Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Connor
The bright sunlight streaming in the windows made me wince, but for the first time in a while, I woke without my brain feeling foggy.
It still took me a minute to remember I was in Matteo’s bed—I’d finally learned his name—and not in the back of Uncle Jasper’s trailer or on the mat in Ralphie’s apartment.
My body still hurt, but it wasn’t the all-consuming pain I’d felt over the last little while, and I finally felt strong enough to lift myself to a sitting position.
“Whoa, whoa, pup, what are you doing?” Matteo asked from the doorway.
He was dressed casually in jeans and a pullover, but it was enough for me to take notice. His broad shoulders and barrel chest with a thick pelt of black hair visible in the V of his sweater caught my eye.
Jesus, Connor, what the fuck are you doing?
It was hard to concentrate on his words. Uncle Jasper would say this was why I got myself into trouble. I got distracted. He was probably right about that part.
“I’m sorry. I zoned out. What did you say, sir?”
“First off, call me Matteo. Second, I brought you something to eat.”
Matteo waited until I sat up against the headboard and then settled the tray across my lap. The delicate china set held toast and broth, while the crystal glass was filled with plain water.
I tried to hide my grimace, but Matteo’s soft chuckle told me I hadn’t done it well enough. “I know it’s not very appetizing, but your stomach rebelled against anything heavier. If you handle this okay, I’ll ask Michel if you can have something more substantial.”
“Who’s Michel?”
“The doctor who’s been treating you. He’ll be by later this morning to check on you.”
“How long have I been here?” I hated the way my voice shook.
This bed with sheets that didn’t scratch was the most comfortable thing I’d ever slept on in my life.
It was amazing, but I knew it wasn’t mine.
I didn’t belong here, and I struggled to understand how it had happened.
I remembered entering Matteo’s office, but almost everything after that was a blur.
The only distinct thing I remembered was every time I’d woken up, Matteo had been there, but I didn’t understand why.
I knew my place, and it wasn’t in this bed.
“How long have I been here?”
“About four days. Michel said the best way for your body to heal was to make you as comfortable as possible while your body worked on healing itself. “
“Four days? I’ve been sleeping for four days?
” My attempts at calm vanished. I couldn’t imagine what the punishment for four days of laziness would be.
What if he was like Ralphie? The kind of guy who would help you get better so he could have the pleasure of tying you down again.
Panic rose in me. And a doctor who came to the house?
How would I ever afford to pay that bill?
“Hey, whatever you’re thinking, stop. The only thing you should worry about now is getting better. When you’re up to it, I’ve got some questions for you.”
“I’d rather answer them now. I’m fine. I can get up and get to work.”
Matteo’s eyes narrowed, and I shrank back into the pillows that propped me up on the bed.
“You are not getting out of this bed to work. You’re allowed to get up for a shower, though I’d prefer you take a bath for safety’s sake, and use the bathroom. That’s it.”
“Allowed?”
“Connor, this is my home. There are certain rules I expect people to follow when they are under my roof.”
I knew I had lost my damn mind when my insides melted at his words.
I should have been scared, but I felt safe instead.
It sounded like an order, except it felt more like an invitation to be cared about.
That was the surest sign I was still asleep and not actually having this conversation.
Ralphie had made it clear his word was law, and I’d been terrified ninety-nine percent of the time with him.
The other one percent, I’d been only scared.
Matteo’s words made me want to curl up on his lap and promise to be his good boy.
“I, um, need to use the bathroom.” This dream was wild.
Matteo said nothing when he set the tray aside and scooped me out of bed.
Since I was dreaming, there was no harm in letting myself snuggle up to Matteo.
He put me down next to the toilet, and that’s when I realized I was naked in my dream.
Oh well. He told me to sit down and take care of my business so I wouldn’t fall.
When I was done, he wrapped an arm around me and escorted me to the sink to wash my hands.
While there, he used wipes to do a quick once-over of my body.
When I leaned against the counter for support, Matteo had me back in his arms and returned me to the bed.
Once settled, he hand-fed me sips of broth and little pieces of toast. I’d never drifted back to sleep within a dream, but the bed in my current one felt like resting on a cloud.
I knew that when I woke up, I’d return to the harsh reality of my life.
Until then, I was going to enjoy the hell out of my sleep.
I woke up a few hours later with a clear mind for the first time in an eternity.
My body ached, but the pain felt tolerable.
Strangely, the bed I was in looked precisely like the one from my dream.
The first time I saw Matteo, he’d been put-together in his suit and cufflinks.
In the chair next to my bedside, he looked anything but.
His cheeks had stubble, and he wore casual track pants and a college T-shirt.
His feet were bare. Until that very second, I hadn’t thought feet could be sexy.
But Matteo’s feet proved me wrong. The toes were long and the light dusting of hair was the perfect amount.
“Have you returned to the living, pup?” Busted. My eyes slowly traveled up his body to find his dark eyes boring into mine. His thighs were thick and his chest was as broad as I remembered. He looked like he was trying not to smile. “Like what you see?” he asked with a smirk.
There wasn’t a good answer, so I ignored his question, asked one of my own, and hoped for the best. “What day is it?”
“Friday.”
“May I get up and go to the bathroom?” I wanted to ask how many days I’d been out, but I wasn’t sure the answer would make me feel better.
“Of course. Let me help you.” Matteo set aside his laptop and moved to pull back the covers.
When I felt the cool air of the room hit my body, I realized I was stark naked. I yanked the covers back over me. I didn’t need to pee so badly that I’d flash my junk to make it happen.
“I think you’re definitely on the mend. A few hours ago, you were a lot less modest. Let me get you a robe, and then you can go.” Mortification washed over me, but he sounded strangely regretful.
He walked to the door on the far side of the room, opened it, and returned with a fluffy white robe.
It reminded me of the kind they had at fancy hotels in the movies, but not at any motel I’d ever stayed at.
Matteo handed it to me and then turned his back.
I scrambled out of bed, jerked it on as fast as possible, and tied the belt.
“I’ll show you where everything is and then leave you to it.”
Like the puppy he called me, I obediently followed behind him.
He put a new toothbrush on the counter, started the water in the shower, and promised to put fresh clothes on the bed for me.
When he was gone, I stepped out of the robe and into the biggest shower I’d ever seen in real life.
A quick glance at the bruises covering my body was enough for me to keep my eyes off the mirror.
I was grateful for the wooden bench on the shower’s back wall that allowed me to sit while getting clean.
After washing every cranny of myself that I could reach, I almost felt like a new person.
It took three rounds of brushing my teeth for the transformation to be complete.
I must have been in the shower longer than I thought because clean linens covered the bed, and as promised, a set of clothes lay across the foot.
I shed my robe and tried them on. The shirt was a little big on my frame, and I was grateful for the drawstring in the pants.
I looked a little like I’d stolen a big brother’s clothes, but I was dressed and moving.
“Feel better?” Matteo asked when he strode into the room. “Sorry. I forgot to knock.” Seeing my confusion, Matteo clarified, “It’s my room. I’m not used to knocking on the door.”
“You’ve been kicked out of your room?” Dread settled in my gut. If Matteo was anything like my uncle or Ralphie, I would pay dearly for this one.
“Pup, listen to me.” Matteo crossed the room and wrapped his arms around me.
“I never do anything that I don’t want to do.
You weren’t going anywhere but my bed. There’s no punishment coming.
You don’t owe me anything.” It should have felt weird to feel his arms around me, but the weird part was only that it felt right. And natural. And so damn perfect.
I ducked my head into the crook of his neck so he wouldn’t see my face.
I felt shattered. It had been years since I’d felt this cared for, and now I was being comforted by a man that I didn’t know but somehow also trusted.
Fumbling around under the bleachers in high school or the occasional rushed hookup after I came out wasn’t in the same universe.
Nothing about this made sense. Believing him and being wrong likely meant what Ralphie threatened would look like a picnic compared to what Mattoe could do, but my gut told me I had nothing to worry about.
I wasn’t sure why I believed him, but something in me settled, and I knew I could trust this man.
I knew nothing about Matteo except that he had been incredibly kind to me and his crew had killed the man who’d claimed ownership over me.
It was overwhelming. Matteo gently grasped my chin and nudged it up so he could see my face.
I was shocked to find concern, kindness, and lust reflected back at me.
On impulse, I raised up on my toes and brushed my lips against his.
“Thank you for helping me,” I whispered to him when I pulled away,
“You’re very welcome, pup.”
I realized Matteo wanted to kiss me back when his mouth slowly descended to mine. He gave me plenty of time to move away, but I eagerly welcomed his kiss. He allowed me to set the pace and patiently waited for me to part my lips and let his tongue into my mouth.
Once entry was granted, Matteo seized all control.
His tongue rubbed against my own as he deepened the kiss.
My needy sounds echoed in the room. Each stroke of his tongue sent stabs of desire straight to my cock, which thickened in my borrowed joggers.
Matteo ground his erection against mine, and the movement teased me until I was achingly hard.
Matteo’s right hand cradled the back of my head while his left cupped my ass with a possessive touch.
His throaty groan was a welcome reminder that I wasn’t alone in this unexpected encounter.
When he drew back, I whimpered my objections but quickly got on board with him mouthing my neck and leaving a trail of nips and kisses against the column of my throat.
I almost stomped my foot and demanded he continue when he drew away.
“Pup, we have to stop. You need to recover before we go any further.”
“I’m fine…good…great even. It’s fine.” My panted words sounded desperate even to my ears, but this man’s mouth was a gift, and I wanted to keep tasting him.
“Soon, pup. We have to get you fully healed before we do more.” Matteo drew me closer and hugged me gently, and I melted into his arms. “I want you, but you need to be healthy.”