Shades of Sins (New York Sinner Series Book 2)

37| Eyes

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Eyes

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Chapter 37: Eyes (Anastasia's POV)

You would expect me to be familiar with Dante's lazy morning kisses by now, but every morning, I felt a trail of slow, soft kisses pressed along my shoulders and arms; it was the best surprise in the world. 

I felt the smile teasing my lips before I was fully conscious, and as his lips traveled down the slope of my shoulder and along my arm, a soft chuckle escaped me. "I could get used to this," I mumbled, slowly facing him. 

"Yeah?" he whispered, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. "It's a shame you already aren't. Do I need to work harder, Anastasia?" 

"Maybe a little," I laughed, opening my eyes and meeting his. A beat of silence passed between us before reality dawned on me. Groaning against his chest, I asked, "Do we have to go to work today?" 

"I don't think we can afford to skip it," he muttered half-heartedly. 

I sighed deeply and kissed his chest quickly before pulling back. "Ten more minutes," I said. 

"Five," he argued. 

"Ten," I persisted. 

"Five," he smiled down at me in amusement. 

"Seven," I bargained. 

He looked at me quizzically for a moment before saying, "Ten? We can do ten." 

I grinned, throwing my arms and legs over his and tangling with him beneath the sheets. It was so easy to switch my brain off and tune out the rest of the world and its problems whenever I was with Dante, but every morning we'd wake up, the spell would break, and the bubble we'd created together would shatter, throwing us back to reality. 

Ten minutes passed before I even realized it, but I bit down on my complaints as he untangled himself from me and moved to stand. By that point in our relationship, Dante and I had plenty of belongings at each other's apartments, so we both got ready and then headed out for work in his car. 

Throughout the ride, his fingers absentmindedly traced circles and little stars along my inner thigh, and at almost every red light, he leaned in to steal a quick kiss. 

Sitting in silence during that ride, I couldn't help how my thoughts strayed to Dante's past; I couldn't help but wonder who he relied on growing up. 

After losing Francesca, my mother made sure I lost her too, and although my father was present, it was too difficult for him to recount the past on every occasion, so instead of standing up for me, he chose to remain silent. I still had one person on my side no matter what the case. Marshall. 

I couldn't help but wonder who Dante had. I turned to face him as I tugged at his hand lightly to get his attention. 

"Hmm?" he asked, glancing at me briefly before turning back to the road. 

"Can I ask you something?" 

"Of course," he replied, "you can ask me anything, Mia Cara." 

"After everything that happened," I paused, inclining my body toward his, "after we got out... was there anyone waiting for you? Searching for you?" 

He slowed to a stop at a light and met my gaze. 

"Was there anyone you were coming home to?" I asked.