Chapter 13 Matteo
MATTEO
I could barely stop myself from kissing her.
Fuck.
I grab a new bottle of scotch from the liquor cabinet in my bedroom and pour myself a glass. I’ve been going through my stash far too quickly ever since I brought her to my home, but I’d rather dull my senses than come face-to-face with the ravenous monster I’ve created.
God, I nearly went there.
Just one more second, one more breath from her lips, and I would’ve devoured them whole.
But it’s wrong. It’s so fucking wrong after I saved her from those monsters that tried to rip her away from me. And then I go around and nearly turn into a monster myself.
I stare at my hands like they aren’t even mine. The moment my fingers touched her skin, I was done for. So goddamn soft and divine, a creature like her is almost unfathomable to exist, yet … she’s right there, in my home, mere steps away, but miles out of reach.
I’ve never craved for anything.
Not a single thing in my life.
My parents taught me to only ever care about the business, the legacy … and then she came along and threw all that overboard.
I want her.
God, I want her more than anything in the whole damn world. Maybe even more than vengeance itself.
But why? Is it just because she once belonged to Lucio?
I take another sip of my drink and sink into my comfy chair, wondering how I’m going to defeat this raging urge to slam her into the wall and fuck her until she moans my name.
God, the mere thought has me biting my own lip and rubbing my hard-on right through the fabric of my pants.
It’s so goddamn wrong, yet I want nothing more than to make her mine. But she’ll never be mine. Even though I already made her my wife, she’ll forever hate my guts for locking her in this mansion. She could never want a man like me.
I take another sip of my drink and let the heat burn my throat to try to quench the desire taking hold.
I have to curb this arousal right fucking now.
I tear open my jeans and pull out my cock, glistening with pre-cum, gripping it tightly as I begin to rub her out of my system.
Just this last time.
Or at least, that’s what I tell myself as I vigorously jerk myself off to the image of my ring around her tilted neck, waiting for me to kiss it.
My head leans back over the chair while I picture her in a pretty dress.
I peel it away from her shoulders, cupping her tits in my hands, as I press my lips onto her neck.
Leaving kisses everywhere I go, I slowly strip her naked and admire her beauty, before I thrust into her wetness and claim her as mine.
I rub my shaft faster and faster, using my pre-cum as lube, each thrust into my hand pulling me closer to the edge of no return. My hand slides up my chest, popping buttons as I go while the heat begins to take hold.
All I can picture is her body beneath me, writhing with delight, my hands around her waist, her perky ass up against my body, back arched against the wall, while my fingers are splayed against her pussy, and her moans fill my ears.
I groan out loud, nearly losing myself in the moment. “Fuck, Stella!”
Suddenly, there’s some rustling near my door, and I abruptly stop despite being near the peak of my arousal. Breathing out ragged breaths, I get up from my chair and tuck myself back in with trouble, zipping up as best I can, before I march straight toward my door.
But the second I open it, I’m frozen in place.
Stella’s right in front of me, staring at me with those doe eyes that still take my breath away.
But it’s her dress that catches my attention.
She changed into a bright red one that accentuates all of her pretty curves, and fuck me, does she look appetizing in this, especially after what I just did.
Sarah must’ve purchased that for her to fill her wardrobe.
Did Stella just change into something more seductive on purpose?
She pulls a warm shawl further over her shoulders, while her eyes linger on my flabbergasted face before slowly trailing down my abs, like she’s taking it all in and then some … until she reaches my obviously tented pants.
There’s absolutely zero chance in hell I’ll be able to will that thing down now that she’s here.
Fuck.
I tilt my head. “Are you snooping around again?”
“You said I could roam the house freely,” she retorts, raising a brow in defiance. “Did you just … call out my name?” she murmurs, biting her lip.
My mouth twitches into a lopsided grin. “You heard me.”
“Of course, I did. I could hear your noises all the way down the hall.”
I place a hand on the doorpost. “What kind of noises?”
A strong blush creeps onto her cheeks so easily it becomes undeniable, no matter how much she tries to hide it behind her hair. “Grumbling … moans. Anyway, it sounded like you were in pain.”
“Mm-hmm … A great pain indeed.” A low rumbling sound emanates from my throat.
Her brows furrow. “What kind of pain?”
My eyes scatter down to her tits and back up again. “Visceral.”
She swallows, licking her lips.
“I’m impressed, though. You came to my room because you wanted to see if I was hurt and needed help?”
She sucks in a breath without letting it go, and it brings a smile to my face. “But you … aren’t actually in any pain, right?”
Maybe I’m not the only one affected by whatever this is brewing between us.
“My pain is of a different kind,” I reply. “Is there anything you need from me, Tesoro?”
She shakes her head.
“Then if you’ll excuse me …”
I sigh and turn around again, trying to close the door, but then she puts her foot out and grabs hold of my arm, forcing me to turn around.
The desperate look on her face absolutely crushes me right now. But I can’t. I simply can’t. “Don’t.”
I free myself of her grip and turn around. When the door closes, my eyes shut, and I breathe out a sigh of relief… Until there’s sudden shuffling in my room.
“Kiss me.”
Fuck.
Am I that easy? That needy? Yes … yes, I am.
I immediately turn around, march to her, grab her face with both hands, and smash my lips onto hers, unleashing all of my pent-up desire for her in this one kiss.
Pure, unadulterated lust courses through my veins, my thoughts spiraling out of control as I claim her mouth like it’s always belonged to me.
She doesn’t fight back.
She should. I’m a monster. I’m not right for her. But I can’t fucking stop either.
Not once do I pause to take a breath as I ravage her lips, deepening the kiss until there’s no way back. My tongue licks the seam of her mouth, probing, pushing her to open her lips until I can force my way inside and lick the roof of her mouth.
Still, she doesn’t push me away.
I groan with excitement, tasting her sweetness on my lips, my mouth rough and greedy for more. I slam us both against the door, kissing her so hard I nearly forget how to behave like an actual gentleman.
She shouldn’t have said that. She shouldn’t have uttered those words. Because I know I can’t stop myself any longer.
My hands slide down her neck, desperate to get closer, desperate to feel more of this fire burning between us, threatening to set us ablaze.
My fingertips roll down her clavicles, reaching for the fabric of her shawl that covers her shoulders, and I push it all aside.
My lips roam freely across her lips, chin, and neck, leaving a trail of saliva and neediness all over. And when she moans, I’m done for.
“Fuck,” I groan, placing sinful kisses all over her neck and shoulder as her head tilts back against the door. Her shawl drops to the floor, and my eyes skid down her arms to the stains on her skin. I stop kissing her entirely.
I stare at the marks on her skin, and she swallows as my fingertips graze past each one of them.
“What are those?”
She clears her throat. “Nothing.”
I frown as I find more and more marks scattered all over both her arms and her chest. Slowly but surely, the fire that threatened to consume me now begins to set me ablaze, not just with fiery passion, but with violent rage.
These aren’t mere marks. They’re bruises.
Fingerprints.
“Who did this to you?” I growl.
Her face contorts, and she shakes her head vigorously. “Please, don’t make me say it out loud.” She doesn’t stop shaking her head as her breathing picks up speed. “Oh God.”
Her eyes skid about the room, as though the walls are slowly caving in on her. Her lungs keep sucking in the air like something’s happening to her, and I don’t understand.
“Hey.” I try to grab her attention, but she’s not even looking at me anymore.
“I can’t breathe,” she murmurs, slowly sinking to her knees.
Her breathing is erratic, uncontrolled, as her body begins to shake vigorously, so I go to my knees with her, refusing to let go despite her being obviously terrified of something that isn’t even here… Ghosts of the past claiming her mind.
“I can’t … I can’t …”
“Look at me. Focus on my eyes,” I say, looking deep into her eyes as I grab her shoulders tightly. She locks in on me as I open my mouth and show her how to breathe calmly. “Breathe. You’re safe. No one will harm you anymore.”
She keeps her panicked gaze fixated on mine, while I hold on tight and keep her steady in the moment.
“You’re in my house, and I won’t ever let anyone hurt you, I promise,” I say, as her eyes softly go in and out of focus. I lift my hands and cover her mouth. “Breathe into the palm of my hand, Tesoro. That’s it. Take slow, deep breaths.”
She does what I say, refocusing her breathing on my hands instead of inward for a few minutes, which must feel like hours to her as the panic gently begins to subside.
“See? You can do it,” I say.
She takes a few more deep breaths and looks down at her shaking hands for a second. “Thank you.”
I place a hand on the side of her head and gently pet her until the terror that just gripped her heart and refused to let go is finally defused.
That was no ordinary fear … and it’s making my skin crawl.
My teeth grind together so harshly that I chip a tooth.
This is his doing.
“I cannot let this slide,” I say.
She swiftly grabs her shawl off the floor and haphazardly puts it back on, as if to hide the shame of the marks on her body. But I already know who put those bruises there, and I will make him fucking pay.
“That motherfucker put his hands on you,” I growl, as I march to my closet and pull out my knives, tucking them into my pocket. Then I grab a gun, loading it right in front of her.
She covers her mouth in shock. “What are you going to do?”
I pass by her and open the door. “I’m going to destroy him.”