God, what am I going to do?
I can’t ignore the monster. I don’t know how to do what Valentina did. And yet I’m drawn to him all the same.
CHAPTER 11
Matteo
Lindsay and I settle into a quiet rhythm soon enough.
She eats her spring rolls in silence. While I watch a soccer game. Arsenal’s playing and I’m almost entirely invested in the game, while also waiting on the infuriating blonde on the armchair that couldn’t be farther away from me.
I can feel her watching me but I don’t look at her, keeping my gaze fixed on the screen. I’m a very patient man and I know she’ll talk when she’s ready. Right now she’s nibbling on her food and doing what she does best. Being stubborn.
Meanwhile I’m sitting here wondering why the hell I came in the first place. But I’ve been wrestling with myself the past few days and eventually couldn’t take it anymore.
I had to make sure she was okay.
My eyes narrow when the opposing team, Manchester United, manages to get a goal past the defense. Tension curls beneath my spine as the ball flies, the goalkeeper tries but he’s unable to stop it as it hits the back of the net.
Frustration wells within me. That’s two-nil and we’re already seventy minutes in.
“I never pegged you for a sports guy. Especially not soccer,” Lindsay drawls suddenly.
“You don’t know much about me, princess,” I reply without looking at her, my gaze still fixed on the flat-screen TV mounted on the wall.
She makes a small discontent sound. After a couple more minutes, I switch off the TV.
“So, a sports guy, huh?” Lindsay questions curiously.
I shrug. “It was a way to bond with my father when he was alive, and then with my brother Raffaele. He’s super into sports, among other things.”
“What other things?”
Things that will give you even more nightmares than the ones already plaguing you, beautiful.
“You don’t want to know,” I say, brushing it off and turning to face her. “Since you’re finally talking, I’m guessing you’re ready to speak to me?”
I’m glad to see that there’s some color in her cheeks again. When I arrived earlier, she was pale, and her eyes were red-rimmed with tears. Now she looks alive. Her blonde hair flows around her face, framing it. She’s wearing a sweatshirt and brown shorts. They’re tiny, and I’m trying my hardest to ignore how they keep riding up, showcasing the smooth, creamy skin of her thighs.
The air in the room is heavy with the knowledge of what happened the last time we were both in here together. But we’re both currently doing a good job of ignoring the tension.
She groans softly, “Talk about what?”
“Anything. I could offer some suggestions. There’s the abduction. Or we could talk about the time you and I had sex.” Her frown deepens with each word I say and I can see her eyes growing harder. “Or we could discuss the fact that you’ve been hiding in here since… the incident. There are a number of things to talk about, princess. Pick one.”
When it becomes clear she’s not going to go for any of the above. I lean forward, switching tactics.
“Alright, let’s talk about Valentina.”
That gains her attention.
“What about her?”
“I just want to know what happened earlier today. She arrived home very upset and then asked her husband to station two men outside your hotel. Because she thinks you’re mixed up in something bad and is worried about you,” I inform her. “Her request almost put me in awkward position because I already had two men watching the hotel. And my brother would have had several questions if he found out about that.”
“You’re all incredibly nosy,” Lindsay mutters.
“We just want you to be safe,” I say softly.
