Page 25 of Stolen Queen

I bite my lip, recalling how he'd helped me sneak back into my room that night. How gentle he'd been, even when I was drunk and reckless.

"And now?" Matteo continues. "I could have left you there when you fell. Your father's guards would have found you, and who knows what would have happened then. But I chose to help you again."

His words cause my resolve to wane. He's right. He's had multiple chances to take advantage of me, but he never did.

"I know you're scared," Matteo says softly. "But I promise, I'm not your enemy here. I'm trying to protect you."

“Then why am I locked up?”

He leans in close. “Because you don’t seem to understand the difficult situation we’re in. By saving you, I’ve put a bullseye on my back. Is that what you want, Ava? For your father to kill me?”

I shake my head.

“I don’t either. I’ll protect you, but I’m not going to die for you, Princess.”

I feel his words like a slap in the face. “If I’m such a problem, why did you kiss me?”

He leans in closer still, our faces millimeters apart. “You kissed me.”

My ego can’t take any more hits. “Poor you. Well… if you want to know, as first kisses go, it was forgettable.”

His eyes flash with wild heat. “Liar. That kiss has haunted your dreams, just like it has mine.”

It takes a moment for his admission to sink in. “You liked it?”

“Fucking hell.” He runs his fingers through his hair. I feel a rush of anticipation as Matteo's eyes darken with desire.

This is my chance. “Don’t you want to kiss me again?” I press against him, noting the wild energy radiating off him. I lift up on my toes and press my lips to his.

The moment our mouths meet, a jolt of electricity courses through my body. At first, he seems resistant, and then he gives in. His arms encircle my waist, pulling me flush against him. I gasp at the contact, and he takes the opportunity to deepen the kiss. His tongue teases mine, and I'm lost in a whirlwind of sensations. The hot sweep of his tongue. The hard length of him pressed against my belly.

Warmth spreads through my body, a mix of need and desire.

My fingers tangle in his hair, and I arch into him, craving more contact. The intensity of my reaction startles me. This isn’t supposed to feel so… real. But it’s as real and alive as it gets. For a moment, I forget why I initiated this kiss in the first place. All I can focus on is the way Matteo makes me feel—alive, desired, and strangely safe despite our circumstances.

But reason crashes through my stupor. I'm still his prisoner. This kiss, no matter how intoxicating, doesn't change that fact. I remind myself of my ultimate goal. Escape. But it's hard to focuswith Matteo's hands roaming my back, his lips trailing fire along my jaw. The physical attraction is overwhelming, threatening to sweep away my carefully laid plans.

But I can't let that happen. Inwardly, I muster my courage. Then I break the kiss. I whirl around. With freedom in sight, I run for the door.

10

MATTEO

Desire is like an inferno. Her soft lips, sweet taste… it takes every ounce of willpower not to toss her on the bed and sink into her sweet virgin pussy.

But I can't let myself get carried away. She's barely eighteen, for Christ's sake. And I've essentially kidnapped her, even if it was to save her from a worse fate.

But holy hell, I’ve never craved a woman like this. I can allow the kiss to go on just a bit longer, right?

Wrong.

In the next beat, Ava is out of my arms and bolting toward the door. The realization of what's happening hits me like a punch to the gut. She's playing me, using her newfound sexuality as a weapon. And damn it, it was working.

"Nice try, Princess," I growl. I lunge toward her, gripping her by the arm and yanking her back toward me just as she enters the hall.

Her eyes widen in shock and fear as she stumbles back against my chest. Her arms flail, and she screams for me to let her go. I band her to me, keeping her arms down and my face away from where her head could lever back and break my teeth.

"Did you really think that would work?" I snarl into her ear, tightening my grip around her until she can’t move. "That you could just bat your eyelashes and I'd let you waltz out of here?"

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