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I refused to cry over her
Despite the drama of the moment, I was weirdly proud of myself for standing firm. I looked up and saw the cooking competition was still going—and my Chef Matteo was still winning. I leaned against the headboard and watched a couple more episodes until the real Chef Matteo came back.
When he knocked, my heart skipped a beat. I was excited to see him. I’d missed him, strangely, even though he was someone I was only still getting to know.
I muted the television and opened the cabin door. I stepped aside, smiling at him to let him in. He carried in two trays of seafood manicotti and a bottle of wine. “I thought you might like company for your meal?” he asked.
“You’re going to eat with me?” I said, trying my hardest to not let my voice show my excitement—but failing as he smiled wide.
“Bella!” he said. “I would love nothing more!”
I made a place for us at the tiny table near my bed and grabbed two of the wine glasses from the cupboard above the microwave. He poured as I sat our trays at our respective spots.
The meal was delicious, as always.
“This is amazing,” I gushed. “I’m not used to eating so well!”
Matteo laughed. “I am glad you enjoy it!” he said. “I thought about you all through dinner hour and wondered if you were getting your rest.”
“I was,” I said with a sigh. “But Jessie came by.”
“To check on you?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.
“To argue more,” I answered.
He shook his head in disappointment. “You cannot let this woman continue to treat you in such a way,” he said. “You have to stand strong and tell her no more. She will always mistreat you if you allow for it.”
I nodded. “I know,” I said. “It’s hard because she’s been my best friend my whole life.”
“No,” he said, cutting me off. “Think about your friends. Surely you have at least one better who does not cause you panic attacks. She surely cannot be your best one. Your oldest, maybe, but not your best.”
I had never thought of it that way before. I thought about Niki, Lissa, and Sarah. Each of them may not have spent as much time with me in my life as Jessie, but each of them had been more supportive of me in times I needed it most.
I told him about them as we continued our meal. As I recounted stories of the times I’d spent with them, a bright smile would flash across his face, happy to see me feeling better. At the end of the meal, he helped me clear the table and bag the garbage. He tied the garbage bag in a knot.
“I will take this out for you as I leave,” he said.
“Thank you,” I replied. “For the meal and for the company. It’s really nice talking to you. Can I give you a hug?”
“Of course!” he said, spreading his arms out to embrace me. I fell into him, laying my head against his chest as I hugged around his shoulders. His arms wrapped around my waist.
Before I could catch myself, I tilted my face upward, toward his, and planted my lips against his. The kiss felt like fireworks. Within seconds, our tongues were slipping through parted lips to dance against one another. Not long after, I found myself pulling him to the bed.
He picked me up, wrapping my legs around his waist as he turned, laying me on my back on the soft mattress. His mouth kissed down to my neck as his hands worked their way up my body, slipping under my shirt and running across my erect nipples. I let out a soft moan as I felt his touch against my skin.
My hands moved down, opening the front of his jeans and reaching inside as he kissed my neck. I wrapped my fingers around his hard shaft and began gently stroking.
“Ah, dolcezza,” he moaned. “Are you sure?”
I was so breathless with desire, I could not speak. I only looked into his eyes and nodded, grinding my hips upward to meet him.
His strong hands grabbed at my pants and tugged them down, taking my panties with them. Once he had them past my knees, I kicked them off to the floor as he did the same with his. Then both of us removed our own shirts, tossing them carelessly to the floor as well.
As he leaned back into me, kissing me harder, the heat from his skin against mine was almost more than I could handle. I wrapped my legs back around him with a moan. He placed one hand on my hip, the other in my hair, and began moving against me in rhythm to our kisses.
I remembered the condoms I’d seen in the nightstand drawer earlier and reached for one, but it was too far away.
“Slow down, veloce,” he chuckled. “Let me get it.”
