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I never would have chosen it if I'd had time to think. I swallowed as his blue eyes met mine, seeming impossibly dark suddenly, like two sapphires glittering at me dangerously. "You're breathtaking," he murmured, holding out a hand for me as I approached the last step. I took it with an exhale, trying to forget the way my skin had heated when he stared at it. Like a man dying of thirst, who'd seen water for the first time in days. Like he couldn't believe I was real, nothing but a mirage.
I shrugged it off, knowing it meant nothing.
Nothing ever meant anything to Matteo Bellandi.
"Should we go?" I asked, and Matteo nodded. I hurried over to my coat closet, nabbing my black bolero jacket and shrugging it on. I glanced at my purse, knowing it was too big to bring to dinner with me. I tore a clutch off the top shelf of my closet and tossed in my phone and debit card quickly. When I went to the door, Matteo snatched the keys out of my hand and guided me out the front door as he turned off all my indoor lights. I hit the switch for the outside light, watching in fascination as he locked my door for me and checked the door twice to be sure it was shut tight.
"You need a security system," he nodded gruffly, pocketing my house keys. He took my hand, tugging me toward the dark grey car in my driveway. I didn't stop walking but gasped at the sight of it. Because even though I knew nothing about cars, I knew it was sexy as hell.
"What is that?" I whispered, and he glanced back at me with an arrogant smirk. He knew damn well how sexy that car was.
"It's an Aston Martin," he said, and I rolled my eyes.
Of course, it was.
I did not understand what that meant, aside from it being another indicator of how far apart we were in terms of the worlds we lived in. "Do you want to drive?" he asked, and I gave him a wide-eyed look.
"No, thank you," I whispered. He opened the passenger door, helping me navigate my way inside gracefully.
The door shut with a thud, and I buckled myself in. Everything I remembered about Matteo showed the ride itself might be a terrifying experience. The driver's side door opened, and he dropped into the seat with a smooth glide that looked entirely at home in the luxury car. He grinned at me when he closed the door. "I have to say I'm surprised. I'd have thought you'd have jumped at the chance to take her for a spin."
I nearly flinched, assaulted with memories of driving his Mustang in high school and pushing every limit he set for me. Instead, I steeled my features into a cool mask and shrugged. "You know nothing about me anymore."
He winced visibly, shifting the car into reverse and backing out of my tiny little driveway. It was comically short compared to the curving road you took to get to his estate. When he put the car in drive, I let the purr of the engine relax me into a semi-comfortable state. I could do this. I could get through dinner and then send Matteo on his way after making it clear I wasn't interested in being one of his good-time girls.
No problem.
Staring out the window, I didn't see when he reached for me. But I felt it when his hand skimmed my thigh, grabbing my hand in his and holding it while he drove. His skin rested on my bare flesh, and I felt goosebumps rise from the contact. I tried to free my hand from his grip, but he held steady, not even releasing me when he shifted gears— instead taking my hand captive with his to do it. "Let go," I ordered.
"Nope, I don't think I will," he said, keeping his eyes on the road and not even bothering to glance my way.
"This isn't a date," I hissed.
"Of course, it is," he laughed. "I'm taking you to the nicest restaurant in the city. You look beautiful. I've been inside you. It's a date, Ivory."
"Twelve years ago doesn't count, Matteo. Plenty of men have been inside me now," I lied. Obviously there had been more than just him, but my numbers were still embarrassingly low for my age. At least when I wanted to toss them in his smug face.
"Never talk to me about the other men you've been with," he ordered in his deadly voice. "I will not be held responsible for what I'll do to them if I'm forced to think about it."
"You really are insane. Did you think I'd become a born-again virgin after you dumped me?" I chuckled, shaking my head. His grip on my hand tightened, not crushing but vibrating with fury. Somehow, he kept himself from hurting me.
"Angel—"
"Not an angel, Matteo. Not anymore. You ruined me, remember?" I hissed, shifting my legs away from our hands when he tried to rest them there again.
"I didn't ruin you," he growled. "I made you mine. In a way that no one else will ever be able to do." He dropped my hand, having no place to rest them comfortably. I tucked it under my thighs, not willing to risk him grabbing it again.
"And then promptly threw me away. Congratulations," I laughed. "You must really value your belongings." He was silent for a moment, and I could feel the tension radiating off him. When he pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and drove straight up to the valet, I was shocked when he hopped out of the car so quickly.
"Do not open that door," he ordered the valet who'd moved to assist me out with a pointed finger in warning. The glare he gave the valet was enough to make the poor boy look like he might pee himself. Tossing his keys at the other one, he slammed the door and strode around the car on quick, efficient steps and pulled open my door himself. I took the hand he offered, pivoting my legs out until I could let him lift me up and out of the car. My hands smoothed my dress down just to be safe as I turned a polite smile to the boys watching us from the hood of the car. Their gazes were too intense, too shocked.
"You've been here before.” I winced at the accusation in my voice. I didn’t own Matteo. I had no right to be jealous, even as the thought of him bringing another woman to the nicest restaurant in town to wine and dine her slid through my veins like something insidious. He put a hand at the small of my back and guided me up the front steps. Even though the
restaurant was technically outside the city, the crowd still lingered out the door. The natural stone building was stunning, like something out of a movie as he led me in the front door. That traitorous hand of his never left my back, somehow feeling far too intimate despite the dress that separated us.
"Mr. Bellandi," the hostess said with a blinding smile. "It's so good to see you again." She ignored me completely in favor of turning hazel eyes up at him with a flutter of her lashes. "Will you be needing a seat at the bar tonight?" I didn't bother to control my eye roll. Women could be such bitches. "Or I could probably squeeze you into Kendra's section, if you'd prefer—"
"I have a reservation for two," Matteo cut her off, glancing down at the podium meaningfully.
