Page 24 of Ivory Obsession
“Black coffee for me,” Dante told the waitress, never taking his eyes off me. I fidgeted under his gaze, acutely aware of every word that left my lips. My coffee arrived, and I wrapped my hands around the cup, grateful for something to hold onto.
“Thanks for joining me,” he said, and I wondered if he heard the pounding of my heart over the clinking of cups and murmured conversations surrounding us. It was just coffee, but with Dante Moretti, nothing was ever just anything.
“Yeah, of course. What were we going to do? Sit in different booths and pretend we didn’t know each other?”
He wrinkled his nose. “Like roleplay? Sounds hot.”
“Do you ever take anything seriously?” I asked, sounding more harsh than I intended.
“Yes,” he said, looking into my eyes. “Plenty of things. Busy day at the lab?”
“Always,” I answered, sipping my coffee, careful to reveal little. “We’re pushing for some major breakthroughs.” My guard was up; there were things about BioHQ that needed to remain unsaid, especially to someone like Dante Moretti. When he had sold me on working together, I had fully believed him. But now that Ellie had warned me off him, I simply couldn’t be sure if his intentions were pure.
“Been avoiding me, Jade?” His tone was light, but his eyes searched mine for something more.
“Slammed at work,” I said quickly, too quickly maybe, “and I’m sorry about missing that meeting with the lawyer. We’ll get to it eventually.”
“Sure, when the madness at BioHQ settles down.” He shrugged, seemingly unfazed.
“Exactly.” I forced a smile, yet my chest tightened.
Dante leaned forward then, his elbows on the table, and his voice dropped to a near-whisper. “It is a nice surprise to run into you like this,” he said, and his smile had a way of reaching his eyes that made it difficult to look away.
My heart did a quick dance before I regained control. “You seem to say that every time we meet,” I shot back with as much playfulness as I could muster, keeping the conversation buoyant, even though my stomach was in knots.
“It is always nice to see you, yes,” he said. “And I do mean it every time.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but suddenly, his hand brushed against mine on the table. It was a fleeting touch, probably unintentional, but it sent a jolt through me. My skin tingled where he made contact, and I felt that dangerous warmth creeping up my neck. Instinctively, I pulled back, folding my arms in front of me as if they could shield me from the electricity between us.
“Sorry,” he said, though his eyes held a glint that suggested the contact wasn’t entirely accidental. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s fine,” I managed to say, putting a little distance between us. I couldn’t afford distractions, not when my work demanded all of me. Not when he was a Moretti.
He tilted his head, observing me with consideration. Then, shifting gears, he said, “Your ambition is something I truly admire.” His voice carried sincerity, and his gaze held respect. “You’re dedicated to your work, much like I am to my business. Not many can match that level of commitment.”
“Thank you,” I responded, genuinely surprised by the compliment. This…wasn’t the kind of compliment I was expecting from him.
“Of course,” he agreed, nodding. “It’s the drive that keeps us moving forward. And I see that drive in you, Jade. So if you need to focus on this, then you need to focus on it. But I want you to know, I’m here and waiting.”
“Why?” I heard myself ask.
“What do you mean why? You’re fucking incredible.”
I looked at him then, really looked, and saw something beyond the suave businessman and rumored underworld ties—a reflection of determination akin to my own. It was disarming, and for a moment, I allowed myself to simply appreciate the connection beyond the compliment.
“Drive can take us to places we never imagined,” I said quietly, more to myself than to him. But it was true; whether in science or in whatever murky waters Dante navigated, we were both propelled by forces that wouldn’t let us rest.
The espresso machine hissed in the background, a stark reminder of the ordinary world bustling around us as I navigated these extraordinary moments with Dante. He was all but an enigma—a man whose life was embroidered with threads of danger and power, threads that could unravel at any moment.
But fuck it. He was already here. There was nothing wrong with just talking to him. I just needed to make sure not to jump into bed with him again.
“Your childhood must’ve been something else,” I said, attempting to steer us back to safer waters. “Growing up in Little Italy, I mean.”
Dante’s eyes lit up with the mention. “It was...colorful, you could say. Full of life, full of characters.” His lips curled into a half-smile as he leaned back in his chair. “You know, there was this bakery just around the corner from where we lived—best cannolis in the city. My old man used to take my brother and me there every Sunday after mass.”
“You went to church?”
“Yes, every Sunday,” he replied. “We learned early on that we’d be beaten if we didn’t.”