Forced To Be The Mafia King's Bride (by Oma Green) novel Chapter 183

Gianna's POV

I twisted my arm behind my back, fingers fumbling with the zipper of the black silk dress. It had looked so elegant inside my box, but now I was beginning to regret the choice.

The zipper was stuck halfway up my back, and no matter how I contorted myself, I couldn't get it to budge.

"Damn it," I muttered, tugging harder.

"Need help?"

I jumped, my heart leaping into my throat. I hadn't heard him enter the bathroom.

Dante stood in the doorway, already dressed in a dark suit that made him look every bit the dangerous man I'd married. His eyes met mine in the mirror, and the intensity in his gaze made my breath catch.

"I..." My voice came out smaller than I intended. "The zipper's stuck."

He moved toward me, and I felt the shift in the air. I felt him before he even touched me. My body went taut, hyperaware of every step he took, every breath he drew.

"May I?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice. My eyes slipped closed as his fingers found the zipper, warm against my bare skin.

A shiver ran down my spine, involuntary. I couldn't stop it, couldn't hide it. His hands stilled for just a fraction of a second, and I knew he'd felt it. I knew he understood exactly what his touch did to me.

Heat flooded my cheeks and my neck, spreading down to where his fingers still rested against my skin.

Then he drew the zipper up. His knuckles brushed against each vertebra as the fabric closed over my back, and I had to bite my lip to keep from making a sound.

I gripped the edge of the vanity, my knuckles white, trying to steady myself against the flood of sensation coursing through me.

When he reached the top, his hands settled on my shoulders. The touch was light, barely there, but enough to make my stomach flip. Enough to make me want to lean back into him.

"There."

His voice was rougher than before, darker. I opened my eyes to find him watching me in the mirror.

"Thank you," I whispered, turning to face him.

The bathroom suddenly felt too small. He was so close I could see the faint shadow of stubble along his jaw and smell the hint of his cologne.

I reached up, needing something to do with my hands, and straightened his tie.

My fingers trembled slightly as I adjusted the silk and smoothed down his collar.

"There," I said softly, echoing his word. My voice came out breathier than I intended. "Perfect."

His hand came up to catch mine, holding it against his chest. I felt his heartbeat, strong and fast and racing just like mine.

His thumb stroked across my knuckles once, then twice. The gesture felt far too intimate, even though there was an obvious distance between us.

Then he released me and stepped back, breaking whatever spell had woven itself around us.

He cleared his throat, his expression shifting back to that careful mask.

"I know we're running late," he began, his tone becoming more businesslike. "But there are ground rules we need to establish before we go down."

"Ground rules?" I moved past him into the bedroom, putting distance between us before I did something foolish. Before I closed that gap and found out if his lips were as warm as his hands.

"For dinner." He followed, and I felt his gaze on me as I grabbed my phone from the dresser. "My uncle will be watching us closely. Everything. How we interact, how we speak to each other, whether we touch."

"Okay..." I turned to face him, uncertain where this was going.

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