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“What are you doing now?”
“Coming to bed.”
“Here?”
“Where else?”
“There’s a whole yacht with a gazillion bedrooms—” She breaks off, then inhales sharply with realization. “I’ve sorted myself out, if you think you can stroll in here after?—”
“Good girl,” I say with a smirk. “Next time I’m watching.”
“There’s no next time,” she mutters as she rolls onto her side, giving me her back.
No, there’s no next time. This is why I have to be here, to be with her like this. I stay fully clothed, get under the covers, and edge closer to her.
“Matteo—”
“Just this, kitten. Nothing more.” My hand slips over her naked hip, nudging her close to me, her sweet ass snuggled to my groin, my chest flush against her back. I run my thumb over her hipbone as I slide my other arm under her pillow. “So you can sleep, remember.”
“More likely so you can keep an eye on me.” Her head comes to rest on my biceps, and I inhale her delicious scent with a chuckle, storing it away for some future session with the wank bank. She doesn’t move, her body stiff and unwilling against mine.
“Relax, kitten, we both need to sleep.”
I can feel the tension seep out of her as she stops fighting me, takes my hand, weaves our fingers together and presses them between her breasts. “You know what your problem is, Matteo?” she whispers into the night.
“No?” I press the softest kiss below her ear, and she purrs softly in response. “Tell me my problem, kitten. Tell me all my problems.”
“Here you are, cuddling with me. Because you want to cuddle with me, not for any other bullshit reason you might come up with.” She lets go of my hand and turns into my embrace. She cups my cheek. “You won’t allow yourself to be a good guy, but you are one.”
She presses the softest of kisses to my lips, then she snuggles her head under my chin, hooks her leg over my hip, and sighs the contented sigh of a woman who got in the last word as she settles against my chest. Totally cuddling.
“Say that again?”
“You heard me the first time,” she murmurs as she pats my pec. “To me it feels as if I’ve been let into a secret. Now go to bed.”
The secret of Matteo Scalera. I’m a good guy.
Fuck.
I’m not going to sleep a wink.
41
TASHA
When I wake up the sun is already high and beaming into the cabin’s wide windows. I don’t feel rested, but it could have been worse. If it weren’t for Matteo, I wouldn’t have slept at all. Last night my mind was in a tailspin, trying to get away from flashbacks of the shootout. The resistance of the man’s body as I stabbed into him still echoed in my arm, and the sticky heat of his blood all over my legs and arms wouldn’t go away. I washed everything off in the barn before I set out with Burley for the yacht, but it was only after a very long shower that I felt even remotely myself. Seems you can wash off the evidence, but the blood still stains my mind.
I only fell asleep once Matteo was with me but had a nightmare at some point. Helpless, soaked in blood, trying to scream but being gagged, unable to move. Matteo was there, comforting me, holding me close. I never fully woke up, but with him there the terror passed.
He isn’t here now.
I sit up and ease off the covers, only to realize I’m wearing his white T-shirt. I’m not sure when that happened. As I pad over to the washroom, I spot some clothes laid out on the sofa. A gold bikini with the tags still on—so not my taste. A very skimpy summer dress and a pair of golden flip-flops. One of the crew did mention that they could get something for me to wear from Gigi’s cabin, but not without her approval.
They didn’t explain anything more, but I bet this is Matteo overriding this Gigi’s vote on whether or not I can borrow her clothes. Whoever Gigi is, I hope she doesn’t mind sharing. At least I won’t need to walk around semi-naked, which has been the status quo for most of my stay with Matteo.
A stay that’s coming swiftly to a head with the reason why I’m here in the first place. The auction is set to take place in Cannes and the yacht started cruising last night.
I’m mostly convinced that Matteo won’t eliminate me after this auction, despite everything I know and have seen at his apartment. I’ve witnessed a murder, but I also know that guy had it coming. Matteo is fair, if a bit religious in his attempt to do everything he set out to do. This is why he won’t be able to let go of this stupid virgin auction. But yesterday we went through something horrible together… and the way he held me last night?—
