Forced To Be The Mafia King's Bride (by Oma Green) novel Chapter 203

Dante's POV

Gianna sat beside me, the passing lights sliding over her skin. The dress clung to her, black and silver, molded to every curve my hands already knew.

The neckline dipped low enough to make my blood pump faster. The slit along her thigh revealed smooth skin that I wanted to trace with my tongue.

She was beyond breathtaking.

And every man at this party would notice.

My fingers drummed against my thigh. The possessiveness clawing at my chest made it hard to breathe. I wanted to turn this car around, take her back to Cesare's estate, and keep her there where no one else could look at her.

"You're staring," she said softly, turning those dark eyes on me.

"I'm admiring what's mine."

A flush crept up her neck, spreading across her cheeks in that way that made me want to discover exactly how far that blush went.

She looked away, but I caught the small smile playing at her lips.

"Yours," she repeated, her voice teasing. "Is that what I am?"

"You know exactly what you are."

She turned back to me, one eyebrow raised. "Do I? Because from where I'm sitting, it seems like you spend an awful lot of time trying to convince yourself of that fact."

She was too clever for her own good.

"I don't need to convince myself of anything." I reached across the seat, my hand finding her knee through the slit in her dress. Her skin was warm beneath my palm. "I know what you are. The question is whether you're ready to accept it."

"Accept what, exactly?" Her voice dropped lower, more intimate. "That you're a possessive, controlling man who can't stand the thought of anyone else looking at me?"

"Among other things."

"What other things?" She leaned closer, her perfume wrapping around me, intoxicating. "You're being vague, husband."

The word husband on her lips sent heat straight through me.

"I'm being strategic," I corrected, my thumb stroking lazy circles on her thigh.

"You're being evasive." She placed her hand over mine, her fingers tracing the backs of my knuckles. "But I'll let you have your secrets, for now."

"Generous of you."

"I am generous." That playful smile widened. "Though I'm not sure you deserve it, the way you've been looking at me all evening, like you want to devour me."

"I do want to devour you."

She laughed, the sound light and genuine. "At least you're honest about that."

"I'm always honest with you, pretty doll."

"Are you?" The challenge in her voice made my grip tighten on her thigh. "Because it seems to me you're holding quite a lot back."

Before I could respond, the car stopped in front of the main entrance. Through the window, I spotted Vera and Cesare waiting near the fountain, dressed for the evening. Vera waved when she saw us.

Damn timing.

My driver opened the door. I stepped out first, then offered my hand to Gianna. She took it, her fingers warm against mine as she emerged from the car.

The dress shifted with her movement, the slit revealing more of her leg. The fabric clung to her hips and her waist, outlining everything I wanted to unwrap later.

I ground my back teeth together.

Cesare started walking toward us, Vera at his side.

"Go ahead," I called out to them, my voice carrying across the stone driveway. "We'll be right behind you."

Cesare raised an eyebrow but nodded. He placed his hand on the small of Vera's back, guiding her toward the entrance.

They disappeared through the small gates.

Gianna turned to follow them.

She pushed against my chest playfully, but I didn't budge. Her hands stayed there, palms flat against my shirt. "You're being ridiculous."

"I'm being honest." My fingers found the slit in her dress, my palm pressing against the bare skin of her thigh.

She gasped, her nails digging slightly into my chest. "I don't want another man's hands on you. Not after I had to watch some young boy put his hands on you in the pool."

"He barely…"

"He touched you." My grip tightened on her thigh, possessive. "And it took everything in me not to break his fingers right there in front of everyone."

"You're being dramatic. He was just…"

"I don't care what he was just doing." I cut her off, my other hand moving to her hip, pulling her flush against me. "Roberto says this is his son's birthday party. Which means the place is going to be full of young men who think they have a chance with a woman like you."

Her eyebrows shot up. "A woman like me?"

"Beautiful. Sexy. Mine." I emphasized the last word, my lips trailing down to her neck. "And clearly too tempting for their own good."

She laughed, the sound breathy and teasing. "Are you planning to threaten every man at this party?"

"If I have to." My mouth found the sensitive spot just below her ear, and I pressed an open-mouthed kiss there.

She melted against me, her head tilting to give me better access. "Though I'd prefer to just keep you locked away where no one else can see you."

"That's borderline psychotic."

"No." I kissed lower, along the column of her throat, tasting her skin and her perfume. "But it's what I want."

Her hands slid up to my shoulders, gripping tight. "Dante."

I could feel her body responding to me, the way she pressed closer, the way her breathing turned shallow.

My hand on her thigh started to slide higher, my fingers teasing the edge of her dress.

I wanted to part her thighs right here, right now, slip my hand beneath that fabric and feel how much she wanted me.