Page 87 of Savage Ambition

His hands slid up my back, a touch that was both possessive and uncertain. “You’re not what I expected.”

“Good.” I nipped at his lower lip. “I’d hate to be predictable.”

A reluctant smile tugged at his mouth. “You’re anything but that.”

“I’m also good for more than sex, you know,” I said, letting my playful tone soften to something more serious. “I can be whatever you need me to be, whether it’s your ally, your weapon, or your shield.”

“My shield?”

“Someone has to protect you while you’re busy protecting everyone else.” I traced the line of his jaw. “You’ve been fighting this war alone for too long, Dante. Let me fight beside you like I swore to do.”

His throat worked as he swallowed. “I don’t know how to do that.”

“Yes, you do.” I took his hand, placing it over my heart. “Not everyone is like Salvatore. Some people can be trusted with your secrets, your plans, your heart.”

He stiffened beneath me. “You talk too much.”

“Only because you don’t talk enough.” I shifted in his lap. “But there are other ways to communicate.”

His hands slid to my ass, gripping possessively. “Is that what we’re doing? Communicating?”

“Among other things.” I rolled my hips, drawing a sharp inhale from him. “I’m very versatile in many communication methods.”

“Is that why you never shut the fuck up?” He guided my movements against him.

“Make me,” I taunted.

His control gave way to need. He pulled me into a kiss that tasted of frustration and fear, his fingers tangling in my hair. His tongue pushed past my lips, seeking dominance to mask the vulnerability he’d shown me.

I yielded, absorbing the onslaught while holding him firmly in place. Slowly, his desperate grip softened. His hand slid beneath my sweater to map my lower back, grounding himself in the connection he claimed to despise.

When we broke apart, his pupils were blown wide.

I let him think he had distracted me, even as I vowed to continue breaking down his defenses, one kiss at a time.

“What’s your price?” Dante asked, his voice rough.

I traced his lower lip with my thumb. “Unlike Salvatore, I don’t operate on conditions and threats, Dante.”

“Everyone wants something.”

“I want you, but not at the expense of your freedom or your trust. Those you’ll have to give willingly, or not at all.”

His expression shifted. “I don’t understand you.”

“You will,” I promised. “With time.”

The car slowed as we approached Gennaro Corporation, the imposing glass monolith looming ahead. Dante’s face shuttered, the mask of Dragon sliding into place.

I climbed off his lap, straightening my clothes and running a hand through my hair. “Don’t worry. By the time we reach Salvatore, no one will know what we’ve been doing.”

“He always knows,” Dante said flatly. “He has eyes and ears everywhere.”

“Not in this car,” I reminded him. “Massimo made sure of it.”

Dante’s eyes narrowed. “You seem very confident about that.”

I adjusted his collar. “That’s because I’ve learned to be thorough with matters of life and death.”