Page 72 of Dare To Free Us

My brain began to fog from the hours of adrenaline pumping through my veins. Somehow sleep took ahold of me and I passed out wondering if I would wake to a nightmare— one where I lost everything I loved.

A soft knock-knock on the door tapped me awake. My eyes had crusted shut with tears and remains of the heavy black makeup, which I was sure had smeared halfway down my face.

Breaking the crust at the seams I turned my face towards the door, my body still too tired to move. The sound of soft knocking sounded again and this time my body reacted, sitting up and pulling the sheets up around me.

“Who is it?” Who the hell would be knocking on my door and why?

“It’s Matteo. May I come in?” I gaped at the door. Did Matteo really just ask permission to enter his own room? He sounded so, calm. I was quiet for so long he spoke again. “Arianna… please?”

“Yes.” What was happening? When Matteo left I thought I would never hear a kind word from him again, now he was asking please just to see me.

No matter the reason my heart leapt at the chance to look at him again. Hoping and praying it would hold the same undeniable connection we’d always shared before. Even if only a piece of it was left.

The lock clicked before the left door swung open. Matteo smoothly let himself in then closed it behind him. He still wore nothing but his suit pants and my eyes couldn't help but roam every inch of his exposed skin. His muscles looked relaxed, yet still beautifully defined.

When Matteo turned he met my eyes and didn’t move. We stayed that way for a long moment, studying each other, assessing the damage.

I took a closer look at my fierce, strong husband and withered inside. He looked like a shell of himself. The hurt and heartache was as plain as day on his face. His gorgeous, masculine body hung with exhaustion. I took in the tattoos he wore proudly, my gaze settling on the words covering his right side.

I only sleep to dream of forever with you.

The words were written in latin. Matteo told me years ago he got it after Lorenzo made me off limits, because he knew he would never love or want anyone but me. Flashes of the first time I saw it as I gave Matteo my virginity made me whimper, remembering his heart had always been mine, just like mine always belonged to him.

Shame and guilt gripped me hard enough it stole my breath. Matteo watched me with haunted eyes. That’s when I couldn’t take the silence any longer. Leaning forward I opened my mouth to beg for forgiveness. I didn’t care if it made me look weak. I still wouldn’t apologize for what I did, but I would say sorry for hurting him. Because seeing how I destroyed him was killing me.

Before I could get a word out Matteo held up a finger to his lips, silencing me. My mouth clamped shut. He didn’t want to hear what I had to say and it burned with the fury of a thousand suns.

Matteo pulled his phone out of his pocket, pressed a few buttons and music began playing in the room. The sound system built into the house could be activated by his phone, you could play it throughout the whole house or just one room.

‘You Are The Reason’ by Calum Scott filled the room. Matteo watched me for the first few lines. The words made new tears stream down my cheeks. Sucking in a breath I felt Matteo’s love move across the room with the song to settle in my chest. My heart thumped hard, causing my eyes to fall closed.

He still loves me.My shoulders shook with happiness along with the tears. When the bed dipped beside me I opened my eyes to find Matteo sitting on the bed, those beautiful brown eyes fracturing with emotion. His handsome face looked desperate.

Matteo’s throat bobbed in a hard swallow. Reaching out he cupped my jaw with one hand and stroked at my tears with his thumb. “I’m sorry. With everything I am, Arianna, I love you. Please forgive me?”

I coughed on the overwhelming happiness as I leapt into his arms. The sheet fell away as he pulled me tight against him. My heart expanded so fast it hurt. Burying my face in his shoulder I wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed with all I had. His smell hit me and I breathed him in, sandalwood, spice and a hint of sweat from the sex earlier. Matteo’s muscular arms held as tight as he dared without hurting me. I felt his heart beating rapidly against my chest as we embraced each other skin-to-skin.

“I love you, too,” I whispered.

Matteo squeezed a bit tighter and I returned the gesture. “I almost lost you,” he said, sounding scared.

“I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“I know,” he breathed. “I know.”

“What happens now?” How the hell were we going to move on from where we’d crash landed.

Pulling back he cupped my face, taking in every inch of me. The soft lighting made the moment incredibly intimate, bringing back memories from the first time we made love. “We are going to take a shower.”

“What?” I didn’t understand how that was going to help.

“I’m going to wash all the evidence of what I did from your body. The sweat, my cum dried between your legs, the makeup running down your face. Then I’m going to bring you back to this bed and make love to you like you deserve. That is, if you’ll still have me?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “Always.”

I whimpered as his lips pressed to mine. I kissed him back vigorously, unable to hide how desperate I was for him to make his words reality. Wrapping my legs around his waist Matteo carried me to the shower.

After putting me down he stripped his pants and led me into the glass stall. Matteo did exactly what he said he would. Holding me close, Matteo washed me from head to toe with tenderness.

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