More Than a Deal

Sienna couldn’t stop touching the necklace.

As she stood in front of the mirror in Dante’s bedroom, her fingers kept brushing over the delicate chain, the cool metal a stark contrast to the warmth blooming in her chest.

This wasn’t just a piece of jewelry.

It was a promise.

Dante had told her, in the way only he could, that he was all in.

She turned as she heard the door open behind her. Dante leaned against the frame, arms crossed, watching her with that knowing smirk. “Do you like it?”

Sienna rolled her eyes, but her lips curled into a smile. “You already know the answer.”

Dante pushed off the door and crossed the room, coming to stand behind her. His hands rested on her hips, his warmth pressing against her back. “Say it anyway.”

She tilted her head back against his chest, looking at him through the mirror. “I love it.”

Dante hummed, his fingers tracing slow, lazy patterns against her waist. “Good.”

For a moment, they stood there in silence, just existing in each other’s space.

Then Sienna sighed. “So… where are you taking me tonight?”

Dante smirked. “Impatient?”

“I just like knowing what I’m walking into,” she said, giving him a pointed look.

Dante chuckled. “It’s nothing dangerous, dolcezza. Just a real date.”

Sienna blinked.

A real date?

Dante must have seen the surprise in her eyes because he smirked, leaning down to press a kiss to her shoulder. “You wanted normal, didn’t you?”

Warmth spread through her chest.

She had expected Dante to resist—to remind her that his world wasn’t built for romance or normalcy.

But instead, he was trying.

For her.

She turned in his arms, looking up at him. “I really do love you, you know that?”

Dante’s smirk softened. He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch lingering. “I know.”

Sienna smiled. “And you love me too.”

Dante’s lips twitched. “That so?”

She nodded. “Mhmm.”

He leaned down, lips grazing hers. “Maybe.”

Sienna rolled her eyes but pulled him in for a kiss anyway.

That Evening

Sienna had expected Dante to take her to a secluded, candlelit restaurant with expensive wine and gourmet dishes.

She hadn’t expected this.

A quiet little restaurant tucked away from the busy streets, where the warm glow of string lights made everything feel intimate.

Dante had taken off his suit jacket, rolling up his sleeves, looking more relaxed than she had ever seen him in public.

“You really went all out,” she teased as they sat down.

Dante smirked. “I figured we could use one night without looking over our shoulders.”

Sienna softened.

She knew how much that meant coming from him.

“So, tell me something about you that I don’t know,” she said, resting her chin on her hand.

Dante raised a brow. “You already know too much.”

Sienna smirked. “Humor me.”

Dante thought for a moment, then leaned in. “When I was younger, I wanted to be a pilot.”

Sienna blinked. “Seriously?”

Dante nodded. “My father shut that idea down fast. Said I belonged on the ground, running the family business.”

Something in his voice made her heart ache.

“What about now?” she asked softly.

Dante tilted his head. “What about now?”

“If you weren’t doing… this,” she gestured vaguely, “what would you want to be?”

Dante looked at her for a long moment, then reached across the table, his fingers brushing hers.

“This.”

Sienna frowned. “This?”

He squeezed her hand gently. “Here. With you.”

Her breath caught.

Because she knew, deep down, that this wasn’t just a date.

It was a choice.

Dante Romano had built his life around control, power, and ruthless efficiency.

And yet, here he was—choosing her.

Sienna smiled, squeezing his hand back. “Then I guess you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.”

Dante’s gaze darkened, but there was something tender beneath it.

And as the night went on, Sienna realized something.

They weren’t just surviving together anymore.

They were building something.

Something real.

Something that neither of them had ever had before.