AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sighing, I rolled onto my back, grabbing my phone. I’d been trying to work on the homework I’d been assigned, which was way more than should have been acceptable considering that it was day one of summer school, but I couldn’t get my mind to focus.
Whenever I did, I flashed back to Eli.
He hated me, and I wanted to know why. Trying to focus was impossible with him running marathons in my thoughts. And not all those thoughts were bad.
There was something about Eli that made my lower stomach clench as I recalled the way he’d ordered me to obey his every command. I knew that he wasn’t talking about my obedience in a sexual way, but I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering to what it might be like to be under Eli’s command.
“Fucker,” I muttered, kicking myself off of the bed. When I’d come back to the Blanchi home, I’d run into my room muttering about homework when Ivy asked me how my day went. I’d been desperate to get away from Eli. As far away as humanly possible.
Luckily, he’d left me alone. I scoffed. Apparently, when I was in the house, he was off duty.
Sighing, I grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl in the kitchen. Surprisingly, the Blanchis didn’t have a great deal of staff or security. It was odd to walk around the house without seeing men with guns, and it made me wonder if the Blanchi reputation was inflated.
The family was well-known in L.A., and though I would never admit it, I had feared coming here.
“Look who came out of her hovel?”
Startled, I dropped the apple and released a small squeak as I turned around to see Matteo Blanchi strolling into the kitchen. He was dressed in all black, his dark hair pushed off his face, showcasing his dark eyes.
His were a warm chocolate, unlike his brother’s that reminded me of coal.
Swallowing, I grabbed the apple back from the island, rubbing it against my shirt. “I would hardly call the massive suite that your parents gave me a hovel.”
The bedroom was amazing. A little too pink for my tastes, but the closet was large enough to be a room on its own, and the bathroom had a tub that rivaled a swimming pool. Even my old room couldn’t compete.
“Is that why you’ve been hiding in it?” He smirked as he leaned against the fridge, giving me a small smile.
Matteo was the type of guy I was used to dealing with. Too sexy. Too cocky. And way too full of himself.
Normally, I would have played with him tit for tat, but I did not feel a single twinge of attraction towards Matteo.
“I’m not hiding,” I said. “I’m simply doing homework.”
His brow rose, but he didn’t challenge my words. “That sounds fucking boring.”
Despite myself, I chuckled. “Well, if I don’t pass, I don’t go to college, and then, I am stuck here for the remainder of forever.”
Matteo shrugged. “Worse places to be stuck.”
I didn’t disagree. Matteo walked toward me. He was wearing heavy boots, and they thudded against the tile floor. “There’s a party happening tonight.” He reached out and plucked the apple from my fingers. I was sure that he was trying to use his attractiveness to get to me, but unfortunately for him, I wasn’t interested.
“Can’t,” I said, pushing him away from me. He allowed it.
Unlike, Eli, Matteo was not trying to intimidate me with his presence. His energy was a lot more playful than his brother’s. “Why not?”
This time it was my turn to raise a brow. “I’m sure your brother told you that he is my keeper.”
Matteo took a large bite from the apple. His warm eyes sparkled with mischief. “Says who?”
I blinked, surprised at the question. It was some sort of unspoken rule that Eli was supposed to watch over me. At every turn, Eli had been at my side. The only time I was left alone was when I was in the house. And even then, was I really alone? There was always someone in the home.
“Come on,” Matteo cajoled. “It’ll be fun.”
Six months ago, I would have jumped at the chance to party with a guy like Matteo, but things were different now. Still, a part of me yearned to let go a little. A party with Matteo, who I suspected wouldn’t let things get too out of hand, might be what I needed.
He chewed on the apple slowly. “Plus”—he swallowed—“it’ll really piss off my brother.”
* * *
