Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
MATTHEW
Folding my jacket over my arm, I pressed the button as the elevator dinged, beginning its descent to the lobby. While the merriment had been fun, and drastically needed after my deployment, there was one fucking problem, and it came in the form of a gorgeous redhead.
The rest of my friends had stayed behind, but I needed to get the fuck out before my cock made an appearance in the middle of the fucking café. Blaming it on jet lag and lack of sleep, I quickly said my goodbyes before everyone finished eating.
I walked here to cool off, and I was still unnecessarily hard. Stupid dimples. Stupid smile. Stupid personality. Stupid… Stupid bright-ass eyes.
“Oh, fuck me,” I whispered, hitting the up arrow again as if that would make it lower faster.
Shifting on my heels, I glanced at the stairs. Would it be stupid to walk up eighteen flights?
As if deciding for me, the elevator dinged, double doors opening to lavish gold detailing. Lifting my foot to step inside, I was immediately halted as someone appeared in my peripheral vision. Hand raising, he blocked the sensor to ensure both of us would be able to enter without being cut off.
“After you.”
Levander.
Snapping my attention to him, I couldn’t tell if this was a fucking blessing or a hell of a curse. Clearing my throat, I stepped inside.
Casual. Act natural, you big idiot.
Shifting my jacket to cover my erection, I leaned against the railing. “What floor?”
“Eighteen.”
Jesus.
Lighting up the number with my knuckle, the doors slowly closed, and I regretted not taking those damn stairs. Rubbing my hand against my neck, I plastered that smile from earlier on my face.
“You get enough of them, too? They can be quite intense.”
“Not necessarily.” Shrugging, he leaned against the handrail, peering out of the glass to take in the lobby as we began our ascent. “I just found my interest diverted elsewhere.”
“Oh? Work stuff? I’m familiar with what you do. Thorne told me the basics.”
He smirked, that goddamn dimple appearing. “I’m glad he informed you, but no, not work.”
Despite my best intentions, I couldn’t keep my eyes off him. “Oh. Tired?”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “Quite the opposite.”
How long is this fucking ride?
“Oh. Well, whatever it is, hope you enjoy it.” Did… Was this me talking? I sounded fucking stupid, and where was my goddamn confidence?
He nudged himself from the wall, the number on the small monitor shifting to twelve. “I mean, that depends…”
Biting the inside of my cheek, I crossed my ankles, playing the part of casual. Cool. Collected. “Depends?”
As if we’d somehow hit hyperdrive, the bell chimed, ushering us onto the eighteenth floor. He stepped forward, and with a glance over his shoulder, his irises sparked with something too familiar. “How curious you are. I’m in room 1801. Penthouse suite. Feel free to swing by if you wish.”
Not sure if my mouth was open or closed, I stared at him far too long to be anything other than interested. Moving forward, the elevator shut in my face.
“Shit. Fuck!”
I pressed the button to open the doors, but he was already gone.
I wish I could’ve said I was a patient man, or at least a man who didn’t seem desperate, but I immediately turned left, walking until 1801 appeared.
Adjusting my shirt and smelling myself, I knocked, awkwardly standing in the hallway, which was just as extravagant as the rest of this hotel. Despite my rather open sexuality, this would be my first time hooking up in a hotel. And what would Thorne say if he found out I fucked a Mafia boss?
I mean… if that’s what we were doing. Maybe he just wanted company, or some shit. Maybe I was reading into that suggestive look and fantasizing too dramatically.
When there was no answer, I swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing with the motion. Raising my hand to knock again, the surface suddenly vanished as the deep oak door opened, revealing a newly shirtless Levander.
As his eyes raked my frame, I fixated on his scarred chest, catching the glint of twinned nipple piercings.
I roved over the jagged marks. Each one varied in length and depth, and some I could tell were self-inflicted.
Like a patchwork on his skin, it led to the feathers peeking over his left shoulder.
The rest of the tattoo extended down his back, and the detailing on the front was indicative of someone with a skilled hand.
Running a hand through his hair, he leaned against the doorframe, dark slacks resting low on his hips. “Yes, Mr. Harveil?”
Now that? That caught me off guard.
“You… My last name?”
“Remember? Mafia?” He flashed me a silver-capped canine. “I know things.”
“Oh? You know things? Like what?”
“Like the fact that you would undoubtedly end up at my door.”
“Undoubtedly? Was I… that easy to read?” Gesturing to the inside, I cocked my head.
“Your erection was very easy to read.” He nipped at the corner of his mouth, wasting no time to lap his tongue across it, promptly flicking the piercing nestled inside against his teeth.
Enthralled by that simple movement, I took a single step. Placing my hand above his head, I leaned over him. “Then take care of it, beautiful.”
“Is that you asking me to suck your cock?” Looking up at me beneath his lashes, he darted his attention down my body again. “Because I had far more planned than merely allowing you to fuck my face, Mr. Harveil.”
“Well, would you like me to remain in the hallway—”
His fingers curled around my collar, and he ripped me inside with a force I hadn’t expected, given his lithe frame.
Pulling me past him, he kicked the door shut, latching the lock with a simple flick of his wrist. Pivoting, he turned to face me, not giving me the time to fully appreciate the ink on his back.
“Well?”
An excited chuckle rolled from me as I dropped my jacket to the ground. This man was interesting, and I liked it. Hell, he was more than that.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I leaned against the wall. “Tell me. What did you have planned?”
“You like to ask a lot of questions instead of acting, don’t you?” He trailed his fingers along the wall as he walked toward me. “What would you like to do, Matthew?”
Stifling a groan at the use of my name, I honed in on those pretty irises. “What do I want? All kinds of depraved, fucked up things, but I’m not sure you’re suited for it.”
His palm met his chest. “Ah, that’s a strike to the ego, il mio caro bello.”
Raising a brow, I moved back, attempting to hide the smile that wanted to spill.
“There it is. Your fire.” I ran a hand through my hair, strands tickling my forehead.
“Let’s see. To start, I want you choking on my cock while I thread my fingers through your gorgeous goddamn locks.
Then, I want to shove your face into that bed while I thrust into your ass with enough force to shake the headboard.
And if you think I’ll give you a moment to breathe, you’re mistaken.
I like it rough. I like it sloppy. And I like my men weeping. ”
His lips pursed together. “Depravato? Depraved? That’s the best you have for me, Matthew Harveil?” The gap between us disappeared, and he flattened his hand on my chest, pushing me back a step. “I expected… more.”
Grinning, warmth bloomed in my abdomen. “Oh? How so?”
This was so fucking fun, and we’d barely touched.
He held my gaze, the three inches I had on him seeming to grant me some degree of unspoken dominance over him.
“You’re Thorne Graves’ right-hand. Who would expect any less from the most esteemed squadron in the special operative branch of the military?
” Leaning forward, he nipped at my ear. “Now show me the fucking darkness you claim you have, Matthew.”
Not giving him a second to back out, my fingers curled around his throat, and I guided us toward the bed.
It was a short distance through the living room, door already opened as if in greeting.
Tossing him onto the bed was easy. For someone with so much power, he was lighter than a fucking ragdoll.
Caging him on the mattress, my thighs pressed against his as I met his neck once more, slamming his head against the comforter.
“Mmm, fight.”
A deep groan reverberated from the center of his chest as he slipped his leg out and around mine, pinning me against him. “Fuck.”
Grinding my hardness against his, I squeezed with unrelenting force. “Yes, I do like it rough, but I crave forcefulness. I like taking while someone runs away. I like pinning someone down—”
My breath hitched as the room spun, our positions switching as he planted himself above me. “You want me to run and make this difficult for you? Because, believe me, I’m more than capable of becoming a grave pain in your fucking ass.”
Bucking my hips with enough force for him to lose his balance, his nose brushed against mine as I tangled my fingers in that goddamn beautiful hair. Yanking on the ends, my tongue trailed across his Adam’s apple, devouring every inch of skin.
“God, shit,” he moaned, pressing against me with desperation as he tipped his chin back even more to give me access.
Without hesitation, I bit into his flesh until the tang of his essence coated my throat. Hands exploring, they found the front of his pants, unbuttoning them with a simple flick of my fingers. Lapping at my mark, I tugged on them.
“Off. Off.”
Hissing, he slipped from me, working to strip himself of his slacks. They met the ground with a soft thud, briefs still covering what I wanted most. He looked at me with a mischievousness I knew only meant one thing—he was running.
Pivoting on his heel, he quickly exited the room and darted across the plush couch in the living room before stumbling up the stairs to the next level.
Bolting from the mattress, I hurried after him, each footfall thudding against the floor.
Eyes roving over the expanse of space he had to himself, I caught the glint of a blade resting on the table by the couch.