19. Summer #2
Not knowing the proper social protocol in this situation, I elected to remain silent.
“How are those contracts coming along on the low-income housing development in Englewood?” the senator asked.
My ears perked up. Englewood was the neighborhood where my old apartment was located.
“Slowly,” Matteo replied. “If we could get a little help cutting through the red tape . . .”
“Say no more.” Senator Hawthorne waved a dismissive hand. “Send over the details, and first thing Monday morning, I’ll have my team take a look.”
“Wonderful.”
We bid him good luck, then kept moving. Under my breath, I asked, “Did I just witness some kind of secret handshake deal?”
His smile never faltered, his chin dipping in silent acknowledgment when meeting the eyes of several other men in attendance.
“Nothing more than a reciprocal arrangement where I scratch the senator’s back and, in exchange, he scratches ours.
Attaching his name to our project will help bolster his upcoming campaign.
Not to mention the financial donation he will receive from Bellini Real Estate.
In return, we can break ground this year instead of next. ”
In essence, they were in each other’s pockets. I suppose having powerful friends was necessary when you were running a partially illegal operation.
“Will your brother be joining us this evening?” A voice belonging to a middle-aged man halted our progress around the room.
If I hadn’t been watching carefully, I might not have noticed how Matteo’s jaw tightened the slightest fraction. It was enough to give away that he didn’t like whoever this guy was.
Though you’d never know it by the sound of his smooth reply. “I’m afraid not. He’s been called away on personal business.”
“I feel it’s my duty to inform you that there have been rumors circulating about his sudden disappearance.”
Matteo gave the impression of being bored, picking a non-existent piece of lint from his jacket sleeve. “Have there, now?”
“People are saying you killed him to take his position for yourself.”
My back went ramrod straight. One, this was the first mention I’d heard of Matteo having a brother. And two, I knew he was capable of murder—he’d admitted as much—but to kill his own blood? Maybe this was the reality check I needed to remind me that I barely knew him at all.
“Commissioner Logan,” Matteo began.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. How do I know that name?
Then it hit me. He was speaking to the motherfucking commissioner of the Chicago Police Department! I might not understand much about this world, but I sure knew that the cops were the “good guys” to the mafia’s “bad guys.”
“I can assure you that Gio is alive and well. In fact, there were several witnesses when he voluntarily transferred power to me in his absence.”
The top law enforcement officer in this city eyed him warily. “It’s quite unusual for someone in your line of business to take a sabbatical.”
“But not unheard of. Like I said before, it’s a personal matter.”
“Any idea when he might return?”
Matteo shook his head. “Not at this time. But I promise, when I know something, you’ll be the first to know.”
Commissioner Logan grunted before turning back to his cards.
“Are you trying to get yourself arrested?” I hissed once we were out of earshot.
He patted the hand I had threaded through the crook of his elbow.
“Don’t worry, dolcezza . I’ve been doing this long enough to have learned that you keep your friends close and your enemies even closer.
” An amused laugh filtered into the air between us.
“Or in this case, keep them so indebted to you that you own their life, and it would be suicide to cross you.”
“He owes you money?” I couldn’t keep the surprise out of my voice.
A wolfish grin curved on his lips. “Hell, he can’t even afford to be down here tonight. But he just can’t stay away, hitting up the house loan department and digging the hole deeper. Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking gambling addiction isn’t very, very real.”
Well, that was an interesting development I hadn’t seen coming.
“And you have an older brother?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
“Mmm. Gio, yes.”
“Where is he?”
Shaking his head, Matteo’s lifted his eyes to the ceiling. “Playing a vengeful game of hide and seek with his wife.”
“Okay . . .” I had no idea what that meant, but it didn’t sound good, so I decided to change the subject. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re planning in Englewood?”
“Caught that, did you?” The smile on his face grew so wide it reached his eyes. Fingers tangling with mine, he tugged me toward the edge of the room. “Let’s go up to my office, where we can talk about it in private.”
It was more of a command than a suggestion, so there was little choice but to obey.
Ascending a set of stairs, we reached a door that required the same biometric authentication from Matteo to open it.
Once we were sealed inside, I pulled my hand out of his grasp, walking toward the two massive walls of windows that converged to create one corner of the office. One side overlooked the casino floor, while the other provided a view of the smaller room where the poker tournament was being held.
Inhaling through my nose, I turned around to face the man who’d brought me here. “You wanted to talk, so start talking. How long have you had your eye on Englewood?”
Matteo shook his head. “Come on, Summer. I know you’re smart enough to figure that out.”
I’d had my suspicions, sure, but his words confirmed that I was the motivation behind his sudden interest in that specific neighborhood.
“Okay, let’s try again. Why?”
One hand lifted to run through his perfectly styled hair, but messing it up only made him look even more gorgeous. “Because I’ve seen pictures of your apartment, and it makes me sick to my fucking stomach every time I think about you living there.”
My cringe was automatic. I would be the first to admit that the place was no better than a slum.
When I remained silent, Matteo continued, “While it’s my intention that you’ll never set foot in that zip code again, let alone that building, I can’t help but think you weren’t the first hard-working young person to be trapped by their circumstances.
For you, it might’ve been crippling college debt and limited job opportunities that would allow you to put your degree to use.
For others, it may be that childcare costs outweigh their earnings from one job, so they have to take on a second job to scrape together enough money for rent, let alone food for their children.
Then there are those struggling under the burden of outrageously high medical bills while caring for a sick family member.
The list of social injustices is endless.
No one should have to live in squalor due to external factors beyond their control.
So with you as my inspiration, I’m doing what I can to provide clean, safe, heavily subsidized housing for those in need. ”
Note the time, because that was the exact minute I fell head-over-heels in love with Matteo Bellini.
Tears prickled at the back of my eyes, and my lower lip trembled. Voice weak, I said, “I’m still mad at you.”
He nodded, shoving both hands into his pants pockets as he stepped closer. “You should be.”
“But when you do shit like this, it makes it really hard to stay that way.”
With him standing only inches away, I could see the sincerity in his eyes when he replied, “I didn’t do any of this to earn your forgiveness. I did it because it was the right thing to do.”
The first tear rolled down my cheek. “Dammit, Matteo.”
His warm palms captured my face, and his thumbs wiped away the moisture. “Fuck, bella . It kills me to see you cry.”
I sniffled. “Then stop being so thoughtful and generous.”
“Don’t get things twisted up, Summer. A million good deeds won’t be enough to wipe the slate clean. I’m still a villain. It’s who I was born to be.”
I blinked furiously to clear my blurry vision.
“I won’t pretend to know who you are when you step into the underworld you seem to rule.
But I know who you are in here .” My hand pressed over his rapidly beating heart.
“The doting father, the philanthropist—” I pulled in a shaky breath before confessing, “The man I’ve fallen in love with. ”
Dark brown eyes widened.
“Say that again.” His voice took on a rough edge.
Swallowing thickly, I held his gaze as I declared, “I love you, Matteo.”
Fingers tangled in my hair, forcing my head back so that he could drop his lips to the side of my neck. “Now in Italian,” he murmured against my skin.
“I—” A gasp tore up my throat when he sucked on the sensitive spot behind my ear. “I don’t know how.”
“ Ti amo .” The beautiful words cast a warm glow over my soul.
“ Ti amo ,” I repeated, the foreign language sounding strange rolling off my tongue.
“ Ti amo.” This time, Matteo uttered the sentiment with reverence, and I knew he was telling me that he felt the same way, that my love was returned.
I arched into his hold, pressing our bodies flush. “I need you.”
“You have all of me, regina mia .” His hand found the slit in my dress and dipped inside.
A low growl vibrated through his chest when he found me bare beneath the fabric.
The grip on my hair grew painfully tight. “I know I spent a small fortune on matching lingerie with the express desire to rip it to shreds. You would deny me that pleasure?”
Hissing at the sting radiating through my scalp, I replied, “Didn’t want the next time I was photographed with you to have the headlines focused on documenting my visible panty lines.”
“Guess I deserved that,” he muttered.
“What about what I deserve?” I challenged.
Matteo reared back, eyes blazing. “Everything. You deserve everything, Summer. And I’m going to give it to you.”
I cocked an eyebrow, tapping my foot. “I’m waiting . . .”
His chuckle was so deep and husky that it made my toes curl. Then he spun me around so that my entire front was pressed against the glass wall, his hard body at my back.
Against my ear, he rasped, “Careful what you wish for.”
Lips trailed down my neck before teeth tugged on the thin strap of red silk at my shoulder. It fell down my arm, exposing one breast, and I let out a breathy moan when my nipple encountered the cool glass.
There was barely time to enjoy the hot drag of his lips on my skin before the rattling of a belt buckle reached my ears.
It would seem we were on the same wavelength—the one where we said fuck foreplay, too eager for the connection that came when we became one—because I was desperate to have him inside me. The slickness coating my inner thighs was proof of that.
My skirt was lifted over my ass, my feet kicked apart, and then Matteo was there, the blunt head of his cock notched at my entrance.
“Whose pussy is this?”
With one arm snaking back to cling to his neck, I let my head drop back against his shoulder. “Mine?”
I cried out when a sharp slap landed between my legs.
“Try again,” he snarled.
I wiggled my ass, trying to take more of him inside me.
Teeth bit into the flesh of my shoulder. “Say it.”
“Yours.” The whispered word was barely audible.
“Louder,” Matteo barked.
“Yours!”
He slammed home, stealing my breath away while simultaneously making me scream.
“That’s fucking right,” he growled. “Mine. All fucking mine.”
What started as slow, strong thrusts quickly picked up speed. Pinned between the window and Matteo, I couldn’t move, forced to take anything he was willing to dish out.
The onslaught was intense; each roll of his hips had his cock ramming my cervix, causing a burst of pain with the pleasure. I rose onto my tiptoes, trying to escape the overwhelming sensation, but his grip on my hips tightened, holding me steady and making it so there was nowhere to hide.
Grunted words broke through my hazy hearing. “Take it. Every. Fucking. Inch.”
A sob broke free from my chest. The pressure coiled tighter in my belly, a fist of pleasure squeezing with an unrelenting force so powerful it felt like I might implode.
I was so close. The sparks of my orgasm were about to catch fire. I held my breath in anticipation of the fireworks set to rocket through my body, the lack of oxygen only heightening the bliss streaking through my bloodstream like lightning.
Knock knock knock.
Everything stopped dead. Me. Matteo. Hell, even the turning of the Earth.
Knock knock knock.
Then, “Matteo! I know you’re in there! We need to talk!”
“Fuck.” The curse was uttered low as he slipped from inside me and pulled my dress back into place.
Throbbing with denial, I stumbled on my heels when I turned around. “What? Who?” My lust-soaked brain was misfiring, the interruption taking a moment to process.
Matteo didn’t spare me a glance as he tucked his shirt into his pants and fastened his belt. “My uncle.” He didn’t offer more before pulling out his phone and bringing it to his ear. “I need you to come get Miss Reynolds.”
Pocketing his cell, he spoke to me. “Rico will take you downstairs. I’ll come find you when I’m done.”
His tone brooked no argument, so I didn’t bother to try.
A knock with a different cadence came from the opposite direction of the door. Matteo crossed the room, pressing a button at the side of a built-in bookshelf before it swung open to reveal a passageway.
“More spy shit,” I muttered.
“Safety precautions,” Matteo corrected.
I poked his chest with a finger as I walked past him. “You owe me.”
He caught my wrist, bringing my hand to his mouth as he dusted the knuckles with a kiss.
“I’ll make it up to you, I swear.” When I shot him a doubtful look, he used his hold to haul me close enough so that he could speak low in my ear.
“Tonight, when we get home, you’re in charge.
I’ll submit to your every command in the bedroom. How does that sound?”
Well, that was an interesting turn of events, but I made sure to lean into it, purring, “Oh, Mr. Bellini. I can’t wait to make you beg.”