ARIA’s POV
Taking his bottom lip between my teeth, a low groan rumbled from his chest as he pulled me tighter, the scent of cigarettes and musky cologne filling my senses. It was a surprising mix, a hint of rebellion laced with something undeniably intriguing. Despite the confusion – I knew he didn’t smoke – I surrendered to the moment, every breath, every touch, fueling the fire that roared to life within me. His eyes met mine, a dark storm brewing beneath the surface. I cupped his face, my touch meant to deepen the connection, but he surprised me by pulling away.
He sent a shiver down my spine as his kisses danced lower, moving from my neck to the hollow in my neck. My breath hitched as his hands, surprisingly perfect in their touch, explored my body with a newfound urgency. They moved with a sculptor’s precision, molding and kneading, igniting a fire with every caress. The shirt I wore vanished in a blur, ripped away by his haste. His kiss followed, fierce and possessive, as if he was claiming every inch of me. It was a kiss that stole my breath and sent shivers down my spine, a desperate plea disguised as passion. When he broke the kiss, I traced underneath his eyes with my finger, and he let me. It was surprisingly tender.
“I’m sorry”. I mouthed, but I got no reply, only a blank stare at my face.
“Matteo?”. I heard Mrs. Fletcher’s voice, but he didn’t look away, I did. Her eyes raked my body, which was only covered in a bra and shorts. I looked back at Matteo, but he wouldn’t look away from me. It was like I was the only thing in the world that existed to him, the only thing that mattered, but she didn’t break her stare. I looked back at him, but his gaze was unshaken.
“You’re so beautiful, Aria,” he said, his voice low and husky. The words washed over me like a wave, flooding my senses. I felt my cheeks burn, and I felt my heart skip a beat. I looked back at Mrs. Fletcher, but she just stood there, frozen, her face expressionless.
As he uttered my name, I shifted my gaze towards him, observing the evident signs of distress in his puffy, red eyes. Seeing him like this was almost unbelievable, as the thought of him crying seemed unfathomable to me. Before I could process the situation, he enveloped me in a tighter embrace, his arms encircling me from behind. At that moment, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of shock and concern for him.
“Aria, keep your eyes on me. There’s no one else here”. As my gaze remained locked on him, his voice resonated with an intriguing blend of tenderness and assertiveness. He reminded me that we were alone, and I felt my heart race at our sudden proximity something I had never envisioned happening. Amidst this heightened atmosphere, the audible clicking of heels approached outside the dining room, signaling Evelyn’s arrival. Upon spotting us together, her eyes focused sharply, and a whine escaped her lips.
“What the fuck Matteo! We eat right there”. Evelyn said
“Matteo, son…”. Mrs. Fletcher started. “I came because there was a call for you and the person’s still on the line”. It was clear she wasn’t pleased with what she witnessed, but I couldn’t discern her true intentions. Matteo ignored her but turned to me, but when She said, “he already said he knows what you’re hiding”. In that moment, he reacted as if my touch had scalded him, swiftly releasing me and confronting Mrs. Fletcher. Snatching the phone from her grasp, he unleashed a torrent of anger at the person on the other end of the line.
As I watched the tense exchange unfold, Evelyn silently approached me, offering my shirt with a smile that failed to reach her eyes.
“Want a walk back to your room?”. She asked, and I nodded. I threw the shirt back on and walked side by side with her.
With a hint of curiosity, Evelyn observed my reaction as she commented on Matteo’s apparent closeness to me. It was as though she were searching my face for any indication of my thoughts on the matter
“Yeah…”. I giggled, and she came to a halt in her tracks
“Don’t tell me you’re going to fall for it”. She said.
“What?”
“He’s fucking with your head. All he wants to do is fuck you. You know he can never love you. You’re being delusional if you think he’d ever fall in love with a woman again after Daya”. She scoffed and it hit me like a rock. I felt a twinge of regret as I realized that I had fallen into Matteo’s trap. He had played me like a fiddle, and I had been so eager to believe him because I didn’t even stop to think about the possibility that he was manipulating me. I felt like a fool, and I was angry with myself for being so naive. Evelyn held my hand in hers and smiled at me,
“Matteo doesn’t deserve you. You’re too good for me. Daya was the perfect match for the crook man. Not you. You deserve better”. I looked at her, trying to understand why she’d tried to help, and that was when she smiled at me and said,
“Wanna know what she did to me?”. She asked, and my voice got caught in my throat. “She took him away from me. She snatched him right away from me, and he fell for her way more than he fell for me. Theirs was love like I’ve never witnessed. He gave it all to her. Everything”. She took a step closer to me and chucked.
“Daya was a bitch! Aria”. She said to my face and this was the one thing she said and then she pulled me with her to her room when she heard the constant yelling of Matto trying to reach me.