The Foster Girls #1: Harper

Chapter 9: I Fell

One dinner date is not going to buy you into my bed. That's not even on the table for a long time.

How badass I'd sounded when I said that to Dante. And I really really wish I could say I held firm to what I'd told Dante. He'd taken me out after that night, for our first official date, as he'd called it, and we'd talked for hours. I don't even remember what we discussed, but the evening is burned on my brain just because Dante showed a sweet, gentle, considerate side that I suspected few people, if any, ever witnessed. It melted me toward him, especially knowing he hadn't done this before with any woman.

A second date had followed two nights later, and it was no less magical than the first. He drove me to a secluded little spot up in the hills with a beautiful view of the river. We took his bike, which I was rapidly coming to love as I held onto him and just enjoyed the wind in my face. Two prospects pulled away as we pulled up, and I saw a blanket on the ground with some candles in hurricane glasses and the food spread out so we could feast. We ate and talked and laughed, then had some dessert. Chocolate, I discovered, was even more amazing when Dante kissed it off my lips.

But after our third date, I couldn't help falling all the way into the Dante abyss. Even knowing that he could be done with me after that, I still fell. Willingly. Wholeheartedly. Completely overwhelmed by everything this man made me feel, made me want.

He'd kept looking at me across the table all night, his eyes hot and focused, and when he took me back to my apartment, those chocolate eyes of his were absolutely burning into mine. This man wanted me and made no attempt to hide that fact.

"You are so beautiful, Harper." He pushed me up against my door, his hard body pressing in close. His voice was raspy and if I didn't know better, I'd think he was a smoker. "You have no idea what I want to do to you, with you."

My lips curved in a smile as my fingers dug into his chest. "So tell me."

His hand came up to my face, and his fingertips traced along my cheek to my jaw before moving to slide into my hair. "So soft," he murmured as his fingers sifted through my curls. His head moved closer so his nose rubbed right by my ear. "I love your scent. I think about it all the time. I want it on my pillows, in my house, on every part of me so I'm never without it."

His teeth tugged on my earlobe before he slid his nose down to my throat. "Your skin is incredible, so soft, so smooth. I want to mark all that perfection, let everyone know you're mine." He nipped at my neck then used his tongue to soothe the sting while his hands lightly moved along the skin of my arms, causing me to shiver. "You are mine, Princess. Since the first dance when I pulled you close and you made me so hard I wanted to tumble you down onto the floor. You weren't like any other woman I'd ever seen, and I wanted nothing more than to make you mine right then and there."

He slid the strap of my camisole off my shoulder, his lips burning a path on my skin. "I want to be inside you, make it so you feel me for days. I'm going to fill you and brand you with me."

My lips parted and it was getting hard to breathe. These words Dante was whispering to me were pure seduction, words I'd been longing to hear all of my life. I wondered if this was what it felt like when your dreams suddenly came true. Not since my family had died had I felt such emotions and I realized it was because I was being held close by my future. I knew with every part of me that this man was going to be the husband I longed for, the man I'd build a future with, my family. Mini Dantes with dark hair and chocolate brown eyes and grins that would let them get away with anything. 

Yep, I fell.    

Dante was holding me tight to his side, his breathing ragged. I was still trying to catch my breath as his hand moved in little circles on my skin.  

"Dante," I breathed out his name tentatively after a few more minutes, afraid to bring this up, but needing clarification on what had just happened, "you said you wouldn't know until after we enjoyed each other the first time if you'd still be interested. So I'm asking."

 He moved then, his legs going between mine, his forearms braced on either side of me. His eyes locked onto mine and refused to let go. "I think we both know something happened just now, Princess, something I've never felt before in my life, not even close. Something I've waited my whole life for, so I'm not walking away."

I blew out a relieved breath. "Glad to hear I'm not the only one feeling like that."

Dante smiled gently at me. "I'm going to be the only man you ever know, Harper. You belong to me, body, mind and soul, no doubt in my mind, and I want everyone to know it."

"OK, that works for me," I teased him gently.

He kissed the tip of my nose. "You may think I'm kidding, but I've never been more serious in my life. I knew from the minute I first saw you that you were special; I tried to stay away from your kind of special for your sake, tried to keep you away, and failed epically. Every time you were around, I couldn't keep my eyes off of you, and when you weren't around, I couldn't stop thinking about you and tried to find ways to be around you. Our first few dates just pulled me closer to you and confirmed what I'd been feeling. I'm done trying to do right by you, Harper. I'm all in, full-steam ahead, make plans for the future kind of serious about you. I hope that answers your question."

"That's not the first time you said you tried to stay away from me for my own good. Why?"

He pressed a kiss to my lips, then looked at me. "The reason doesn't matter anymore. What matters is going forward."

Then he distracted me with his lips, his hands, his body, his dirty suggestions he turned into reality.

Probably so I would never realize that he'd just lied to me. His reason did matter. It would make all the difference in the world.