Paige smiled, but it was weak at best. She wished she had Claudia’s confidence.
She wished she had Matteo.
Chapter Nine
Paige paced her bedroom nervously, much like she’d done the first day she arrived in Amalfi, when she confessed her feelings for Matteo to Claudia. This time, she was alone, consumed with her thoughts, worried she wouldn’t get a chance to speak with Matteo alone tonight.
Considering it was past eleven and she could still hear his brothers’ voices coming from outside through the open door that faced the backyard, she knew any sort of secret rendezvous with Matteo wasn’t going to happen.
Emitting a little growl of frustration, she went into the connecting bathroom and washed her face. Brushed her teeth. Her usual nighttime ritual, though she threw her reflection a disgusted glance at how hopeful she’d been.
She’d taken the time to put on a sexy little nightgown she’d bought in the city before they left for Italy. Simple white cotton trimmed with lace, the bodice dipped low, as did the back, and was held by thin, lacy straps. The hem hit her at mid-thigh. The lingerie was innocent yet sexy and she’d fallen in love with it at first sight. Had packed the nightie with her in the hopes of somehow, someway, she would be intimate with Matteo while they were here.
Well, that wasn’t going to happen tonight.
She turned off the bathroom light with a slap of her hand and stalked toward the bed, yanking back the covers with a ferocity that surprised her. Sexual frustration did that to a woman, she thought grimly as she climbed into bed and pulled the sheet and comforter over her, reaching over to turn off the lamp. She lay in the darkness, heard the brothers laughing and talking in the distance, the unmistakable low, velvety tone of Matteo joining them. Her entire body ached for him, but at least the earlier tension between the brothers was gone.
Most likely since she was the cause of it. Push her out of the picture, and all was well with the Renaldis once again. How she hated that. She wasn’t a troublemaker, she never had been. But ever since she’d arrived in New York, she’d been involved in one mess after another.
Rolling over on her side, she stared out the open door, the screen pulled shut to allow in the cool evening breeze. The scents of Italy were potent, intoxicating and she breathed deep, closing her eyes.
How she wished Matteo were in her bed. If it had been like the other nights, he would’ve walked her to her bedroom door and kissed her stupid. Pressed her against the wall, caging her in with his big, virile body, his mouth fused with hers, his hands ranging over her body, learning what drove her wild…
She’d planned on inviting him inside her room tonight. Forget the wall and the kissing that left them both frustrated. She would’ve seduced him, stripped him, done whatever he wanted her to do so she could have him naked. In her bed. Forever.
Sighing, she switched to her other side, punching the pillow beneath her. They were in Italy for two more days and then they would return to the reality of Manhattan. Earlier this morning she hadn’t been worried, but now she had no clue where her place was in Matteo’s life. Or what he was thinking of doing with his life. Clearly, his brothers wanted him home. Here.
And clearly his brothers didn’t like or approve of their relationship. She could understand their wariness and even appreciate how protective they were of their big brother. But it still hurt.
Tremendously.
Tears prickled the corner of her eyes and she blinked them away. She would not cry. She would remain strong and not fall apart like a silly, weeping mess. In her not so distant past, she’d done that time and again. What the Leonards had done to her, how much they’d scared her, had almost devastated her completely. And the worst part? She’d let them.
Well, she was tired of being the helpless victim. For once, she needed to take charge of her life and her destiny. If she couldn’t talk to him tonight, then she would do so first thing tomorrow. She needed to express her feelings and get all of this anxiety out of her system once and for all.
Drifting off to sleep, she could still hear the soothing tones of Matteo’s voice carry on the ocean breeze.
And the sound made her smile despite her worry.
Another dream, this one so frighteningly real, she swore she could smell him. His big, strong arms banded about her waist, pulling her in close to his hard, hot body. Her back to his front, she could feel him as if he were really in the bed with her. His broad chest bare, his erection pressing insistently against her backside. She moaned when he wrapped his fingers around her neck and tilted her head up so their mouths met in a decadent, hungry kiss.
He tasted like pure, wicked sin and she undulated her body against his, earning a ragged groan for her efforts. The kiss turned hungrier, tongues tangling, her neck straining from her awkward position, but she didn’t care.
She was kissing Matteo Renaldi. The man she cared for. The man she knew she was falling in love with.
“Paige,” he whispered, dropping damp kisses along the length of her neck. “I shouldn’t take advantage of you. Not like this. You’re half-asleep.”
Oh, his voice was so deep, it vibrated throughout her body, leaving her wet with wanting him. She lifted her arms behind her and wound them around his neck, buried her fingers in his hair at the back of his head as she rubbed against him. Grinding her backside to his erection, she cried out when he grabbed her upper arms and whirled her around so she faced him.
She opened her eyes on a gasp, realizing that this was no dream. What was happening was one hundred percent real and she had Matteo Renaldi in her bed.
Naked.
“God, you’re beautiful. I missed you tonight.” He cupped her face with his big hands and kissed her, his fingers stroking her skin, his tongue stroking the interior of her mouth. She shifted closer, wishing she could crawl inside his skin, burrow inside his heart so he would never forget her.
“What are you wearing?” he asked after he broke the kiss, pulling away so he could study her. She lay in the middle of the bed, Matteo poised above her, his smoldering gaze raking her from head to toe. Her body trembled under his blatant perusal. She saw the gleam in his dark eyes as if he enjoyed what he saw. Her nipples became hard beneath the thin cotton fabric and she shifted restlessly, embarrassed.
“It’s nothing special…” Her voice trailed off when she heard his muttered curse.
“Lies.” Reaching out, he trailed his fingers across her collarbone, slipping them beneath one lacy strap so it fell off her shoulder. Gooseflesh rose at his touch. “Did you wear this just for me?”
Her cheeks heated with embarrassment. Silly, considering she absolutely wore this for him. “Do you like it?” A shuddering gust of breath escaped her when he slipped the other strap off her shoulder, then bent his head and kissed where that little strap of lace had just lain.
“I love it,” he whispered, his breath hot against her skin. He trailed kisses across her shoulders and chest, never touching her breasts, driving her absolutely wild with his teasing. She squirmed beneath his touch, knowing he did it to push her into madness, and his plan worked. She felt his smile against her upper arm as his mouth burned a damp path. Gasped when he slid his hand up to cup one breast, his thumb brushing against her already distended nipple.
“I have waited for this moment for months,” he murmured against her neck, his thumb doing a slow circle around her nipple. “Dreamed of it. Fantasized about it. The reality is far, far better though, and I’ve hardly touched you yet.”
He was right. This was by far the sexiest encounter she’d ever had in her life and they’d only just started. Waking up to him eager and greedy, attacking her, kissing her as if his very life depended on the taste of her lips, the feel of her skin. She reveled in his touch, his mouth and she reached for him, slid her hands down the smooth, muscular slope of his back, curving her hands over his firm buttocks. He was completely naked, which shocked her.
The stern, quiet Matteo Renaldi had stripped and pounced while she lay peacefully sleeping in her bed. Who knew he had such wicked spontaneity in him?
“That one stolen moment with you wasn’t enough, Paige,” he continued, his voice husky, his fingers tugging the front of her nightgown down so that her breasts were revealed. “If I could go back and do it all over again, I wouldn’t have let you escape. I would’ve had you in my bed just like this. And I would’ve never let you leave it.”
Oh.
His words made her heart soar—and her skin sizzle. She reached for him, her hands going for his face to pull him up for a kiss, but he grabbed hold of her wrists, pinning her arms above her head. “Matteo, what are you doing?”
He had her completely at his mercy and she both thrilled and worried over it. She struggled against his hold, irritated that he made it look so easy, restraining her. His fingers were like steel locks clamped around her wrists and the gleam in his eyes told her he had wicked plans for her.
Delicious, wonderfully wicked plans…
“You may rule my house,
bella
, but when we’re in the bedroom, I rule you.” He bent his head to take her mouth in a lush, decadent kiss and she melted into the mattress. She felt helpless to his passionate assault, having no choice but to give in to his demands.
“I—I didn’t realize I ruled your house,” she said breathlessly, swallowing hard when he burned a trail between her breasts with his lips.
Matteo lifted his head, his searing gaze meeting hers. “You rule my son, you rule my house and you rule me. I’m surprised you haven’t realized that by now.”
All the air left her lungs in a rush at his words, at the look in his eyes, at the reverent way he touched her. This was what she’d been searching for, ever since she first met Matteo. Had known without a doubt that he would become a significant part of her life.
She just hadn’t realized how significant.
“But like this, Paige, just the two of us, I will command you.” He dipped his head for another kiss. “However I want you, I will have you.”
Her entire body trembled at his words, at the forceful way he said them. She’d been with men before, most of them young, always her age or close enough to it. Not necessarily experienced but not awful either.
Matteo was a man used to getting exactly what he wanted. And at this very moment, what he seemed to want most was…
Her.
Sitting with his brothers had been a special sort of torture he’d endured for hours. Despite how much he enjoyed spending time with Rafe and Vince—and doing so made him realize just how much he’d missed them since leaving Italy—all he could think about was Paige.
Where was she? What was she doing? As the hour grew later, he grew more restless. He kept his gaze trained on her open door that led out onto the backyard, noticed when the light shut off. Knew that she was snug in her bed, fast asleep.
And he was outside joking with his brothers when he could be in bed with a warm, soft, hopefully willing woman.
Matteo had left them abruptly without any explanation, only a hastily tossed out “goodnight” as he’d practically leapt from his chair and hurried to the house. His brothers had called after him, but he hadn’t looked back. He was a man in hot pursuit. His only focus sneaking into Paige’s room and bed.
Without hesitation, he’d slipped in her room, taking off his clothes methodically as he watched her sleep. The moon cast its silvery light across her bed, her pale skin glowing, her gorgeous deep red hair spilled all across her pillow. The covers had been shoved down to her waist, revealing the virginal white nightgown she wore that clung to her slight curves, the sight of her making his mouth water.
He’d known she wore that for him. And that made him even more eager to climb into her bed and slowly wake her in the best possible way. With gentle touches and hot kisses, he let his hands skim her slender body, his cock painfully hard at first touch—hell, at first sight of her. Her long legs shifted, bumping into his, and she’d nestled her backside against his erection. The feel of her set his heart racing, his blood heating. How long had he wanted her?
It felt like forever.
Now he had her pinned beneath him, his knees bracketing her hips, clutching her wrists above her head, her breasts bared, pretty pink nipples tempting him beyond reason. He bent over her and licked one, thrilling at the throaty moan she gave and he drew the nipple into his mouth, sucking it deep. Her skin was so soft, so sweet. She struggled against his hold and that aroused him even more.
He’d forgotten how much he preferred being the one in control sexually. It had been far too long since he’d been with a woman whom he truly wanted. Not that he ever took it too far, but he liked being the one in charge.
And he had a feeling his sweet little Paige enjoyed being held down, that his words from only a moment ago had excited her. He’d seen the flare in her gaze when he told her he ruled her in the bedroom. Heard the slight catch in her breath when he said he’d have her any way he wanted her.
He’d meant every word too. Looking at her now, sprawled beneath him, her lips trembling, her cheeks flushed, her eyes glittering, she was meant for him and him alone.
Gentling his grip on her wrists, he bent his head until they were face-to-face, breath-to-breath. She exhaled softly, he felt the warmth drift over his lips and he placed the softest, simplest kiss to her plump lips. “Once this happens, we can never go back.”