Page 32 of My Secret Bandit

“And you believe that someone is me?”

“Yeah,” I said bluntly. For one small fraction of time, fear crept in. Afraid I’d scare him off by being so open and upfront. But the pride I thought I saw moments ago now shined through.

He stood and walked to where I sat. Resting himself against the table, he took my hand and lifted until I stood with him.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” I asked, twirling one of his loosened curls around my finger.

“For trusting me. With your history, your heart, and your body. Is it too early to make you a promise?” he whispered as he nuzzled his nose against mine, our foreheads resting together.

“I mean, it could be, but I don’t think I care about timelines,” I replied, my hushed tone matching his.

He positioned us so our eyes locked on each other. “I need you looking at me while I do this.” Even as the blush rose to my cheeks, I kept my gaze on him. “Jameson. I promise I will remind you every day how much you mean to me. I promise to meet and break the expectations you’ve set. I will respect you and treat you the way you deserve. Then… when the time comes, I will love you more than you thought possible.”

My heart pounded as he spoke.

“Is ditto acceptable?”

His laughter ruffled my hair. “I’ll take ditto.”

He leaned in, stopping short of my lips. I laid my hands on his thighs, feeling the power of them under my palms. Leaning in the last inch to reach his mouth, he smiled under our kiss.

“I can’t wait anymore,” he groaned out a whisper, and I inched backward.

“Mateo.” I sighed.

“Relax.”He laughed. “Get your mind outta the gutter. I’m talking about cheesecake,” he said, rubbing his palms together excitedly.

“But listen. After this, we’re going straight to bed, so I can hold you for as long as possible.” He peppered the skin of my jaw and neck with kisses before turning me around.

Hands on my shoulders, he guided me to the couch and turned back toward the kitchen without a word. I watched him move through the room with the same effortlessness I saw earlier. Holding both plates, he used his long legs to climb over the top of the couch, not bothering to walk all the way around.

He moaned as the first bite disappeared into his mouth.

Until now, I thought nothing could be better than watching Mateo at practice, using his shirt to wipe away sweat and showing off his abs.

Yeah, him in only these sweats scarfing down cheesecake is much more satisfying than it should be.

When we finished, he threw the dishes into the dishwasher before grabbing my overnight bag from the floor and leading me upstairs.

Unlike the rooms I visited downstairs, a plush carpet felt like a cloud beneath my naked feet. A king-sized bed topped by a white down comforter, and tall, black tufted headboard acted as the room’s primary focus. Nightstands sat on either side of the bed, a rectangular ottoman at the foot of it, two dressers along the wall, and a chair in the corner filled the room.

Arched French doors along the far-left wall beckoned me closer. I couldn’t stop myself from pushing them open.

A balcony overlooked the backyard. Even in the decreasing light of the night, the pool glittered in the lights coming off the back of the house and cast shadows on the cushioned benches nearby.

Warm arms wrapped themselves around my torso. Mateo sighed and placed his chin on my head. “Sometimes I forget how nice it looks at night. Come on, I want to show you something.”

He spun me around and walked into the bathroom.

Mateo watched me as I wandered around the space, taking in all the features and amenities it offered. A stone rainfall shower. A fireplace, visible on both sides of the wall that I somehow missed earlier. A walk-in closet as big as my bedroom. A garden tub large enough to fit at least three people. A mirror from the ceiling that met at the seam of the white marble countertop on top of black cabinets and drawers all pulled together with darker marble floors.

He opened a drawer showing off a toothbrush and toothpaste still in their packaging, a new hairbrush, and the same soaps and lotions I use at home.

“It’s weird, right?”

He looked from the newly revealed stash to my face and back again before he rubbed his head.

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