The touch of glass

ChapterFive

The heavy armored interceptor roared through the narrow mountain pass, its dark matte finish swallowing the moonlight. Snow whipped against the reinforced windshield, but inside the cabin, the air was warm and suffocatingly quiet.

Dante drove with one hand on the wheel, his leather-wrapped left hand resting flat on his thigh, his jaw locked tight. Beside him, Aria watched the winding mountain road vanish into the dark behind them.

By the time the high, jagged peaks of the Pyrenees smoothed into the low, pine-scented hills of northern Spain, the sun was just beginning to bleed a pale, bruised purple over the horizon.

Dante turned off the highway, navigating a series of unpaved, private roads that wound down toward the cliffside overlooking the roaring Cantabrian Sea. Nestled directly into the rock face sat a low, brutalist cabin built of dark wood and weathered stone.

He cut the engine. The sudden silence was heavy, filled only by the distant, rhythmic crash of waves against the rocks below. Is this yours?Aria asked softly, her voice raspy from exhaustion.

No one knows about this place, Dante said, his voice quiet. Not Apex. Not the financial boards. Not even Marcus.

He stepped out into the cold morning air, walking around to open her door. Before she could set her feet on the damp gravel, Dante lifted her out of the seat. Aria didn't argue. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her forehead against the curve of his throat as he carried her up the stone steps and inside.

The interior of the cabin was dark, rustic, and cold. Dante set her down on a deep leather sofa near a cold woodstove, immediately kneeling to light a fire.

Aria watched his broad shoulders flex beneath his dark shirt as he worked the flint. The fire caught quickly, casting long, golden shadows across his hard features. You haven't rested in two days, Dante, she said, leaning forward.

Dante didn't look up. I don't need rest.You're human, she insisted softly, reaching out to lay her hand over his shoulder.

He went rigid at her touch. Slowly, he turned his head to look at her. The exhaustion in his pale eyes was raw, stripped clean of the arrogant, untouchable billionaire persona he presented to the world.

I used to think I was, Dante said raspy. He shifted, sitting back on his heels directly between her knees. He looked down at his left hand the one wrapped tightly in dark leather.

Aria’s gaze followed his. You never told me what happened to your hand.Dante went still for a long moment. Then, with slow, deliberate movements, his right hand reached up and unbuckled the leather strap at his wrist. He unwrapped the dark material, letting it drop to the floor between them.

Aria’s breath caught. Severe, jagged silver scars crisscrossed his palm and knuckles, the skin pale and tight over old fractures.

Ten years ago, Marcus and I were trapped in a collapsed shipping vault in Marseille,Dante said quietly, his voice devoid of emotion. A support beam caved in. I held the iron frame up with this hand for twenty minutes while Marcus crawled out to get help."

Aria looked from the scars to his eyes. And he came back for you. He came back with a rescue crew, Dante corrected softly. I thought he was a brother. I gave him half my empire because I believed he would die for me, just like I almost died for him. A bitter, dark smile touched his lips. And last night, he sold you to Apex for a board seat and a wire transfer.

Aria felt a wave of painful sympathy chest tight. She leaned down, bringing both of her hands

He took your trust, Dante, she whispered, her eyes searching his. Don't let him take your humanity too.

Dante looked up at her, his expression darkening into something fierce, primal, and deeply possessive. He reached out, his scarred left hand closing gently over her hip, pulling her forward until she slid off the couch and onto the floor right in front of him.

It's too late for that, Aria,he growled softly, his right hand rising to tangle in her hair, tilting her face up toward his. My humanity died the night I met you in Zurich.

Aria’s pulse spiked. "What do you mean?"

I built my entire life on control, Dante confessed, his thumb tracing her lower lip as his pale eyes searched hers with terrifying intensity. I bought ports, I manipulated markets, I stayed away from people because people are weak. And then I saw your face on that target list. I saw a brilliant, brave woman who was about to be murdered by monsters, and every rule I ever lived by shattered.

He leaned in, his forehead resting against hers, his breath hot against her mouth.

I didn't bring you into my world to use your mind, Aria, he rasped, his scarred hand pressing into the small of her back, pulling her flush against his chest. I brought you here because from the second I held you in the smoke of that Zurich lab, I realized I would burn the entire world down before I let anyone hurt you.

Tears pricked Aria’s eyes, but she smiled through them. She didn't pull away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her fingers in his dark hair.

Then stop fighting me, Dante, she whispered against his lips. Stop protecting me like I'm a fragile piece of glass. Let me stand beside you.Dante let out a low, ragged sound a surrender that echoed deep in his chest.

He pulled her into a deep, desperate kiss, his mouth taking hers with a possessive hunger that made her mind go blank. Aria opened to him completely, her heart pounding against her ribs as she pulled him closer, letting the heat of the crackling fire and the intensity of his touch erase every shadow of the night behind them.