Broken Hart (The Hart Family) (14 page)

This time the sex is slower and deeper, and feels like more, more than fucking, more than sex. As I explode in orgasm, I bury my face in his hair to hide my tear filled eyes as he reaches his own orgasm.

In this moment I accept in my head what I’ve known in my heart since the morning he came in to my bedroom and asked me to take this leap of faith.  I don’t just love him as a friend.   I am in love with him. 

Head over heels, lock stock and barrel, completely over the moon in love.  Shit.

After we finished in the pool, we came inside to shower off the chlorine, and then curled up in bed.  I watched television while Dante read on his iPad.  The whole thing felt so comfortable, so right. 

When I’d started to yawn, Dante plugged his iPad in and put my book on the side table.  Turning out the lights, he drew me to him, just like he had the first night, my back to his front.  Laying his chin on my shoulder, he gently rubbed along the curve of my hip and relaxed me in to sleep.

I wake in the middle of the night, the room bathed in darkness.  My body on fire as Dante was gently massaging my cleft.  Arching my back, I moaned as he continued his gentle assault. 

“I’m sorry I had to wake you up baby.  I tried to go back to sleep, I really did.  But being with you like this, my body had a mind of its own.  I need you.”

The butterflies in my stomach spread their wings, and I was breathless as I turned my head and told him to take me.  Lifting my leg, he entered me from behind, the two of us both lying on our sides. 

The loving we shared was passionate, slow and intense. He rode me through two orgasms before taking his own release.  Afterwards I barely made it to the bathroom and back before falling asleep again.

This morning I came to with Dante shaking me.  I grumbled heartily as I rose to alertness, causing him to laugh at me.

“You really are the very worst in the morning aren’t you?”  My response is to tell him to fuck off.

He laughs at me.  “Ouch Rina. Luckily, I know what makes you happy in the morning.”  Grabbing me off the bed, he carries me to the bathroom and puts me down inside the door.  “Take a shower so that you’re human again and then meet me in the kitchen.”

Turning on all the jets, I get in to the shower.  As usual, the second I tilt my head back and water starts massaging my head, I perk up.  Some people need coffee to wake up.  I just need a shower.

I was pleased to find the toothbrush I’d used that first night still in the holder.  I’d brought my own, just in case… but I can’t deny that it’s nice to see that he hasn’t thrown this one away.

Twenty minutes later I’m in the kitchen, sitting at the island in a t shirt and the pair of Dante’s briefs I took after the first night we had sex.  I watch as he finishes making us eggs Benedict. 

My mouth is all but watering when he lays our plates down and hops up on the stool next to me.  The Benedict is delicious, just like everything Dante cooks.  He’s incredibly gifted in the kitchen. 

After breakfast we quickly do the dishes and discuss what we will do with the day.  Ultimately we decide that we’d like to spend the day at home (Dante’s words, not mine… but I like them). 

We both run upstairs to put our bathing suits on.  He’s in simple black trunks while I’m wearing a red bikini.  Heading out to the pool, Dante puts some Coldplay on the outdoor sound system, and then we lie in loungers side by side and soak up the sun.

I remember that no one can see in to the yard and I decide to take my bikini top off.  Sitting up, I remove it, and then go about rubbing sunscreen on my breasts.  I hear Dante’s rough intake of breath next to me, and I turn and give him a smirk.

We’re smiling at each other when I hear my iPhone start ringing.  It isn’t one of the personalized rings, so I have no clue who it might be.

Dante jogs across the lawn and grabs my phone from the table on the porch.  When he looks at the screen, his steps stop.   The silence stretches as the phone stops ringing.  “Dante, who was it?”

His body language is alarming me.  He’s got my phone in a death grip and he’s not moving, nor is he saying anything.  Standing from my lounger, I ask him again.  “Dante, who called?"

Stomping over to me, he waves the phone in my direction.  “It was the kissy motherfucker from your dance competition.  I didn’t realize you were still talking to him.”

Good lord, he’s jealous.  What an idiot.  “Jesus Dante.  He’s barely a friend.  Yes, he’s called since the competition.  No, I haven’t spoken to him. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“That asshole all but mauled you in front of our families.  I’d assumed you told him you weren’t available, but here he is, still calling!  Tell me now, are you thinking of dating this asshole?”

For a moment, I can only gape at him.  “Have you lost your mind?  NO! I’m most certainly
not
thinking of dating Marcus.  I’m committed to WHATEVER this is.  I’ve had sex with exactly three people in my life.  You, the boy I lost my virginity to in high school, and a college boyfriend.  Before you, I hadn’t even had sex in the last three years.  Do you really see me as some promiscuous bitch that would do something like that?”

Running both hands through his hair, he stares at me in frustration.  “No!  I don’t see you as being promiscuous.  I’m sorry.  This… Well, I’ve never cared before what anyone I was with was doing.  Somehow you’ve gotten under my skin.  I care.  I want you to only be with me.”

Inside my head I do a little happy dance.  Holy shit, I think we might be making progress! “Dante, are you saying that you want this to be a real relationship?”

The bottom drops out of my stomach as he stares at me in horror.

“An official relationship...like girlfriend and boyfriend? 
No!  I can’t do that.  I can never do that.  For now, I want us to be only with each other.  But I can’t be a boyfriend.  I don’t want that.  I will never ever commit to anyone Rina.  Not even you.”

Every word out of his mouth is like a knife in my stomach, and I’m cut to the quick.  I was a fool to hope this could be different.  I’ve got to get the hell out of here and put distance between us.

I’m a lot of things, but I’d never give someone the satisfaction of seeing me when I’m down, and I’m not about to start.  I need to play this calm, cool and collected, no matter what.

I give him a wry smile.  “I’m fine right now, but someday I
will
want more.  Let’s cut our losses now, to avoid that.  I care about you as a friend, but since that’s all we can ever be, we need to go back to that.  Now.”

He looks completely flabbergasted. “What? NO! I don’t… I need… Oh Christ.   If that’s what you want… Fuck. I’d never want to hurt you.  This was all very selfish of me.  But that’s me.  I’m a selfish asshole.  That’s why I fuck and run.”

I smile and shake my head.  “You haven’t hurt me Dante.  I’m a big girl, and I’m fine.  Everything is fine.  This ran its course, and it had nowhere to go but down.  Face it, we’ve been at this for going on two months, and you can only ever stomach doing three weeks anyway.  You’re probably reached your capacity for being with me anyway.”

He looks as though he might be ill, and he stares at me for a moment, wordless.  Finally he speaks.  “I don't feel that way at all, don’t ever think that!  I didn’t want… I’m sorry.  I’m so sorry.  What the fuck have I done?  You're going to leave me aren't you?  You're not going to be able to continue to work with me after this are you?”

“Dante don’t be silly.  It’s not as though we had a relationship.  We had sex for god’s sake.  We’re fine.  Don’t be such a girl.” 

It’s absolutely killing me inside to play it this way, but I have pride.  I need to get out of here and go lick my wounds in private.

“Ok.  That’s good I guess.  Um.  Do you want to swim or something? Or… go see a movie?  There’s no reason for you to leave now.  We can spend the day together, right?”

I shake my head at him.  “No.  We’re done for the day.  I’m good.  I’m going to get out while the gettins good.”  Smiling at him, I turn and walk back across to lawn to retrieve my bathing suit top and quickly put it back on. 

When I cross back across the lawn he’s still standing where I left him.  I hold out my hand, but he stares at me blankly.  “Earth to Dante.  I need my phone.”  Nodding, he hands it back to me.

I continue on in to the house, jogging upstairs and quickly change, throwing my stuff back in to my overnight bag.  Taking a deep breath, I make my way back downstairs.  Dante is sitting in one of the entry way chairs at the bottom of the stairs.

He’s back in outer space mode, not noticing that I’ve descended the stairs.  I clear my throat three times before he snaps back to awareness, jumping from the chair and coming to get my bag.

I smile awkwardly at him for a moment, then step past him to walk to the door.  Looking at him as I open the door, I motion him to follow me.  “Come on Dante, I need to go.”

Turning back to the door I go to leave, not making it far as I walk right in to a solid chest.  Taking a shocked breath, I look up to find Damien looking at me.   

“Hey Rina!  How are you doing?”  Lifting me up in a hug, he spins me around in a circle before giving me a quick peck when Dante all but yells “Get your fucking hands off of her right now.”  

We both turn to gape at Dante.  My god, does he
want
Damien to know we were doing something?  What an idiot. 

“Holy shit bro.  I’m starting to think you’ve got an anger problem.  You really need to get laid, and soon.  You’ve become such a grumpy asshole lately.”

Shaking my head I turn back to Damien and use up all of the strength I have left to smile at him.  “Ignore him Damien.  I came over to swim in the pool and Dante’s mad because I kicked ass in a lap contest.  I’m on my way home now.”

I grab my bag from Dante and step out the door.  “Don’t be such a grump ass Dante.  I was on the swim team.  Of course I do fast laps!”   Turning, I find Damien looking from me, to Dante, to my overnight bag.  Oh shit.  I hope he’s not choosing today to be super perceptive.

“Well boys, I’m going to hit the road.  See you at work tomorrow.  Bye!”  I haul ass out the door and all but run to my car.  Throwing my bag in to the back, I climb in to the driver’s seat and start the engine.

I’m just about to put the car in drive when there is a knocking on my window, and I look to find Dante standing there.  I’ve no choice to but to press the button to roll the window down.  “What’s up Dante?”

Crouching down next to the car, he stares at me for a second.  “Sabrina.  I just…  I’m sorry I’m so fucked up, I really am. You’re amazing.   The best woman I’ve ever known.   If it could be anybody, it would be you.  I just don’t ever want that kind of relationship.  Ever.  I’m so sorry.  I never wanted to hurt you.  I care about you.  Please tell me you’re really going to be ok.”