Luna didn’t look away, searching for something in my eyes. Whatever she was looking for, she must have found, because she finally let go of my arm and pushed her face closer to mine. She winced at the movement. I had no doubt she’d have a headache soon.
Her breath fanned across my face as I wiped the blood away. It was smaller than I initially thought, but it was still wide enough to need some Steri-Strips. I placed three over the cut and trailed the dried blood down her cheek with the alcohol wipe until it was clean.
Luna’s breath stuttered at the movement, her throat bobbing as she swallowed. We were so close in the small space; all it would take was one jerk of my body and we’d be flush against each other. Her blue eyes swirled, becoming darker the longer we stood there. But it was her squeezing her legs together that had me dropping the wipe.
Another person wouldn’t have noticed the action, but I wasn’t just anyone. I was a master at taking in people’s body language and predicting what their next move would be. It was a life-or-death skill that I’d honed years ago, but in moments like this, it served in a completely different way.
My chest stilled when she swiped her tongue over her bottom lip. The air in the room was running out, our time nearly coming to an end. Doing anything with her wouldn’t be a good decision, I knew that, but I still found my palm opening up and cupping her cheek.
She had me under her spell and I was helpless to it. She drew me in, demanding I pay her attention. I wasn’t going to back away, not like I did with everyone else. For once, I was going to take what I wanted, consequences be damned.
I’d think about how it was a mistake later, but right then, I did what I’d wanted to do from the moment I’d seen her on the curb.
I slammed my lips against hers.
I grabbed the back of her neck, holding her to me.
I bit down on her bottom lip, swallowing the moan she let free.
I took what I wanted, not caring about what it would mean.
Her legs opened wider, and I took the opportunity, pushing closer to her, loving the way she felt as her body molded to mine, like it was always meant to be there.
Our tongues met, dueling in a battle we’d had no idea would rage. I gave it my all, beating her to the win, and controlling the kiss. But more than that, she let me.
She let me touch her.
She let me take a part of her.
She let me steal a piece of her soul with our kiss.
My hand moved down the side of her chest, to her waist, and grasped on to her hips. I yanked her forward, showing her exactly what she did to me with one simple kiss. She was driving me crazy, and there was nothing more that I wanted right then but to take every part of her. I wanted in. In on her. In on us. In on the part of herself she kept so guarded.
“Mateo,” she moaned, breaking her lips from mine. But I wasn’t done yet. I had to take my fill, because once we were out of this room, we’d never touch again. This was a one-time thing. Something that I needed to get me through the next few weeks. Something that reminded me I was more than Cardo and Chiara’s big brother. More than a captain in the Beretta Mafia.
I peppered kisses down her neck and back up again, whispering, “Say yes,” in her ear. I was taking a chance, one that could backfire.
“I…” She pushed her hand into my hair, gripping it as I flicked my tongue over her racing pulse. “Yes.”
Her one-word answer was like a bomb exploding in the room. I didn’t hesitate. I wrapped my arms around her waist, lifting her, and darting to my bedroom. The door clicked behind us, blocking us off from the rest of the apartment.
I didn’t put her down as I yanked her tank top up over her head, revealing her white lace bra and full breasts. I groaned at the sight of them and stroked my palm across the soft fabric, making sure to catch her nipples in the process.
She let her head dip back. “That feels good.”
“Want more?” I asked, lowering us onto the bed so her back was on the mattress. I hovered over her, my hand wandering down her stomach and to the button on her jeans.
“Yes.” She bowed her back, giving herself to me, and I couldn’t help but feel like I’d just been handed the best goddamn present. Normally I’d take my time to unwrap it, but there was something about Luna that made me want everything all at once. I wanted to touch her with my hands. I wanted to bury my face in her chest, in her pussy. I wanted to pummel my cock inside her and never leave.
But time was limited, so I pulled her jeans and panties down to her ankles and slid my finger through her slit, flicking her bundle of nerves and grinning as her eyes popped open. I rubbed at her, pushed my finger inside her, and pressed my thumb to her clit.
“More?” I asked. Her mouth opened on an answer, but she didn’t vocalize a single word because I was thrusting another finger inside her, getting her ready for what was to come.
I licked my way up to her chest, pressing kisses as I went, and clenched the edge of her bra cup between my teeth. Looking up at her, I kept her gaze fixated to mine as I pulled it over her breast slowly, baring her to me in more ways than one.
My tongue flicked over her erect nipple, and before I knew it, my mouth was closing over it, sucking like my life depended on it as I played with her pussy, making her wetter by the second. She was close. But I didn’t want her to orgasm yet. I wanted inside her when she let go, so I lifted up, letting her nipple free.
I undid the button on my suit pants, the sound of the zipper mixed in with her moans. My cock sprung free and I pulled my fingers out of her. “You’re so fuckin’ wet,” I groaned out, licking her juices off my digits. I shucked off my pants, my boxers following, then pulled her jeans and underwear off her completely. She was nearly naked for me, the only material on her body was the bra sitting underneath her breasts, pushing them up higher on her chest. “You on the pill?” I asked, kneeling back between her legs and lining myself up at her entrance.
“Yeah,” she gasped out, and I thrust inside of her, feeling my muscles lock up at how tight she was. Fuck. She was like a goddamn vise around my cock.
Her eyes were clenched closed, her face pinched in both pain and pleasure.
“Breathe.” I trailed my hand back to her clit. As soon as I pressed over the bundle of nerves, she relaxed back, opening her eyes, and meeting my stare.
The blue in her eyes was almost navy now, and I found myself captivated with them. I’d never seen someone’s eyes change color with the way they were feeling. She was an anomaly. An anomaly I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get out of my head.
“More,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around my neck. She pushed her hips up, drumming the point home.
“As you wish.” I pressed my lips to hers, pushing my tongue into her mouth as I thrust in and out of her, my fingers rubbing at her clit. It was overload, too much all at once, but it was exactly what she needed—what I needed.
I hadn’t realized how frustrated I was, not until this moment. Not until her pussy clamped down on me, pulsating in time with her orgasm and milking my own out of me. I ground my teeth together, feeling every part of her against me, and for once, I wished it wouldn’t be a one-time thing.
But rules were rules. And this was mine.
No commitments. No second times. No repeats.
One and done.
It was easier that way. Easier for the kids. But mainly, it was easier on me.
CHAPTER 7
LUNA
I told myself that I hadn’t gotten to college early today for any particular reason, but it was undeniable when my feet carried me to the bench on the pathway that I knew Mateo would pull into.
I hadn’t seen him for three days. Not since I’d left his apartment.
His SUV hadn’t been in the parking lot.
Cardo and Chiara were nowhere to be found.
It was like they’d disappeared with a click of the fingers. Part of me was worried, but when I saw the moving truck outside the apartment this morning, I knew they were c
ompletely gone. He’d taken what he wanted, and now…now he’d left me all alone.
I should have known better. I should have known someone wouldn’t stick around. Why would they? I was a product of the people who made me. That was what everyone thought anyway. It didn’t matter that they were wrong. It didn’t matter that I was always the one left behind to fend for myself. I was the forgotten thought. The one they knew would survive without them.
But I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to survive. I wanted to live.
And inside Mateo’s room while his body was against mine, I’d finally felt like I was living. Now he’d taken that away. He’d stolen my breath. He’d snatched a part of me, and I needed it back.
I needed him back.
I needed his skin touching me.
I needed his lips pressed against mine.
My hand lifted, my fingers trailing over my bottom lip as I remembered how soft his lips were. I closed my eyes, swearing I could feel his hand clasped on my waist, and the way he’d pressed his chest against mine, almost as if he couldn’t get close enough.
My alarm going off on my cell caused my eyes to snap open. It was time for class and he still hadn’t turned up. It was the same day as last week when I’d seen Mateo and Aida on this very pathway, so I knew she would be in today.
He was avoiding me. It was clear as day.
I spun around, gritting my teeth at my stupidity. Did I really think it was the start of something special? I was being naive. I’d lived a life most people hadn’t, but when it came to matters of the heart, I was a juvenile. I hadn’t been around love that hadn’t been corrupted, so what made me think I would be now?
It was a lesson. A lesson I would learn from. A lesson I wouldn’t repeat twice.
My feet slapped against the ground, each one echoing louder and louder as my thoughts ran rampant. I already had enough happening in my life, and now this was taking up brain space that was needed elsewhere.
I breathed deep, closing my eyes for a millisecond, trying to get ahold of myself. I couldn’t go into class like this: distracted. I needed to focus my full attention on the work because without keeping my GPA up, I’d lose my scholarship, and right then, it was the only thing keeping me going each day.
The tinted doors to the building reflected back at me when I opened my eyes. I hated what I saw. I hated the pale face and messy hair staring back at me. I hated my wide hips and short legs. I hated how my eyes betrayed how I was feeling when they changed color.
I hated myself.
I hated everything around me.
I hated that I wanted to be wanted.
I hated how Mateo had sparked me to life and now I was a dying ember.
My shaking hand reached for the metal handle on the door. The coolness of it seeped through my palm, making me shiver. At least I was feeling something.
I yanked the door open, pushed my shoulders back, and darted inside. I had three minutes to make it to class, so I flipped open my bag to pull my book out as I hooked a left at the end of the hallway.
My head snapped back as I collided with something and I dropped to the floor. Again. The last time I’d fallen had been in Mateo’s apartment. He’d been there to help me up. There to wipe the blood from my face.
My fingers lifted to the cut on my head that he’d fixed up.
He wasn’t here now though. He was gone, just like everyone else.
“Crap. Are you okay?” Footsteps neared, but I didn’t open my eyes. I wanted to stay here and pretend the last week of my life hadn’t happened. “Luna?”
I blinked at the sound of my name and finally opened my eyes. “Aida?” My heart raced. She was here, did that mean he was too? A quick scan around us told me we were the only ones in the hallway.
“Yeah.” She smiled, her hair falling around her as she stared down at me. “You okay?”
I mentally took stock of my body. I was okay, physically anyway. “Yeah.” I laughed, the sound off, but if she noticed, she didn’t mention it to me. “Sorry.” I sat up, seeing all of the scattered papers around us. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
“Neither was I.” She shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal, then reached for the papers.
I jumped into action and helped her scoop them up, trying to get them into some kind of order. We worked silently, but I could feel her eyes on me every few seconds. She’d said my name, so that meant she recognized me.
“Here.” I handed her the papers and glanced at the big clock on the wall. I was late for class now, and it was the one professor who locked the door once it was start time. Fuck. Today wasn’t going well at all.
“Thanks.” She stood, pushing them into her tote bag. “Were you heading to class?”
“Yeah.” I kneeled, grabbed my bag, then stood on shaky legs. Keeping this scholarship was life or death to me. I’d either sink or swim, and right then, I felt like I had weights attached to each limb taking me to the bottom of an endless body of water. “I have Hawkins.”
She winced, knowing what I was saying without having to speak the words. “Yeah, there’s no way you’re getting in his room now.”
I huffed out a breath, pushing some of my hair out of my face. I hadn’t even bothered to do anything to it today, instead leaving it to hang in waves. “I know.” I moved my neck side to side, trying to ease some of the tension building up.
“Erm…” Aida looked around, biting down on her bottom lip. “Do you wanna grab a coffee or something?” She moved from foot to foot, looking nervous. “I kind of just…” She huffed. “I need out of my classes today.”
I stared at her, frowning at the darkness echoing in her eyes. I wasn’t sure why, but I felt myself nodding and stepping closer to her. “I guess.” I chuckled. “It’s not like I have anywhere to be for a couple of hours anyway.”
Her chest heaved on a breath. “Okay. Good. I mean, not good that you missed class, but good that you can come to coffee.” She shook her head. “Oh my God, I swear I’m not normally like this.”
“You’re good,” I said, smiling as she held the door to the building open. The coffee shop on campus was more expensive than the one a fifteen-minute walk away, but this one was closer, and Aida veered toward it. I mentally counted how much money I had on me and figured I could always ask for tap water if I didn’t have enough for the fancy coffees they sold there.
Neither of us spoke on the two-minute walk, and this time I held the door open for Aida. It didn’t feel awkward when we didn’t talk, and the longer I stood next to her in line, the more comfortable I felt.
When we were next in line, Aida told the college student serving, “Coffee, black.” She pulled her wallet out and turned to me. “What would you like?”
“Erm…” I narrowed my eyes at the menu, trying to make sense of it.
Aida laughed. “Make that two black coffees,” she told the girl, then slapped her card against the machine. It beeped twice, taking the payment, and I suddenly felt hot. I’d never been able to do that. I didn’t even own a card that I could do anything but withdraw money on. Every penny I had was spoken for, which was why I had to work so hard to stay here so that I wouldn’t live the rest of my life like that.
“Let’s grab a seat,” Aida said, hauling her bag higher over her shoulder. She weaved between all the patrons, finding a small table in the back corner of the coffee shop. It was darker here, the windows to the front of the store not lighting it as well. But that was okay with me. I wasn’t in the mood to be on full display.
The chair scraped against the tiled floor as I pulled it out, and when I sat down, I looked around at everything but the woman sitting across from me. There was so much I wanted to ask her, so much I wanted to know about Mateo. Like, where the hell he was and why he hadn’t dropped her off in the same spot as last week.
But when I finally looked at her, I knew I couldn’t ask.
“I’m so over today,” Aida sighed, leaning her head back and staring up at the ceiling. I stayed quiet
, not sure what to say, but she continued, “I hate when my routine is changed.” She let her head drop, meeting my stare. “Know what I mean?”
“I…sure?”
Our coffees were placed on the table between us, steam flowing off each of the cups.
“Mateo always brings me to college.” She wrapped her hands around her cup, and I just hoped she couldn’t see the way my pulse quickened at the sound of his name. “But Romeo brought me this morning.” She growled and my brows shot up on my forehead. “He doesn’t even talk. Literally just grunts.”
“Romeo?” I asked, having no idea what she was talking about.
“Yeah.” She lifted her cup, blowing on the hot liquid and then taking a sip. “My husband is their boss. Although, he’s Romeo’s cousin too.” She paused. “Not that I’m complaining.” Her eyes widened. “I’m glad Mateo has moved out of that apartment, but it means I’m stuck with the silent, broody guy today.”
“Moved out?” I asked, trying to sound completely casual as I picked up my coffee too. I’d seen the trucks there this morning, but now she was confirming it.
She nodded, then froze. “Mateo did tell you, right?”
“Yeah, yeah.” I grinned, acting like an Oscar winner. “Of course he did. I just didn’t realize it was today.”
“It’s going to be good for him and the kids.” She placed her cup down and clicked her fingers. “You’ve met the kids, right?” I didn’t even have a chance to answer as she leaned closer. “I’m dying to meet them. What are they like?”
All of the front I’d put on since I’d run into her washed away, and a gentle smile lifted at my lips. “They’re…such good kids. Chiara, she’s four and so cute. Honest to God, the cutest kid I’ve ever set eyes on.” I stared at a spot on the wall behind her. “And Riccardo, he’s always talking or doing something, mainly looking after his little sister. You’d never guess he was seven if you met him.”
“Ugh.” Aida leaned back in her seat with such force the chair moved. “I just want to meet them. I bet they’d get along so well with my niece.” Her eyes glazed over, her mind taking her anywhere but here.
Mateo Caputo: Unseen Underground Page 8
