Page 56 of Matteo

“I’m glad. I think it’s a good idea to discuss what you are okay with ahead of time.”

I offer another spoonful of ice cream. She accepts it with a smile and a small shrug. “What are you thinking?”

“Can I put my arm around you?” I hold my breath as I wait for her answer.

Her nod is hesitant. I slowly slide my arm around her, settling my hand on her shoulder. Everything in me screams in agony when she sinks into me. She takes the carton of ice cream and takes another spoonful. Once she’s done, she scoops out some and holds it out to me. My whole body is hard for her.

“My brothers aren’t overly affectionate with their wives but there are times when they kiss, nothing more than a press of the lips to a cheek or brow. Would that be okay?” I hold my breath.

She considers it for a moment that feels like an eternity. A moment in which she feeds me another spoonful. I take it. It might as well be dust until I know her answer.

Finally, she nods.

Air rushes into my desperate body. I steel myself—just one kiss. She’s not ready for more. I press my lips to her pink cheek. She blushes easily. When she’s really embarrassed, the pink goes all the way to her ears, like now. It’s longer than it should be. Yet not as long as I wish it was before I pull away.

A breathy little moan escapes her—skittering down from my chest to my cock. I let my forehead fall against hers. Not daring to let her see how such a simple kiss is sweeter than every dream I’ve had of this moment, I close my eyes and simply savor the moment. A sigh chases away the dark. I open my eyes to find Amy fighting back a yawn.

“It’s your bedtime,” I whisper to her.

She shakes her head. “Five more minutes.”

“Five more minutes. I want more ice cream.”

Eyes glinting a soft chocolate, she gives me another spoonful of ice cream. We both sigh and close our eyes. And that’s how we fall asleep.

I come awake when I feel something wet on my side. What the hell? I’m lying on the couch with my feet hanging off the end. Amy is in my arms on top of me, her head on my chest. The wet is from the remaining ice cream spilling onto me from the carton.

I’m able to snag the carton and place it on the floor. Shit, I hope it doesn’t ruin the carpet.

I should get up and carry her to her own bed. If not for her, then my back. Except I don’t want to. Amy is asleep in my arms, and I’m not giving that up. I’m going to savor this moment.

Worry hits me she’ll be cold. I manage to pull off the throw blanket from the back of the couch and spread it out over her. When she begins to move, I go still. Only when she doesn’t wake up do I give in, wrapping my arms around her. I want to hold on to this moment for as long as I can but I’m asleep in minutes.

Amy

A beeping urges me awake from the best dream of my life. My bed moves. What?

I’m on top of Matteo. Oh my god. I meet golden eyes watching me in bemusement.

“Morning. Sorry about my alarm.” He’s apologizing to me?

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I try to push off him and almost fall.

He catches me. Slowly and carefully, he sits up. The moment he lets go of me, I scramble off his lap to the corner of the couch. “Hey, don’t say you’re sorry. I should be apologizing. Sometime in the night, I woke up. I should have carried you to bed then. I was worried I couldn’t manage to get you to bed without waking you up and messing with your sleep, so I didn’t.”

“There’s ice cream on your shirt. Oh shit. Will it come out? Ah crap, it’s on the rug.” I fell asleep holding the ice cream carton.

Last night comes rushing back to me. For a split second after he slammed the door when he came home, I was scared. Then he saw me, and his whole face changed—the very air around him changed. And he was back to being the gentle and sweet Matteo.

When he sat down on the couch close enough to touch those bees swarmed me all over again. They were angry, desperate for him. If I touched him, they would calm—I knew they would. So I allowed the honey flowing in my bloodstream to allow me to melt away those few inches that separated us and sunk into his hard body. Nothing had ever felt as right as Matteo’s body against mine.

When he explained why he was upset, I couldn’t believe what his mom did to him. She was going to keep pushing until he gave in. What if he fell in love with the next one? Fear of losing Matteo had the words coming out of me—I would pretend to be his girlfriend.

There was something in his golden eyes that stilled the rioting bees. That made me want to admit I didn’t want to pretend. Only my tongue was tied up in knots.

He fed me ice cream. I fed him ice cream. He asked if he could put his arm around me. Everything in me screamed yes, but all I could do was nod. Then he did it and I sunk into him like there were no bones in my body. He asked me if he could kiss me, just small kisses—the kind he would only give me in front of his family.

I wondered if he could hear my heart pounding because it was all I heard in my ears when I said yes. He kissed me. It was only the press of his lips to my cheek, but that simple touch changed me on a cellular level.

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