Matteo
“There must be something in the air. Everyone is getting hitched….”
I turned Christain out.
He was a cousin from the father’s side who held a prominent position in the mafia gang in another country. I respected him, and I listened to anything he had to say regarding the mafia world, people I should stay away from, and the best allies one should have.
Except for tonight.
My jaw tightened when I heard that familiar laugh again, all the way from the other side of the room.
Valentina had been talking to Ethan for the past ten minutes since most of the Nevarros were yet to arrive. Not just talking – she was laughing and smiling like he was some award winning stand-up comedian when I knew for a fact that he wasn’t that funny.
And she had been avoiding me since Thursday. Today was Saturday.
Irritation bubbled in my throat when he took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. He said something, and she laughed again.
She’d never laughed that much when she was with me. And I was her husband.
My jaw clenched involuntarily, the heat rising up my neck as I took a sip from my drink, trying to make sure my breathing was steady. I knew Ethan wasn’t a threat, at least not in the way that would typically demand my wrath.
He was my closest friend, someone I trusted with my life.
But he was hell bent on pushing my buttons. And it seemed Valentina was interested in doing that too.
“Matteo, are you listening?” Christian asked, eyes narrowed as he took me in.
“Yeah, yeah. The marriages.” My voice was dismissive, my eyes flickering back to Valentina.
“You’re not listening at all,” Christain muttered, shaking his head. “Fine, go. Handle whatever it is that got you so tense.”
I was already halfway across the room before the last word left his lips.
“Ethan,” I greeted, my voice dangerously calm. I placed my hand on Valentina’s back and fixed Ethan with a hard glare. “Seems you’re quite the entertainer for my wife tonight.” I placed a small emphasis on the word wife.
Ethan glanced up, grinning. “Matteo!!” He exclaimed. “It’s really nice to officially meet your wife. Valentina’s got some interesting stories. Didn’t know she had such a sense of humour.”
I forced a chuckle, my fingers tightening slightly on Valentina’s back as I stole a glance at her. She looked radiant, but I could see the tension beneath the surface.
I couldn’t wait for her to tell me the reason why she ran away from our kiss.
“Yes, well…” I said smoothly. “I’m sure there will be plenty of time for that later. I was just about to introduce Valentina to a few important family members. Isn’t that right, Tesoro?”
Valentina’s eyes flickered, mostly because of the name, but she nodded, plastering a fake smile on her lips. “Of course.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow but said nothing, clearly sensing the shift in the air. With a final nod, I guided Valentina away from him, my hand resting firmly at the small of her back, keeping her close as we moved through the crowd.
“You’ve been avoiding me.” I murmured into her ear as we passed a group of guests.
“I’ve been busy.” she replied, her voice low but defiant.
“Busy laughing with Ethan?” I shot back, my tone sharper than I intended.
Her eyes flashed with something – anger, perhaps, or maybe just frustration – but she said nothing. Instead, I led her toward a small group of family members, smiling tightly as I introduced her to them one by one.
Each introduction was calculated, each family member watched her with curiosity, measuring her worth, assessing if she was good enough to be part of the Nevarros.
“This is my uncle, Lorenzo,” I said, introducing her to a tall, silver-haired man who commanded the room with his mere presence. By his side was the bane of my existence without any of her children.
Valentina smiled politely, nodding as Lorenzo gave her a once-over, his gaze appraising. “Ah, the infamous Valentina,” he said, his voice gravelly. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”
“All good things, I hope.” she replied, her tone light but guarded.
Lorenzo chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that made my skin crawl. “Good? Well, that remains to be seen, doesn’t it?”
I narrowed my eyes slightly but said nothing, moving her along before Lorenzo could get too comfortable.
Rachel smiled like she actually met it. “It’s such a shame we couldn’t come to the wedding. Matteo never thought it was necessary to inform us.”
“Because it wasn’t necessary.” I scoffed, moving Valentina away before more questions are asked.
We passed by several other family members, each one as curious and critical as the last. Valentina handled them all with grace, but I could see the tension building in her shoulders, the way her jaw tightened slightly with each passing comment or question.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I led her away from the crowd, steering her toward my office.
“Matteo, where are we going?” she asked, her voice a little breathless.
“Somewhere quiet,” I replied, not slowing my pace. “We need to talk.”
“Talk?” she repeated, incredulous. “Now? At your party?”
I didn’t answer, pushing open the door to my office and guiding her inside. The door clicked shut behind us, and the silence of the room settled like a heavy weight between us.
She looked around, her mind probably went down memory lane to the last time she was here. When I gave her some rules I never followed.
When she was satisfied, she turned to face me, her arms crossed over her chest. “What’s your problem?”
“My problem?” I repeated, stepping closer to her, my eyes locked on hers. “You’ve been avoiding me for days, literally ran away when we were kissing, and now you’re laughing with my best friend like it’s nothing. And now you want to know what my problem is?”
Her jaw clenched. “I haven’t been avoiding you.”
“Bullshit,” I shot back, my voice low and dangerous as I stepped even closer, backing her up against the desk. “You’ve been avoiding me since Thursday, Valentina. I’m not stupid. What’s going on?”
She glared up at me, defiance roared in her eyes. “Maybe you should think about the woman you were supposed to marry once a while, Matteo.”
The way she said my name. Like a melody.
My hand shot out, gripping her chin firmly, forcing her to look up at me. “You’re mine now, Valentina. Thinking about what could have been won’t change that.”
Her eyes flared with anger, and for a moment, I thought she might slap me. Talking about Isabella that way was enough to push her over the edge.
“Isabella made the right choice. You’re so rude.”
“Yet here you are.” I growled, my hands sliding down to her waist, pulling her flush against me. She gasped, but I didn’t give her a chance to speak. My lips crashed down on hers, hard and demanding, claiming her in the way that only I could.
She resisted for a moment, her hands pushing against my chest, but I didn’t relent. Slowly, her resistance melted, her lips parting as she returned the kiss with equal fervour. My hand slid down her back, gripping her firmly as I lifted her onto the edge of the desk.
Her breath hitched as my fingers trailed up her thigh, pushing the fabric of her dress aside. I could feel her trembling, her body responding to me despite the anger, the defiance in her eyes. I wanted to break through all of it, to remind her exactly who she belonged to.
“Matteo,” she whispered, her voice laced with both hesitation and desire.
“You forget,” I murmured against her lips, my hand slipping between her thighs. “You’re my wife. Not Ethan’s. Not anyone else’s. I don’t give a fuck if I was meant to marry a beauty queen before you. You’re mine….” I slipped my hand between her thighs. “… and no one is going to change that.”