Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 135364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 541(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 541(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
I let go of one of her hands, only so I can touch her - so I can feel her. My palm drifts down her arm, tracing the delicate curve of her collarbone before sliding lower, fingers grazing the softness of her breast.
She gasps against my mouth as I squeeze, rolling my thumb over her nipple, feeling the way her body tightens in response.
"Matteo," she breathes, her voice catching.
I move lower, kissing the column of her throat, feeling the way her pulse thrums wildly beneath my lips.
"You're so beautiful," I whisper against her skin. "So fucking perfect."
Her fingers tighten around mine again, squeezing, and I squeeze back, grounding her, letting her feel me, letting her know I’m here.
She lets out another soft moan, her head tipping back against the pillows as I shift my angle, thrusting deeper, making sure I hit that spot inside her that makes her breath catch and her nails dig into my skin.
She gasps beneath me, her body arching, her legs tightening around my waist.
"I don't want this to end," she breathes, her voice cracking.
I falter, just for a second.
Because I know she’s not talking about the sex.
My chest tightens, something sharp and real settling in my ribcage.
I slow my movements, grinding into her instead, dragging out every second.
"It doesn't have to," I say, my voice thick. "I told you, I’ve got you. I'm here, Daphne. I'm all in."
She blinks up at me, her lips parting, and I see the moment she lets those words sink in.
Then she kisses me, hard and desperate, and I feel everything she can’t say yet.
Her body tightens around me, her moans getting higher, needier, and I know she’s close.
"Matteo," she gasps. "I'm -"
"I know," I growl, my hips snapping harder, faster. "Let go, bella. I've got you."
She shatters beneath me, her body locking, her nails digging into my back as she falls over the edge.
I barely hold on for another second before I follow, my release slamming into me with so much force that my whole body trembles.
I groan against her neck, pressing as deep as I can, letting her take all of me as I empty myself inside her.
I don’t think I’ve ever cum so hard in my life.
My arms tremble as I collapse onto her, both of us gasping for breath, our bodies still tangled, our hearts still racing in sync.
I don’t move right away.
Neither does she.
We just breathe, wrapped up in the aftershocks of what we’ve just shared. Skin damp, limbs heavy -
And the air between us thick with something neither of us dares to name yet.
Eventually, I shift, easing onto my side and pulling her with me. I don’t let her go - not even for a second. I tuck her against my chest, wrapping the blanket around us both, cocooning her in warmth, in me.
I don’t say anything for a long time. I just hold her.
I let my fingers trace slow, absentminded patterns along the bare skin of her back; memorising the feel of her, the way she fits perfectly against me.
She exhales softly, nestling closer, her breath warm against my collarbone, and I feel it then.
That shift.
That quiet, unspoken understanding settling deep in my chest.
This isn’t just sex. This isn’t just some fleeting thing.
It never was.
I press a lingering kiss to the top of her head, my lips against her soft hair.
"You're mine now, Daphne," I murmur, my voice quiet but steady. Unshakable. "And nobody is going to hurt you again."
She doesn’t argue. She doesn’t tease.
Instead, she smiles as she presses herself deeper into me, letting me hold her like she belongs here.
And I know - I know - she’s mine.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Daphne
The morning sunlight filters through the gaps in my curtains, casting soft stripes across the crumpled sheets.
The warmth of Matteo’s body is still wrapped around mine, his arm draped heavily across my waist, his breath steady against the back of my neck.
For a moment, I let myself stay here. I savour the quiet and the comforting weight of him beside me along with the new, unfamiliar feeling of safety that lingers from the night before.
But then the memories of everything else come creeping back in.
Mark.
The lies. The accusations.
The humiliating, degrading words he threw at me like knives.
My jaw tightens.
I might have let myself break down last night, but today is different, because I’m done hiding.
Matteo stirs behind me, his muscles flexing inadvertently as he pulls me closer. His bare chest presses against my naked back as his lips brush against my shoulder, pressing a lazy kiss to my freckled skin.
"Morning, baby," he mumbles, voice gravelly from sleep.
My chest tightens at the affectionate pet name, and my lips curve upwards despite - well, everything.
"Morning," I murmur back, my voice quiet so not to disturb the peaceful atmosphere
He nuzzles into the crook of my neck with a contented sigh.