Verena Vincent - Holly's dream lover fantasy

Dante eyed the fuz z y pink shackles doubtfully. "And what are you planning to do with t h ose?"

"Well," she s aid, moving closer to him. "You helped me out a lot the other nig h t, and I thought I'd return the favor. You said you'd like that, remember?" She dangled the cuffs in front of his eyes for a mome n t and then took his closest hand in hers and lifted it until it was pressed aga i nst the headboard. Then she gently wrapped one ring around his powerf u l wrist and clicked it into place.

He grinned, watc h ing her with interest and not a little heat. "Umm… Holly? Where are you going to attach that? I don't have any bars."

Holly frowned in d i sappointment. His headboard was a monstrous slab of carved wood cover e d in dark blue suede. Not exactly ideal for the activities she had in mind. "It doesn't matter, we can just pretend. Just keep your hands here," she said, reaching across him, she pushed his othe r hand against the headboard. "And I'll do the rest. Okay?"

He nodded his asse n t with a lopsided grin and shook his hands like they were helplessly sh a ckled to the headboard.

Holly tried to rem a in appropriately serious, but it was a losing battle. He looked a b i t ridiculous with one fuzzy, pink cuff dangling from his thick wrist. Only he could simultaneously look both silly and absolutely sexy as hel l. There was something so erotic about seeing him powerless like this. Now that she had decided to embrace her sexuality she could admit that s he liked having him at her mercy. Even if it was under false preten c e s.

Unsure where to be g in, Holly touched his cheek, gently tracing the long scar along his cheekbone. "Does this hurt?" She asked.

"Not anymore."

She shook her head and leaned forward to press her lips against the wound. "Did you get this w hen you went after that man? The suspect?"

He closed his eyes for a moment. "You know about that then?"

She nodded.

He sighed. "I r ealize this makes me look like a violent asshole. But I want you to k n ow that I've never hit a woman. Would never do that. Ever. I' m not like that." His dark eyes burne d with intensity as he looked do wn at her.

Holly shook her he a d and traced one of his dark eyebrows with one thumb. "I know you’re not like that, Dante. I could tell from the gentle way you touched me the o ther night. I'm not worried about that at all."

"I actu ally got this from my idiot brother."

"Damien hit you? ” She cried, clearly appalled.

"Nope. Differe n t brother. And we hit each other. This was an accident."

"You boys play ro ugh."

He grinned. "Yo u have no idea. ” He waved one shackled hand at his face. “Am I hideous? With the scar, I mean. Not as studly as you imagined. "

Holly shook her head vehemently and studied his handsome face. Honestly, the scar took away some of the boyishness that still existed there in his visage and transformed him into something else. Something dark and dangerous. “You’re gorgeous. More handsome than I remembered.”

Dante rolled his eyes. “I really doubt that, but I’m glad you don’t think I’m a monster.”

Distracted by his b ody, Holly smoothed her hands along hi s massive shoulders and then ove r his powerful chest. He looked so strong. She really couldn't fa t hom how he managed not to crush her.

Slowly, she slid one hand down his body. She fluttered her fingertips along his ribs a n d tried to look innocent when he raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?" she s aid. "You don't like that?"

"I'm pretty su r e we agreed to no tickling."

"I have no idea w hat you mean. That was a completely separate fantasy. It has no bea r ing on what's happening here tonight. New fantasy. New rules."

"Is that what th i s is? A fantasy? Or is it something more?" He asked, removing his wrists from the headboard, he gently grabbed her hands where they were tormenting his ribs and pressed the m against his stomach to keep th em still.

"This is your fa n tasy," she said, looking up at him seriously. "And it can be w hatever you want."

"Holly, you do n 't have to do that. I mean, I love that you're here. And I re a lly love that you seem to be completely naked under that coat, but I n eed to know what's going on. I hate to sound like a chick, but wh a t does this all mean?" He gave her hands a little shake and the loo s e hand-cuff rattled against his hip.

"What do you thi n k it means?"

"I don't reall y know. You obviously went to a lot of trouble to track me down, and I have no idea how y ou figured out it was me. I even scrubbed m yself down with un scented products to keep my secret identity intact."

"That was pretty impressive. Though it did make me wonder if I'd just had sex with t h e creep from that night."

He went pale. "J eez. I didn't think of that. I was more concerned with you recogn i zing my scent."

"It's okay. T he thought crossed my mind, but it was pretty obvious that you weren ’t a rapist. You couldn't even go through with the rough sex part of my fantasy."

"Since you're h ere, I'm going to assume that you w eren't terribly disappointed.”

"Are you kidding? No, I wasn’t disappointed at all. I had no idea sex could be so good. Which is part of the rea s on I'm here. Because I want more of that. If you do, that is. ”

"Honey. Nothin g would make me happier than giving you all the sex you could possibly w a nt. But is that all you want? We can leave it at that if you want, but I'm hoping there's more. A lot more to this."

Holly looked down at their clasped hands and then stared deeply into his beautiful brown eyes. " I'm also here because you've been keeping me safe for months, sa c rificing your time and e nergy to fulfill a promise. I know I should be strong and independent and hate the fact that you feel you need to prot e ct me but it also makes me feel so grateful and secure, knowing you g i ve a damn about what happens to me. I just can't tell you how much it means to me that you c a re so much." She lifted his hands to her mouth and kissed the knuck l es, trying to ignore the pink handcuff.

"Holly, I don' t want you to be with me just because you feel grateful and horny. Ple a se tell me there's more."

"Hold on. I' m getting to that part. Be patient." She leaned back and gave him an a dmonishing look.

"Fine. I'll s hut up. But stop kissing my hands for a few seconds or I'm not goin g to be able to concentrate on what you're saying."

She lowered their h ands to his stomach again and couldn't help noticing how the sheet wa s tenting over his lap in a truly impressive manner. "I can see that you're a little distracted. Now I am too." She said, licking h er lips.

"What can I say? Guys are simple creatures. Be d + half-naked girl = massive hard on. You ha ve a very predictable effect on my anat omy.

"

"And for that I' m eternally grateful."

He groaned. "No more gratitu d e. Just tell me what you want. Please. I need to hear you say it. ”

She leaned forward and pressed a kiss just above his heart. "I want you. Not for one night or just a fantasy. I want everything. I don't know why, b u t I feel like there's more between us than just chemistry. I felt i t the night you rescued me and I felt it again when you tried to fulfill my fantasy. For me, what's between us is real and can't be deni ed. I really want to be with you and fi nd out if we can have an actual, normal, adult, long-term relationship. How about you?"

He drew her agains t his broad chest and kissed her passionately. When he pulled back they were both breathless. "There's really nothing I want more, but I hav e one more confession to make."

Holly traced his l i ps with her fingers. "Pleas e don't tell me that you're goin g to continue to work at Delta of Venus Inc."

He laughed. "No way. I'm definitely not cut out for that. That was a one-time on l y deal. Apparently I'm the second worst Scene Facilitator they've ever had."