37. Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Mariella
M ateo grabs my hand, pulling me behind him as we quickly slip through a side door. He gives a quick wave to Romeo just before we step outside.
Soft rain greets us, falling in a gentle, cooling mist. I can’t explain why, but it fills me with a sudden rush of happiness. I’m on a high from what almost happened, again, in the gym.
Tilting my face to the sky, I let the cool droplets calm my overheated skin. Laughing, I stretch out my arms and spin, feeling freer with every turn.
I startle with a laugh when a single arm wraps around my waist from behind and I’m lifted off the ground. Mateo keeps spinning us in a circle, his chuckle filling my ears, and I can’t help but smile even wider.
This closeness, the strength in his grip, sends a rush through me.
For a split second, I consider applying what he just taught me, twisting to free myself. Is that what he wants? Is that why he grabbed me?
If it is, I don’t care. I want him to hold me.
So I relax my body, sink further into his embrace, and absorb his heat. The contrast with the cool drops of rain on my skin is like being caught between fire and ice, and every nerve ending tingles with life.
We’re both soaked by now, but neither of us cares. My attention drifts to his large hand and how easily it spans my abdomen. I fit so perfectly against him.
Sighing happily, I lean my head back into the crook of his neck, close my eyes, and let myself believe, just for this moment, that this is where I belong.
It feels so right.
I rest my hand lightly on his forearm, and even that soft touch sends a tingle through my stomach. The air between us dances again, my body reacting before my mind can catch up.
Sparks crackle where our skin touches. And Mateo? He shudders like a jolt of static hit him out of nowhere.
He stops moving and carefully sets me down on my feet. I spin in his arms, staring up at him.
So close.
A wet strand of hair has fallen onto his forehead. Somehow, it makes him even more handsome. His usual air of power seems amped up too.
Everything about him seems more .
I’ve certainly registered his all-masculine scent no water could wash off him. I’m so tempted to nuzzle into his neck to breathe him in, but I don’t move.
His eyes hold me captive. Did his chocolate brown orbs always have those golden flecks?
The rain is coming down heavier now, but it might as well be non-existent as Mateo slowly takes my face into his hands, his thumbs tracing my cheekbones. I lean into his touch, my body swaying toward him of its own accord.
It’s like we’re picking up exactly where we left off moments ago in the gym.
My stomach somersaults as he lowers his head, a gazillion beautiful butterflies fluttering their wings.
And then his lips connect with mine.
The moment I’ve waited for all my life is here.
And it’s as if fireworks are set off inside my body.
His lips are surprisingly soft. Demanding yet gentle. I want to get lost in them, in him, forever.
I rise to my tiptoes to get closer, my hands gripping the front of his shirt to anchor myself, afraid I might float away.
His hands fall from my face to pull me closer to his body. His hold is possessive and I revel in it. I want to be his!
I lift my hands tentatively to his cheeks, needing to feel his skin beneath my fingertips. It’s wet from the rain, and the stubble on his jaw is rough, the drops of water catching.
His tongue slides against my lips and when a moan escapes me, he slips it into my mouth, deepening the kiss.
Pure bliss is flowing through my veins.
Warmth floods my core, and an unfamiliar pulse builds between my legs.
This is crazy!
How am I, Mariella Beatrice Accardi, kissing my dream man?
A man who’s always been out of reach!
But I’m not second-guessing it. I am here for all of it. Especially when Mateo’s hand slides into my dripping wet hair, massaging my scalp while maneuvering my head into an angle to have even more access to my mouth.
I push closer against him, the movement making him groan. That’s when I feel it.
Hard and persistent against my abdomen.
A shiver of desire rolls through me. It’s intoxicating. I made him this hard!
I love this!
I love kissing this man. I love being kissed by him.
We’re completely lost in this moment. Truly, time has no meaning and I have no idea how long we stand in the rain making out.
Eventually, Mateo pulls away, both of us breathless. His smile is blinding. All of him seems to be smiling.
He rests his forehead against mine, nipping at my lips and kissing the tip of my nose. I’m sure I’m grinning like a lunatic.
His hands glide up and down my arms, and a furrow appears on his forehead.
“You’re cold.”
I am? I feel like I’m burning up from the inside.
“Let’s get you inside to dry you off,” Mateo says, his voice still gravelly.
“I’m fine,” I tell him, not wanting him to pull away.
Once we step back inside, this perfect bubble of rain and kisses will disappear. I’m not ready to let that go, not yet.
As if he senses my hesitation, Mateo leans in, pressing his lips to mine in a kiss that’s soft and sweet. It’s like a reassurance, though I’m not sure what he’s trying to tell me.
He takes my hand, pulling me through the door and into the gym. The blast of air conditioning hits us like an icy wall. I shiver and goosebumps prickle across my skin. I wrap my arms around myself, partly to keep warm, but mostly because I’m suddenly all too aware of my clothes clinging to me like a second skin, revealing far more than I’d like.
Mateo’s gaze flickers over me, from my wet hair to my bare arms and further down. Heat rises in my cheeks despite the chill. He doesn’t say a word, but his expression shifts, and I know he’s thinking exactly what I am.
“Wait here,” he says, his voice steady even though his eyes linger a moment longer. “I’ll just get rid of the guys.”
A few minutes later, I hear a door at the far end of the gym open and shut. Mateo appears again with a couple of towels and my dress in hand.
He’s changed into dry clothes, trousers and a button-up shirt, looking every bit as irresistible as ever, while I’m still soaked and shivering.
He slings a towel around my shoulders, using the ends to pull me closer. I look up at him, my heart stuttering. This man is my undoing, with that effortless charm and those warm brown eyes.
His eyes crinkle at the corners as he smiles down at me. Without a word, he bends his head, brushing his lips to mine, and in an instant, I forget all about the cold.
I lean into him, soaking in the warmth he so effortlessly offers, letting the world fade around us.
But all too soon, he pulls back. The loss of his touch leaves me aching, missing the warmth and steady pressure of his body against mine.
He points at a door a few feet away. “You need to get out of these wet clothes. Get changed in there.”
His voice sounds gruff and lower than usual and it stirs that fire in my core. But I do as I’m told. Swallowing my desires, I take my dress and head for the change room.
When I come back, Romeo is speaking with Mateo. Serious expressions darken their handsome faces, and I know for sure our magical bubble is busted.
Romeo is a striking man. He’s tall, good-looking, with a confidence that draws the eye, and the kind of effortless charm that turns heads in a room.
But next to Mateo?
Next to him, Romeo is nothing. Mateo commands any space without even trying. His gaze is steady, intense, and somehow magnetic.
But it’s not just his looks, it’s the quiet authority in his stance, the power in his silence, the way he holds himself with an air that’s both inviting and untouchable.
When he spots me walking toward them, his eyes light up, though the troubled look never fully leaves his face.
“I’m sorry, dolcezza ,” he says as I reach him, his voice carrying a note of regret. “I’m needed at the port. Salvatore will take you back to Carloso.” He nods toward a man I hadn’t noticed standing quietly in the corner.
I’m gutted. Of course, I knew we couldn’t spend all day together, but tell that to my hopeful heart.
Salvatore opens the gym door, and just outside, one of the cars is idling. My throat tightens. This is all ending much faster than I’d expected. I give Mateo a small nod to let him know I’ve heard since I can’t quite find my voice.
But before I can turn away, Mateo catches my wrist and presses a black box into my hand.
“This is for you,” he says softly, stepping closer until his gaze locks with mine.
His thumb brushes over my wrist, and his touch lingers for just a moment before he lets go, slips into his Ferrari with Romeo, and drives off, the second car with his men trailing close behind.
I watch the taillights disappear, missing Mateo already. Will I even see him again today?
“Signorina Accardi,” Salvatore says, inclining his head toward the idling car before moving ahead to open the back door for me.
Wet clothes and Mateo’s present in hand, I slide into the backseat. I glance down at the sleek black box, my fingers brushing its edges.
What does he have for me this time?