Page 70 of The Rival's Obsession
Slow.
Intentional.
He drags my hand from his thigh and moves it lower.
Lower.
Until I feel him.
The hard, unmistakable line of his cock beneath the hospital gown.
“Proprio come prima,”?* Dante murmurs, voice low as sin. “So hard for you.”
He presses my palm to it. Holds it there.
The air vanishes from my lungs.
Heat explodes in my face. In my chest. Down my spine. My hand under the blanket is still resting high on his thigh, dangerously close, unmoving now—but not pulling away.
I’m frozen. But I feel everything.
The pounding of my heart. The sweat at the base of my neck. The low buzz under my skin that tells me I should leave. But fuck if I can.
Dante’s eyes haven’t left mine. Not once.
He looks like he’s daring me.
Daring me to say I don’t want this. Daring me to pretend like we haven’t been circling this for years. Like this isn’t exactly what we both thought about more nights than we’ll ever admit.
My mouth opens, but no words come out. Just breath.
Shallow. Hitched. Desperate.
My fingers twitch beneath the blanket. A reflex. My body betraying the denial on the tip of my tongue.
“Lo vuoi ancora. Anche se menti.”?*
The smallest smirk lifts the corner of his mouth as he presses my hand harder, his hips raising.
And that’s when I snap.
I tear both hands away—fast and clumsy—like I’ve been burned. My heart’s in my throat, my skin on fire. I step back so quickly I almost trip over the damn IV pole.
The door opens behind me.
A nurse walks in, clipboard in hand. “Alright, Mr. Marchesi, looks like you’ll live.” She looks up, noticing me mid-breakdown.
“F-Frankie’ll send a car,” I blurt. My voice sounds like someone else’s. “To get you home.”
Dante reclines back into the bed like a king who’s just won the fucking war. That smug, lazy smirk blooming again. His eyes never leave me as he puts his hands behind his head.
“I’ll follow up with the c-client,” I add, backing toward the door. “Smooth it over.”
I don’t wait for a response.
I just get the hell out of the room.
Because if I stay a second longer, I won’t be able to pretend I’m still in control.
