Chapter 37
A R I A N A
I gasped seeing as he tripped the paper apart.
“Why did you do that?” I snapped, my fear turning into anger. “Why did you tear them p>
Dante didn’t answer right away, he just let the two pieces of the divorce paper fall from his hands onto the expensive rug then he looked at me, his dark eyes intense.
“Cutting ties with your father,” he said, his voice low and firm, “does not change the fact that you are mine, our ties are not going to be cut off not now, not ever p>
I stared at him, my mouth hanging open, what is wrong with him? How could he say that?
“You don’t even know what you’re saying!” I cried out, my voice breaking the tears coming fast now. “I was just a business deal to you! A merger! That’s all! Now there is no business with my father! There is no deal! So you should let me go! Just leave me alone! I don’t need you or my father ruining my life more than you’ve already done… you know this marriage was a mistake—” I paused
I was sobbing now, all the pain and frustration pouring out. “You don’t want me! You never did! You just wanted what I represented! Now that it’s gone, you should be happy to be rid of me p>
Dante stepped closer his eyes tickling with disappointment and hurt.
“You think this was just business?” he asked, his voice quiet but strong. “You think I tore up those papers because of a deal p>
“Yes!” I shouted, wiping my tears angrily. “What else could it be… huh? I’m not stupid! I may have made the mistake once but I’m not willing to make it again” I snapped
He was right in front of me now, so close I could see the anger in his dark eyes.
“It was never just business for me, Ariana,” he said, his voice so soft it was almost a whisper. “Not from the beginning p>
I shook my head, refusing to believe him. “Lies! All lies you married me to hurt my father! To get back at him! To win p>
I’m not sure what I was saaying but I just kept talking determined to get a divorce. I didn’t want to be part of this, I was done for good.
“I married you,” Dante said, his hand coming up to gently cup my bruised cheek, “because I wanted you… only you p>
I tried to pull away, but he held me gently, his thumb stroking my skin.
“You are not a business deal,” he said, looking straight into my eyes. “You are my wife and I am not letting you go p>
The fight went out of me, I was so tired, confused and didn’t know what to believe anymore.
I just stood there, in the middle of his big office, crying while Dante stood in front of me and told me he wanted me.
And a tiny, scared part of my heart wanted to believe him.
“I am so tired, Dante,” I whispered, the tears still falling. “I am tired of all the fighting, the lies and pain… Please Just let me go. This marriage… it was a mistake from the beginning Just a huge, terrible mistake, I never wanted to marry you. Just a few days after my divorce with your cousin, my father forced me to marry you and now that I don’t have a father anymore, I p>
The moment the word “mistake” left my lips, Dante’s whole expression changed, his softness vanished, replaced by something dark and possessive.
In a blink of an eye, he pinned me against the wall his body hard against mine, his arms caging me in.
I gasped, my heart leaping into my throat.
“Do not,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous, “ever call us a mistake again p>
Fear and anger mixed inside me. “But it is! You know it is! We both know this is wrong! We p>
I didn’t get to finish.
Dante crushed his lips against mine.
It wasn’t a gentle kiss.
It was hard.
Demanding.
A kiss meant to silence me, to claim me, to show me who was in control.
I tried to push him away, my hands flat against his chest but who was I kidding? he was too strong.
The kiss was relentless, stealing my breath, my arguments, my very thoughts.
Slowly, my knees weakened, the anger melted away, replaced by something I couldn’t fathom. My hands, instead of pushing him away, fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer.
A small, broken sound escaped my throat.
Dante gentled the kiss, It became slower, deeper, more, It felt like it was no longer about shutting me up, It was about something else entirely, something that didn’t make sense to me anymore.
When he finally pulled away, we were both breathing heavily.
My lips felt swollen.
My whole body was trembling.
He rested his forehead against mine, his eyes closed.
“Not a mistake,” he whispered, his breath warm on my face. “Never a mistake p>
I had no words left, I don’t know what Dante Russo is doing to me, I shouldn’t be feeling the way I am, but something deep inside me that I couldn’t quiet point out agreed to his words and actions.
My arguments, my plans to leave, my certainty that this was wrong… it all vanished with that one kiss.
I was still scared.
I was still confused.
But I was his and in that moment, I felt like I didn’t want to be anywhere else.