Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
VANESSA
I don’t usually sleep at night anymore. But tonight, after some of the best sex of my life, I actually get a few solid hours. I wake to Mateo’s warmth beside me, his arm still draped over my waist.
If someone told me a week ago this is where I’d be, and what I would be doing, I would’ve laughed in their face. If sex feels like this every time, I might be doing it a lot more often. Lying here next to him stirs something inside me I haven’t felt before.
I catch a hint of sunrise through the window, check my phone, and realize it’s nearly seven. That’s when I decide to get out of bed.
I grab the first thing that feels like a shirt and pull it on. It takes a moment to realize it’s Mateo’s. The scent of his cologne and fresh pine wraps around me. I pause, breathing it in.
I head into the living room and turn the TV on low, just enough for background noise. Quietly, I open different cabinets to find what I’m looking for. I find coffee grounds and some pans.
I start the coffee, then heat a pan on the stove. Opening the fridge, I spot eggs and grab them. I add some butter to the pan and start cooking.
Warm hands slide around my waist, and a soft kiss lands at the back of my head.
A groggy voice murmurs in my ear. “If I’d known you were going to make breakfast, I would’ve done more last night.”
A smile spreads across my face. “Well, don’t expect anything impressive. I’m not a very good cook.”
“I don’t care. I’ve never had someone make me breakfast before.”
I turn slightly. “Seriously?”
“I mean, as an adult. My mom made me breakfast when I was a kid.” He places a soft kiss on my cheek, then lets go of my waist.
He walks over to the cabinet, grabs two mugs, and pours us both coffee. He slides one across the counter toward me. “Do you want any cream or sugar with that?”
“No, I’m good.”
“Good,” he says with a quiet laugh. “Because, honestly, I don’t have either.”
I look over at him and roll my eyes. He turns and leans against the counter, sipping his coffee.
I realize he’s in gray sweatpants and nothing else.
I get an unobstructed view of his body now.
His tan skin, ripped abs, and a perfectly placed tattoo on his ribs catch my attention.
The veins in his arms stand out as he lifts his mug for another sip of coffee.
Honestly, how often does this man work out?
I plate the eggs and hand one to him, then move to one of the barstools. Mateo doesn’t follow. He stays where he is, eating against the counter. I look up at him.
“Are you going to sit down?”
“No,” he says easily. “Why would I when I have this view?” He smiles, slow and knowing.
“I’ll be in my office most of the day working on contracts and property reviews.
If you need anything, just knock.” He takes another bite, watching me.
“I know you have a shift tonight, so I’ll be as quiet as possible so you can sleep. ”
“Okay, sounds good,” I say.
He finishes his food, loads his plate into the dishwasher, and cleans the pan and spatula I used. When he’s done, he walks over and presses a kiss to my cheek.
“I’m going to shower and change, then head into my office. Would you like to join me?” he asks with a wink.
“Join you?”
He chuckles at my expression. “Join me in the shower.”
“Umm,” is all I manage to say.
“Like I said, I don’t bite. It’ll be fun.” He takes my empty plate and coffee mug, loads them in the dishwasher, then walks back over and laces his fingers with mine.
“Come on.”
I let him pull me with him, following him down the hallway and into his room.
His room feels just as much like a bachelor pad as the rest of the apartment. The walls are a deep gray, almost black, while the bedding is a lighter shade that softens it a little. The bay windows along the wall let in a wash of sunlight, brightening the space more than I expect.
He guides me into the bathroom and shuts the door behind us. Then he pushes me back against it and kisses me hard enough that, if I weren’t braced there, it would’ve knocked me over.
“When I saw you standing in the kitchen wearing my shirt,” he says against my mouth, “I knew I needed to get you in the shower with me.”
He turns away long enough to start the water, steam already filling the bathroom. “Come here, sweetheart.”
I’ve noticed that every time he uses a pet name, my heart beats a little faster. I step toward him, and he pulls my shirt up and over my head. He pushes his sweatpants down, and his cock springs free. He smirks, glancing down.
“I can think of a few things we could do with this in the shower.”
He grabs my hand and pulls me in with him. I let the warm water fall over my head, my eyes fluttering shut for a second. Mateo watches me, slow and intent, before his hands settle on my shoulders, sliding my hair back away from my breasts.
The hot water runs over my skin, and my nipples tighten instantly. His hands move to my waist, firm and sure, pulling me into him. He kisses me, deep and unhurried, and I melt into it.
I feel his right hand trail lower, between my thighs, finding my pussy already soaked.
“Damn, baby, you’re already so fucking wet for me, huh?” he growls.
I give a small nod, and he smirks. He slides his index finger into my pussy and starts to pulse in and out while using his thumb to massage my clit. His mouth trails down my neck as he presses me back against the shower wall, shifting us until the water barely touches either of us.
He pulls his hand away, causing a whine to slip from my lips.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I have other plans for you.” He smiles. “I’m going to make you come in a whole new way this time.”
Then his mouth is on me again. He kisses his way down my neck before taking my left nipple into his mouth, nipping and sucking until I moan his name.
He gives the other the same attention, drawing it out, lingering until my body aches for more.
I grab his hand and guide it back between my thighs.
He slips one finger into my pussy, then adds another, the heat coiling tighter deep inside me.
He trails kisses down my chest and stomach until he drops to his knees, his mouth hovering right in front of my pussy. He pulls his fingers free and licks his lips, eyes dark and hungry, like he’s about to devour me whole.
He starts sucking and licking every inch of me, his tongue circling my clit until it feels like he’s going to suck me dry. The fire low in my core builds fast, tight, and unstoppable, my body betraying me with every stroke of his tongue. My moans grow louder, more desperate.
Mateo mumbles, “Let go. Come for me.”
The vibration from his mouth is all it takes.
I shatter, releasing everything inside me, my body trembling as the pleasure crashes through me.
When it fades, I feel spent, like I could sleep for days, but I want to return the favor.
Before he can move us back under the water, I grab his arms and turn him, pressing him against the wall.
“Baby, what are you doing?”
“Returning the favor.” I smirk.
“How are you going to do that?” he asks, breathlessly.
“Well, I’m thinking about doing this.”
I start kissing his chest, trailing my mouth down his body until I sink to my knees in front of him.
“Tell me what you’re going to do down there,” he says.
I don’t answer with words. I start by wrapping my mouth around his hard cock, taking in every inch. I look up and our eyes lock.
“Fuck,” he growls.
I suck him harder, sliding over him slow and deep, refusing to rush a single stroke. Mateo’s hands fist in my hair, pulling me closer as he guides me down on him, my eyes burning as tears gather, my body straining to take everything he gives me.
“I’m going to come. You better fucking swallow all of it,” he grits through clenched teeth.
I go faster, taking him deeper, until I feel him pulse and warmth fills my throat. He pulls free from my mouth and tips my chin up, forcing my gaze to his.
“Swallow,” he says, sternly.
I do, one hard gulp.
“Good girl.”
He hauls me to my feet, kisses me hard, then turns me back under the stream of water. He grabs the body wash from the shelf, mine, and a washcloth. The lavender scent fills the air as he glides it slowly over my body.
“So, this is where the smell comes from?” Mateo whispers.
I hum in response. He keeps moving the washcloth over my body, slow and thorough. When he’s done, he reaches for the shampoo—mine. I’m still trying to figure out when he managed to move all of this in here. It must have been while I was sleeping.
“When did you put these in here?” I ask softly.
“I saw them at your place,” he says. “I had some delivered here to make sure they were waiting for you.”
“I didn’t think you’d notice that.”
“I notice a lot when it comes to you.”
By the time he finishes washing my hair, it’s my turn to wash him. I reach for his body wash, the same pine scent he always carries, the one I recognize every time I’m near him. I work it over his skin in silence, focusing hard on the task so I don’t get too aroused doing this.
When we step out of the shower, I wrap a towel around my body while Mateo walks toward his closet. I linger in the bathroom doorway.
“Vanessa?” he calls from the walk-in closet.
“Yeah.”
Peeking his head out of the closet, he says, “Come here.”
I walk over and stop in the doorway, gripping the towel to my chest. He steps toward me, already in a pair of navy slacks, and pulls the towel from my body.
“Here. Put this on.” He hands me a white button-down shirt.
I take it and slip it over my head, watching as he pulls on a crisp white shirt and a navy blue tie.
He finishes with socks and black dress shoes, then walks back to me, smiling softly as he presses a kiss to my forehead before heading to his dresser to grab his watch.
I watch him intently as he moves around his space, getting ready for the day.
“I’m going to start working in my office. It’s the room on the other side of the guest room.” He pauses to fasten his watch, then adjusts his tie. “I know you usually sleep during the day, so I’ll leave you alone until this afternoon, even though—”
His phone rings, cutting him off mid-sentence. He looks down at his watch. “Shit. I have a conference call in five minutes.”
He leans in, kisses my cheek again, then rushes out of the room.
I stand there for what feels like hours before I move on autopilot back to the guest room. I’m exhausted and should sleep before my shift, but rest won’t come. Everything that happened last night and this morning comes flooding back all at once.
Fuck.
Gino is probably going to murder both Mateo and me for sleeping together. He asked for Mateo to be there to take care of me—not to take care of me.
After contemplating how I’ll probably be killed by my own brother, no less, I finally fall asleep.