Inferno's Kiss (28 page)

Instead, she gasped sharply in a small cry of what he was certain was delight. Heat, confusion, pleasure, and insanity closed around him like Praetorians ready to destroy him. He was hovering on the brink when an intoxicating image flooded his head. He didn’t know if the erotic vision was his or hers, but it was raw and visceral.

The mental image of his body pinning her to the wall, her long legs wrapped around his waist as he pounded his body into hers, flooded his head. It was like hitting a brick wall. He jerked free of her in a vicious, sharp move. The bewilderment on her face made him draw in a deep breath then release it.

Jupiter’s Stone. What the fuck was he doing? The moment of panic he’d experienced seconds before became a full-blown attack as he struggled to breathe. How could he have lost control of his senses so easily? He ran a shaky hand through his hair and struggled to regain his voice. Hands on her hips, Cleopatra eyed him with confusion. Naked from the waist up, her stance epitomized the essence of her. Confident and bold. It made her all the more beautiful, and Dante’s body protested viciously as he took a step backward.

“What’s wrong?” she said in a quiet voice filled with puzzlement.

“Forgive me, I shouldn’t have . . . I lost my head.” Dante stumbled over his words as he looked away from her and took another stumbling step backward. What the hell was he supposed to say to her? That he wanted her but couldn’t have her?

That he wanted her so much he was willing to break his oath?

The thought made his midsection ache as if he’d taken a kick to the stomach. In the back of his mind, he heard Placido’s voice telling him he would have to make a choice where Cleopatra was concerned. Was this the choice? The second his gaze locked with hers, another wave of panic crested over him. He couldn’t make a decision. Didn’t
want
to choose. He wanted his cake and he wanted to eat it, too. The realization scared the hell out of him.

“
Lost your head?
” she snapped. “What the
hell
is that supposed to mean?”

“It means . . . I just meant to tell you . . . we dress formally for the evening meal,” he choked out with a cough. “I . . . Forgive me. There are matters I need to attend to.”

Her slack-jawed expression made his gut twist with regret and embarrassment as he whirled around and bolted from the room as fast as he could.
What in the name of Jupiter had gotten into him?
He’d put his oath to the
Absconditus
in jeopardy. He’d never done that before in his life. Actually, his oath had been in jeopardy the moment he’d carried her to the car last night.

His mistake just now was hiding the truth from her simply because he wanted her. He was a
bastardo.
He knew being with her was impossible, but it didn’t stop the need she stirred inside him. It didn’t stop him from wondering what it would feel like to experience firsthand the images he’d seen in his head just moments ago.

Images so erotic that he wished to Jupiter he’d never made his damned oath. Shamed by his thoughts, he released a harsh breath. He’d made his bed, and he had little choice but to lie in it without her. Once more he remembered Placido’s words about a choice he would have to make. He’d made his decision a long time ago, and the only way to ensure he didn’t break his oath to the
Absconditus
was to tell Cleopatra the truth. In the short time he’d known her, he’d come to realize that she valued truth, honor, and loyalty above everything else.

Her determination to rescue her friend from the Convent of the Sacred Mother showed she was willing to put her own life at risk for the sake of friendship. It was just one more reason to like her. And he liked her far more than he should. If he’d not taken his oath, they might have . . . He grunted. That was a road he had no business traveling. The problem was, a very strong part of him wanted to follow her down that path. That more than anything else made him realize how close he was to falling into an abyss that held just as much promise of heaven as it did hell.

Chapter 14

DANTE sensed Cleopatra before she even reached the archway leading into the salon. Her presence was like a tsunami headed straight for him. He wasn’t looking forward to this evening at all. The way he’d left Cleopatra earlier hadn’t been one of his better moments. Deliberately, he kept his gaze focused on the day’s edition of
Il Messaggero
. Not that he could even focus on the newspaper article he’d been reading, but it would at least give him time to acclimate himself to being in the same room with her. Across from him, he heard Placido inhale a sharp breath.

“Jupiter’s Stone,” the old Sicari Lord said in a ragged voice.

Startled, Dante dropped the newspaper to look in his friend’s direction, expecting to see the ancient Sicari Lord bent over in pain. Instead, the old man had gotten to his feet to stare at the living room entrance with a dazed expression on his face. Dante followed Placido’s gaze, and the air left his lungs as he slowly came up out of his chair.

“Sweet mother of Juno,” Dante rasped as he struggled to breathe.

Cleopatra hadn’t just dressed for dinner. She’d dressed for dessert. Her dark, wavy hair was the perfect frame for her flawless features, and it flowed downward to caress the beautiful curve of her shoulder. The strapless black dress she wore pushed up her full breasts, making them look like plump melons ripe for the picking. The thought made his head spin as he watched her sashay forward in a pair of stiletto heels that made her look—
Christus
, he didn’t know what they made her look like. That wasn’t true. They made her look good enough to eat, and he didn’t need her kind of temptation.

Unable to help himself, he stood spellbound as she moved toward him and Placido. Her gaze met his, and his throat tightened at the flash of anger he saw in her violet eyes. He didn’t blame her for being angry. He’d humiliated her. He deserved whatever punishment she inflicted on him. And he was certain she intended to extract her pound of flesh tonight. She’d taken his words to heart and dressed for dinner in such a way as to make certain he knew exactly
what
he’d passed up earlier this afternoon.

Every step she took in his direction highlighted the way the dress’s pleated material fit snug against each one of her curves. He’d never seen a woman’s body outlined so deliciously before in his life. Even more disturbing was how the dress ended about two inches below her bottom, where it clung to her thighs like silk against wet glass.

The black stiletto heels she wore made her bare legs look even longer than they already were. He suddenly envisioned his hand gliding over a sleek calf up to a lush thigh. Surprise swept across her face before she arched her eyebrow at him with a sardonic look that made him realize he’d unintentionally touched her with his thoughts.

Heat flushed his face as he struggled to accept the fact that he’d lost control. Sweet Juno, what was happening to him? Whenever the woman came near him, it was almost impossible to stay out of her thoughts, and now he’d touched her with his telekinetic ability. Praise Jupiter he’d not lost complete command of his faculties this afternoon when they’d kissed. Particularly when he remembered how easily her thoughts had flooded his. What he’d seen had sent him reeling. If he hadn’t retreated when he had, the images he’d seen might well have come true.

Now as he watched her cross the floor in his direction, the memory of those visions sent a powerful surge of lust pounding through his veins.
Christus
, what would it be like to peel that dress off of those beautiful hips, that gorgeous body. The thought shot an icy chill through him. He needed to find a way to control this attraction he was feeling for her. If he didn’t, everything he held dear would be in jeopardy. And he couldn’t let that happen.

“Bellissima.” Placido’s voice was gruff and full of appreciation as Cleopatra stopped in front of them. “Dante, introduce me to this exquisite creature.”

“Cleopatra, this is
il mio signore
, Placido Castillo,” he said quietly, avoiding Cleopatra’s gaze.

“Cleopatra.” The ancient Sicari Lord said her name as if it were a prayer. Placido’s obvious infatuation shot an unfamiliar emotion streaking through Dante as he watched his mentor take his time kissing Cleopatra’s hand. “Your beauty rivals that of your namesake,
carissima
. You will sit next to me at supper.”

“I would be honored.” The husky sound of her voice made Placido beam at her, and Dante bit down on the inside of his cheek. The old man was acting half his age at the moment.

“
Excellent
,” the ancient warrior exclaimed with delight. “I understand you’re going to be staying with us for a while. We’ll have to have Dante find an assignment for you.”

“I don’t think the Tribune knows quite
what
to do with me,
il mio signore
.”

Amusement filled Cleopatra’s voice, but her violet eyes still glittered with anger as she looked at him. It didn’t matter whether she was referring to earlier this afternoon or his invisible touch from a moment ago. She was absolutely right. He didn’t have a clue as to how to handle the woman. His collar grew tight around his neck, and he struggled not to tug at the shirt. Placido arched an eyebrow at him and grinned.

“Well, I’m not so old as to have forgotten what to do with a beautiful woman,
carissima
,” Placido said with a smirk.

The sexual innuendo in the Sicari Lord’s words made Dante stiffen as he glared at the old warrior. The man had always loved women, but he was far too old for Cleopatra. Amused by Placido’s comment, Cleopatra laughed. It was a low, sultry sound that sent another hot surge of lust barreling through Dante.

“Perhaps the Tribune simply needs to learn how to relax,” Cleopatra said in a stage whisper as she smiled haughtily in Dante’s direction. “He
does
seem a bit stiff, doesn’t he?”

For a fleeting instant, she glanced downward at his crotch, and his cock stirred in his trousers. As her gaze locked with his again, he clenched his jaw at the laughter dancing in her beautiful violet eyes. The woman knew she’d thrown him off balance, and she was enjoying the fact. Placido eyed him with a gleam of wicked amusement in his eyes as well.

“Don’t underestimate Tribune Condellaire,
carissima
. Once you get to know him better, I think you’ll find him to be quite charming.”

“Not to mention meticulous, thorough, and an organizational freak.” Cornelia’s voice was quietly neutral, but as Dante turned toward her, there was a twinkle in her eyes. He was about to retort, but his
Praefect
shifted her attention to Cleopatra and nodded. “
Molto bene
, the dress fits you perfectly.”

“I appreciate you letting me borrow it for the evening,” Cleopatra said with a dazzling smile. “When the Tribune said everyone dressed formally for supper, I was at a loss as to what to wear. I only own a couple of dresses, and they aren’t really formal.”

Dante felt the wind go out of his sails. So she hadn’t deliberately dressed like this to remind him what he’d lost this afternoon. His gaze shifted back to Cornelia, who was wearing a sedate-looking black dress. It was a flattering look, but it had none of the sex appeal of Cleopatra’s dress. Disappointment struck hard at the core of him.
Fotte
, he’d been insane to think she might have dressed to entice him. Punish him.

“Why haven’t we seen you wearing it before, Cornelia?” he asked.

Regret blistered through him as he heard Placido hide a snort of laughter behind a cough. The sound said the Sicari Lord had heard the annoyance in his voice and knew precisely why he was irritated. The old man was becoming a thorn in his side. Cornelia eyed him carefully, her expression closed off.

“I bought it on a whim. It’s fortunate that Signorina Vorenus and I are the same size.” Cornelia looked at Cleopatra with a genuine smile of satisfaction. It had been a long time since he’d seen his
Praefect
smile, and he could only assume it was because Cleopatra had brought them information that would help free Beatrice.

He watched with fascination as Cleopatra shook her head, her hair brushing across her bare shoulders. It was the first time he’d seen her hair free of the braid she’d worn since last night, and his fingers itched to slide through the silky darkness. She smiled at Cornelia.

“Please, call me Cleo. I’ve never been one to stand on formalities.” She looked down at her dress and ran one hand over her hip in a way that made him draw in a quick breath. A second later she offered Cornelia an impish grin. “Besides, good friends always borrow each other’s clothes.”

Cornelia laughed quietly, and it surprised him. Cleopatra had charmed his
Praefect
, and even Placido was enchanted with her. The sound of excited voices floated in their direction, and he looked past Cleopatra toward the small group of fighters entering the room.

The minute he heard the long, low whistle, he knew it was for Cleopatra, and a fierce territorial emotion slashed through him. She immediately turned her head and laughed. Even though she’d accepted the wolf whistle as a compliment, he directed a hard stare of displeasure at the newcomers. One of the younger fighters went crimson under Dante’s look, while a couple of his companions chuckled and nudged him in the side.

Before Dante could say anything, Cornelia took Cleopatra by the arm and guided her over to the small crowd. As his
Praefect
introduced her to the fighters, he noted how the men jostled one another to get close to her. Placido leaned toward him with a confiding air.

“The woman is enough to arouse even this old man.” Mischief filled the Sicari Lord’s voice, and Dante flashed him a glare.

“Is she?” He was pleased with his reserved, detached response.

“Lie to yourself, Tribune, but don’t lie to me,” Placido said with a snort of laughter. “I might be old, but my eyesight is still good. You can’t keep your eyes off the woman.”