“Hey, Harry,” I say in a rush, heat spreading across my cheeks. “Everything’s great. This is my friend, Matteo.” I shuffle out of the elevator as Harry gets on. “Have a good night!”
“Was that your neighbor?” Matteo asks, his voice low as I walk past him.
“Yeah,” I say, sliding my key back into the lock on my door. “He’s lived next to me for a few years now.” We’re not necessarily close or even friends, but we’re friendly enough to look out for one another.
Matteo steps closer behind me. He’s not touching me, but the heat from his body slams into mine. His breath is warm as he brings his lips to my ear. “Are you fucking him?”
My breath catches in my throat and I’m momentarily caught off guard.Is he jealous?I push open the door, uncertainty and intrigue wrapping around my spine. Matteo walks into my apartment, shutting and locking the door behind him.
“What did you say?”
We both turn to face one another. He kicks off his shoes, slowly removing that stupid bomber jacket he’s always wearing.
It shouldn’t look that good on him.
“You heard me,” he growls, stalking closer. He stops when his toes reach mine. “Are you and your neighbor fucking?”
“That’s none of your business.” The sentence does not come out as clipped as I imagined it would in my head.
“No?” His fingers slip beneath my jaw, tilting my head back. “It’s not my business?” A shiver trails down my spine as he slides his fingertips along my jawline, slowly trailing down the side of my throat.
“Your body tells me otherwise, Sunny.” His eyes darken, the muscle in his jaw tightening. “Do I need to worry about him?”
“No,” I breathe with a subtle shake of my head. “It’s never been like that with him. We’re not even really friends, just acquaintances.”
“That’s good,” he draws, his eyes flicking down to my lips.
“Why does it matter?”
His eyes shift back to mine. “Because I don’t like to share.”
Oh my god.
My heart stutters inside my chest. He slides his hand around my neck, cradling the back of my head. His free hand lifts, his fingertips grazing against my skin as he brushes the hair from my face. Anticipation hangs in the air and I swear, my heart is going to break through my ribcage.
My breath catches in my throat. “What are you doing, Matteo?”
His eyes slowly search mine. “What I should have done earlier.”
His face dips and my eyelids flutter shut. My heart’s a mess, pounding against my ribcage. I reach for him, my hands gripping his white T-shirt. He pauses, his lips a fraction of an inch from mine, his warm minty breath fanning across my mouth.
“Do you want me to stop?” he murmurs, his lips brushing mine.
I inhale sharply. We’re crossing that line we drew in the sand. And once we cross it, I don’t know if there’s any way we can come back from it.
“No,” I exhale, tugging him closer. I don’t care about what happens after this moment. All I know is I want him. I want this. “Don’t stop.”
He lets out a soft breath, his lips grazing mine. He pauses for a beat, my eyebrows tugging together as his mouth lingers, unmoving against mine. His fingertips dig into my skin, as if he’s grasping for his slipping self-control.
And then it’s gone.
He groans, the sound wrapping around my brain, sliding down my spine, and his mouth crashes into mine. His lips are hot and soft and he kisses me with an intensity that has my core melting. His mouth melts into mine, lips moving, tasting and teasing.
My hands slide around his torso and his left hand falls down to my waist, pulling me flush against his solid body.
“Goddamn, Sunny,” he moans against my mouth. His tongue slides along the seam of my lips and I part them, letting him in.
The kiss deepens. His tongue dances with mine, the heat spreading along the nerves throughout my body. I’m on fire and he’s the flame. His fingers tangle in my hair, his other hand grips my hip.
