Chapter 12 Mateo
MATEO
Nathan has an apartment here, exactly one street away. Many drivers have properties in Monaco. It’s useful, as it’s in the middle of Europe. It’s good to go home between races, especially to such a beautiful place as this.
We manage to get to Nathan’s place after what seems like an eternity. Monaco streets are not for the weak. Rosa can barely move, so we were basically dragging her with us, but at least she entertained us by singing some songs. Sometimes I wish I was deaf.
We lay her down on the couch, and gather a towel, blanket, lots of water, a painkiller, and a bowl.
I put a towel on her forehead when I heard a buzz from her backside.
Her phone’s ringing. A lot. I carefully take it out of her back pocket and look at the screen.
Missed calls and hundreds of messages from Ivy, Delilah, and Lana.
Her phone buzzes again, and a name pops up.
“Rosa, Ivy’s calling you, can I answer it?” I ask softly as I brush a loose strand of hair out of her face. She nods, then takes my hand and tucks it under her head to use it as a pillow. Well, that’s one uncomfortable position. At least she’s comfy. “This is Rosa’s phone. Mateo speaking.”
“Hi—Mateo? Mateo who? Never mind. Would you please tell me where the hell Rosa is?” Ivy asks. Her tone sounds both angry and soft at the same time. It’s a little scary.
“One of the guests got her drunk, so we took her home. She wasn’t feeling well.” I hear a sigh on the other end, not a word for a couple of seconds.
“When she’s feeling better, tell her I’d like to talk. Thanks for taking care of her. And please turn on her locator.” I get why she asks that. She can’t be sure I’m really Mateo. I say goodbye and do as she asked. Now she can see we’re not far away, and that I wasn’t lying.
“Shit, I left my phone at the bar.” I hear Nathan speak up from behind me. “I think Liam has it. Can you text him?” I nod and send a text to Liam. A couple of minutes pass by, but he doesn’t answer, so I send him another. Then another.
“Forget it. I’ll go back to the bar. See if it’s still there.”
“What about her?” I ask as I furrow my brows. Rosa doesn’t even know me. I’m sure she wouldn’t want to stay alone with a stranger while being intoxicated.
“Rosa.” He shakes her gently, and her eyes pop open with a quiet humming sound. “I have to go back to the bar. I’ll come back soon, will you be okay with Mateo?” She starts nodding …quite excitedly? That’s weird. Maybe she forgot about my rude move from earlier.
“But…she’s your friend! I can grab your phone.” I protest. I don’t want to get involved in anything I shouldn’t. And I have a feeling Rosa is one of those things.
“Rosa said she’ll be fine with you. I’ll be right back, okay? Just a couple of minutes,” I grumble, but with a wave of my hand, I shoo him away.
“What did Ivy say?” Rosa asks softly, still resting on my hand.
“She wants to talk to you when you feel better.” She nods, but I see that something’s bothering her. I wait until she replies.
“I was…working tonight. This was my chance to do a big gig, and I messed it up. Again.” A painful tear leaves her eye. “I’m not usually this bad with alcohol, Mateo.”
And we’re back to my worries. Fuck. “Do you think… he put something in your drink?”
“I don’t know. And I’m not sure I even want to know.” I see the worry in her eyes, but they soften when she looks up at mine.
“You’re safe now. No one will get to you.
Not him, not anyone else.” She mutters a quiet thank you and rewards me with a beautiful smile.
“I’m sorry I was a dick before. It’s just—when I meet new people, they usually know about my lifestyle already, and they’re biased.
They don’t want to know the real me. And then I met you.
I thought you didn’t know me either…but you do. And I got this urge to push you away.”
“I—” She can’t finish her words, her eyes widen, and she turns to her side, puking into the bowl next to the couch.
Almost got my hands. At least whatever was in her is out now, mostly.
I grab the towel and wipe her mouth. She leans back to the pillows, but I turn her back so she can drink some water.
“That…was not meant for you.” We chuckle, and she starts gulping the water.
When she’s done, I go to bring another one for her.
“Here.” She just nods, and I put it down on the coffee table.
“It’s okay. You’re forgiven. But I won’t bite, and I’m not biased.” She smiles at me again and grabs my hand to put it back under her head. “You know, you can go back to the bar. I bet partying is more fun than taking care of a drunk stranger.”
“Nah. I’m good. I’m having more fun here, believe it or not.” I smile back and watch as she gets comfy. “Are you feeling any better?”
“A little. Thank you. But I still feel dizzy.” Great. Means we can count on more vomit.
“That’s alright. You can keep resting here and wait for Nathan to come back.” Suddenly, a wicked smile appears on her face, the wheels turning inside her pretty head before she speaks up with a sultry, angelic voice. Even now that she’s drunk, she’s flirty.
“Whew. It feels so hot in here.” She slowly sits up and starts fanning herself, but I only frown.
“It’s literally 70 degrees,” I reply as I look up at the thermometer.
But when I turn my attention back, she’s already taking off the shirt I gave her.
Thank god she has another one underneath.
She is reaching for now to pull it off. Did I jinx it?
“Rosa, I—” I can’t even finish, and her top is already off.
I turn my head away so quickly, I almost snap my neck. What’s with me? Why am I acting like a gentleman now? Fuck, this woman is confusing me in every single way. She tries to turn my head back, but I’m not letting her. She’s still drunk. I’m not taking advantage of it, unlike a certain someone.
“Mateo.” She coos with honey dripping from her voice, like a siren inviting me.
She walks closer, the sound of her clothes rustling making me go crazy. She’s stripping. Fuck. I’m in trouble.
“We can’t. I can’t.” I let her turn my head back to her, but my eyes are locked on her face. Don’t look down, don’t look down… She stands up on her tiptoes and gives me a sweet kiss on my jawline.
“I’m going to shower. I’ll wait for you there.” She grins at me again and sashays her naked body away. I can’t look. Don’t.
I drop back to the floor next to the couch and grab a pillow to shout in. We’re basically strangers. And she’s drunk. But we’re adults. And one-night stands are normal. So what am I so afraid of? Have I gone crazy? Oh my god, is there a parasite inside me? Mierda. I’m fucked.
I hear the shower turn on, and my train of thought rattles toward some very unholy scenarios.
How her body looks naked, and wet… The water flowing down her curves, her hands following, which could be mine—No!
Stop it. Is she thinking of me, as well?
Surely, or she wouldn’t have invited me to go with her.
I shout into the pillow again, trying to ease my frustration and the tightness in my jeans, but the sound is surpassed by a loud thud. Was that her? Is she hurt?
“Rosa! Are you okay?” I call out, but she’s not responding. Screw me! Why was I so stupid to let her go in alone? I make my way to the bathroom, and just before I open the door, I hear her voice.
“Yeah, I am. I just tripped. And fell.”
“Did you hurt yourself?” She probably did. All because I left her alone. Maybe I should withdraw my statement that we’re both adults.
“It’s nothing.” She tries to downplay it, but I can hear the pain in her voice.
“Can I come in?” I hear a soft muttering sound from the other side of the door, indicating that I’m allowed to enter. I slowly open the door and only peek over it to see if she’s behind the curtain or not.
The curtain is open, but she started to pour herself a bath, and she’s sitting in the warm water with a slight pout on her face, arms crossed in front of her chest, right leg sticking out of the tub.
I walk closer, sit down on the floor near the tub, and start examining her leg.
She hisses when I reach a sensitive spot on her ankle.
“Does anything else hurt?” She shakes her head as a no. “It doesn’t look bad. It might form a bump later and turn purple, but not too bad. You can move it, right?”
She starts moving her ankle around in a circle, and I’m so focused on it, I almost don’t realize her hands are slowly sneaking up my neck, and stops to cup my face.
Her eyes are staring into mine, constantly switching between my lips and eyes, her soft hand caressing my stubble.
She starts to lean in, and as much as my mind is telling me to stop, I’m hit with her sweet scent, and I can’t resist anymore.
My lips attach to hers, and our tongues move in sync with each other.
I rest my palms on the side of her face, and her hands tangle in my hair, the sensation reaching all my senses.
I’ve had some wild nights, but damn, she’s next level.
She’s making me excited with only a kiss.
I’m starting to think she might be a witch.
She makes sure to use her tongue as much as she can, and when she stops for a second and pulls my hair backward to bite into my lower lip, the feeling goes straight to my pants.
I feel it hardening, my pants suddenly too tight for my own well-being. As a signal, my senses come back to earth, the delirious fog disappearing, and I grab her shoulders to push her back.
“I can’t.”
She’s drunk. That means I have to try to be a gentleman now, and think with a straight mind, even though all of my senses are responding to every little thing she does—how her eyes burn into mine with such desire, she could make my pants disappear.
How her fingertips make my skin burn. How her tongue explored my mouth with such hunger, like she hadn’t eaten in weeks.
I’m not known for being a gentleman, I know that well, and I take full credit for it. Any other woman in her place, I wouldn’t care. But not her. She’s different.
When I said that Mona was the last one to fuck me over? I meant every single word. Here’s my chance to show her, the world, even myself, that I can be a better man.
This woman fell from heaven right into my arms, for the second time. I’m not gonna mess this up. Even if she just wants to be friends after this, I’ll take it. I’ll take anything she gives me, and I’ll control myself. I suddenly feel like a boy meeting his high school crush. I want to know her.
I want to know what her favorite color is, what she likes to eat for breakfast, what her self-care day looks like, what kind of songs she likes to listen to. I want to know everything about her. Every little detail written down in a list, so that I know what to remember.
I’m not saying I’m not thinking about taking her to bed right now. I know that’s what she wants, and I want it too. But there’s no way I’ll let this end as only a one-knight stand.
“Just give in, please.” That pleading voice… God, give me strength. “I’m fully aware of what's happening. Just one night of fun. That’s all I ask.”
“One night wouldn’t be enough of you, Rosa.” I start stroking her cheek again, but she pushes my hand away. I smirk. “Someone’s mad I’m not giving her what she wants.”
She folds her arms and turns away, pouting, but after a couple of seconds, I’m met with the most perfect boobs I’ve ever seen.
Nipples are in my eyes. She props herself on her knees and pushes her cherries right into my face—or she could, if I don’t stop her.
I press my lips together, close my eyes, and take a deep breath.
“No. Back in the tub, Rosalia. Now.” I watch as she obeys and disappears under the foam with the smirk back on her face.
“Yes, sir.”
I have to bite my lips not to give in to her temptation right here, right now. She knows what she’s doing, that little vixen, but she won’t win. I’m just as stubborn as you are, sweetheart, if not more.
“It seems like your ankle is fine. I’ll leave some clean clothes in front of the door. You can sleep in those. I’ll be out there if you need me.” She nods and mutters a quiet thanks as I leave. God, this woman is going to be the death of me.