Page 154 of Phantom Mine

My arms close around his waist and I burrow my face into his chest with a sigh. Blood smears across his pristinely white dress shirt as I snuggle closer.

I push against his torso, but he doesn’t release me. Looking up, I find his jaw set, his eyes closed, and a harrowed expression on his face.

“I’m okay,” I assure him, my tone steady.

“I’m not. So just give me a fucking minute and stay still.” His voice is naked with emotion.

A low, approving rumble rolls up Matteo’s chest when I relax into his arms. He holds me for another minute before he kisses the top of my head and steps back.

Green eyes meet mine with a hard stare.

“Are you mad at me?” I’m not a fan of how small my voice comes out when I ask the question.

Behind Matteo, Enzo has Amadeo pinned to the ground with a knee to his back. He’s alive but unconscious, with a massive gash on his forehead that’s leaking blood onto the cobblestones.

Aurora sits on the cobblestones in nothing but her bra and underwear, crying softly into her hands. Enzo shrugs his jacket off and wraps it around her bare shoulders.

“No,” Matteo answers, drawing my gaze back to him.

“Then why are you looking at me like that?”

His eyes never left me. I don’t think he’s even blinked since I stepped out of his arms.

“I’m scorching my corneas.”

I think I misheard him. “Huh?”

Matteo makes a noise of pure frustration. He grips my jaw in his fist and jerks me to him, pressing a forceful kiss to mylips that makes me moan. “You’re impulsive,” he snaps.Kiss. “Hotheaded.”Kiss. “And so.”Kiss. “Fucking.”Kiss.“Reckless.”

“Youaremad.”

Matteo squeezes my jaw. His eyes drop to my lips and linger. “How can I be mad when those are also all of my favorite things about you?”

I blink slowly, looking up at him as my cheeks redden. He kisses me again, longer this time, more unhurried.

“Every time I have to stop a man from killing you, it shaves a year off my life. Just remember that.” His thumb wipes a few drops of blood off my cheek and he smiles. “I like the feral woman look on you.”

I stare at him, memorizing his features so I can picture him better when we’re apart. My gaze strokes over his face and I take in every single detail of him. I realize that I never want the memories I have of him to grow fuzzy, even though they’re destined to, and that’s when I know for sure what I’ve suspected for a while.

Another command of his I didn’t obey.

I’ve fallen in love with him.

Ilovehim.

It’s so complicated and yet it’s the most simple thing in the world.

“If you two are done making out, we might want to think about getting the fuck out of here,” Enzo drawls.

He has an arm around a shaking Aurora, his foot still on Amadeo’s unconscious back. I run to my friend and she falls into my arms.

“You’re okay,” I soothe, running a hand over her hair as she clings to me. “You’re okay.”

“Thank you,” she chokes out a sob. Her eyes lift to Matteo and she inclines her head deeply. “Thank you so much.”

He nods, then walks over to Amadeo and yanks his head back by his hair. I look back at Aurora, not needing to see what pain he decides to inflict on him.

Something in the air shifts. I can’t quite describe it, but it’s as if the particles converge and electrify, missing only a spark to explode. Danger, that’s what it is.

---