Chapter 33
Chapter
Thirty-Three
MATTEO
D esire is flaring in her bright blue eyes.
All I can think about is those eyes looking up at me while she’s down on her knees with those plump lips wrapped around my cock, tears pooling in the corners of them as her spit mixed with my arousal drips down her chin because she just choked on me.
“Do you know what you want to eat?” I ask, changing the subject because if I don’t, I’m one more fantasy away from ruining these slacks. Aldo would never let me live it down.
“I was thinking about the fettucini.” Wren’s voice sounds raspy. Her poor cunt has to be dripping.
“Good choice,” I agree. After our appetizer is dropped off, I order our food, topping both of our glasses off and grabbing mine to toast. “Cheers to the start of us.”
“To the start of us.” Wren lightly clinks her glass against mine. I don’t miss the doubt swirling in the depths of her bright blue eyes. Actions speak louder than words with her. Wren needs to learn that I’m in this for the long haul and not for instant satisfaction.
Our food comes as Wren and I fall into easy conversation. I tell her about growing up in a huge family that never seems to leave you alone, but at the same time, you can’t imagine your life without them. It feels like second nature telling her things about me that I haven’t told anyone outside of the family. She asks about Gio and if he has always been the way that Gio is. Her laugh when I tell her yes is infectious. Of course, my psychotic brother has won her over.
She tells me about her childhood and how her dad left when she was around three years old, and she doesn’t really remember him. Her mom floated from guy to guy, making her move around a lot as a kid. She told me about how she left as soon as she graduated high school, working in random restaurants until she settled in Ravenna Heights, where she created her first real home for herself in that shithole apartment. She didn’t have any real friends until she met Delaney.
This is a whole new side of dating that is a first for me. I’ve never given the slightest fuck about where a woman came from or what her childhood was like. But with Wren, I find myself wanting to know every single little detail she can remember. I want to find her mom and make her life a living hell for treating Wren the way she did, but I want to thank her at the same time because what Wren went through is what brought her to me.
I’m happy that she’s found a person in life that she can rely on with no questions asked, but it pisses me off that it didn't happen until her adult life. Everyone needs someone through every stage of life that they can rely on. I don’t care if you’re two years old or retired.
“Have you ever tried to track your dad down?” I take a sip of wine, waiting for her reply. If she knows where he is, I’m going to have a very hard time not hunting him down and teaching him how to be a real man and not bailing on your fucking kid that needs you.
“Oh.” Wren laughs lightly, trying to not make this subject seem as heavy as it is, but I can see the sadness that briefly sweeps across her face every time she mentions him. “No, I haven’t tried. I figure if he really wanted me in his life, he would have made that happen, you know?” She shrugs. “I don’t want to make someone be in my life who doesn’t want to be in it.”
“And you’re okay with that?” I ask as I study her.
“Yes. I refuse to be someone's obligation. I made peace with it a long time ago, handsome.” She smiles softly at me. My gut clenches at her calling me something other than Matteo. I don’t think she realizes that it’s the first time she’s done that. “Hey,” Wren’s eyes are looking at something on the other side of the restaurant. “Is that Aldo?”
My eyes follow hers to see Aldo lurking in the corner like a fucking stalker. Real smooth, Aldo. “Yes,” I sigh.
“What’s he doing here?” Wren’s eyebrows shoot up before lowering her voice as if he can hear us. “Is he on a date?”
“No, baby.” I chuckle. “We own this restaurant.”
“We?”
“Aldo, Gio, and I.”
“Holy shit.” Wren claps her hand over her mouth. “Sorry,” she sheepishly says, glancing around to make sure no one heard her. “I feel like I keep finding new things out about you that I should have already known. So, I know what you are, but what exactly is it that you and your family do?”
“We dabble.” I signal for our check. If I have to watch her lips purse around her wine glass instead of my cock one more time, I’m going to bend her over this table.
“You dabble,” she echoes .
I hum in agreement, trying to contain my grin as her frustration grows.
“Oh, come on.” Wren huffs. “If we’re doing this, then you’re going to be one hundred percent honest with me. This isn’t going to be one-sided. I just laid out my baggage. I don’t expect you to tell me your deepest and darkest secrets immediately, but I’m not going to put up with lying and you evading an answer. I refuse to look like the naive housewife who turns a blind eye to everything going on around her.”
“Are you proposing to me, Wren? Because I accept.” I smirk, watching her mouth open and close because, for once, she doesn’t have anything smart to say.
“No!” Wren rolls her eyes, looking exasperated. “That was a figure of speech, not a proposal. Don’t flatter yourself.”
“You’re the one who was saying what kind of housewife they didn’t want to be. That sounds like a proposal to me.” It’s just way too much fun getting her worked up, knowing I’m going to fuck it out of her tonight.
“I swear to god, if you don’t answer me, I’m going to crash the Bentley you just replaced.”
Oh, I’d be mad. Mad she did something so fucking stupid that put her life in jeopardy.
“Okay,” I say, cutting right to it. “We own some businesses like this and the pizzeria. We also offer other services. I’ll always be honest with you when you ask, but just know that you’re not always going to like the answer. One thing I won’t budge on is if I feel like knowing something would put you in danger, I’m not telling you.”
“Because if I don’t know, I can’t be held responsible.” I can see it all clicking. “I guess I can live with that. But if I ever hear about you cheating on me, I’ll be the one cutting a dick off and shoving it up your ass.”
I burst out laughing. “I wouldn’t expect anything else coming from you, baby. You’re vengeful. I like it. You ready to get out of here?”
“Yeah, I’m ready to go home.”
And fuck, if that wasn’t another kick to the gut.
She called my place home.