Page 23 of The Enforcer's Brat

For a moment, Matteo looked torn. Enzo could see the conflict raging behind those steel-gray eyes—duty warring with desire. He leaned in, pressing his advantage.

"Tell me you don't want this," Enzo murmured, trailing a hand down Matteo's chest. "Tell me last night meant nothing to you, and I'll drop it. We can go back to being bodyguard and bratty charge, no harm done."

Matteo caught Enzo's wrist, his grip gentle but firm. "You know I can't say that," he said, voice low and rough. "Last night... it meant something. You mean something to me, Enzo. That's why this is so complicated."

Hope bloomed in Enzo's chest, threatening to choke him with its intensity. "So let's uncomplicate it," he said. "We don't have to tell anyone. It can be our secret, just between us."

Matteo opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, his phone buzzed on the nightstand. He reached for it, frowning at the screen.

"It's your father," he said, tension creeping back into his shoulders. "I have to take this."

Enzo nodded, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut. He watched as Matteo answered the call, noting the way the older man's posture straightened, all traces of the soft, sleep-rumpled man from moments ago vanishing.

"Yes, sir," Matteo said, his voice clipped and professional. "I understand. We'll be there within the hour."

He ended the call, turning back to Enzo with a grim expression. "There's been an attack on one of your family's businesses. Your father wants us at the compound immediately."

Enzo's eyes widened. "An attack? What kind of attack? Is everyone okay?"

"I don't have all the details yet," Matteo said, already moving to gather their clothes. "But it sounds serious. We need to move fast."

As they hurried to dress, the easy intimacy of moments ago was replaced by a tense, charged atmosphere. Enzo could practically see Matteo's walls going back up, the professional mask sliding into place.

"Matteo," Enzo said softly as they prepared to leave the bedroom. "What we were talking about before... we're not done with that conversation."

Matteo paused, his hand on the doorknob. For a moment, Enzo thought he might argue. But then Matteo's shoulders slumped slightly, a hint of vulnerability showing through.

"I know," he said, not quite meeting Enzo's eyes. "But right now, we have a job to do. Can you handle that? Can you trust me to keep you safe, even with... everything else going on?"

Enzo nodded, straightening his spine. "I trust you," he said firmly. "Always have, always will."

Something softened in Matteo's expression. He reached out, cupping Enzo's cheek in a touch so gentle it made Enzo's heart ache. "Good," Matteo murmured. "Because no matter what happens between us, keeping you safe will always be my top priority."

With that, he opened the door, gesturing for Enzo to go ahead. As they made their way downstairs, Enzo couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to change. Again.

The drive to the Ricci family compound was tense, the air thick with unspoken words and simmering desire. Enzo fidgeted in his seat, sneaking glances at Matteo's profile. The older man's jaw was set, eyes focused on the road ahead with laser-like intensity.

"So," Enzo said, unable to bear the silence any longer. "Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room, or...?"

Matteo's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "Now's not the time, Enzo."

"When is the time, then?" Enzo pressed, frustration bubbling up. "Because from where I'm sitting, there's always going to be some crisis, some reason to put this conversation off."

Matteo sighed, a hint of his own frustration showing through. "What do you want me to say? That last night was a mistake? That it can never happen again?"

"Is that how you feel?" Enzo asked, hating how small his voice sounded.

For a long moment, Matteo was silent. Just when Enzo thought he wasn't going to answer, Matteo spoke. "No," he said softly. "That's not how I feel. But it doesn't change the fact that this—us—it complicates things."

Enzo turned in his seat, facing Matteo fully. "So we'll figure it out. Together. I'm not asking for forever, Matteo. I'm just asking for a chance."

Matteo glanced at him, something vulnerable flickering in his eyes. "A chance at what, exactly? What do you want from me, Enzo?"

"Everything," Enzo said without hesitation. "I want all of you, Matteo. The good, the bad, the complicated. I want to be yours, completely."

Matteo's breath hitched audibly, his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel. "You don't know what you're asking for," he said, his voice low and rough. "I'm not an easy man to be with, Enzo. I'm possessive, demanding. I'll want to control every aspect of your life."

A shiver of anticipation ran down Enzo's spine. "Maybe that's exactly what I need," he murmured. "Someone to keep me in line, to give me direction."

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