Let him know we’re not dead.”
“In a minute.” I trace patterns on his chest, not ready to let the outside world intrude just yet. “Right now, I just want to stay here with you.”
He presses a kiss to the top of my head. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good.” I tilt my head up to look at him. “Because after everything we’ve been through, I think we’ve earned this moment.”
“Definitely.” His smile is soft, tender. “Though next time we do this?” His expression turns mischievous in the city lights. “Let’s pick somewhere without security cameras.”
I follow his gaze to the corner of the room, where a tiny red light blinks.
Heat floods my face as the full implications hit me. Mario—and probably his entire security team—just got a very intimate show courtesy of his surveillance system. I bury my face in Dante’s chest, torn between mortification and laughter.
“Probably.” His chest rumbles with suppressed laughter. “Mario’s paranoid about security.”
I lift my head to glare at him. “You’renothelping.”
“Sorry.” But he’s grinning now, completely unrepentant. “Though I have to say, you don’t look particularly upset about it.”
And he’s right. I should be horrified, should be scrambling for clothes and demanding he find a way to delete the footage. Instead, I find myself laughing—a real, genuine laugh that bubbles up from somewhere deep inside.
“I can’t believe I just…” I gesture vaguely at the rumpled sheets, at our tangled limbs. “With cameras recording everything.”
“Any regrets?” His voice is carefully neutral, but I can see the uncertainty in his eyes.
“About Mario having blackmail material on us for the rest of our lives?” I pretend to consider it seriously. “Mario’s going to kill us,” I groan.
“Worth it,” he says firmly, pulling me closer.
And despite the cameras, despite the embarrassment, despite knowing that Mario will probably never let us live this down—I couldn’t agree more.
21
DANTE
Three days in Mario’s safe house, and I’m watching Sofia become herself again.
