Or at least, it should’ve been—except Matteo was totally into it. Hell, he’d grabbed my arm to prevent me from leaving.
“You know, I’m technically not allowed to be here,” I reminded him.
“Sure. But you’re here now. What am I supposed to do, chase you away?” he joked.
“Thatisfully within your right,” I mumbled.
He tilted his head, gazing up at me. “And so is allowing you to stay.”
Heat flooded my cheeks. The way he looked at me, combined with his firm hand on my wrist, elicited a strange, fluttery feeling in my chest. The closest sensation was how I felt when I listened to Aquila’s songs. But this was different. It was immediate and visceral, like sticking my hand into an open flame versus sitting by a cozy campfire.
And I wanted to keep jumping into the flames over and over again.
“If that’s whatyouwant,” I said slowly, “then I’ll stay.”
My heart pounded in my throat. It was Matteo’s suggestion, but fuck, I wanted it so badly. I didn’t care if it was selfish. The only way I’d leave his room was if he told me to get out.
Matteo smiled. “Good.”
When he shuffled over in the bed and patted the space next to him, my jaw dropped.
“I—I was going to sleep on the floor,” I said.
Matteo scoffed. “Really, Thystle? We’re not teenagers at our first sleepover. Come here.”
I stared at the empty half of the bed. “This issoagainst the rules.”
“You already broke them,” Matteo reminded me dryly. “So you may as well enjoy yourself.”
My heart did back flips as I edged towards the mattress. The fact that this was forbidden made it feel so good.
Andfuck, the whole bed smelled amazing. Matteo’s scent was all over it.
I couldn’t resist for a second longer. I was about to climb into bed when Matteo asked, “You’re going to sleep dressed like that?”
Blushing, I shot back, “What, do you want me to strip?”
He shrugged. “It’s odd to go to bed fully clothed, don’t you think? Sleep like you usually do.”
The temperature steadily rose in my cheeks. “I sleep in my underwear.”
Matteo grinned. “So do I.”
I gave up. With a huff, I kicked off my pants and shirt, then climbed into bed beside him, not giving a shit what rules I broke.
“Was that so hard?” Matteo asked.
“No. But if Duke finds out, he’ll skin my hide.”
He chuckled, resting his head against the pillow. “He’ll have to go through me first. And trust me, you don’t want to fight a pissed off eagle. Our talons aren’t for show.”
He’d do that for me?I thought.
“Speaking of talons, the first challenge is tomorrow, huh?” I mused. “That Talon guy is gonna be there.”
As soon as I mentioned the name, Matteo’s eyes flashed. Despite the swelling, I could tell they’d grown sharp and hard.
Was he... jealous?
