Inferno's Kiss (39 page)

The cool air breezed across his skin, but it didn’t curb the heat in his body as he watched her jerk her shirt up and over her head. An instant later, the air left his lungs as she slid her jeans off the sensual curve of her hips. Black lace. It barely covered her breasts, and the small triangle of silk at the apex of her thighs—a G-string. He gulped. There was just enough lace to let his imagination run wild. Immediately, his cock swelled and stiffened at the sight of her.

Her violet gaze never left his as she reached for the belt at the waist of his trousers. The touch sent a jolt of electricity through him. Somewhere in the depths of his mind a voice commanded him to remember his oath. A primal need silenced the voice without mercy as his senses went into overdrive once more. But this time the sensations were much more powerful. They were fiery, urgent, and demanding.

As she undressed him, his desire grew stronger, more savage. With a rough gesture, he pushed her hands away and finished removing his clothes with sharp, choppy movements. Need pummeled him from every direction as he tossed his clothes aside and tugged her into his arms. The mental connection between them merged with the physical as he kissed her hard. Erotic images flooded his head, and it no longer mattered whether they were his thoughts or hers. The only thing he understood was the way his body clamored for satisfaction.

The demand blinded him to everything but the sweet scent and taste of her. The softness of the room’s carpet scratched lightly against his skin as they sank to the floor together. He leaned over her and stared down at her with a sense of possession he’d never felt for anyone or anything in his life. His hand curled around her gently rounded hip, and with a firm squeeze, he mentally marked her as his.

A soft gasp escaped her, and as their gazes locked, he knew she understood the significance of his caress. He wasn’t sure whether she’d read his mind or simply sensed the touch’s primal meaning. Her eyes darkened with passion, and she tugged his head down to kiss him with an intensity that heightened his desire even more.

Her mouth was hot against his as she discarded her bra in a frantic movement, and a moment later, the sight of her beautiful breasts made it almost impossible to breathe. Like an explorer marveling at a new discovery, he cupped her and studied the full curve of her breast. From there his gaze traveled down along her side, hip, and finally her beautiful legs.

He memorized every inch of her that his gaze caressed. She was exquisite. He jumped as her hand slid over his hip to lightly touch the small of his back. A small laugh escaped her, and the moment he stiffened, she kissed him softly, a silent reassurance that she’d found pleasure in his reaction, not amusement. Slowly, she began to trace gentle circles across his back and down over his buttocks.

The erotically languid caresses made his breathing grow ragged as he responded to her touch.
Deus
, the woman was Venus incarnate. Rock hard, he groaned at the way her body made his respond so easily. Eager to explore her in a similar fashion, his hand slid from her breast down to the gentle curve of her waist where his overzealous fingers fumbled and broke the elastic band of her G-string. As the fragile strip gave way, he froze. He’d been too rough.

A brief second later, his heart restarted as she guided his hand to the incredibly creamy spot between her legs. His mouth went dry at the way her liquid heat coated his fingers as he pressed into her warmth. A soft whisper of sound passed her lips, and he froze again, realizing how clumsy his attempt to please her must be. Her eyes met his, and he trembled at what he saw in her gaze.

Excitement and desire glowed in her violet eyes as her hand trailed its way lazily down to where he was awkwardly stroking her. Her eyelids fluttered downward as she guided his fingers to a small piece of flesh within her sleek folds and encouraged him to apply a slight amount of pressure to the spot.

The silent request made him gently rub the swollen nub with his thumb. She jerked against his hand, and he repeated the caress. Another hard tremor wracked her lovely body, and the low moan that echoed out of her throat vibrated over his skin. He didn’t have to be experienced to understand that sound. His touch pleased her, excited her. It was a sound of delight that ignited a blaze inside him and obliterated everything but the craving to know every inch of her.

Suddenly, she rolled her body into his and forced him onto his back to hover over him. Black, silky hair fell forward until it formed a curtain around his face, and the only thing he could see was her beautiful features. Desire blazed hot in her violet eyes, and in the next heated instant she sank her creamy center down over his cock.

A sharp hiss of air passed its way through his clenched teeth as tension locked his body rigid. He was uncertain whether it was from surprise or pleasure. Possibly both. Eyes closed, he shuddered at the intense sensations clutching at him. Desire. Pleasure. Exhilaration.

Christus
. Was this what being in the Elysian Fields was like? A second later, she slowly rocked her body over his, and he knew the answer was no.
This
was a heaven not even the Elysian Fields could bring. The friction of her body against his defied description. It stirred something dark and primal inside until it consumed his body.

Fingers clutching at her hips, he groaned and urged her to move faster. A moment later his mind reeled at the pleasure flooding his brain as she arched backward until he was penetrating her even deeper. She uttered a soft cry and moved faster, riding him at a frenetic pace that pushed him to a place he’d never been before.

A familiar pull tugged at his cock, making his fingers dig deeper into the soft flesh of her hips.
No. Not yet. It was too soon.
But he had no control. For a fraction of a second he stood poised on the edge of a high cliff before he exploded inside her and tumbled down into a blinding light that pulled a shout of intense pleasure from his lungs.

Seconds later, she shuddered and her body clenched tightly against him. It pulled another cry from him as her orgasm sent shock waves racing along every nerve ending in his body. Wave after wave of unbelievable pleasure rolled over him, and he lay spent on the carpet as she came forward to rest her forehead against his. Her rapid breathing matched his own, and he wrapped his arms around her to hold her tight.

They remained like that for some time before she slid off him to curl her body into his. Without thinking twice, he kept his arms around her. Deep inside he knew this was the only place he wanted to be. She made him feel as if he’d been in a deep sleep, and he was only just now beginning to realize what it was like to be alive.

In the simple span of just a few short minutes, his entire life had changed. It wasn’t simply the fact that he’d broken his vow. It was the fact that Placido had been right. He was in love with Cleopatra. It didn’t seem possible, but he couldn’t deny what his heart was telling him.

Now he had to come to grips with the consequences. The knowledge made him close his eyes. Her hand brushed across his brow, and he turned his head to meet her troubled gaze.

“Are you all right?” Her soft question made him nod abruptly before he looked up at the ceiling.

“Yes,” he rasped. He wanted to share everything he was thinking and feeling but couldn’t find the words. A fragile silence stretched between them for a long moment.

“You’re regretting what happened.” The flat vulnerability in her voice made him jerk his head back in her direction. He quickly shifted his body to hover over her and shook his head as he stroked her cheek.

“
No
,
carissima
. How could I ever regret the most incredible experience of my life?” He swallowed hard. It was the truth.

“But you still feel guilty.”

Her voice was soft as she turned her head away from him. The remorse on her face said she believed she was partly responsible for his decision. His fingers caught her chin in a firm grip as he forced her to look at him.

“It was my choice, Cleopatra,” he said firmly. “I made the decision to break my oath. You’re not to blame.”

He pulled away from her to sit up and wrap his arms around his knees. A jolt of pain surged through him, making him close his eyes as he struggled to accept that he’d broken faith with those he’d pledged to serve. He didn’t regret for one minute making love to Cleopatra, but his guilt at not absolving himself of his oath beforehand made the experience bittersweet. She moved behind him to press her cheek against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him.

“
Whose
trust did you break?” she asked quietly. “The
Absconditus
’s ? Placido’s? My father’s? Or yours?”

“Mine?” He opened his eyes in surprise as she quickly moved to kneel in front of him.

“Yes, yours. What makes a fifteen-year-old boy take that kind of an oath? I think you did it because you were afraid.” There was a gentle understanding in her expression that he didn’t feel worthy of, and he shook his head.

“Of what?” he said tightly as he realized her observation had struck a little too close to home.

“Of being abandoned again like your mother abandoned you.” He flinched as she reached out to stroke his cheek with her fingers. “Taking that oath meant you wouldn’t have to risk caring about anyone who might stop loving you, or worse, leave you.”

“You’re wrong.” Rigid with tension, he shook his head as she ignored his sharp denial.

“It’s why you always want to please my father and Placido,” she said gently. “I think deep down you’ve always been afraid they might send you away if you didn’t do everything they asked.”

“They wouldn’t have done that.” His voice was harsh with emotion as he struggled with the truth of what she was saying.

“You’re right. They wouldn’t have.” She cupped his face in her hands, her violet gaze never wavering from his. “But that fifteen-year-old boy didn’t know that. All he knew was that his mother had left him alone when he was four years old, and she never came back. That boy believed the only way he could avoid losing everyone he loved was by devoting his life to them. To the
Absconditus
.”

He didn’t move as Cleopatra’s voice died away and she leaned forward to kiss him softly. The touch of her mouth on his didn’t alleviate the guilt holding him hostage, but it softened the shackles. Deep inside, he knew she was right. He’d been a boy when he’d made his decision, and he’d been lying to himself about his motivations for taking his oath ever since. The question was, could he forgive himself for his lie?

Wrapping his arms around Cleopatra, he buried his face in her neck, breathing in her sweet fragrance. He didn’t have to hear her voice to know she was still worried she was to blame for his decision to cast aside his vow. Their mental connection seemed to be growing stronger by the hour, which made it so easy to sense her concern.

“I don’t regret making love to you,
dolce cuore
,” he murmured in her ear.

It was the truth. He could never regret the choice he’d made. How could he regret being with her when he loved her so much? The only real regret he had was the fact that he’d been living a lie all these years. He’d deceived not only himself, but his family as well. He pushed the guilt into a dark place to hide it from her. Skepticism darkened her face as she raised her head to look at him. He brushed his fingers across her cheek.

“It’s one of the few things I’ve done right in my life,” he said with a small smile. She studied his face for a moment before he sensed the relief in her.

“I’m glad,” she said in a husky tone. “Because I thought it was pretty amazing—
you
were amazing.”

The compliment made his cheeks burn.
Christus
, he was blushing like a teenager. He grimaced as she laughed and touched his cheeks.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed. When I say it was amazing, believe it.”

Cleopatra reached out and slowly explored the curve of his lips with her fingers in a sweet caress that carried with it a heat that penetrated his skin. He gently nipped at her fingertips with his teeth. The warmth of her touch spread slowly through his veins until need consumed his body and had him hard in seconds. He lowered his head to kiss the side of her neck.

“Perhaps we should repeat it just to be sure.”

“Hmm . . . are you up for it?” Despite her teasing, he could still sense her uncertainty.

“I think so,” he growled as he caught her hand and made her stroke his swollen cock.

“
Yes
, I think you are.” Her breathless tone said she liked touching him, and a rush of triumph surged through him as he saw the anticipation in her eyes. Somewhere in the back of his head, guilt tried to steal the pleasure her touch gave him. Without a second thought, he closed his mind off to everything except the delicious taste and scent of her as he captured her mouth in a hard kiss. Later he would find a way to come to grips with the choice he’d made. For the moment, all he wanted to do was love her.

Chapter 20

ALIVE. It was the only word Cleo could think of for the way Dante made her feel. It was something she’d never experienced before. This emotional and physical sensation of being a part of someone else. The connection between them was one she didn’t understand, but it was there just the same. It had been since that day in the hallway when their thoughts had merged and he’d seen her painful past. With each passing day it had grown stronger, despite her best efforts to ignore it.

Intense delight banished every thought from her mind as his fingers brushed across her breast. It was a caress of exploration, slightly tentative and unbelievably sensual. That she was his first was a heady thought. It meant she was special. She flinched inwardly and quickly shoved the thought aside. Instead she focused her attention on Dante’s face as he gently, almost reverently, cupped her breast. The fascination on his features sent a small shiver down her back, which became a shiver of pleasure the moment he circled her nipple with his thumb. The light touch pulled a sharp breath from her, and their gazes locked for a brief moment before he slowly lowered his head to take her into his mouth.