Dante's Way (25 page)

“It was night time, not early in the morning,” she answered.

Like that would make any difference to him at all. If Amara thought he was only going to make love to her at night then she was out of her adorable mind. The best sex happened early in the morning and it was
way
past time he proved it to her.

“Let me take this stupid shirt off you and I can show you how making love right now is just as good as, or even better than, at night.”

Dante watched with pleasure as a faintly eager look flashed in Amara’s bedroom brown eyes before it died away. He had her! Now, all he had to do was reel her in with a little tug here and there.

“If you show me yours, I’ll show you mine,” he said with a straight face. He hoped she didn’t laugh at his silly pick-up line trying to get her naked again with him.

Amara tried to suppress a giggle, but it ended up spilling out of her mouth and filling up the room. “God, I haven’t heard that since I was in middle school.”

“Are you comparing me to a stupid teenage boy in middle school who doesn’t know the first thing about making love?” he questioned.

Well, he would show her how much of a grown ass man he was. Picking Amara up, he placed her directly over his cock brushing her pussy back and forth over his erection, the thin sheet the only barrier between their bodies.

“Does this feel like something a comic book reading boy might have waiting for you?” he demanded.

“No, it doesn’t,” Amara moaned, locking eyes with him. “I shouldn’t have compared you to a teenager. Last night proved to me how much of a man and good lover you are in every sense of the word.”

He desired to prove even more that he was better than good when it came to being between the sheets with her. He wanted to show her that he could make a difference in her life. She needed to know how much she could count on him for anything she wanted.

“I wanted to show you even more than that, but I’ll let this be the first step into getting what I want the most,” Dante admitted before easing his shirt the rest of the way off Amara’s body and tossing it on the floor.

The sight of her last night was stunning, but this morning she was truly breathtaking. Easing his hands up her sides, he cupped her full breasts in his hands slowly teasing her already swollen nipples with the pad of his thumbs. She gasped as she squirmed against his erection.

Dante swallowed down a growl as he tried to keep his mind on the task at hand instead of ripping the only barrier away that kept him from sliding his cock into her tight, welcoming body.

Sliding his hand behind her head, he inched Amara’s head towards his for a kiss and just as her mouth was mere inches away, his cell phone went off on the nightstand next to them. Ignoring it, he brushed his mouth against her loving the sweet taste of her lips, but instead of stopping his phone kept running.

Placing her hands on his chest, Amara leaned her body from his and he cursed whoever was on the other end of that damn phone. “You should get that. It could be really something important,” she said.

“Nothing is more important than me being right here with you. Whoever it is can call me back in about an hour or even later for all I care,” Dante complained, reaching for Amara again but she brushed off his touch.

She shook her head. “No...answer it.”

“Fuck!” Dante cursed as he reached for the phone and snapped it open. “What in the hell is it and it better be important.”

“Hell...Good morning to you too,” Griffin snapped in his ear. “What is your damn problem? I called to ask for your help, but if you’re too busy forget about it. I’ll take care of
Inked
myself.”

Instantly, Dante felt bad for his attitude towards Griffin. He shouldn’t have been so short towards him, but he hadn’t wanted to be interrupted either especially with Amara here with him this morning looking hotter than any woman should.

He watched as she got off the bed and got redressed in his shirt. Even she knew their morning was over now. Smiling at him, she picked up the cold plates of food and left the bedroom giving him some privacy to talk and see what Griffin wanted from him.

“Sorry man. I apologized for my attitude but I was a little busy when you called,” Dante admitted.

“With what or should I maybe say with whom...” Griffin teased, his easy going personality already back.

Going into detail about any woman he dated wasn’t something he did and he wasn’t about to start with Amara...not with everything still so new between them. He still wanted to have her to himself for a little while longer.

“Hmmm... I’ll tell you later,” he finally answered. “Why did you call?”

“I need a huge favor. I need for you to do some tattoos for me today. Caleb overdid it at a party last night and can’t make it in this morning. I can’t do them because I have to interview a girl for the floor manager’s job. So, can you spare a few hours and come in to do them?”

Anger rippled along Dante’s spine as he sat up in the bed tossing the sheet off him. He swallowed a few times so he wouldn’t lose his temper with Griffin because he wasn’t the person he was pissed off at right now...Caleb was.

“Are you kidding me?”

“No, I wish that I was,” Griffin sighed, “but I’m not. Caleb’s at home sleeping off a hangover. I love the guy like he was family, but he only has one more time to mess up and I’m going to put him on probation for six weeks without pay until he gets his shit together.”

“I would do exactly the same thing,” Dante said. “Caleb promised me when I gave him part ownership in the shop that he would stop partying. I swear I don’t think he’s ever going to realize how good he has it. Instead of acting so reckless, he should be trying to build up his client list because he’s one hell of a tattoo artist.”

“I agree,” Griffin said, “but at least he had enough sense to call me instead of coming in and working on a client in his condition. Does this mean I can count on you to come in today? I know the club is closed and you took an extra day off, nevertheless, I really do need you man.”

Getting out of the bed, Dante walked over to his closet and grabbed something to wear. “Give me about forty minutes and I’ll be there. I need to get dressed and do something else before I come in today.”

“I hope this something else involves a woman. It’s about time you go out of that cave you’ve placed yourself in. So, when do I get to meet her or do I already know this chick?”

Hearing a noise behind him, Dante turned around watching as Amara walked back into the room. He knew he would only have a little longer with her before her would have to introduce her to the group. Still, he wasn’t quite ready to bring anyone into their world just yet. It was still too amazing being just the two of them.

“Hey, are you still there?” Griffin said into his ear.

“Yeah, I’m here,” he answered as Amara picked her scattered clothing off his bedroom floor. “I’ll bring her around when I’m ready. You know how it is when a new relationship is starting. You don’t want anything to mess it up, so give me some time and you will get to meet her with the rest of the gang.”

“All right, I better let you go because I need to get ready for this interview. She’s the only person who answered the Tanners list posting. I’m hoping she’ll be the one or Caleb is screwed to have his ass at the front desk for another two weeks at the most.”

Dante chuckled. “Oh, he’ll love that. I’ll see you soon,” he said then hung up.

Eyeing Amara, he strolled over to the bed and tossed his clothing down on the rumpled sheets then wrapped his arms around her waist. He tried kissing the back of her neck, but she squirmed out of his embrace.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, watching as she spun around then moved away holding her clothing against her chest.

She lowered her thick, black lashes hiding her eyes like she was trying to avoid looking at him. For a minute Dante thought it was because he was naked but quickly shook that idea from his head. Something else was going on with her and they wouldn’t leave his bedroom until he found out what it was. Last night was huge step forward for them to only take twenty steps back.

“Baby, I can’t fix what’s upsetting you unless you tell me. Now, look at me and let me in.”

Amara looked at him for a few minutes and then finally spoke. “I slept with you on our first date. Do you know what that says about me? I had a sixty day rule and until I met you no other man made me want to break it.”

“Sweetheart, I consider this at least our third date and I’m glad I made you break that stupid sixty day rule. Why do most women do that?” He laughed. “I never saw any point to it.”

“Dante, it’s not funny,” Amara snapped, throwing her shirt at him.

Catching it, he tossed it down on the bed with his stuff and walked across the carpet until he was standing directly in front of her. He gently took the rest of her things out of her hand and added them to the things behind them on the bed.

“Sleeping with me last night doesn’t make you anything but a woman who gave into the heat of the moment. Honestly, as bad as I wanted you, I don’t know if I could have made it another night without having you in my bed. I swear you were making me have wet dreams like I was a kid again with his first crush on the hottest girl in class.”

Dante noticed how Amara’s eyes lit up at his confession. He hoped he got her over her worries about her decision concerning last night. “Besides, I actually seduced you into my bed because someone as innocent as you wasn’t prepared for me. I guess if anyone is to blame then it’s me, but I can’t imagine you being sorry about it now.”

“I bet you’ve broken a lot hearts in the past,” she said.

Amara probably was right. Over the years, he might have crushed hearts and tears were cried on pillows because of him, but he never lied to any of those women. They all knew he wasn’t looking for a walk down the aisle with them.“I might know of a few,” Dante admitted.

“Have you ever fallen for a woman but she never wanted you back?” Amara asked. “Unless, you have then you never will know the pain of getting over a broken heart. It’s very hard, especially for a woman.”

For a split second, Keira’s name came into his head then he tossed it away. His attraction to her for those short weeks had nothing to do with love. The way he was beginning to feel about Amara was on a different level entirely. Keira never had him awake at night wondering about her well-being..

“No, I can’t say that I have,” he answered, honestly. Not liking the heaviness of the conversation, Dante decided to lighten it up. “I need to work for a few hours at
Inked
to fill in for Caleb. So, I was about to jump into the shower. Do you want to join me?”

Her gaze held his. “Can you really shower with me without anything else happening?” she questioned, doubt clear in her soft voice.

Smiling at Amara, Dante brushed his knuckles down the side of her cheek. “Darling, if I wasn’t on a schedule I would do more than take a shower with you. However, Griffin is counting on me to help him, so I can’t do anything else.”

“I don’t know.”

“Come on. I’ll wash your back for you. I promise it will be something you will never forget.”

“Well, I can’t let an endorsement like that pass me by, can I?” Amara said grabbing his hand. “Let’s go and take a shower but remember no funny business, Mr. Braden.”

“Oh, I promise no making love, but I didn’t rule out a kiss or two,” Dante said as he allowed Amara to pull him towards the bathroom.

Chapter Thirty-Four

His firm mouth demanded a response from her and Amara was more than eager to give it to Dante. She was too caught up in the moment to even care about who might see them outside.

Dante’s mouth left hers to nibble at her earlobe leaving her mouth swollen, but wanting more. He planted a tantalizing kiss in the hollow of her neck before lifting his head staring down into her eyes. She had no doubt that he couldn’t miss reading the barely concealed desire there for him.

“I really loved our shower this morning,” Dante whispered against her mouth as he ran his hands up and down her arms while they were still parked inside his truck. “We should stop before I forget where I am,” he whispered, softly brushing his thumb over her bottom lip. “Don’t get me wrong. I loved kissing you, sweetheart, but now isn’t the time or place for us to continue this.”

Amara blinked trying to get herself back together after the unexpected kiss from Dante. His lips were more persuasive than she cared to admit. Truthfully, her calm was shattered with the hunger of his masterful kisses.

They had arrived at the shelter ten minutes ago, but Amara hadn’t found the energy to pull herself away from Dante. Nothing in a very long time had felt this good. So, why would she be willing to rush away from it?

“I liked it a lot myself after we actually finally took a shower,” she admitted, grinning at him. “Didn’t you promise nothing else would happen but maybe a few kisses? I believe you broke your word.”

Amara didn’t have time to react before Dante yanked her against his chest and ran his hands up and down her back sending tiny shivers of awareness down her spine. God...she loved how he made her turn into a puddle of emotions.

“Are you complaining? I believe I remember my name was screamed more than once while the water pounded down over our naked bodies? I thought breaking my word today was an extremely good thing.”

As the image of her wet and naked with Dante back at his house suddenly flashed in her head, Amara couldn’t deny that it wouldn’t be something she would forget anytime soon.

“I’m not saying it wasn’t incredible but aren’t you late?” she questioned. “I thought you were supposed to be at
Inked
an hour ago.”

“I don’t consider myself late since Griffin just called me out of the blue to come in and help him. He only needed to do an interview for a floor manager and he didn’t even tell me when my first client was coming.”

She didn’t want to let Dante leave, but they both had things that needed to be taken care of. After she showered and changed clothes she would see if Pastor Allen needed her help. If not, she would take care of some personal things. She still hadn’t checked in with Mr. Lee and let him know that she was doing well. She still had to thank him since everything good started happening for her the second she came to the shelter.