And I need to find a way to erase them.
“Do you want me to take you home?”
She shakes her head, igniting a spark of hope inside my chest. “Can I go back to your place instead?”
“Yeah?” I ask her, almost in disbelief.
A ghost of a smile dances across her lips. “Yeah.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
JADE
“What is obsession, but a matter of the heart?” - Clara Foss, Painted Inferno
Matteo backs me up against the side of the car, my heels scraping on the cobblestone driveway. His hands travel the length of my body, around the back of my neck before tangling in my hair. I reach for his waist, pulling him flush against me. “Fuck, Sunny,” he growls, leaning into me as his mouth finds mine.
His lips are hot and urgent, kissing me with a desperate need. His tongue dances with mine, tasting and teasing me. His mouth moves, trailing along my jaw and down the side of my neck, licking and nipping at my skin.
“Shouldn’t we go inside?” I pant, holding him firmly against me. My head tips back against the window, my eyelids fluttering shut as he runs his tongue along the side of my throat.
“No one can see us here,” he murmurs against my flesh. “My property’s lined with foliage thick enough to keep any wandering eyes away.”
The driveway’s lined with small lights, but it’s still dark here. Matteo’s hands abandon my hair, sliding down the length of my torso, curling his fingers around my hips.
“Goddamn, I’m addicted to you.” He pulls back, his mouth leaving the side of my neck as his gray eyes search mine. “I need you to know, this isn’t the only thing I want from you.”
My breath catches in my throat. I didn’t think we were going to talk about our feelings again. After our conversation in the car, I’m not so sure I trust myself with my words right now.
He told me he’s in love with me.
And if I’m not careful, I’m going to tell him that I’m in love with him too.
“It’s not the only thing I want either,” I admit, my voice barely audible. I’m still afraid—too afraid to tell him the truth.
His eyebrows rise, just a hair, and his breath catches as he stares back at me. “I want it all, Jade. The good, the bad, the in-between. The way I feel for you, it’s not something I’ve ever felt for anyone before. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing here, but all I know is I want you.”
Emotion lodges in my throat. “I want you too. I just—I need some time to process.” I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, my brow furrowing. “I want to believe you and trust you, I just need a minute.”
A smile tugs on the corners of his lips. “I’m not going anywhere, Sunny. I promise you, I will be right here, ready whenever you are.”
The words are on the tip of my tongue, because how the hell could they not be? With the way he’s looking at me and the things he’s promising? I think anyone would be telling him they’re in love with him.
He steps away, sliding his hand down to mine. “Do you need a minute now, or can I have you for the rest of the night?”
A smile drifts across my lips. “I can process after tonight.”
He pulls me away from the car, whisking me across the driveway, leading me back into the house. We kick our shoes off in the mudroom and then he’s spinning me around to face him,his hands sliding back into my hair as his mouth crashes into mine.
His lips are soft and warm, his kisses gentle as he eases me backwards into the house, through the kitchen and into the living room. His hands leave my hair, raking down my body until he’s breaking away from me and lifting me in the air.
“I want you in my bed,” he murmurs, holding me close as he carries me to his bedroom. “Right where you belong.”
My chest warms, my heart swelling at his words as I wrap my legs and arms around him. I press my head against the side of his, my eyelids falling shut as I revel in the way he feels, inhaling the smell of him.
Matteo carries me into his room, not putting me down until his legs are brushing against the side of his bed and he’s laying me on the mattress. My hands are linked around the back of his neck and I pull him with me. He hovers above me, his mouth seeking mine, lips slow and tender.
His tongue sweeps across mine and he rocks back onto his shins, pulling me with him. His hands find the bottom hem of my shirt and he pushes it up, his mouth breaking apart from mine as he drags it over my head and tosses it onto the floor.
