Page 43 of Iron Heart
Tori
When my phone rings on my nightstand a little after ten-thirty p.m., I know instinctively who it must be. My stomach drops a little as I lean over to reach for the phone.
“Don’t answer it,” Dante groans as I detach myself from his arms.
“It’s Savannah,” I explain. “If I don’t answer, she’ll think I’m dead and keep calling until I pick up. And if I don’t, she’ll come over to check on me.”
Too late, I realize I’ve told him too much.
“Why would she think you’re dead?” he frowns, propping himself up in bed on one elbow. “That’s fuckin’ weird.”
Thankfully, I save myself from having to invent an excuse by pressing the ‘answer’ button. “Hey, Vannah,” I say, holding a finger in front of my lips to shush Dante.
“Hey, girl!” she calls out over some background noise that’s muffling her voice. “You all good?”
“Yeah. Good here. Where are you? Sounds like a party?”
“Kind of. Remember Jeremy’s friend David? He’s moving to Florida, so we’re doing a going away dinner for him at Parkside Tavern.”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Anyway, Jer is gonna have some of them back to his place afterwards. They’ll probably be up late, and I have to work tomorrow, so I was planning on coming back home to spend the night. That cool with you?”
I sit up in bed, a jolt of adrenaline spiking through me. “Uh… I’m uh… sure!”
Next to me, Dante cocks a brow. I look away.
“Are you sure, Tor?” Savannah asks. “You don’t sound sure.”
“Savannah, you live here. Of course you can come back and spend the night in your own bedroom in your own bed, for God’s sakes!” I sound high-pitched and squeaky, trying too hard.
“I mean, if you’resuresure…” she trails off, uncertain.
“Of course!” I repeat quickly. “I probably just sound weird because I was sleeping. I’ll probably been in bed when you get home, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay,” she murmurs. “‘Night, Tor.”
“Night,” I say back, relieved.
I end the call and then turn to see Dante staring at me. I can’t quite read his expression.
“You want me to leave?” he asks.
“No, of course not,” I say automatically, heat rising to my cheeks.
“Yeah, you do.” He lifts himself up into a sitting position, muscles flexing in his forearms and chest. I open my mouth to protest, but then close it again. Because Idon’twant him to leave. Not at all, actually. But…
“Dante,” I blurt out. “It’s not… It’s just…”
He stands. His back is to me as he draws himself to his full height. God, he’s gorgeous. I can barely believe how gorgeous. The raw, feral physicality of him when he moves takes my breath away. I’ve always had a hard time not sort of staring at him, since the first day we met. But now, seeing the full, lean, muscled reality of his naked body? Feeling his strength and power when he moves against me? I think I’ll remember every single detail of him until I’m in my grave.
I don’t want him to leave, at all. My skin already aches for the feel of him. My body is already lonely for the weight of him in my bed.
“It’s only…” I murmur, feeling unsettled, and a little ridiculous. “You don’t think it would be a little embarrassing to have my roommate discover my electrician in my bed?”
“Why?” He bends to scoop his jeans from the floor, then turns to look at me.Good God, that chest. Those thighs. That…cock!“Does she think electricians don’t fuck?” He pauses. “Or does she thinkyoudon’t?”
“It’s not that,” I protest.