Surrender To Me

He takes my hand in his so casually and yet I feel like I’ve been jolted by an electric bolt when I feel his hand hold mine. He takes me to the tower as he promised, telling me everything about it, from its history and showing me the architecture inside. “You know a lot about this place,” I say after we exit the building. “If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought you googled all of this.” He turns away from me, as his face reddens. “Oh, my god,” you did a little googling didn’t you?”

“Guilty. But I wanted to impress you. Did it work?”

“It did. The Wikipedia rundown gave you away, however, you should have added a little flare to your facts.” I still can’t believe he wants to impress me, though. Try as I might not to think about it too much, I can’t ignore the warmth inside. I squeeze his hand. “Do you have more to show me,

Mr. Tour guide?”

“Let me check my phone.”

I laugh out loud and note that he doesn’t ‘check his phone’ as he says, but instead he takes me to a local gallery filled with beautiful renaissance art by artists I barely recognize but appreciate nonetheless. After that, he shows me around the town, showing me all the cute places and cool stores. Whenever I show interest in something, he goes out of his way to stop and inquire or explain more about it. At one point we enter a cafe and order some of the best latte I’ve ever tasted as well as delicious cannoli. This is the best time I’ve ever spent with someone and as we’re sitting in the cafe, I tell him. “Just in case I forget to tell you, thank you.”

His gaze focuses on my mouth and he leans over and brushes the top of my nose. “Cream,” he says I blush. He adds, “I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed this tourist-ridden city before, but somehow, whenever I’m with you, everyone disappears.” The more he keeps saying stuff like this, the more my resolve falters.

There’s not much to do after that and we head back to the villa soon after. I’m so exhausted from the trip that I sleep throughout the journey and I’m only woken by the car coming to a stop. It’s already dusk and Dante’s gaze is on me when I wake up.

“Don’t tell me you have something more planned for me tonight.”

His face, which was confident only a few seconds ago, clouds with worry. “Are you tired? I only had a small dinner planned. I can cancel it, if that’s what you want.” He seems so unsure it’s only right to put him out of his misery

immediately. “As long as now one else is invited.” His gaze brightens as he shakes his head.

“Great.” Dinner is a sumptuous affair with some of the Italian dishes I recognize, as well as others that I don’t. Dante had the chef prepare food for the both of us before he left and it was up to Dante, on his insistence, to serve me. After we’re done, Dante takes the wine bottle and two glasses and we drink slowly by the fire. We were sitting separately, but I don’t know how it happened exactly. But at a certain point during our lazy and tipsy conversation, I find myself sitting beside him with his arm around me.

“I wonder,” I say after staring at the fire for a while, “if you we would have been together if it weren’t for Jesse stealing your money.”

He shifts his weight, but doesn’t let go of his hold.

“Probably.”

I look up at him. “Probably?”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

He nods, facing down at me. “Corina, I’ve been obsessed with you ever since you first started working for me. I’m sure at some point I would have found the courage to do something about it.”

“Ever since I first worked for you? That can’t be true.”

“You were working on the main floor the first time I saw you and I was giving an investor a tour. It felt like I had been hit by a truck. I froze for what felt like hours and all thoughts except one flew out of my head. After that, I learned all that I could about you, all that was in your employee file, that is.

I immediately became obsessed.”

“What was it?”

“What was what?”

“The one thought?”

“Oh.” He takes hold of my chin and draws it to face him. “That I had to have you, no matter what.”

I couldn’t hold back the small ‘oh,’ that came out of me. All this time, he was aware of me while I was oblivious. Well, not completely, but I never thought he saw me even that far back. He strokes my chin and draws me closer to him. I close my eyes and anticipate his lips on mine. That blanket of magic he weaves around me whenever we kiss, but it never comes. I open my eyes. His gaze is on my lips. We are so close, just a slight movement and our lips would be touching. “Remember what I said.” His breath caresses my lips as speaks. I do remember. He wants me to kiss him first. I want to. Right now, at this moment, there’s nothing I want more. I close the tiny space between us and brush my tongue against his lips. He groans, but he remains still. He doesn’t take hold of me. I brush my lips against his, and pull his head closer to me as I drink him in. He responds by lifting me up and having me straddle his lap as we kiss in earnest. His hands feel reverent as they hold me, as if he’s afraid he’ll break me if he holds me tighter. It’s as if he’s holding back.

I break the kiss. “Make love to me.”

He groans and draws me in for another kiss. This time, he draws me down to the rug with him on top of me. His hands, while still reverent, are more urgent as he makes a quick work of my top, followed by my jeans and underwear. I help him divest off his clothes until we are both naked under the warm glow of the fire. He drops tiny kisses from the top of my forehead, down to my lips, past my throat, onto each nipple as he makes his way down to my pussy, where he licks and laps until I’m thrashing against his face. He lets me grip his hair as I come in one big wave, but he’s not done with me. He gets on his knees and draws himself up on top of me. My tingling pussy can feel the head of his hard cock nudging my opening. “Fuck,” he whispers as he sinks deep inside me. I draw his head down for a kiss as he begins to move. His tongue mimicking his cock as he takes me to another orgasm. Our bodies move together in one language that only the both of can understand but cannot explain. When that final orgasm hits, we both come together in unison as we cry each other’s names.

Dante cradles me in his arms in the aftermath, placing light kisses wherever his lips can reach in exhaustion. He’s saying something, but I can barely make out the words over the loud thumping of my heart. As his lips reach closer to my ear, I make out the mantra. I cannot believe what I’m hearing. I grab hold of his head and ask, “What did you say?”

“I love you, Corina. I love you more than I love myself. I’ve loved you ever since I met you. I love you and I don’t care if

you don’t. I will love you enough for both of us.” I chuckle. I can’t help myself. “I love you too.”

His eyes widen making me want to laugh even more. “You do? You aren’t just saying that?”

“Yes, I do! I love you more than you can imagine.”

He brings me in for another kiss that says all I need to know about how he feels. After what feels like both a long

and short time, he says, “Do you want to make it official?”

“What do you mean?”

He disentangles himself from me and goes to the pile of clothes. He comes back with one hand behind his back. Then he sits next to me and brings forward the other hand. In it is a black velvet box. He opens it. My breath catches. Inside is a diamond ring on a white gold band. “Corina,” he says as my heart hammers against my chest. “Will you marry me?”

A rush of tears come out of nowhere and flood my eyes. I blink them away as I try to speak, but I can’t, so I nod.

“You will?”

When I’m finally able to utter the words, I say, “Yes. Yes, I will.”

The End.