Chapter 14

ANNA

Waking in Dante's bed felt like home now, as if I had never been anywhere else. The last week, since my walk in the grounds with Alessandro when my life had changed, had passed quickly. It felt as though order was being restored. Gino and his family had moved away within a couple of days, him to a health facility and his family to somewhere on the coast. I didn't ask questions because apart from anything else, I wasn't sure I'd want to hear the answers.

Dante had announced to everyone that Amina was his child and although I was thrilled at his desire to be her father in every way, I had told him that he didn't need to be named on her birth certificate. He disagreed and within twenty-four hours of him finding me in the treehouse, my daughter legally had her father and officially carried the Caputo family name.

There had been numerous apologies for the repercussions my brother had faced, and whilst I couldn't bring myself to say it was okay, I was relieved to have his name cleared because of all the things he might have been, he wasn't a traitor. Dante had assured me that he would return Aldo to me, and I didn't doubt he would honour his promise that filled me with equal parts sorrow and happiness to be able to give him a fitting end.

"Good morning." Dante pulled me closer and began to kiss my shoulder.

"Good morning," I replied as I reached for him and cupped his behind to pull him closer, perhaps a little too close judging by the way I jumped and the speed with which Dante pulled away when his erection became obvious to us both.

"Sorry." He was already retreating and preparing to leave the bed as I rolled over.

"Don't go," I begged, reaching for him, pulling his arm.

"Anna, I want nothing more than to lie with you . . ." His voice trailed off and his expression was torn.

"Dante, I want you, I want to try."

"You don't have to."

"But I want to, please."

He lay back down and held me in his arms. We had kissed, explored one another, but hadn't had sex. It wasn't that I didn't want to, I did, really wanted to feel him fully, as I had only once before. The problem was that as we got closer to that final part, it was difficult not to remember what had happened with Gino, but I was determined to move on with my life.

"Kiss me."

He rolled me back slightly and as his lips took mine, his tongue claimed me, while his hands began to wander, touching and teasing. Minutes passed, I had no clue how many, but somehow he lay on top of me, between my spread thighs. My underwear and t-shirt were gone as were the pyjama bottoms he had been wearing. His fingers were between us, stroking along my length with my arousal coating his fingers as he slid a first and then a second inside me. I immediately began to buck against him as arousal flooded through me, coiling in my belly and tightening in my sex.

"Dante." His name was no more than a gasping moan.

"Anna, let me hear you." His thumb found my clit that it circled, all the while his fingers thrusted inside me.

"Yes, don't stop."

He laughed, a deep, throaty sound that only served to drive me closer, then with his mouth coming to meet mine, I came, my cries of pleasure and release captured by the man I loved, had always loved.

With every last ounce of pleasure wrung from me, he grinned down at me. "That might be the only good morning I'll ever accept from you."

I laughed but flushed a little thinking that as I was the only one to have found their release, it should probably be me who wouldn't accept any other good morning. "Dante, make love to me."

He looked dubious but in that second I had zero doubts. This was Dante and he would never do anything to hurt me. He was not Gino. He was not a bad man. Okay, he did bad things, but he was not a man I should fear.

"Please."

No further words were spoken as his lips crashed against mine once more and his length found my heat. Breaking the kiss, he held himself up on one elbow, continuing to gaze down at me, nothing but love, reverence, and desire in his eyes, and with his other hand, he guided his erection to my entrance. Slowly, carefully, he edged inside and allowed me time to accept his presence, inch by inch he pushed forward offering words of encouragement with each small thrust until there was nothing between us. The sensation of fullness confirmed that the more than adequate boy who had taken my virginity really had grown into the man he was.

"Okay?"

"Yes, good." I was already panting and he hadn't moved yet, and boy, when he did, the embers of my own release were immediately stoked until we were lost in the duel of passion, giving and taking, drawing each other's pleasure closer to release whilst warding off our own.

The sounds of desire were all around us, increasing in speed and volume until we each stood on the precipice of release.

"Mia ragazza," he moaned in a low guttural cry as his thrusts got faster, and just when I thought the orgasm I was chasing might not arrive, he reached for my breast, thumbing the nipple before squeezing it firmly.

In a sea of sweat, light and dark, heat and cold, cries, curses and vows of love, we came, together.