10. Arianna
CHAPTER TEN
ARIANNA
S creams, bullets, and fire yanked me from sleep.
My body was drenched in sweat and my breathing labored. It was always the same nightmare plaguing me, and now it had been fed with another scene.
I rolled onto my back and stared at the white ceiling. It took everything in me to rein in my spiraling thoughts and memories. Over the years, I’d mastered blanking my thoughts. It was a hard skill to learn, but it came in useful during times like these.
Inhaling to a count of ten and exhaling to six, I focused on keeping my vision unfocused. There’d be no more sleep for me tonight, despite the still pitch-black skies and moonlight pouring in through the window.
I slid out of the bed and made my way to the balcony. Careful not to make too much noise, I pressed on the door handle and swung it open, following the path out onto the large stone terrace.
The night air was crisp but pleasant, caressing my overheated skin and chasing the demons that lurked in the shadows. I walked around the house where the lights of an Olympic-sized pool illuminated the night, and sat down on the lounge that was blanketed in shadows, away from the pool’s glow.
I tilted my head back and began my usual routine. There was Andromeda, a barred spiral galaxy and the nearest to the Milky Way. It was the most distant object in the universe, visible to the naked eye.
It was always my favorite story because Andromeda was also the princess who was sacrificed to the Kraken and ultimately saved by a prince.
Was Matteo my prince?
Maybe he was, but I couldn’t shake off the guilty feeling that came along with it. Hannah had always been infatuated with him. Me… not so much. I liked him, sure, but my thoughts never ventured further than that. Not when we shared an innocent kiss as children, and never since.
Until tonight.
My heart raced, slamming against my rib cage at the memory of his proximity. I had to be imagining things, conjuring something that hadn’t really happened. Yes, that had to be it. My twisted mind was searching for an outlet and had conveniently chosen him , with his infuriatingly perfect body, as its focus. The images of his almost-naked form burned behind my eyelids, heating me down to my toes.
I gave my head a shake, chasing those very X-rated pictures out of my mind.
Then, as if drawn by fate itself, a dark figure loomed over me. I startled, slapping a hand to my mouth, trapping my gasp.
“Matteo,” I hissed, craning my neck to look at him. “What are you doing out here sneaking around?”
He stood there, draped in darkness, his eyes locked on me with an unreadable intensity. Power radiated from him, suffocating the air around us, stealing my breath with nothing more than a glance.
We continued to stare at each other, the pupils in his hazel eyes blown wide. My limbs trembled, my heart rate skyrocketing as he took a step forward, his bare feet almost touching mine.
Fuck.
What. Was. Happening ?
“Matteo?” He didn’t answer. His scent—masculine and woodsy—clouded around me, but I refused to let it get to me. It was wrong. I stared up at him and rolled my eyes. “Seriously, you’re starting to freak me out.”
My voice was laced with bravado, but a part of me shuddered with something I couldn’t quite pinpoint.
“Ask me why I didn’t kiss you in the bathroom.”
My spine stiffened and I jerked like I’d been slapped. My breath hitched and the heat from his stare seeped into my bones. Maybe I hadn’t conjured the electricity crackling between us and he’d felt it too.
“Hell hadn’t frozen over yet,” I breathed my reminder.
In fact, if this was hell, it was making me so hot that I’d soon turn into a puddle right here—poolside at the Vitale estate. He oozed so much power and control I feared it would combust one day and sear anything and anyone around him. Yet, somehow, I didn’t think I’d mind. It would be like nearing the sun, blinded by its beauty.
He reached to cup my face, tracing his thumb over my bottom lip, stroking it. My lips parted of their own will.
His rich, deep voice filled the air. “Why aren’t you in your room, Ari?”
“It was either come out here for some fresh air or invade your mother’s oven with sugar and flour, which would wake up the entire house.” I tried for a shaky inhale, remembering my breathing exercises. “And why aren’t you in your room?”
“I went to check on you, but you weren’t there.”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” I whispered while he stared at me blankly. “And you’re acting weird. Go get some rest.”
“I would be getting that rest right now if I found you where you were supposed to be.”
“If you tell me you like to watch me sleep, I’m going to be creeped out. And let me remind you, my dad taught me how to deal with creeps.” My gaze fell to his nose that hadn’t been quite the same since I broke it. “The evidence is on your face.”
He smiled, that seductive smile that got every girl’s panties in a twist.
“You either don’t talk at all or you talk way too much, Ari.”
He scooped me up without a warning and a soft gasp escaped me. “What are you doing?”
“Taking you back to bed. You need sleep.”
He carried me in his arms bridal-style, and I grudgingly reached around his neck for support. My fingers stroked the short hairs on his nape, loving the feel of it. I placed my head on his strong shoulder, soaking up his body heat.
“When did you get so bossy?” I murmured.
“I’ve always been bossy, Ari.” He paused as he looked down at me. “You just never bothered to notice it before.”
I chuckled. “I kept my distance.”
“Why?”
“I worried you’d tell your dad that I broke your nose. No offense, Matteo, but your dad can be scary.”
He snickered. “Trust me, I can be scarier.”
Before long, we were back in my room and he was tucking me in again. “Want me to stay here until you’re asleep?”
Yes. “No.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.” I turned to my side, placing my palms under my cheek. “Matteo?”
“Yes, Nutella girl?” It was a nickname from our childhood. And despite not eating it as frequently anymore, he refused to give it up.
“The shooter.” He remained still, waiting for me to continue. “Did you know him?”
His brow furrowed as he watched me with a puzzled expression. “Why would I know him?”
I yawned tiredly. It would seem he was right when he claimed I needed sleep. “He asked if I knew your family.”
His expression quickly darkened to one that vowed he’d get to the bottom of whatever that meant.
“Are you sure?”
“Mhm.”
With a terse nod, he squeezed my arm and pressed his lips to my forehead, the heat of them searing through my skin.
He slipped out the door, and I released the breath I’d been holding since he placed me down on my sheets like I was something precious.
I shouldn’t want him, so why was my heart suddenly craving him?