Page 12 of Ivory Obsession
“Don’t worry, Dante. If I were as rich as you, I would absolutely be a snob.”
I bit my lower lip. “I doubt that.”
We stepped out of the elevator, and the penthouse door whooshed open silently. The noise of the city faded away. There was a different kind of silence here, thick with anticipation, and my skin tingled with it—Jade’s presence charging the air like electricity.
Here, in this silent sanctuary, I wasn’t the mob prince; I was just a man, drunk on the nearness of Jade—her floral perfume, the shallow rhythm of her breathing, the undeniable pull of her being.
“Can I offer you a drink?” I asked, voice low and steady, betraying none of my inner turmoil.
“Sure,” she replied, her tone laced with a curiosity that made my heart hammer against its cage.
I retrieved two crystal glasses and dropped in ice cubes, relishing the sharp clink that sliced through the thickening tension. As the golden whiskey flowed, so did my thoughts—guilt entwined with lust, obligation clashing with yearning. With every sip we took, the line between right and wrong, between duty and desire, blurred into nothingness.
Glasses in hand, I led Jade through the spacious living area. The cityscape sprawled through the expansive windows, a canvas of twinkling lights that promised a night of indulgence. The air was crisp, the kind of autumn night that sent shivers down your spine, and I felt a raw power thrumming through my veins—a power that softened as I looked at her.
Unable to resist any longer, I strode towards the sliding glass doors that led out to the balcony. The cool night air washed over us as I opened them, carrying the distant sounds of the city and the scent of rain on pavement.
We stepped outside, the city lights sparkling like scattered diamonds against the velvet darkness. The moon hung low in the sky, casting an ethereal glow over the scene.
“Like the view?” I asked, my voice betraying none of the heat coursing through me.
She turned, her gaze traveling from the skyline to settle on me. “Yes,” she said, a hint of playfulness in her tone.
That was all the invitation I needed. I put the drinks down. The air crackled with unspoken tension. I reached out, my thumb brushing lightly across her cheek. A shiver danced down her spine, and I knew I couldn’t wait any longer.
Cupping her face, I drew her closer. Our lips met in a hungry kiss, a clash of wills that ignited a firestorm within me. Her taste was intoxicating, a mix of sweetness and something wild. I deepened the kiss, exploring the depths of her mouth, my hands finding their way down her back I was hard, so fucking hard for her, and it seemed like my body knew before my mind that she was what I wanted.
Her lips parted, welcoming the invasion of my tongue, her moan vibrating against my mouth. The fire between us was instantaneous, consuming. I could handle heat—I had been baptized by the flames of my family’s world—but this was different. This passion held a purity that threatened to undo me.
“Can I take off your dress?” I asked, hands poised at her zipper, ready to unveil the secrets her body held. “I need to see all of you.”
She blinked, surprise flickering across her features before she nodded. “I didn’t expect this,” she admitted, her voice a whisper laced with excitement and something akin to fear—fear of the unknown, of the raw emotion we were about to explore.
“Neither did I,” I confessed, pulling the zipper down slowly, deliberately. I didn’t remove anything, letting it hang off her for now. “But you’re perfect as you are, Jade. I want you—every inch of you.”
“No, you don’t understand,” she said, a blush creeping up her neck. “I’m wearing like…shapewear.”
I laughed, my hands stilling and the sound of my laughter rumbling from deep within in my chest. “I don’t care about that. I want you. Not some illusion of perfection.” I pulled her close, my fingers tracing the curves she had tried to hide beneath the shapewear. The smooth fabric felt cool against my skin. “You are beautiful, Jade,” I whispered in her ear.
She pulled away slightly, her ice-blue eyes searching my face for any sign of insincerity. Finding none, she relaxed into my embrace once again, a soft sigh escaping her lips as I caressed her bare back.
“But I don’t have to take anything off if you don’t want me to.”
“I want you to,” she said softly.
With her permission granted, I peeled the fabric from her shoulders, revealing the warm skin beneath. My fingertips traced the length of her spine, every touch an unspoken promise, a secret shared without words. Jade shivered, but not from the cold; it was from the magnetic pull that drew us closer, binding us together in a way that went beyond physical attraction.
“Are you sure?” I murmured against her ear, as the last barrier to her nakedness fell to the ground.
“Yes, Dante,” she breathed, turning to face me, her eyes alight with a mixture of vulnerability and desire. “I’m sure.”
“Good. Because I want you,” I said. “Right here. On this balcony.”
Her eyes, wide and searching, met mine. “What about your bed? It’s right there, perfectly fine.”
“Fuck the bed,” I growled, the restraint I’d been clinging to disintegrating like smoke. “I can’t resist you, Jade. Can’t fight how crazy you make me feel. How heady and amazing you smell. I’m so hard I’m practically in pain.”
Her blush deepened, coloring her cheeks in the most intoxicating way. She hesitated for a moment, clearly weighing her options, but desire won out.