Chapter 55
Aria’s POV
I woke up feeling warm. Like, really warm. The kind of warmth that made me want to sink deeper into it and never leave. Everything smelled like spice, leather, and something undeniably Matteo. It was comforting in a way I wasn’t used to. Safe, Secure. And then I realized why.
Matteo’s arm was wrapped around my waist, heavy and solld, his body pressed against mine. His breath was slow and steady against the back of my neck, each exhale tickling my skin and making me shiver. My brain tried to catch up, to process the fact that we were still tangled together from last night..
Oh.
I could still feel the ghost of his hands on me, the way he touched me like he had all the time in the world to learn every inch of me. I squeezed my eyes shut, heat creeping up my neck as everything came rushing back. The way he kissed me. The way he looked at me. The way he claimed me in a way that made my heart race and my thoughts scatter.
I tried to move, but his grip tightened, pulling me closer until there wasn’t even a sliver of space between us. My breath hitched as his lips brushed against my shoulder, the barest, laziest of touches.
“Not ver
yet, princesa,” he murmured, his voice deep and rough with sleep.
I stilled.
It wasn’t like his usual teasing voice–the one that always carried amusement, like he was constantly entertained by my reactions. This was different. This was raw, unguarded. It made something inside me twist painfully, made my chest feel
too tight.
time more
I hesitated before trying again, but Matteo only nuzzled closer, his lips brushing my skin again, this ti
deliberately.
“I have to” I started, though I didn’t even know how, I was planning to finish that sentence.
But then his fingers started moving. Slow, lazy circles against my hip, like he was tracing invisible patterns. It was innocent and dangerous at the same time, because it made my heart beat way too fast, my body betraying me by melting
into him.
“Just stay,” he whispered.
And I did.
Because how could I not?
It felt like hours before we finally moved. Matteo stretched behind me, his body pressing into mine une last time before he finally let go. When I turned to look at him, he was watching me with that lazy, satisfied smirk, his hair a mess, his lips still kiss–swollen from last night.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he said. “I already ordered breakfast.
I blinked at him. “What?”
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Chapter 55
“You heard me, princesa. You’re staying in bed. With me.”
I wanted to argue, to tell him he didn’t get to decide that, but then there was a knock at the door, and within minutes, the most insane breakfast was spread out in front of us.
Pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. Bacon, eggs, croissants. Freshly squeezed orange juice. It was too much. It
was perfect.
And then Matteo did the most infuriating thing ever.
He stole the first bite of my pancake.
“Excuse you!” I gaped at him, trying to snatch my fork back, but he just leaned away, chewing like the world’s most annoying thief.
“Tastes better this way,” he said, smirking.
I narrowed my eyes at him, then grabbed a croissant off his plate just to be petty.
We ate like that, bickering, stealing each other’s food, laughing. And I didn’t even realize how close we’d gotten until I felt his thumb brushing against my lip. I froze.
Matteo didn’t.
His eyes
darkened, his thumb swiping again, this time slower, his touch featherlight. And then, before I could even process what was happening, he licked the whipped cream off his thumb, his gaze never leaving mine.
Holy, Hell.
“That was mine,” I whispered, my voice way shakler than I wanted it to be.
His lips curved into something smug, and he leaned in, his breath warm against my cheek. “You want it back?”
I almost died.
I turned away, my heart slamming against my ribs, but Matteo just chuckled, like he knew exactly what he was doing to me. He reached for my hand, threading his fingers through mine as he leaned back against the pillows, completely unbothered by the effect he had on me.
Matteo’s fingers traced lazy circles on the back of my hand, his touch warm and steady. I should have been thinking. worrying, questioning everything that had led to this moment. But with him looking at me like that–like I was something precious, something his–all the doubt faded. My chest felt tight, but not in a bad way. In a way that made me realize I didn’t want to run anymore. Maybe I never really did.
We stayed like that for a while. Just existing in the same space. His fingers played with mine absentmindedly, tracing over knuckles, his touch gentle and slow, Every now and then, his thumb would brush against my wrist, and every time it did, my stomach flipped.
my
I didn’t know how long we stayed like that. But eventually, the question that had been swirling in my mind all morning slipped out before I could stop it.
“What happens now?”
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Chapter 55
I didn’t even look at him when I said it. Just stared at the celling, my fingers tightening around his, bracing myself.
Matteo didn’t answer right away. Instead, he tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. Ills eyes were softer now, none of the usual teasing or arrogance in them.
“No more running, princesa,” he murmured. Ilis voice was quiet but sure, like he was stating a fact. Like he was making a
e ours now.” promise. “You’re
Ours.
Not his. Theirs.
Something inside me cracked wide open.
Matteo must have seen it in my face, because his hand slid to my jaw, his thumb brushing over my cheek before he leaned in, his lips barely grazing mine. It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t desperate.
It was s
slow.
Deliberate.
Like
he had all the time in the world.
And in that moment, I knew–I wasn’t running anymore.
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