I wriggled closer to Matteo’s pillow, where his scent was the strongest, then buried my face in it. An electric jolt zapped down my spine.
Fuck, it smelled amazing.
I groaned, rubbing my face against his pillow, breathing in as much of his addictive scent as possible. It enticed me, allured me. My lips parted as I panted in choppy breaths. My cock hardened until it brushed against the mattress, sending a burst of arousal through my blood in a heady feedback loop.
I lost myself in my obsession with it. Dazed, I bucked my hips against the bed and sniffed Matteo’s scent. It was sweet as honey, earthy as the ground after rain, and utterly drool-worthy.
In the back of my mind, I wondered what time it was. I had the vague memory that I had somewhere to be, but Matteo’s aroma rooted me to the spot. No way could I escape it—nor did I want to. I was blissfully unaware of the rest of the world as I rubbed my face against his pillow, flooding my brain with his scent...
The key card clicked at the door.
Right. Matteo wasn’t in bed, so he must’ve left. Had he returned? My heart skittered in excitement.
I opened my eyes just in time to see Matteo stride into the room. His usually tamed hair was mussed up, as if strenuous exercise had thrown it out of place, and his face was drawn in a tense way. Despite all that, his eyes flashed warmly when he saw me. The swelling remained, but had gone down considerably, giving me a clearer view of them. They were gorgeous.
But before I had the chance to study them, Matteo let out a breath and gave me a tired smile. “Good morning, Thystle. Or should I say good afternoon?”
I blinked. “Huh?”
“It’s three PM.”
I frowned, pulling myself up on my elbows. “It can’t be.”
Convinced he was wrong, I glanced at the digital clock.
Itwasthree PM.
Holy fucking Drake. Had I really spent all morning—andhalf the afternoon—smelling Matteo’s pillow? Matteo slid onto the edge of the bed and grinned. In the few moments he was in the room, his mood had noticeably improved.
“You look happy. Did something happen?” he asked.
“N-no,” I mumbled. There was no way I’d admit to my crimes. First breaking and entering, now this. “What about you? You looked unhappy until a couple seconds ago.”
Matteo let out a rueful laugh. “You’re sharp, aren’t you? You’re right. I do feel better seeing a cute dragon in my bed.”
A blush seared my already warm cheeks. Being calledcutealso reminded me of the boner between my thighs. I doubted it would go away now that Matteo was here in the flesh. I had to stay hidden beneath the blanket so he didn’t notice.
Something nagged at the back of my mind. Why did it feel like I was forgetting something? Oh well. Whatever it was couldn’t be more important than sharing this private moment with Matteo. I liked this whole being-away-from-the-cameras thing.
Matteo tilted his head, looking at me fondly. It made my heart soar.
“You slept through it,” he remarked.
“Through what?” I asked, too busy ogling him to think about it.
“The first challenge.”
Wait.
What?
I gawked, scrambling upright in bed. “What? No, there’s no way.”
The corner of his mouth curled. “Where do you think I’ve been this whole time?” he asked wryly.
I had no response to that. In my half-sleepy, half-horny daze, I hadn’t even thought about it.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “What happened?”
