Chapter 67: Chasing After Her
Dante’s POV
Damn it.
This woman was going to drive me insane.
I was not doing this. I was not running around my own estate like some schoolboy chasing a girl who’d clearly lost her mind. Yet here I was, half–running, half–cursing, because Gianna Giovanni had decided rules didn’t apply to her.
I yanked out my phone, irritation burning hotter than the sun. “Stand down,” I barked. “No one moves. No one touches her. Clear the east wing, Gianna and I are…” I ground my teeth. “Handling a private matter.”
The guard stammered, “Understood, sir.”
“Handling a private matter,” I muttered, sliding the phone away. “My ass.” 7
If any of them saw me now, they’d never let me live it down Their mafia king, Don Dante, reduced to playing tag with a troublemaker in sandals.
“Gianna!” My voice thundered across the garden. “Stop playing!”
Her laughter floated back, bright and reckless. “Oh, come on, Don Dante! What are you going to do, have your guards arrest me for running?”
I cursed under my breath. “Keep talking and I just might!”
She glanced over her shoulder, still running backward, that wicked grin curving her lips. “You’ll have to catch me first!”
That did it.
I broke into a run, really chasing this time. She squealed and darted faster, cutting between two oaks and into the old courtyard that was secluded.
She spun around the stone fountain, taunting me. “Come on, old man! Are you losing your touch?”
I could have grabbed her in a heartbeat, so easily, but I didn’t. For reasons I didn’t want to admit, I liked the chase. She made me feel… lighter, as if the world’s weight had eased off my shoulders for a minute.
I growled and picked up speed. “You’re asking for trouble, Gianna.”
“Maybe I am!” she shot back.
Her laughter rang out again, wild, and far too tempting. She raced down the narrow stone path toward the farthest edge of the estate, the one place that was off–limits even to the guards.
That part of the grounds held a hidden underground passage, a secret route built years ago for emergencies. It led beyond the estate walls, complete with a small bunker meant for hiding or escape if the gates were ever taken.
And yet somehow, Gianna Giovanni was running straight toward it.
For a split second, I wondered how she even knew it existed But then I brushed it off. No one could’ve told her. She was just that bold, reckless enough to test fate itself.
“Gianna,” I warned, closing the distance. “This little game ends now.”
She didn’t answer. Her footsteps carried her farther along the stones, fast, but not fast enough.
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Chapter 67 Chasing After Har
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Her voice drifted back, low and teasing. “What if I don’t want it to end?”
The trees closed in, their canopy thick enough to dim the light, an intentional design to keep this part of the estate hidden.
She paused, hands braced on her knees, still playing her little game of hide–and–seek.
“You’ve got five seconds to come out,” I warned, knowing what lay ahead. If Gianna realized the exit was right there, she’d take it, and I couldn’t let that happen.
I spotted her then, leaning against a tree, chest rising and falling, lips curved like sin. Wild. Defiant. Entirely too sure of herself.
“All that talk, and you still can’t keep up,” she taunted, her voice breathless but smug.
Adrenaline surged. I moved through the trees fast, silent. She tried to slip away again, but her energy was fading. I
I caught her before she could take another step, my arm sliding around her waist, pulling her back against me.
In one rough motion, I turned her and pressed her back against the tree. The impact drew a small “ouch” from her, but I didn’t care.
She was warm, trembling, breathless, and that grin was still there, infuriatingly beautiful.
We stood there breathing hard, bodies almost molding together. Sweat beaded on her forehead, glistening in the fading light. A strand of hair clung to her cheek as she brushed it away, her lips wet, her chest rising and falling quickly.
My eyes followed the trail of sweat along her neck, down to the soft curve of her breast, pushed higher from all that running.
She noticed my gaze and smirked. “Don… Dante De Luca,” she teased between breaths. “Seems like you do have stamina after all.”
My jaw tightened. She was enjoying this, still playing. And yet every word, every laugh, only fueled the fire inside
- me.
I wanted to grab her, to kiss her until she couldn’t laugh anymore. But no, she deserved a lesson, a reminder of who she was dealing with.
“Running off like that,” I growled, my voice low, rough with both fury and need. “Have you lost your damn mind? You could’ve been shot by one of my men. Is that what you want?”
She lifted her head, eyes glittering. “Maybe.”
I stared at her, disbelief twisting with anger. “You’re mad.
“You turned me into this,” she breathed out with a shrug, still smiling, still teasing.
I leaned in closer, my lips brushing against hers. She still thought this was a game. “You love testing me,” I hissed. “You do it for the thrill. Admit it.”
She bit her lip, pretending to think. “You’re right about that,” she said softly. “I love seeing that perfect composure of yours crack a little. You should see yourself right now, sweat dripping down, hair a mess. When was the last time you had a good run?”
I stared at her, every word pressing against the last thread of my restraint. She was reckless, teasing me like she didn’t realize how close she was to crossing a line.
My voice dropped to a low warning. “Keep that same grin,” I said, leaning close enough for her to feel the weight
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Chapost 67 Chaing After Her
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of my words. “You’ll need it when I decide how to deal with you.”
Her eyes flashed with unease. “Dante… we’re outside,” she whispered. “You can’t be serious.”
I straightened just enough to meet her gaze, a faint smirk playing at the corner of my mouth. “It’s my estate, Gianna. Every inch of it. You think I care where I teach you a lesson?”
Her mouth opened and closed, outrage flickering in her eyes. “You wouldn’t actually spank me out here. That’s beyond barbaric.”
I grinned at the fear behind her defiance. She definitely saw her punishments coming.
D
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
