Autumn's POVHis arm was tight around me, his body practically shielding mine, and when I looked up, his face was the coldest I had ever seen it.David’s smile didn’t falter, but his jaw twitched. “Cugino,” he said smoothly. “I was just having a little chat.”“Then maybe next time, keep your hands to yourself.”If they weren’t in tuxedos at a black-tie event surrounded by CEOs and mafia heads disguised as businessmen, I swear one of them would have thrown a punch already.David held up his hands in mock surrender. “Of course. My apologies.”Dante’s grip around me didn’t ease, but his voice dropped into a deathly quiet register. “Try it again, and we’ll have a different kind of conversation.”David chuckled, stepped back, and gave a mocking bow. “Noted.”Then he turned and melted into the crowd. I exhaled shakily and stepped away from Dante’s grip, adjusting my dress and brushing imaginary dirt off my wrist where David’s hand had been. “You know, you could have stepped in about ten sec
AUTUMN'S POVI felt out of place the moment I stepped into the building.Everything screamed money, power and influence. And from how the attendants were dressed, one could tell that only the powerful were in attendance.The men looked sharp dressed in tailored suits, and the women sparkled with all their makeup and accessories . There were no name tags, cheesy music or tacky photo booths. This wasn’t just a company event.Dante didn’t speak to me as he led me through the grand hall. His hand rested on my lower back like I was something he owned. I hated how my body reacted to it.The room quieted in subtle waves as we passed, eyes trailing after him. But then it seemed like they were trying to figure out who I was and why Dante De Vale had brought me here. I was wondering the same damn thing.Just as I was about to whisper something snarky to break the tension, Dante leaned down, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. His breath was warm, but his voice was as cold as ice.“Be careful,
DANTE'S POVIt was like an inferno lit beneath my skin. One kiss. One goddamn kiss and I was wrecked.Her skin had tasted like the temptation and trouble I knew better than to chase. And still, I wanted to chase.I wanted to press her down right there in the changing room, rip that sheer little scrap of lace from her hips, and fuck her until every last ounce of this maddening tension burned out of me.I stayed still. Breathing her in. Letting that kiss sear into my memory like a brand I would never be able to scrub off.She didn’t turn to look at me again, but I could see her reflection in the mirror. I saw the goosebumps on her skin. The way her body leaned forward and her back arched just a fraction, like she was barely holding herself up.It mirrored the chaos inside me.Step-sister or not, I needed to get her out of my fucking system.I realized just how deep this obsession went the night she caught me having sex. I had climaxed from having her watch me. The pleasure I had felt wh
AUTUMN'S POVThe ride to our destination was quiet and at some point it genuinely felt like he had forgotten that I existed.Boredom got the best of me and I reached for the center console and tapped the screen, scrolling through the playlist until something with a gentle beat filled the silence. A soft R & B song.Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his head shift. He glanced at me and returned to driving.Okay. No scolding? I wondered while still staring at him. I let my eyes wander, until they landed on his hands.God.Those hands gripped the steering wheel like I imagined they would grip my throat. Forcing himself inside me…Without thinking, I slapped myself. The sharp sound echoed in the car.Dante turned his head slightly, looking at me like I had grown two heads. “Did you just hit yourself?”“No,” I said too fast. “I mean…yes. But not… like that.”His expression didn’t change, but I swore there was the ghost of amusement in his eyes before he looked ahead again. “We’re here.”“
AUTUMN'S POVI hadn't been able to see his tattoo underneath all those clothes. It surprised me how frustrated I was.Maybe I was just curious to see what he would do after I left, butI didn’t go far and just hovered behind the hall wall near the living room, half-hidden in the shadows where one of the tall decorative plants sat. I heard his chair scrape back, and the soft tap of his shoes on the marble floor as he walked.“Yes. I’ll be there soon to finalize everything.”Finalize what everything?It sounded like he was talking about his actual legal work.My brows pinched. What the hell was he finalizing? My first thought was something sinister, because that’s just how Dante was.I tiptoed closer to the archway. From my vantage point, I saw him standing near the window, one hand in his pocket and his phone still pressed to his ear. He was dressed sharply today. He wore black slacks that hugged his hips comfortably, a crisp white shirt with the sleeves buttoned up, and a silver watch
AUTUMN'S POVOne step forward, three steps backwards. That was how the relationship between Dante and I was like.I think it's about time I gave up on whatever chances there were for a sibling relationship or whatever. I wanted to try, at least for my mum and for myself. But he wasn't interested. There was no way I would be caught throwing myself at him.As I neared my room, I noticed his bedroom door, open by a crack. It wasn’t like him to be careless. Except the one time I was able to sneak into his room and steal his towel. I would be returning that to him soon, and getting my panties from the creep.I paused at the entrance and peeped in to see if he was in. But I wished I had just minded my business and continued on my way.The first sound I heard was a soft gasp. Followed by a stifled moan. My stomach clenched and my fingers gripped my phone in my hands. This is when I should have turned away. But I didn’t.I moved closer as I leaned slightly to peek through the narrow opening.