"Alina…" he breathed, his voice low and shaky in a way she had never heard before.
He touched the spot she had kissed, fingertips lingering as if he could still feel the warmth.
And Alina barely had time to breathe after kissing his cheek. Everything happened too quickly. One moment Dante was staring at her like she had just upended his entire existence, and the next his arms were already around her waist, lifting her effortlessly into his lap as though she weighed nothing at all. Her breath caught, her fingers curled against the firm fabric of his attire as she found herself pressed against his chest, small and warm and completely overwhelmed by the closeness of him.
His crimson eyes lowered to hers, gleaming like slow-burning embers, and for a moment she forgot how to speak.
