A Very Merry Hitman (Holiday With a Hitman #2)

17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Keep calm and get your ho, ho, ho on.

Aileen leaned back into Dante’s hold, glad he was waiting for her. “So what did you guys find?” she murmured as he nuzzled her neck. Shivers rolled through her as he nipped at her earlobe.

He and the others had been at Theo and Elli’s place going over the videos in more depth even though it was already late. But the three of them, and her mom, hadn’t been ready to call it a night so she’d left them to kiss Nessa good night.

“I don’t want to talk about them,” he growled. “I just want to get that dress off you.”

She knew she should probably care more about what the others were doing, considering it was her safety at risk, but she couldn’t dredge up much when Dante was sliding his big hands down over her waist—and tugging her dress up to her hips.

“I hated seeing you on a date tonight.”

“Wasn’t a date,” she rasped out.

“Well I don’t want you dating anyone.” His words were a rumbly growl against her neck that sent shivers down her spine.

“What about you?” she asked, forcing the words out. They’d never talked about him or if he dated or…what he did when he was off on jobs.

He paused before turning her around, caging her against the front door. As he looked down at her with undisguised heat in his dark eyes, he frowned. “What about me?”

“Are you…dating anyone?” She didn’t think he was, but she wanted it spelled out. Clearly.

He slid his palm between her legs, cupped her mound—and found out that she wasn’t wearing anything under her dress. He groaned as he leaned down, nipped her bottom lip. “Not dating anyone,” he murmured against her mouth.

“So, what is this thing between us, then?” How she was even managing to get words out when he slipped a finger inside her was a mystery. She clenched around him, wanting a lot more than this. Tonight she wanted everything.

“What do you want it to be?” Now he kissed along her jawline as he added another finger.

She clutched onto his shoulders, digging in as she tried to steady herself. “That’s not an answer.”

He gently raked his teeth over her bare shoulder, sending another shiver spiraling through her. “Already told you I’m not sharing.”

“Neither will I.” Now she dug in with her fingernails.

He pulled back slightly, pinning her with his dark gaze as much as he was with his hands and body. “I haven’t been with anyone since I met you.” His words were low, growly and…

Wait, what?

He couldn’t be serious. That had been years ago. She clenched around both his fingers as he stroked inside her, slowly, wonderfully and, oh god, he felt so damn good. “Are you serious?” she managed to rasp out.

“Very serious.” He claimed her mouth, stealing her breath and her words as he practically devoured her.

She had questions, but then he unzipped the back of her dress, and yep, screw talking. He made her feel safe in a way she never thought she would again. She wanted to revisit the whole “haven’t been with anyone since I met you” thing but… Oh! He nipped her earlobe, then raked his teeth over her neck aaaand he was making his way lower, lower… He sucked one nipple into his mouth and she arched against him.

Her dress had fallen to her waist, but he hadn’t unzipped it fully so it was bunched up at her hips, baring her to him in all the right places.

After teasing both her nipples into tight points, he, oooh, he was kneeling in front of her. And she realized he was doing exactly what he’d said earlier.

“Spread your legs a little,” he growled.

“We’re doing this right here?” Did her voice squeak a little? Yep. She’d just been picturing this differently, like in a bed. But he seemed obsessed with going down on her.

“Are you good with this?” When he looked up at her with those dark eyes and a face that would make angels weep, she nodded. But he wasn’t having it. “I need to hear it.”

Somehow she found her voice. “More than good.”

The look he gave her was so hungry, so all-consuming, she felt it all the way to her core.

And when he slid one of her ankles over his shoulder, she couldn’t think of anything else as he teased and pleasured her until he pulled a sharp, toe-curling orgasm from her with his mouth and fingers. Before she’d come down from her climax, he moved fast, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her up to her room.

To a bed she’d never shared with anyone else and nothing about that mattered right now. Because she wanted something real with Dante, not just for him to help her get over fears. She wanted a future with him.

“Dante…” She cleared her throat, tried to find her voice, but it was hard when he was stripping off his tuxedo jacket, then his shirt.

Each button he slid out, all she could do was stare hungrily. It was like watching the best strip show ever because it was all for her. And it was Dante.

“I love it when you watch me like that.” His voice shook slightly as he discarded his shirt. When his fingers skimmed the top of his pants, he stilled, his dark gaze on her, a question in his eyes .

“Take them off.” Did she sound like she was begging? Well, it wasn’t far from the truth.

“Only if you take off yours.” He was doing that growly, sexy thing that sent shivers spiraling throughout her.

She still had her dress halfway on, and while she’d been bared to him before, this felt different. Tonight felt different, maybe because they were on the same page. Or she really hoped they were. She’d spent so many years afraid of being vulnerable again, of getting hurt again, but she couldn’t hide from everything.

And she didn’t want to hide from Dante anyway. Never.

As he slid his pants off, she finished shimmying out of her dress, and she soaked in the groan he let out as he reached for her.

“Can’t believe you weren’t wearing anything under your dress.” He sounded almost pained, and oh wow, she could only stare at the thick outline under his boxer briefs. And when he slid them off, she sucked in a breath.

She’d seen him before, touched him before, but apparently it would take some time getting used to the sight of him.

They moved toward each other at the same time and thankfully he was taking over, because she might be ready for this, but she was still in unchartered territory.

As they kissed, he walked them to the bed, and to her surprise he stretched out underneath her so that she had to straddle him.

He clasped onto her hips as she settled on top of him. “You set the pace. Anytime you want to stop, just tell me and we stop. You’re in control.”

Her inner walls tightened at his words, at this man who was doing everything to make this good for her. Thankfully they’d already talked about birth control and they were both clean (though he hadn’t mentioned not being with anyone for years!). Since she was on birth control, no worries there either.

She leaned forward slightly so that her folds rubbed against his thick erection, and the look on his face, the groan he made… She could come from that alone.

His fingers flexed against her hip as he reached up with his other hand, cupped the back of her head and kissed her like he’d been starving for her.

She found herself swept away in his kiss, swept away in everything that he was, and shed the lingering fears she’d been holding on to as she lost herself with him. Heat pooled between her legs as he cupped one of her breasts, lazily strummed one of her nipples until she was groaning from the pleasure of it.

Each time he teased her nipple or grazed his thumb over her pulsing clit, she knew it wasn’t going to take long for her to come once he was inside her because she was absolutely primed for him. And she really wanted to come with him inside her, especially this first time between them. Going on instinct, she leaned forward so that his thick head was right at her entrance, teasing.

“You’re sure?” he growled against her mouth.

In response, she slid down on him, her head falling back as she adjusted to his size. Ooh, wow. She sucked in a breath as she settled on him, savored the feel of his fullness as he stretched her. Over the years she’d played with toys but this was so much different.

Better.

“Feel…amazing,” she managed to rasp out.

He gritted his teeth as he struggled to remain still underneath her. Or he looked like he was struggling with his jaw clenched.

Keeping her gaze on him, she slowly rolled her hips, watching his reaction even as he filled her, hit her in spots she’d only fantasized about.

He made a low growling sound as she rolled her hips over him again.

He clutched his fingers on her hips, stilled her. “You’re perfection, but I need a second.” He gritted out the words as if they were a confession.

And something about the strain in his voice, the way his throat was cording tight… She rolled her hips again, grinned wickedly when he let out another groan.

“I want to feel you coming inside me,” she whispered as she started moving her hips in a slow, steady rhythm. There was so much she wanted to try with him, but he’d been right about her being on top this first time.

She liked being in control, loved watching his facial expressions flitter between hunger and, well, desperation.

He rolled his own hips up to meet her, hitting her even deeper, and she could feel another orgasm starting to build—probably because she was already so worked up for him.

And also, his dick was amazing.

Something she needed to tell him, but no words would come as he pulled back, thrust again. Completely letting go of her control, she met him stroke for stroke, riding him as he held on to her hips possessively.

She had a feeling he would leave marks and was glad for it.

“I’m so close. I need…just a little more.” And she was too nervous to touch herself. She figured that one day she’d be comfortable, but not today.

Thankfully he reached between their bodies and began teasing her clit without any more prompting. Aaand, oh, she was definitely going to come.

The sensation of him filling her, his thick length stroking that magic spot deep inside combined with this and… Her inner walls clenched around him faster and harder as her climax crested higher and higher.

“Dante!” She cried out his name as it hit, pleasuring spilling out to all her nerve endings as she came.

Just like that, she saw him let go of his own control, as if something had physically snapped inside him. He thrust upward on a cry, coming inside her in long, hard strokes.

She wasn’t sure how long they lost themselves inside each other, but eventually she collapsed on him and could have lay there all night. But he gently nudged her off him as he murmured, “Be right back.”

Feeling way too good, she stretched out on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, wondering how long they’d have to wait to do that again. Because she was greedy and wanted so much more.

He was back moments later with a washcloth in hand. When he knelt next to her and began wiping between her legs, she wanted to cry and kiss him at the same time. “You’re always so thoughtful,” she murmured, stroking her fingers down his forearm, loving that she got to touch him the way she wanted now.

No more just fantasizing.

He snorted softly before he tossed the cloth down and stretched out next to her. “You’re pretty much the only person to ever say that.” He kissed the top of her head as he pulled her close. “How are you feeling? ”

“Amazing. God, you felt so good. I didn’t realize…you’re incredible.”

His grip around her tightened as she half splayed over his chest. “You’re good for my ego. And you’re the incredible one. Better than I fantasized about.”

Surprised, she lifted her head. “You fantasized about me?”

Even more surprising, his cheeks flushed with just a tinge of pink. “Probably more than I should admit,” he finally said.

She laughed lightly. “Glad I’m not the only one.” Idly, she traced over a scar on his left pec, long faded and a pale white half-moon against his tanned skin. “What’s this from?”

He covered her hand with his, then brought her fingers up to his mouth, kissed each one. When he didn’t answer, she thought maybe she’d hit on a sore subject.

“You don’t have to tell me.”

“No, I want to. It’s just…this particular scar was from my uncle.”

They’d been friends for years so she knew that his uncle had raised him after his mom died of emergency surgery complications. His father had disappeared when he was born and it had been him and his mom until he was twelve. “Intentionally?”

His jaw ticked once. “Yeah.”

She blinked, then frowned as she looked at it again—then noticed a few more scattered over his carved abs. Some of them blended with the curves of his muscles. “Did he…cut you?”

“Burned me. It’s not as bad as it could have been,” he rushed out when she let out a little gasp. “Once I got big enough, I fought back and that was that. He never touched me again.”

Horrified for him, she wrapped her arms around him, wishing someone had been there to protect him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.”

He lifted a shoulder even as he tightened his hold on her. “I don’t talk about it. It’s in the past and he’s dead—not from me. Cirrhosis of the liver.”

“Well I’m still sorry.”

“I had a lot of good years with my mom.” He said it so matter-of-fact, but she knew that kind of loss would cut deep. Then he added, “Not enough, but they were good and I hold on to those memories.”

She wasn’t sure what it said about her, but she was glad his uncle was dead. And she hated that he’d experienced that kind of loss so young.

She kissed his bare chest before settling against him, savoring the quiet of it just being the two of them. But her curious nature eventually won out. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.” His voice was a deep, comforting rumble.

“Did you really mean what you said…about not being with anyone since meeting me?”

“Yep.” He lazily stroked his hand down her spine, cupped one butt cheek, squeezed. “I met you and that was it, Aileen.”

Oh. Ooooh. That wasn’t what she’d been expecting. Unsure how to respond, she kissed his chest, then continued kissing lower and lower until she realized he was ready to go again.

Smiling against the tip of his erection, she looked up at him, saw him watching her with a wild hunger right before he took over.

Moving faster than should have been possible, he had her flat on her back and his face between her legs again. And when he went down on her, it was with a hunger that matched her own. One that told her he was definitely as obsessed as she was.