Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Anya
It’s only been two days since Matteo gave me the best gift ever, and Winter has already started to become less shy. She loves her cat tower, especially since we put it in front of a window. She adores basking in the sun and taking in its warmth from the safe indoors.
Matteo has been bribing her with plenty of treats and toys. She seems to favor the gross-smelling chicken puree sticks, and the floppy fish toys that move when she attacks them. Just watching her roam around and get used to her new home has already given me so much joy.
I insisted that Matteo call the humane society and inform them that we would be adopting Winter straight away.
He tried to tell me that I should at least sleep on it, but one stern look from me and he picked up his phone.
I didn’t need any time to think about keeping the sweet, shy girl.
She was mine as soon as Matteo put her in my arms.
We just finished converting one of the unused rooms on the second floor into a perfect little cat room for her.
Of course, she’s allowed in my bedroom and we’ve started to let her roam around the house some.
But this space is all hers. Filled with toys, her food and water, various bedding options, and her tower to climb.
The closet has been made into her litter box room, with a little kitty door for her to come in and out of.
Although Dad doesn’t seem overly excited to have a cat in the house, he helped Matteo and I with setting up the room, and he’s pet her a couple of times, too. He seems like he doesn’t know how to act around her, but he’s working on it.
Irina and Nadya love her, of course, and both of them have bought her little gifts. Some toys, brushes, and even a little purple collar with a diamond heart in the center of it. A real diamond.
It feels like Winter is fitting into the family so well in only a couple of days, and giving her so many people to care for her feels even better than I expected.
I didn’t know that it was possible to love Matteo even more than I already did, and then he went ahead and gave me the best possible present.
“Lunch?” Matteo asks, dusting off his hands. He has a bunch of broken down cardboard at his feet, having just finished cleaning them up.
“Yeah,” I agree with a smile. “We should eat before we go.”
“You sure you want to go today?” he asks, softly running his hands up my arms to rest them on my shoulders. “It’s a little chilly for the beach.”
“It’s not swimming weather,” I agree. “But I just want to walk around.” To stare into the ocean and watch waves break against the sand. “And maybe get some ice cream before we come back home.”
“Ice cream for a semi-chilly day at the beach,” Matteo says with a grin. “Sounds perfect.”
“And we won’t have anyone watching us,” I point out, blushing.
“Oh?” Matteo lifts a brow, barely suppressing a smirk. “Does that mean I get to kiss these pretty lips until they’re puffy and you’re panting?”
My stomach flips and I nod, bottom lip being captured by my teeth.
“Mmm,” he hums happily. “Then we should really go eat so I can have you all to myself, meraviglia.”
“Can I speak with you two?”
I almost jump, being yanked out of the moment at the sound of my uncle’s voice.
I look over Matteo’s shoulder to find Uncle Lev standing in the doorway. He looks supremely uncomfortable, but there’s no anger in him anymore. Not like the last time I saw him days ago.
When I don’t answer, Matteo steps to my side and encourages me with a nod. “You can talk to us,” I finally say.
Uncle Lev nods and then sighs like this is difficult for him. “I wanted to apologize to both of you. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did. And I’m sorry that my actions upset you, Anya.”
“You’re sorry for upsetting me but not sorry for punching Matteo in the face?” I ask in disbelief.
“It’s okay, Anya,” Matteo says immediately. “He doesn’t need to be sorry for hitting me. I understand.”
I frown up at my boyfriend, crossing my arms. “Well, I don’t.”
“That’s because you’re a loving and kind soul, but we’re made men, my love. We talk with our fists sometimes. He apologized to you, and that’s more than enough for me.”
I look in between the two men, and sigh when neither of them seem to budge. “Fine,” I huff, sending my uncle a warning look. “But it better not happen again.”
Uncle Lev nods but doesn’t promise anything.
Luckily for him, I miss him enough to let it slide. For now, at least.
“We’re going to have lunch. Are you eating here?”
The tension seems to bleed out of my uncle and he agrees with a nod.
As it turns out, almost everyone is eating lunch with us today.
Aunt Irina, Nadya, my father, of course, and Uncle Mikhail is here too, even though his sons aren’t.
We all share a variety of sandwiches, salads, and small plates of cheese, meats, and cracker options.
It’s a very light lunch, which is a good thing since I don’t want my stomach to hurt or be too full when we roam around the beach soon.
I think I’ve finished eating when Matteo picks up his second sandwich, biting into it happily. I don’t want to rush him, so I just smile and grab a few bits of fruit to put on my plate, whether I decide to pick at them or not.
Footsteps are barely audible over the sounds of eating and conversation at the dining table, but I notice them just in time. Looking toward the dining room entrance, I have to blink several times to realize what I’m seeing.
Being escorted into the room by three of my father’s guards, a familiar set of blue eyes meet mine.
“Nico!” I exclaim, standing up from the table with a surprised but pleased smile. “What are you doing here? I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Neither did I,” my father mutters under his breath, standing up as well.
“Came to visit,” he grunts, nodding to Matteo as he answers me. “Not staying long. Maybe a couple days.”
“That’s so nice,” I chirp happily. “I wish you would have texted me, we could have come pick you up from the airport.”
“Why is she so pleased to see you?” Uncle Lev grumbles, glaring at our guest.
“Don’t be rude, Papa,” Nadya tsks at him.
“I’m always pleased to see a friend,” I tell him, giving him a glare that dares him to be rude again. He just got off my bad side. “Besides, now Matteo will have someone to share that big house with. I think I would be scared to be so alone in such a big place.”
Nico arches his eyebrow at her brother. “I’m not holding your hand because you’re scared to sleep alone.”
Matteo rolls his eyes, reluctantly dropping the rest of his sandwich to address his brother. “I’m not scared. And I’m not alone, there are guards.”
“Great conversationalists, guards are,” Nico drawls sarcastically. He looks behind him at the three men who let him in and adds, “No offense.” Though he hardly sounds sincere.
Lifting a brow of his own, Matteo challenges, “As if you want to stay up and gab with me in the evenings?”
“Why is your face bruised?” Nico asks, changing the subject swiftly.
Matteo shrugs, unbothered. “Ran into Lev’s fist.”
Nico’s eyes narrow and he becomes tense. “How’d you manage that?”
“You know me,” my boyfriend says with a chuckle. “So clumsy.”
Nico moves his eyes from the green-ish yellow bruise on his brother’s face to look at the man responsible for it. “I wonder if Lev is clumsy too.”
Before any kind of fight can break out, I speak up with an offer. “You can come to the beach with us. We’re leaving here soon. Oh! And you have to meet Winter when we come back. You’ll love her.”
“Winter?” Nico asks, nose scrunching.
“Her cat,” Nadya pipes up, grinning.
Nico gives my cousin a bland look. “Her cat.”
“Yes,” Nadya tells him, crossing her arms. “What? Are you afraid of a little cat? Are you a baby?”
Matteo bursts out with a surprised laugh, clapping his hands together and ducking his head while his shoulders shake.
“Are you?” Nico challenges back. “You’re like three feet tall.”
“You know many three-foot-tall babies?” Nadya sasses. “I’m 4’11, weirdo.”
“Weirdo,” Matteo repeats, laughing harder.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Aunt Irina says, patting her daughter on the hand while smothering a smile. “Nico is Anya’s good friend, printsessa. And Matteo’s brother. We should be nice to him.”
“Well, he should be happy that Anya wants him to meet Winter,” she harrumphs. “If he’s such a good friend.”
Nico huffs. “I didn’t even know she had a cat.”
“You should have,” Nadya says, almost tsking at him.
“That’s my fault,” I tell her with a guilty smile. “I didn’t tell him yet. I’ve been so busy getting her settled in.”
Nadya looks from Nico to me and eventually decides to let him off the hook. “Fine.”
Matteo seems to have somehow scarfed down the rest of his food and stands up from the table, taking my hand. “Time for the beach, then?”
“Yeah,” I agree happily before turning back to Nico. “Coming with?”
He grunts with a shrug. “I guess.”
The drive there isn’t a long one. We don’t live too far away from the coast, and our preferred beach has private parking and limited access. It’s safe and serene. The smell of salt water and sand filling me with a sense of peace as soon as I step out of the car.
It’s not too cold, but I’m glad that Matteo and I both prepared by wearing cozy clothes. Me with my matching light pink crewneck and sweatpants set, and Matteo in his gray sweats and complementary large T-shirt. Nico isn’t dressed as warmly but he doesn’t seem bothered, either.
He hangs back as I take Matteo’s hand and run closer to the water with him.
My hair bounces all over the place, being swept by some light wind, but I don’t care at all.
I’m so happy to see the vast, seemingly endless body of water.
It’s a deep blue color this time of year, not under such a harsh and hot sun.
The soothing sound of the tide makes my heart feel heavy and full.
“Have you been to the ocean before?” I ask, turning to look up at Matteo.
“The Atlantic,” he replies, hooking an arm around my shoulders. “And the Mediterranean Sea in Italy. Sardinia has crystal-clear coves to swim in, but I’m partial to the Amalfi Coast. The water is so warm and calm. You’d love it, I think.”
“Yeah?” I ask, trying to imagine the dreamy picture he paints. “Would you want to take me one day?”
“I’d take you anywhere you want to go, meraviglia.”
“Maybe in a couple of years,” I say wistfully. “I’m enjoying being home with you for now. Are you…do you like it here so far?”
“I’m in heaven, baby,” he assures me, leaning down to push his lips into my hair. “I’m so fucking glad I came here. Talking to you on the phone was always nice, but nothing compares to seeing you every day—to feeling you in my arms.”
Blushing, I try not to squirm. “What about feeling me on your lips?”
“Mmm, that just might be my favorite.”
He’s smiling as he moves a hand to my neck, leaning down to capture my lips with his. His touch is deeper than it ever has been, so much so that he catches me off guard enough to make me whimper.
Matteo grins against my mouth and swallows down the sound, humming as he tilts his head and kisses me some more. I feel like if he wasn’t holding me, I might stumble and fall. My heart is fluttering with excited beats, and I like the feeling so much that I practically beg for more.
Our lips are close to dancing or fighting, pressing into one another and shifting to get the best pressure and the fullest touch. When Matteo pulls back, a protesting pout twists on my mouth.
“Let’s get ice cream,” he suggests, letting out a held breath. “Before we get too caught up and make Nico sick.”
“He can look away.”
Matteo laughs. “Okay, then let’s go get ice cream before you kiss me so good that I can’t walk around the beach without it being considered indecent.”
My eyes widen before looking down.
Chuckling louder, Matteo picks up my chin. “I stopped us before it happened, but it wasn’t far off.”
“Oh.” I swallow, suddenly feeling warmer.
He tucks some hair behind my ear. “Ice cream?”
“Yeah.” I nod, lips feeling fuzzy and swollen. “Ice cream.”
The shop is a short walk away, stationed just as the sand begins and the parking lot ends.
Matteo insists I order first and pays after he orders his own.
Vanilla and peach for me, soft chocolate and vanilla twist for him.
He buys a water bottle too and starts to sip on it when I’m handed my waffle cone.
He watches me take my first lick and seems to get distracted enough to spill water on his face and little dribbles down his arm. He swears under his breath and lifts his shirt up to wipe his face.
I almost drop my ice cream, eyes falling to his chiseled stomach. His abs are tan and defined, and they seem to go on for days. His sweatpants hang low, exposing the white band of his boxers. Something flutters deep in my core, seeing him like this.
“You’re dripping.”
“W-what?” I flinch, snapping out of it.
“Your ice cream, baby,” Matteo clarifies, lifting my wrist so it’s no longer tilted. “Your cone is dripping.”
“Shoot,” I mumble, leaning forward to lick up the mess just as Matteo’s order comes out.
“You’re so fucking cute,” he tells me, taking a lick of his twist. “I should lift my shirt up more often.”
Yes, you should.
Swallowing, I try to change the subject before I can embarrass myself. “Do you think if I bring Nico an ice cream, he’ll eat it?”
“Maybe.” Matteo hums, considering it. “I think if he says no and I offer to eat it, he’ll change his answer so that I can’t have it.”
I giggle, smirking up at him. “Perfect.”
Turning to the employee behind the stand, I say, “One more, please.”
Nico doesn’t actually protest the ice cream when I hand it to him, but he doesn’t eat any of it until Matteo and I turn away.
This time, when Matteo kisses me by the water, he tastes sweeter.