He props up some pillows behind my back and helps me lean against them. I'm completely capable of doing all these things, but it seems very important to Matteo that he feels needed. I don't get the sense he's being controlling, not like he is when he's talking to his men or giving orders to the staff. No, this is personal to him. I’m personal to him.
“What else do you need?” He asks once he’s satisfied with my comfort level.
“Um…I mean, I probably need to get up and get to work…”
"No," he says harshly. I don't flinch at his tone like I would have when we first met. "Darlene, you passed out last night from a high fever. Why didn't you tell anyone?" He asks again.
“Why would I say anything? And who would I tell? I’m not anyone else’s responsibility. I’m a grown woman, Matteo,” I snip out. I know I sound like a brat, but he’s hitting on a sensitive topic for me.
“Tell me. You are my responsibility,” he says with all the conviction in the world.
“I think telling you about a cold is going above and beyond you protecting me from getting murdered by a rival family,” I huff. We haven’t discussed Matteo’s line of work, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what this is and where I am.
He winces when I say the word murdered, but then he just looks at me like I’m something of a mystery to him. Almost as much of a mystery as he is to me.
“I want you to tell me everything, mio tesoro. You never have to fear me, do you understand?” He hooks a finger under my chin to tip my face towards his. I nod, locking my eyes on his.
“I’m not afraid of you, Matteo,” I murmur. “Confused, yes. And ridiculously attracted to you, for sure.” I slap a hand over my mouth, not believing I said that last part out loud.
Matteo peels my hand off my face and kisses my palm like he did earlier this morning. He even graces me with a rare and devastating smile.
“And I am ridiculously attracted to you, too, angel. Believe me. But it’s more than that. You don’t understand what you mean to me yet, but you will. I promise, Darlene. You will.”
A shiver runs through my body at his words. Matteo brings my hand to his lips and kisses each of my fingers. He’s right; I don’t understand what I mean to him, but I think I’m beginning to.
Matteo looks over at the clock on the bedside table and grunts. He gets up and goes to the closet, selecting his clothes for the day. I see him hesitate briefly, but then he shakes his head and heads to the bathroom. I wonder if he was considering changing in front of me. I wonder if I would have let him.
Noticing that he dropped a sock, I crawl out of my warm, comfy, sick-day cave and pick it up off the floor. I hear a soft growl behind me, making me stand up and turn around. Matteo’s eyes grow dangerously dark as his tongue slips out and he licks his bottom lip.
“What are you doing out of bed?” He grits out at me. I hold up the sock lamely and he takes it from my hand. “I told you, you’re not working today. That means no picking up after me,” he says, though there’s a bit of amusement in his harsh tone. Then he adds, more softly, “Just rest, Darlene. The only thing I need you to do is rest and get better.”
I don’t know what comes over me, but before I can think better of it, I throw my arms around Matteo’s waist and bury my face in his chest, hugging him like my life depends on it. He tenses up and doesn’t respond at first. I’m about to pull away from him and blame my foolish behavior on the sickness and gold foil, and then hide under the covers for the rest of my life. But then his arms circle me and draw me even closer to him.
“What is this?” He asks in shock.
“It’s a hug,” I giggle into his ridiculously soft dress shirt. I’m probably getting it dirty and wrinkled, but he doesn’t seem to mind.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had one before,” he says so quietly I almost don’t hear him.
I squeeze him tighter as my heart breaks for him. I may have had a pathetic childhood, but I’ve hugged plenty of people in my life. Knowing this man in my arms has never experienced affection like this makes me want to hold him all day and give him everything he’s been missing for so long.
Matteo rocks me back and forth and hums softly as if he's utterly content and satisfied to stay like this all day. I know I am.
“For never having done this before, you’re doing great,” I tease him. I’m rewarded with another deep chuckle. This time I can feel it rumble through my body, making my pussy clench and my nipples tighten.
“Why are we doing this?” He asks, more curious than anything else.
“I don’t know,” I answer him honestly. “I-I wanted to thank you. For being so nice to me even when I’m a burden.”
“You are not a burden, Darlene. You are a treasure.”
I gasp at his words, almost not sure that I heard him correctly. “You too,” I whisper.
We untangle ourselves after a few minutes and Matteo leads me back to the bed, getting me all tucked in. He kisses me on the top of my head and offers more things from the silver tray. Matteo tells me someone will be in to bring me breakfast shortly, and that he’ll join me for lunch.
Just as he’s about to walk out the door, he turns and looks at me over his shoulder. “Thank you, Darlene.”
“For what?”
He doesn't speak at first, he just gives me a look I don't recognize. It's soft, but full of questions, and even vulnerability.
“For more than you could ever know.”
I nod, not knowing what else to do. Soon, I’m alone in Matteo’s bed, more confused than ever.
✽✽✽
True to his word, breakfast was served shortly after Matteo left, and he brought up lunch and a stack of books for me at noon. Now it's time for my daily check-in with Freya, so I discreetly shuffle back to my room so I can change. Luckily, I didn't run into anyone on the way there. I wouldn't want to give people the wrong impression about my relationship with Matteo. Or, rather, the not relationship. Or whatever. Gah! I wish I could talk to Freya about these things.
“Cutting it close, aren’t you?” Luca asks when I get to his office for my four-o’clock call.
“You know me, always living life on the edge,” I tease. He narrows his eyes at me, but I know he likes my jokes.
Without acknowledging my remark, Luca takes the cellphone out of the locked drawer in his desk and hands it to me. We've got a routine down by now, so he doesn't have to remind me to put it on speakerphone.
As per usual, Freya picks up on the first ring.
“Bitch, how are you? Still living the high life with your McSteamy McMillionaire?”
I laugh, then cough a bit. Yeah, so Matteo was right. I’m not totally healthy yet, but I feel ten times better than I did yesterday.
“Leena? You okay? You sounded sick yesterday, too. Tell this sexy, mysterious boss man to give you the day off!” She huffs in her best momma bear tone.
Luca growls at something Freya said. Did he not like her referring to Matteo as boss man? Or maybe he didn’t like her referring to him as sexy. Interesting…
“Why do you think he’s sexy?” I ask innocently, keeping an eye on Luca for his reaction.