AIR I took some clothes from Matteo’s closet, even though it felt strange to go through his underwear, and stuffed them into the small bag with a pair of sweatpants and T-shirts and some socks too.
After that, I went into his bathroom and took his toothbrush. My eyes lingered on Gianna’s hairbrush, which she had not brought with her. Sandro had accompanied her to a hotel. She had agreed to the arrangement with Luca. I could not believe that her decision was final. I had seen how she had looked at Matteo when she thought no one was paying attention to her. Sighing, I turned and walked back to the elevator.
Even if she changed her mind, I didn’t think Luca would ever forgive her. He was convinced that he would let Matteo die if he didn’t do her bidding. Rarely had I seen so much hatred in his eyes as when he had looked at Gianna the day before.
The elevator brought me back to our penthouse. Luca sat on a bar stool, with coffee on the counter in front of him and his eyes on his phone. He looked up when I entered, but the tension did not leave his face. I walked over to him, dropped my bag beside the counter, and stepped between his legs. He put down his cell phone and took my face in his hands.
“Where is it?”
“In the big guest room,” he said, exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes.
“It will be back to bother you soon,” I assured him.
Luca smiled wryly. “He was already a nuisance when I took him from the hospital today.”
I searched his eyes. “I’ve never seen you so worried as yesterday.”
His fingers slid down my throat, then removed my collar from my shoulder, revealing the small scar there. “You didn’t see my face when you were shot.”
“You didn’t lose me then, and you didn’t lose Matteo.”
Luca stroked my scar, then his gray eyes met mine, full of emotion. “You took a bullet to save my life, while your sister would let my brother die for her fucking freedom.”
I did not try to defend Gianna, even though deep down I knew she was wrong. Luca leaned forward and kissed my scar, then my throat until his mouth claimed my lips. His phone rang and he pulled back with a sigh, looking at the screen. It was Sandro. He answered and listened for a moment, then nodded. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” He hung up, sighing. “I have to go to a meeting with my captains. We are planning our punishment.”
Surprise overwhelmed me. He usually held back with information like this, and this showed me how shaken he still was because of Matthew.
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” I said with a reassuring smile.
Luca frowned. “Romero and Sandro are both out. I’ll tell Romero to come back as soon as possible, but it might take an hour. I don’t like the idea of leaving you alone.”
“I won’t be alone. Matteo is here.”
“Matteo is injured and probably fainted again.”
“Luca,” I said firmly, touching his chest. “No one can enter the penthouse without a code, and Matteo is still lethal when wounded. I’ll be fine until Romero comes back.”
Luca stood up and pulled one of his guns out of its holster, then handed it to me. “Just in case.”
I didn’t point out that I didn’t have much practice with guns. He kissed me, before heading toward the ‘elevator, already carrying his cell phone to his ear.
As soon as he was gone, I slipped the gun into the back of my pants, then grabbed the bag with Matteo’s clothes and headed for the guest room. I hesitated. Matteo and I had not been alone since he had attacked me seven months earlier. Banishing the memories, I turned the doorknob and slipped inside silently. My gaze landed on the bed where Matthew was lying, his back to me. He was covered by the blankets, only his still shaggy hair poking out.
Relieved that he was asleep, I headed for the ‘closet on the other side of the bed to store his clothes. I opened the door.
“I don’t think you need that gun. I’m a fucking mess anyway,” Matteo said.
I screamed, dropped the bag and turned sharply, my back bumping into the closet as my eyes flew to the bed.
Matteo sat up, his brown eyes alert despite their swelling.
He looked at me in silence.
He was wearing only sweat pants and his upper body was covered with bruises and cuts. He looked a mess but I did not relax. I straightened up despite my pulse quickening.
He sighed. “You can stop being afraid of me, Aria.
I told you I would never threaten you again, much less hurt you, and I meant it.”
I was not afraid. I was wary. “I have some clothes for you.”
He nodded and then grimaced. “You don’t have to unpack. I’m not staying here forever. You can go now.”
I dropped my bag and headed for the door, but stopped when I saw Matthew stand up. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to pee,” he muttered, taking a step toward the bathroom and staggering precariously.
I rushed toward him and wrapped an arm around his waist without a second thought. He leaned heavily on me for a moment before recovering and trying to straighten up, but I did not let go. I wasn’t sure if his tension was because he didn’t want to show weakness in front of me or because he feared his closeness would make me nervous.
His eyes met mine as I supported his weight the best I could . “Just leave me on the bed. I’ll pee my pants,” he muttered with a crooked smile.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous, Matteo. I’ll help you go to the bathroom.”
He did not protest and together we managed to reach the bathroom. It was heavy and tall, and I realized it would never work with Luca.
We stopped right next to the toilet. “Can you do that ?”
Matteo chuckled. “What would you do if I said no?
You can barely hold my cock.”
I blushed and let him go carefully. “Well, could you sit down for once, or is that going to hurt your ego?” I raised my eyebrows.
He smiled. With his swollen eyes, bruised body and face, and shaggy hair, it did not have the desired effect.
“Nothing can hurt my ego like Gianna’s hatred.” He meant it as a joke, but I caught a hint of bitterness in his voice.
I took a step back. “I’ll give you some privacy. Call me if you need my help, okay?”
Matthew didn’t say anything, but he reached for his sweatpants, and I took that as a signal to leave. I closed the door and hesitated for a moment before getting busy arranging Matteo’s clothes in the closet. I grabbed a clean T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, then put them on the bed.
I decided to look for food for Matteo, went to the kitchen, grabbed a ready-made pasta salad, and made a strong black tea with lots of sugar before returning to the guest room.
Matteo was still in the bathroom. Worry flooded me as I set the tray down and headed for the bathroom door.
The sound of the shower running made my eyes go wide. In the state Matteo was in, taking a shower seemed like a particularly bad idea.
“Matteo?” I called. Nothing. I reached for the doorknob then hesitated. Matteo was probably naked, and not only did that make me nervous, but I also knew how ridiculously possessive Luca was. I knocked loudly. “Matteo?”
Deciding he couldn’t wait, I pushed open the door and entered. Matteo was kneeling in the shower, his back curved and his palms resting on the floor. I saw his profile.
Fortunately from my vantage point his private parts were hidden from my view. He was covered with scars, fresh bruises , cuts and blood running down his back, probably from the head wound.
I took a hesitant step forward. “Matthew?”
His shoulder blades and arms stiffened. “Go away,” he growled .
“Can you stand?” He didn’t seem able to.
Matteo gave me an oblique look, his brown eyes hard. ” You shouldn’t be here. Luca won’t like it if you see me naked.”
I huffed. “He’ll like it even less if you accidentally kill yourself.”
“I’ve survived worse things.”
Ignoring his gaze, I grabbed a towel and walked over to him, my eyes fixed on his face.
I had to bend over him to reach the shower and turn off the water. My breath caught in my throat from the freezing temperature. Was he trying to give himself a heart attack?
By the time I managed to turn off the water from my uncomfortable position, the front of my clothes was soaked and I was shivering.
Matthew was watching me carefully from his squatting position on the ground , and there was a hint of caution in his expression.
I stopped. Like Luke, he hated to show weakness, and I was not someone he trusted the way Luke trusted me.
I grabbed the towel from where I had dropped it on the floor and handed it to Matteo. “Can you cover yourself?”
He surprised me by not making a funny comment as he accepted the towel and wrapped it awkwardly around his waist.
“Can you stand up?”
He made a low throaty sound, a mixture of groaning and laughter, and raised an eyebrow.
“I guess that’s a no,” I said.
“I’m too heavy for you, trust me. Give me a moment.”
I waited and watched his back rise with each breath. He leaned his arm against the cabin glass, flexing his muscles, and managed to lift one knee.
I grabbed it but shook my head. “No,” he said abruptly, then more softly, “No.”
I took a step back. His body trembled as he rested his arm on his knee and leaned the other against the shower stall. With a low groan, he rose to his feet, then staggered and fell against the shower stall. The thing vibrated as if it were about to burst. I leapt forward and jammed my shoulder against Matthew’s ribs as I grabbed him around the waist.
He let out a silent sigh. “You don’t have to help me. You don’t owe me anything.”
“I want to, and I owe you common decency,” I muttered, giving him a furious look.
“I guess it’s my special talent that makes you Scuderi women hate me.”
“I don’t hate you, Matteo,” I said firmly. “Neither does Gianna.”
She lifted her head so that I could see her expression and nodded toward the door. “If we go slowly, I should be able to support most of my weight.”
It took several minutes to reach the bedroom when Matthew suddenly stiffened.
“Someone has entered the attic,” he muttered, every muscle in his body tense. I hadn’t heard anything.
“Luca said Romero was coming.”
“I guess that means no one is on guard right now.”
I blinked, suddenly worried. The Russians had managed to get into the villa, so who said they couldn’t get into our penthouse? His hand slid down my back, and after a moment of shock, I realized what he was doing. He drew his gun from the waistband of my pants and pointed it toward the door, straightening up from my shoulder.
“Stand behind me.”
“You can’t stand on your own.”
“Get the fuck behind me, Aria,” Matteo growled, and I stepped back but then squinted.
“No.”
Maybe he would have pushed me behind him, but at that moment Romero called out. “Aria? Where are you?”
His voice rang with concern.
“Here!” I shouted, and it took only seconds for Romero to burst into the room, gun in hand. When his eyes landed on Matteo and me, surprise crossed his face, and he put the gun back in its holster.
“Matteo thought it was a good idea to pass out in the shower,” I said.
“I didn’t faint. I tripped and fell,” he muttered.
Romero came toward us and slid his arm under Matteo’s armpit . I let out a small breath as the weight lifted off my shoulder and he stepped back.
“I’ll take it from here. Why don’t you go change?”
Romero said.
I lowered my gaze. My T-shirt was transparent from the water and gave a glimpse of my white lace bra, but there was also blood on the fabric.
Before I left the room, Matteo’s voice rang out, “Aria?” I turned toward him. Romero had hoisted him onto the bed.
“Thank you.”
I smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Feeling exhausted, I went upstairs to the master bedroom. I took a long, hot shower before slipping into my softest wool nightgown and lying in bed.
I was awakened by a warm hand on my cheek. Luca’s face hovered over me as his thumb stroked my skin. I blinked.
“What time is it?”
“Late,” he murmured.
“Oh,” I said. “I must have fallen asleep. How is Matteo?”
“Better,” Luca said in a strange voice. I searched for his eyes. He was looking at me with a look that filled my belly with butterflies. “He told me what happened.”
“I had to help him,” I said indignantly. “I don’t care if you’re angry because I almost saw the whole thing.”
Luca let out a soft laugh and I frowned, confused by his humor. His hand slid down my side and wrapped around my nightgown and settled between my legs, his warm body covering mine. When his tip grazed my center, I let go a surprised breath. He did not enter me; he only kissed me.
I kissed him back, softening under his heat and strength.
Soon Luca’s tongue in my mouth and his body on top of me made me slippery with arousal, and he finally slid his tip inside me. His eyes stared into mine as he slid all the way in, and I moaned from absolute fullness.
“I don’t deserve you, Aria.”
He claimed my mouth again before I could protest, and soon his expert movements had me squirming and panting, forgetting any words of objection.
LUCA Four months later Matthew was chasing Gianna toward the ocean, his high-pitched screams echoing. Aria wrapped her arms around my waist, giving me her “I told you so” look. I didn’t think Gianna would go back to my brother, but she had. They seemed happy enough. I still didn’t trust the redhead, not at all , but I was pleased with Matteo’s good mood.
“Let’s just hope she doesn’t change her mind.”
Aria shook her head. “You see, once you Vitiello men have insinuated yourselves into our hearts, there is no escape.”
Her blue eyes sparkled with amusement.
“I never intended to creep into your heart,” I admitted because love had never been part of the deal .
“I know,” he said with a shrug, then his smile became playful and my cock stiffened. “You just wanted me for my mad sexual skills.”
I choked with laughter. Aria grabbed my hand and pulled me inside the villa.
Later that day, Matteo and I prepared a barbecue on the patio. I flipped lamb chops while Matteo got a bottle from our cellar and Aria prepared a hopefully edible salad.
Gianna approached the barbecue and I raised my eyebrows. She looked like she had something to say, and usually it wasn’t something good.
“I know you don’t like me,” she said, actually sounding nervous. Gianna, nervous? “But I think we should try to get along better, for Aria and Matthew.”
She looked me in the eye and supported him. I wasn’t a Gianna fan yet, probably never would be, but she was right. Aria and Matteo wanted us to get along. “I didn’t like you because I hated the way you treated Matteo.”
She frowned like it was a fucking surprise. “Okay.”
“But I’m starting to change my mind,” I said. It wasn’t exactly the truth, but it wasn’t a lie either.
“Really?”
I flipped a lamb chop and shrugged. “I’m beginning to think that maybe Matthew was right and that you two aren’t the worst couple.” They were both impulsive and conflict-loving . They deserved each other.
“Thanks? You’re really bad with compliments.”
“I’m not in the habit of giving them. And don’t tell my brother that I said he was right. He is quite arrogant.”
Matthew approached us, his arms loaded with wine bottles. For a moment his expression stiffened when he saw Gianna standing next to me. He knew me well enough to understand that I could not stand her most of the time, but he had no reason to worry.
The woman was safe because she was his, no matter how irritating she was.
“She is,” Gianna said affectionately. I made an effort to assume a less cold expression, and Gianna gave me a grateful smile.
Matthew placed the wine bottles on the table before joining us and wrapping his arm around Gianna’s waist.
“What are you gossiping about?”
“About you.”
“Really?” Matthew raised an eyebrow.
Aria returned from the kitchen, carrying a bowl.
She gave me a quizzical look as she snuggled against me.
“What’s going on?”
“Your husband and my wife are discussing my many wonderful features,” Matteo said.
Gianna looked him in the eye. “You are too arrogant.”
“Admit it, you love my arrogance.”
“Done.”
“Your declarations of love still make my knees shake,” she joked.
“Your arrogance is not the only thing I love about you.”
It was only a matter of time before the two of them disappeared for another sex session.
“I need some bleeding lamb to undo this disgusting display of sweetness,” I muttered. Aria smiled at me and I squeezed her hip.
Matthew lifted Gianna up and did a fucking pirouette.
“I’m not sure I can handle them together,” I said, rolling my eyes.
Aria smiled. “Admit it, you’re happy.”
I hesitated. I was happy, happier than I had ever been in my entire life. I nodded toward the bowl Aria was still holding, trying to change the subject. “How did the salad turn out? Is there a risk of food poisoning?”
Aria cast me a complicit glance.