59. Chapter Fifty-Nine
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Mateo
M ari tastes like the honey and the strawberries I’ve been feeding her.
It’s well into the evening now, and darkness has settled like a soft velvet cloak over the world outside. Our bedroom glows with the warm, golden light cast by the candles scattered across various surfaces.
We explored and enjoyed each other’s bodies for hours, and still, it doesn’t seem enough.
When Mari slides her tongue against mine, my entire body reacts with instant, visceral need as if I hadn’t just come down her throat mere minutes before.
I bracket her waist with my hands to stop her from writhing against me, the friction sending jolts of lust from the head of my cock to my again-aching balls.
“Fuck.” I groan, ready to devour her again. The vibrations from Mari’s answering laughter don’t help my situation either.
“You need to eat more,” I tell her, my voice soft but firm.
Her stomach answers before she can, growling loudly, and it draws a small laugh from me. She flashes me a sheepish smile that melts me on the spot.
I turn to the platter we placed on the bedside table earlier, its assortment of bread, cheese, and fruit still looking as inviting as when we first brought it in. Picking up a slice of bread, I layer it with a thin, perfectly cut piece of cheese. Her eyes follow my movements as I bring it to her lips.
“Open,” I murmur, my tone playful, a little commanding. She does, parting her lips without hesitation, and I gently place the bite inside.
A low, throaty moan spills out as she savors the taste. “Mmm,” she hums, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment.
Not helping!
My cock throbs insistently, remembering what it feels like when she moans like this with a mouth full of me.
“Good?” I ask, even though the answer is written all over her blissful expression.
She nods, her lips curving into a smile that’s equal parts grateful and teasing.
“Perfect,” she whispers, her voice a little husky. It’s not just the food she’s talking about.
Little minx.
For someone as innocent as her, she sure learned quickly how to wrap me around her little finger.
“Let’s keep going,” I say, grabbing another piece of bread.
This time, I add a few slices of fig, having discovered earlier how much she loves a mix of sweet and savory. I feed her again, and the way she looks at me as she takes the bite makes my chest ache in the best way.
She leans back against the pillows, relaxed and glowing. It makes me want to take care of her like this forever.
Before I can prepare another bite for her, my phone rings. Mari’s brows lift in surprise.
“I thought no one calls you when you’re here.”
“Only Tiero or Rom. This will be my brother. He’s about to fly to Brazil.”
Sure enough, when I pick up my phone from the other bedside table, Tiero’s name flashes on the screen.
“I need to take this, dolcezza .”
“Of course. I’ll put away the groceries that are still all over the kitchen.”
Yeah, we didn’t get the chance to put things away. As soon as the bags were inside, I was on her.
“Hey, Tiero,” I answer, as Mari slips off the bed. My attention shifts entirely to her for a moment, unable to resist admiring her perfect naked body.
She bends to pick up my discarded shirt, and I groan inwardly, my cock twitching at the sight. She slips the cotton material over her head, and I watch as it settles mid-thigh on her much smaller frame.
Seeing her in my shirt, her hair tousled and wild, her lips swollen from my kisses… God, she has no idea what she does to me.
She leaves the room but not before glancing over her shoulder, sending me a dazzling smile that could light up any of my darkest moments.
I’m so gone for this woman.
It’s only then I realize Tiero has been talking.
“You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?” His voice cuts through my haze, and I can’t tell if he’s annoyed or amused. He knows where I am and who I’m with, so I bet on the latter.
“Sorry, I’m a little distracted.”
“So I take it things are good with Mari?”
“Better than good. They’re perfect. She’s perfect.”
“Have you…?” He lets the question hang, but I know exactly what he’s asking.
“Of course not. Though I really want to. Holding back on making love to her is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Even though we take care of each other in other ways, I walk around with a permanent boner. Hurry the fuck up and bring Ella home so I can marry this girl.”
“Working on it,” he chuckles, and it’s good to hear some lightness in his voice, even if it’s fleeting.
There’s a pause, followed by the faint sound of ice cubes clinking in a glass. He’s probably outside with a whiskey, staring at the stars.
“Remember what you said to me a few weeks ago?” Tiero finally says into the silence.
“I say lots of really insightful things,” I tease. “Remind me.”
“You said Ella wouldn’t be happy living in a gilded cage with constant danger.”
“There isn’t much you can do about it, though. She needs the protection.”
“I know that, Teo.” There’s another long pause, and I hate the weight I feel pressing through the phone.
“She loves you, bro. She’ll get used to it. We all have to sacrifice something for the ones we love.”
His response comes slower this time, heavy with something that sets me on edge. “I’m not sure that love alone will be enough.”
My heart stutters at the sheer vulnerability in his voice.
“I can’t lose her, Teo. Being apart from her… it’s slowly killing me. Nothing makes sense without her. As much as I hate it, I’ve come to realize she holds all the cards. I’d do anything to have her back, to have her stay.”
What he says next has me sit up straighter. “Even leave everything behind.”
A lump lodges in my throat but I swallow it down. “What are you talking about? You’re the fucking Don.”
“I am. And I’ve accepted my role without question. But I’m having to ask myself what’s more important to me.” He pauses, his words deliberate.
“After Ella got kidnapped by Molinaro, she asked me why I was upholding the legacy of men who are long gone, why I put my life on the line every day for the dream someone else had. What is my dream?
“It’s not la famiglia. It’s a life with Ella. I want a football team of children with her, and I want to be there for them, see them grow up, and not from the sidelines or the grave.”
“So what? You’re going to retire from the job?” I huff, the absurdity of it twisting in my chest.
“Maybe.”
“That’s not possible! We’re born into la famiglia , and we’ll die in it. That’s how it’s always been.”
“Anything is possible if you set your mind to it. You can take over as Don. You’ve been raised to do it as much as I was.”
I get out of bed and start pacing. My chest tightens as I try to process his words. “You can’t mean that. You’re the Don. I’m your number two. That’s how it’s meant to be.”
I’ve never wanted to be Don. Never considered it. Tiero is the born leader. I’m too easy-going for it. It’s why we work so well together. We balance each other out.
“You’d make a great Don,” he says, his tone leaving no room for argument. “You have what it takes. Never forget that.”
“Look,” I say, exhaling sharply, trying to ground myself. “Now that I have Mari, I understand where you’re coming from and what you must be going through with Ella gone. But let’s focus on getting her back. That’s step one. The rest will fall into place.”