Page 41 of Cavaliere

The only light source is coming from the small lamp on the nightstand on my side of the bed. I turn the lamp off as I climb in, ignoring the twinge of happiness I feel in the pit of my stomach as the soft sheets graze my skin.

I decide it’s the safest to settle in on my side, facing away from Matteo. I don’t need the temptation to want to touch his smooth, olive skin. In a perfect world, I would touch every inch of him all day long. But we aren’t in a perfect world. We’re in Ravenna Heights, and the reality is that we come from very different sides of the city. We’re night and day. It would never work.

Letting out a long sigh, I tuck one arm under my pillow and one hand under my cheek. Just as sleep starts to consume me, Matteo’s arm wraps around me and pulls me toward him until my back is flush up against his chest.

“You sleep next to me,” Matteo mumbles when he feels me stiffen against him.

“I was already next to you.” That’s kind of the point of sleeping in the same bed.

“Not close enough,” he says softly, his voice drifting off. I can’t help but melt. And that’s how I went to sleep with a faint smile on my face, wrapped up in the arms of a man that I know has killed many people but would never lay a finger on me. He would kill anyone that dared to touch me.

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

MATTEO

“I’m assuming the reason we’re meeting here this morning instead of at the pizzeria is because of Wren?” Alessio asks the next day while sitting at the island in my kitchen.

“After that stunt she pulled last night, I’m not letting her out of my fucking sight.”

“I heard it was bad.” Alessio winces. “It was kind of funny to see Rob squirm when he filled us in. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that man so uncomfortable in his life.”

“Alright, ya fucks. There better be a damn good reason I’m not eating a pizza right now. I’m fucking starving,” Gio announces as he stalks into the kitchen, heading right to the fridge.

“There’s leftover lasagna.”

“So what happened?” he asks, mouth already full of lasagna.

“Wren flirted with other guys at work, including Rob, and Matteo lost it.” Alessio smirks as he fills Gio in.

“I didn’t lose it,” I grumble. Okay, I sort of lost it, but I’d never admit it to them.

“The way you’re getting worked up says otherwise.” Alessio laughs as he takes in my hands white-knuckling the edge of the counter.

“She getting under your skin?” Gio is just loving this. The bastard.

“No,” I grunt. “I just didn’t like seeing her rubbing up on a bunch of random guys that only want to get into her pants.”

“She’s getting under your skin.”

“Moving on.” I shoot a glare at both of my asshole brothers. “Cain’s on board to help any way we need now that he knows Wren is his Wren.”

Gio busts out laughing. “Dude, you can’t stand that he has any sort of claim over her. Holy shit, I am enjoying this.”

“Did I not just tell you that we’re moving on?” I snap.

“Does Cain think you’re together?” Alessio asks.

I groan as I lean my elbows against the island, slamming my face into my palms. They’re just not going to drop this. “Why is no one listening to a word that I’m fucking saying?”

“We’re just trying to get all of the facts straight so we can figure out who is after you and Wren.” Gio shrugs innocently.

“Or both of you are just fucking nosey.” I take a sip of my coffee and pause because both of them are staring at me. “What?”

“We’re waiting,” Gio says.

I sigh as I set my cup down. “He thinks we’re an item. He wasn’t too happy about it.”