Page 44 of His Tesoro

He huffed, running his hand through his hair, which was falling messily in his face. There was the hint of a five o’clock shadow lining his jaw.

“You are my wife and I’m your husband. You’re in pain, so I’m going to fix it.”

“You said we were just roommates,” I bit back. I would never have dared talk back to my father like this, and I wasn’t sure why I was doing it now when Matteo was trying to take care of me. But the idea of him seeing me naked, at my most vulnerable, when I wasn’t sure he even liked me, was too much to handle.

He just met my gaze with a stern, silent scowl. How was I supposed to understand any of this if he wouldn’t use actual words?

A wave of overwhelm washed over me, and I couldn’t stop myself from leaning forward and resting my head on his chest. I was so tired and my meds hadn’t kicked in yet. “I’m so confused,” I whispered.

Matteo’s arms wrapped around me, and he pulled me closer.

“Come on, tesoro. I don’t like seeing you in pain.”

The tenderness in his voice made a lump rise in my throat. I lifted my arms above my head as tears streaked down my cheeks. He slowly pulled it off, keeping his eyes fixed on my face.

My cheeks burned, waiting for his judgement, but he just cupped my cheeks and wiped away my tears. My breasts pillowed against his chest as he maneuvered me enough to pull off my sleep shorts and underwear. And then I was sitting completely naked in front of my husband for the first time.

This was not a flattering position. My belly rolls were evident, my thighs were spread against the counter, and I hadn’t shaved… anything. The last time I’d shaved was the morning of my wedding day. After his whole “roommate” talk, I didn’t see the point of keeping it up. But now he was staring at me like… well, I wasn’t sure. His face was so freaking stoic all the time. Did he find me ugly? Attractive? Was he thinking all the nasty things my mama’s friends said about my body when they came to visit? His jaw clenched as he took me in, and I wished more than anything I could hide.

I jumped when he gently ran his fingers across a bruise on my leg. “What’s this from?”

“I don’t know. I bruise easily.”

He nodded and then stepped back, pulling off his sweatpants in one swift movement. Apparently he didn’t wear underwear because now he was naked in front of me. My eyes were drawn to his cock—his hard cock—which looked impossibly big and intimidating. When I realized I was staring, I tore my gaze away, cheeks burning.

Matteo just leaned in to press a tender kiss to my forehead. “Consider this your warning.” His voice was low and sultry. Before I could decipher his words, I was back in his arms and lowered into the bath. I moaned at how good the hot water felt on my aching joints.

“Move forward,” he said.

“What?”

“Sit forward.”

I scooted forward and Matteo slipped in behind me. I sat stiffly as his body cradled mine. This was more physical intimacy than anything I’d ever experienced. It was simultaneously everything I craved and feared.

His breath skated across the top of my head as he wrapped his arms around me, guiding me to rest back on his chest.

“What are we doing, Matteo?”

“I’m taking care of you.”

I waited to see if he would say anything else, but my confusing husband stayed silent. I took a deep breath and allowed myself to relax back into him.

“Good girl,” he murmured. “Is the water helping?”

My stomach lurched. Good girl? A spark of arousal shot through my stomach. I wasn’t sure how I could be so turned on while also being in pain.

“Sofiya?” His lips skimmed the side of my face.

“Yes, it’s helping. Thank you.”

“Does it get bad like that often?”

I trailed my fingers through the water. “No, but I did more walking than usual earlier today.”

“You didn’t take your wheelchair?” There was censure in his voice.

I shrugged my shoulders.

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