Page 36 of The Devil's Den

“’Kay.” He continues to swing his feet, yawning.

“I think it’s someone’s nap time.” A lazy smile falls over my mouth.

“Oh man, I could use a nap too.” Matteo throws his head on the pillow and pretends to snore.

A fit of laughter erupts from Robby.

I let them fool around for a bit more before Robby rubs his eyes, and Matteo lifts him up with a kiss to the top of his head, handing him to me.

He looks deep into my eyes, a thumb stroking down my cheek. “Come back?” My heartbeats still or surge to life, I can’t quite figure out which one.

“I’ll always come back to you.” With Robby lying over my shoulder, I slice a hand through Matteo’s and I kiss him.

Slowly.

Tenderly.

And I don’t have to wonder what love is because he’s love. He always has been.

* * *

MATTEO AGE 18

She’s right. She always comes back, and I love it and hate it all at the same time. A girl like her should see the world, experience everything on that globe she’s been teaching me from. All those countries she could visit, even move to, away from here. From me. From all this awful shit. But fuck if it doesn’t hurt just thinking about not seeing her ever again.

She lies beside me, her head resting on my bicep as she looks up at the ceiling. “You ever wonder what other people are doing in this exact moment?” she asks. “Not just here. I mean, like everywhere, in all parts of the world.”

“Not really.” I stare down at her, my face settled in my palm. That sparkle in her eyes has me wanting her to keep talking. I once told her that her hair reminded me of the sun, well, that wasn’t entirely true. She is the sun. My sun. The bright ball of light in my messed-up life.

“Well, I think about it all the time.” She smiles, lost in her own thoughts.

“What else do you think about?” I brush a thumb down the side of her face. Touching her sends a jolt across my body, right to my dick, and instantly, I feel damn dirty for even getting hard, especially here in this basement. The thought of doing anything like that with her down here makes my dick shrivel back up. If I ever get the chance to show her how much I love her, it won’t be on this mattress. It’ll be somewhere beautiful, somewhere she deserves.

“Well…” She pivots to me. “I think about us. Like how much fun it’d be to stroll the beach together, somewhere warm and beautiful.”

Like you.

“And where do we live?”

“Oh, that’s a great question!” Her bottom lip gets caught between her teeth as she contemplates an answer. “I never actually thought about a specific place, but if I had to, we’d live on Corvo Island.”

“Where’s that?” I gaze intently into her eyes. “I don’t think you taught me about it.”

“No, I don’t think I have.” Her expression goes all dreamy, and I promise myself that when we’re free, that’s the first place I’ll take her. “It’s one of the smallest islands, west of Portugal. We could watch the volcano, go hiking after our stroll on the beach. We could even go fishing.”

“We fish now?” I chuckle.

“Duh, it’s our fantasy.” She rolls her eyes with a small grin. “We can do anything there.”

“I like this fantasy.” A smile casts over the shadows of my face, igniting my heart with something it desperately begs for—a life with her. “What else do we do in this fantasy?”

Her lips part, her cheeks catching sight of a hint of pink. My thumb brushes over it, and in her eyes, I find something she’s afraid to say. “Tell me, Aida. What else do we do there?”

“Maybe—” Her breath catches as she swallows harshly, glancing away.

“You never have to be afraid to tell me what you’re thinking, no matter how big or small. ’Cause I bet you anything,” I whisper, my lips landing on the tip of her nose as I draw back, “I’ve thought of it already.”

“I don’t think you’ve thought ofthat.” Her voice becomes soft and breathy.

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