Page 71 of Vow Of Fire

I opened my eyes and blinked. Dante was crouched in front of my chair at eye level. The way he was gazing at me made my breath hitch. His expression was calm, controlled, but his eyes burned with an intensity that twisted me into knots. I hated this man, and yet I longed for him. I despised him, yet he just had to look at me and I melted.

I’d never been so conflicted—or turned on.

“They aren’t going to get it,” he said quietly, but his words were edged with steel. “Not the gallery. Not the route.” He traced the line of my jaw with the back of his hand. I shivered, surprised by the gentleness of his touch. “Not you.”

I tried to swallow.

“Especially not you.”

He dragged the tip of his thumb across my lower lip. The way you’d test the edge of a knife before you used it.

“Do you understand me, Ophelia?”

I nodded. The words wouldn’t come.

“Say it.”

“I understand,” I croaked.

“You’re under my protection now. While you’re helping my family, we’ll protect you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

I didn’t want to think about what would happen after.

This man and his family had used me. Abused my gallery. Kidnapped me and held me against my will. I should just slap that gorgeous face of his. Instead, his talk of protection, his possessiveness, made me want to swoon.

There was something wrong with me. There had to be.

It was just relief, I told myself. It had been so long since I’d had someone in my corner fighting for me that I wasn’t thinking rationally. Now, here was this dangerous man telling me he had my back.

I didn’t know what to do with that.

“Okay,” I whispered, deciding I didn’t have the energy to fight it.

Before I could take a breath, his mouth came down on mine, and there was nothing tender about it. It was the kiss of a man putting his name to something. Staking his claim. His lips closed over mine, and for a heart-pounding moment, I couldn’t breathe.

Then he was forcing my mouth open, hot and hungry. When I didn’t let him in fast enough, his teeth caught my lower lip, pressing down into the soft flesh. I gasped at the sudden sting, but also at the surge of heat that flew through my body.

I wanted this man so desperately. Wanted him to claim me, make me his. I knew it was fucked up, but it felt so right.

His hand came up to cradle the side of my throat, his palm wide, fingers splayed along my jaw. It was a possessive gesture, and I loved it. His thumb rested just under the curve of my ear, against the frantic beat of my pulse.

He held me there while he ravished my mouth. Long and hard. Until I felt myself falling into him. My mind went blank, and my whole world narrowed until it was only him. I made a small, groaning sound in my throat as he turned me into a trembling mess.

Then he pulled away, breathing hard. A lingering moment passed, where he just stared at me with that stormy intensity. Then he placed one hand on the table and pushed himself up into a standing position.

I was so stunned by the kiss that I didn’t know what to say.

“We’ll continue your self-defense classes tomorrow morning,” he said, abruptly turning his back on me and walking to the door.

“Where are you going?” I called after him, managing to find my tongue.

He didn’t turn around. “Don’t worry, you’re safe here. I’ll be back later.”

And then he left.

I heard the SUV start and the tires kick up gravel as he drove away.

I sat in the quiet for a long time, trying to make sense of my ricocheting emotions.