Page 14 of The Enforcer's Brat

"Fine," he bit out. "Message received, loud and clear. Won't happen again."

Matteo looked like he wanted to say more, but Enzo cut him off. "I'm tired. Think I'll turn in early."

Without waiting for a response, Enzo fled upstairs, his heart pounding and his body still thrumming with frustrated desire.

Once in his room, Enzo collapsed onto the bed, burying his face in the pillow. What the fuck had he been thinking? Of course Matteo didn't actually want him. He was just a job, a responsibility. Nothing more.

As Enzo drifted off into an uneasy sleep, he couldn't shake the memory of Matteo's kiss, of strong hands and barely restrained passion. Whatever Matteo said, whatever excuses he made, Enzo knew there was something real between them.

And he'd be damned if he was going to let it go without a fight.

Downstairs, Matteo sat on the couch, head in his hands. He could still taste Enzo on his lips, could still feel the ghost of the younger man's body against his.

"Fuck," he muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face. He was in way over his head, teetering on the edge of something he wasn't sure he could come back from.

But as he remembered the look in Enzo's eyes, the raw need and vulnerability, Matteo knew he was already lost. Whatever happened next, whatever consequences came from this, he'd face them head-on.

For Enzo, he'd risk it all. Heaven help them both.

CHAPTER 6

PUSH AND PULL

The morning light filtered through the curtains, rousing Enzo from a fitful sleep. He groaned, burying his face in the pillow as memories of the previous night came flooding back. The kiss, Matteo's rejection, the humiliation that followed – it all swirled in his mind, making his stomach churn.

For a moment, Enzo considered just staying in bed. Maybe if he hid long enough, Matteo would forget about their awkward encounter. But the thought of appearing weak, of letting Matteo think he'd gotten to him, was even more unbearable than facing the older man.

With a sigh, Enzo dragged himself out of bed and into the shower. As the hot water sluiced over his body, he tried to formulate a plan. He couldn't take back what had happened, but he could control how he reacted to it. If Matteo wanted to pretend nothing had happened, fine. Two could play at that game.

Enzo dressed with care, choosing a tight t-shirt that showed off his lean muscles and jeans that hugged his ass in all the right ways. If Matteo was going to reject him, Enzo was damn well going to make sure he regretted it.

When he finally made his way downstairs, Enzo found Matteo in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. The domesticity of the scene – Matteo in a soft-looking henley, spatula in hand – made Enzo's heart clench in a way he wasn't ready to examine too closely.

"Morning," Enzo said, aiming for casual as he slid onto a barstool at the kitchen island.

Matteo turned, his eyes widening slightly as they raked over Enzo's form. "Morning," he replied, his voice gruff. "Sleep well?"

Enzo shrugged, reaching for the coffee pot. "Well enough. You?"

"Fine," Matteo said shortly, turning back to the stove.

The tension in the air was palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife. Enzo sipped his coffee, watching Matteo's back as the older man finished cooking. When Matteo finally set a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him, Enzo murmured a quiet thanks.

They ate in silence, the only sound the clink of cutlery on plates. Enzo couldn't help but sneak glances at Matteo, noticing the tightness in his jaw, the way his knuckles were white around his fork.

Finally, Matteo broke the silence. "We need to talk about last night."

Enzo's heart rate kicked up, but he forced his expression to remain neutral. "What about it?"

Matteo's eyes narrowed. "You know what. What happened on the couch... it can't happen again."

"Relax," Enzo said, injecting as much nonchalance into his voice as he could muster. "It was just a kiss. No need to freak out about it."

"Just a kiss?" Matteo repeated, his voice low and dangerous. "Is that all it was to you?"

Enzo met Matteo's gaze head-on, ignoring the way his pulse quickened at the intensity in those steel-gray eyes. "You made it pretty clear that's all it could be. So yeah, just a kiss. No big deal."

For a moment, something like hurt flashed across Matteo's face. But then his expression hardened, a muscle ticking in his jaw. "Fine. As long as we're on the same page. It won't happen again."

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