Page 171 of Modern Romance January 2025 5-8

She was worried her feet might not be the freshest, but then she stopped caring as he massaged her calf, and then picked up the other foot. And as his fingers dug into her taut calf she found her toes creeping towards his erection.

His hands came to the hem of her dress and slid under it. She lifted her bottom from the stairs and he dealt with her stockings and knickers in one go.

‘Bed,’ he told her, and stood her up, as if he was ready to carry her if he must.

But then they were kissing again, all traces of sour cherry gone.

‘Dante...’

She wanted to explain how unlikely this was, how completely wonderful it was to be too desperate to get to his bed. She was at his belt, feeling him through fabric, and then pulling at his thin jumper. He pulled it over his head and she used her palms to feel his chest. She kissed his flat nipples as he undid her hair.

She liked the semi darkness, but she wanted light to see if his body was as completely magnificent as it felt beneath her hands, or when it was pressed against her. She was almost climbing up him, and he lifted the hem of her dress and gripped his hands onto her bare bottom.

‘Please...’ Susie said, nervous that this intense feeling might fade on the way to his bedroom, desperate not to lose the new freedom she’d found.

And when he lifted her up, she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Dante was not one for frantic sex in the entrance hall—or, really, frantic sex anywhere. He was always in control. But Susie was light and hot and coiled around him, and clearly they weren’t going to make it to bed.

And yet it wasn’t frantic...it was slow and delicious, but with a raw edge.

He held her thighs as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and then he lifted her and lowered her onto him. Her breathing was ragged, and she stared at him as he moved her a little, then moaned as he squeezed inside her.

Susie had never had sex standing, and yet she’d never felt further from falling, held in his arms as he moved inside her.

He was so strong, and he held her so securely, that she focussed on the sheer bliss of his thrusts.

Deep and slow.

He sucked her bottom lip and she looked at him with glinting eyes.

‘Keep looking at me. Keep looking,’ he told her.

And now their eyes were locked, and she felt hot and slick and on the edge of orgasm.

‘Dante...’

She wanted to look but her eyes were closing, her neck arching. He was still thrusting, and she felt herself moving, pushing against him, chasing something that had eluded her for ever.

She closed her eyes and just sank into bliss, too selfish to move, pleased that Dante was taking care of that. He was thrusting in and she caught another glimpse of that elusive thing. She clung tighter, and then his sudden shout had it captured. There was a zip of energy, low in her spine, and she let out a cry of delight as he released himself into her.

She felt tender even as it faded.

Still turned on as it ebbed away.

She looked at Dante and smiled. ‘I’ve never managed that before.’

He stared.

‘I’ve always...’ She stopped.

‘Faked it?’

She nodded.

‘Let’s go upstairs.’

CHAPTER FOUR