My arm snakes out lightning fast and encircles her waist. Pulling her up close, I lean down to her ear. “It wasn’t a fucking request, Savannah. Put your shoes on and walk out that door with me or I’ll fucking carry you out.”

  She squirms against my hold. “Let me go.”

  “Yeah, that’s never going to fucking happen,” I grunt. I do release her though, spin her around, and point down at her shoes on the floor. “So what’s it going to be?”

  Savvy pivots to glare at me. Whatever she sees in my eyes has her submitting. For now at least. She slides her feet into her shoes. And without saying another word, she storms out her front door and stomps towards the elevator. I follow closely behind her. If she thinks she’s going to get the opportunity to run again, she’s sorely mistaken. We descend in silence. I can’t help but smile at how she attempts to keep as much space between us as she can. I let her have it. She’s about to find out just how little distance between us there will be from now on. As soon as I get her alone.

  When the elevator doors open, I step forward and take hold of her hand. She jerks her arm away, trying to free herself. I smile at her and tighten my grip. “Can’t have you trying to be a runaway bride, now, can I?” I pull her towards the exit as she curses me out under her breath. I open the back door of the waiting SUV. “Get in.” Savvy scans her surroundings. “No one here is going to stop me from picking you up and throwing you inside, Savvy, which I will if I have to,” I warn her.

  I see the anger in her eyes. She’s fuming but she also knows I’m telling the truth. With a glare that would weaken most men, she climbs into the back seat. When I hop in after her, she slides right across to the other side, practically hugging the door. I can’t help but laugh. Which only infuriates her further.

  “I swear to God, Matteo, you are going to regret this,” she growls out.

  “My only regret, Savvy, is not marrying your ass sooner,” I tell her.

  “You can’t be serious. We can’t do this, Tao. We can’t.”

  “Too late. We already did.”

  She turns to stare out the window as Rocco pulls away from her apartment building, or should I say her former apartment building. She won’t be coming back.

  Two hours later, we pull up to a gated estate. Rocco enters the code into the panel and drives up the long, winding path. “Where are we?” Savvy asks.

  “Home.” I smile.

  “This isn’t your apartment, Matteo. Where are we?”

  “I told you. Home. I bought this place a few years ago.”

  “I’ve never seen it. Why haven’t I been here before?” she asks, staring at the looming mansion.

  “I was waiting for the right time to show you.” I shrug. When the car stops, I open the door, lean back in, and hold out my hand. She looks at it like it’s going to bite her if she takes it. “Savvy, really? You think it’s going to hurt you?” I feign sarcasm but secretly I’m annoyed she actually looks scared.

  “Of course not. I just don’t want to hold your hand right now.” She slides out of the car. Her open palms land on my chest as she pushes me back a step. Without warning, I bend forward and pick her up, throwing her over my shoulder. “Put me down! What the hell are you doing?” Her fists pound on my back.

  “Carrying my bride over the fucking threshold. Stop hitting me, Savvy.” I slap her ass.

  “Ow, fuck, Matteo, stop. Put me down. You’re being freaking ridiculous,” she yells.

  Opening the door, I walk inside, slamming it shut with my foot. “I’ll give you the tour later,” I tell her as I climb the staircase.

  “I don’t want the tour. I want to go home,” she says right before her teeth latch on to my hip.

  “Did you just fucking bite me?” I grunt.

  “Yes, and I’ll do it again if you don’t freaking put me down now!” she screams. Her words echo off the walls.

  I’ve only had one room furnished in this house. I always knew that this would be my and Savvy’s home, and I wasn’t about to have another interior designer furnish it for her. The bedroom, however, I had done. I’ve slept here a few times when I’ve needed to get away from everyone, and I refused to sleep on the fucking floor.

  When I step inside, I throw Savvy down on the bed. She scoots up immediately, crawling to the opposite side of the mattress. As far away from me as she can get. Once again. “What on earth are you thinking?” she says, climbing down and straightening out her shirt.

  “I was thinking that I’m bringing my wife home to show her the house I bought for us. You know most women would be overjoyed to get a place like this as a wedding gift.”

  “Okay, stop. Matteo, this is a joke. You and I both know we can’t stay married. Last night was…” Her words trail off.

  “Your decision,” I say, reminding her that it was, in fact, her idea to get hitched by Elvis.

  “I know, but I was drunk. And so were you… We just need to get an annulment or something, and then things can go back to how they were.”

  “No,” I tell her.

  “What? You can’t say no. You’re a lawyer, Matteo. You can file the paperwork yourself. We don’t even need to tell anyone. To get anyone else involved.”

  13

  SAVVY

  Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

  Romans 12:9

  “I will never give you a divorce, Savvy. You’re wasting your breath even asking for one.” Matteo slips his hands into his pockets. His head tips downwards and he gazes at the floor. I know that pose. He’s hurt. I get it. It’s not like I’m not hurting myself here too.

  “Matteo, what happens next week when you decide you’re done with me? When you decide that you’re ready for a new, more exciting adventure?” I ask him. I’ve never known Matteo to be in a relationship with anyone. I know he sleeps around. It’s not like it’s hard for him. One look at the man, and women throw their panties in his direction. Literally. I’ve seen it more than once.

  “That’s not going to happen. You and I both know that’s not what you’re worried about.” He runs a hand through his hair, ruffling his dark locks. “Spit it out. Tell me what you’re afraid of, Savvy, because I’m really starting to lose my fucking patience here.”

  “We just work better as friends. You know that.”

  “How are you so sure? We’ve never tried to be anything more,” he counters.

  “I just know. I’m not the wife you need, Matteo.”

  “You’re right. You’re not the wife I need. You’re the fucking wife I want. You’re the wife I’ve got.” He starts walking towards the threshold.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Downstairs, before I say something I can’t take back.” He slams the door without glancing my way again.

  And I’m left standing here. In the middle of a room. That has Matteo written all over it. Right down to the oversized king bed, with navy-blue and white bedding. A large dark-mahogany chest of drawers sits along one wall. There’re two doors opposite the dresser and one across from me—I head towards the singular door, swing it open, and my mouth drops.

  It’s a bathroom, but it’s not just any bathroom. It’s my bathroom.

  Well, not mine, but it’s the bathroom I have pinned up on the vision board of my dream home. It’s exactly what I wanted, right down to the white and grey marble double sink with black faucets. There’s a large oval tub, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook a luscious green garden. Walking farther into the room, I see that the shower’s hidden behind a spacious white-tiled wall. That’s not what captures my attention though. It’s the large letters in sparkling black stone. Right in the center, spelling out our initials: MSV.

  That wasn’t on the vision board. That’s all Matteo’s doing. He really did all this? He had my dream bathroom constructed right here?

  I don’t know what to think. My heart is aching. I want to go find him, wrap my arms around him, and never let go. But I know that’s a dream, no matter what he says. I know he’ll always belong to the family first and me second.

  Why is this so freaking hard?

  I walk out of the bathroom, refusing to let the tears fall. I need to shut down this emotional crap. I need to stand strong. It’s the only way I know how to survive. Opening the first door on the far side of the room, I enter the empty wardrobe—a very impressive, empty wardrobe. This space alone is larger than the living room in my apartment. Closing the door, I open the other one. It mirrors the empty closet space, only this one has clothes and accessories in it. Matteo’s clothes and accessories.

  My fingers roam over the fabric of the shirts lining the hangers, in freaking color-coded order. I take a white shirt, bring it to my face, and inhale. It smells like his laundry detergent. I need to get a grip. I need to get out of this place and go home. I quickly shut the closet door and walk over to the one Matteo slammed behind him. I open it and find myself standing on a large landing area. There’s a double staircase to my right and a long hallway with numerous closed doors to my left.

  I don’t need to know what’s behind those doors. What I need is to get out of here. I walk down the stairs. Standing in the foyer, I spin around to get the full view. It’s pretty. Expansive. And striking. If I were to pluck my dream home out of a magazine, this would be it. A huge silver chandelier hangs from the center of the ornate ceiling. It’s mesmerizing, my eyes inspecting how all of the swirls intertwine with each other.

  “You like it?” Matteo’s voice makes me jump ten feet in the air.

  “It’s beautiful,” I whisper, still in awe as I take in my opulent surroundings.

  “Good. Anything you don’t like can be changed. Just say the word.” He says it like it’s a done deal, me living here.

  “I’m not staying, Matteo. I can’t.”

  He tilts his head to the side, much like he’d done earlier. “Do you really think I’m just going to let you walk out of here? You’re my wife, Savvy, whether you like that or not. It’s a fact. It’s legal. I made sure of that.” He pauses, taking a step closer to me.

  “Well, unlegalize it, Matteo. I know you can do that.”

  “I could, but I won’t. Unless you can give me one damn good reason why I should,” he says.

  I take a breath and release it. “I don’t love you. You shouldn’t be stuck with a wife who doesn’t love you.” The lie tastes bitter on my tongue.

  “That.” Matteo points at me. “Would be a great reason. If it were true.”

  I stand frozen to my spot as he takes another step forward. His hand comes up and cups my cheek. His thumb brushes against my lower lip. My breath hitches, my pulse goes into overdrive, and I can feel the flush working its way up my neck.

  “Even when you lie to me, you’re fucking breathtakingly beautiful, Savvy,” he says, right before his lips slam over my mouth.

  I gasp and then feel his tongue begin to war with mine. It’s like my body takes over and my brain gets left behind. My arms have a mind of their own as they circle his neck and tug him closer to me.

  Matteo nibbles on my lower lip before he pulls away. “You can lie to me all you want, but I know you, Savvy. Better than you know yourself.” He shrugs.

  What can I say to that? He does know me, but he can’t know what I’m really afraid of. There’s no way. I’ve never voiced it.

  “So, Mrs. Valentino, what do you want for dinner? I’m cooking.” Matteo smiles at me.

  I feel my face pale. My body starts to shake. Am I in shock? About to have some kind of seizure? I have no idea, but all of a sudden, I can’t breathe.

  “Fuck! Savannah, fucking breathe, damn it.”

  I look around. I can hear Matteo, but he sounds like he’s underwater. I feel myself being lifted and then I’m moving, but I don’t know where I’m going. I close my eyes. “I can’t… Mat… teo… I…” I can’t even get the words out.

  “It’s okay. I’ve got you, Savvy. You’re okay. Just breathe.”

  I can feel his hands running up and down my back. After a while, I open my eyes and see Matteo looking back at me.

  “You’re okay. You know I’d never let anything hurt you, Savvy, right?”

  “I know that you believe that,” I tell him.

  “So, was it the prospect of my cooking that made you literally have a panic attack or just the whole Mrs. Valentino thing?”

  “I can’t do this, Matteo. Please, don’t make me do this,” I beg him.

  “Ask me for anything and I’ll find a way to give it to you. But I’m not giving you a divorce. I’m not giving up on us. We’re meant to be, always have been.”

  I shake my head. I can’t form the words I need to say. I know it’s useless. I can see he has made up his mind, and once Matteo has set his sights on something, he doesn’t give up.

  Basically, I have two choices: Go along with this insanity of his, trusting that we’ll actually end up a happily married couple and wait for my heart to be broken and torn to shreds. OR… break his heart and walk away from him for good.

  Neither are options I want. What I want is to wake up and for this all to be a dream. For us to be the same as we were yesterday. Just Matteo and Savvy, the best of friends.

  As if he can read my mind, he says, “You’re my best friend, Savvy. You’re the one good thing I have in my life, and I don’t plan on ever letting that go.” Matteo wraps his arms around me, and I bury my head in his chest. “Our love is sincere, and it’s something we need to cling to, not run from.”

  Is he right?

  He can’t be. I’ve seen what happens when people give into this kind of love. It never ends well.

  14

  MATTEO

  Who wishes to fight must first count the cost.

  ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

  It’s fucking harder than I thought it would be. Not giving in and letting Savvy walk out. I can’t stomach seeing her like this. She hates me right now, or at least is trying to hate me.

  She barely touched her dinner. We sat on the kitchen floor because the house has no fucking furniture. I know she’s struggling with whatever inner demons she’s fighting. I wish she’d just open up and tell me. I don’t know how to fucking help her if she doesn’t tell me. I’m also petrified that my coming on too strong is going to be the thing that makes me lose her for good. I can’t just sit by and wait any longer though. I need to uncover what her fucking hold-up is and figure out a way to get her to move past it. There isn’t any other option. I won’t lose her.

  I walk into the bedroom and find Savvy sitting up with her back pressed to the headboard. Her hair hangs loose over her shoulders, still wet from the shower she just took. “How’s the shower?”

  “It’s fine,” she answers. “Where’s my bag, Tao? I need my phone,” she asks.

  I pause. I’ve purposely kept it from her. She could call anyone and find a way to leave here. Leave me. I’m not stupid. This isn’t the first time I’ve held someone captive, even if that’s not what we’re calling this. I don’t plan on letting her go, though, so it’s not much different either. “Ah, I’m not sure,” I tell her while approaching the bed.

  “You’re lying,” she says. “Just give me my phone, Matteo.”

  “Why? So you can call someone to come and save you? I don’t think so.” I peel back the blanket, revealing her smooth creamy legs. I keep my eyes locked on hers as I separate her thighs, kneeling between them. “No one can save you from this, Savvy. You are mine now and I’m yours.”

  “But you’re not really mine, are you, Matteo? I’ll always come second to your family. You’ll never be able to put me first.”

  Her words have my hands stilling. Is that really what she thinks? “You’ve been carrying that around a while, huh?” I raise an eyebrow at her. “Savvy, hear me when I say this. I love my family, and yes, I’d do anything for them. Fuck, I’d burn the whole world to the ground and relight it for any one of my brothers. Cousins. My parents.” My fingers start their journey up her inner thighs. “But you, you are a part of that family too. You are my family too and it didn’t take a piece of paper for that. You’ve always been my family, Savvy. And you’ll always be my fucking number one priority.” Her eyes stay on mine. I can tell she’s processing my words. She wants to believe them but won’t let herself. “Well, that is until we have kids. Then you’ll be sharing that spot with our spawn.”

  “Our spawn? Matteo, if you think I’m having kids with you, you’re out of your mind. You’re forgetting I’ve known you since you were six. There is no way I’m raising a mini you.”

  “And you’re forgetting you’ve loved me since you were six. Like it or not, babe, you’ll be the mother of our devilish children.”

  “Matteo, where’s my phone? I really do need it—and my laptop. I have work to do.”

  “You don’t have to be at work until tomorrow. Tonight, I want you to shut off all your arguments, all your hold-ups, and just be… us.” My hands are almost at the top of her thighs. I can feel the tremor in her legs the closer my fingers get to her pussy.

  “We shouldn’t do this. It won’t change my mind, Matteo.”

  “Ouch, way to hurt a guy’s ego, babe.” I smirk.

  “I think your ego can handle the blow.”

  I laugh. Even when we’re in the middle of a fight, we always seem to find our way back to each other. To our normal banter. Although this isn’t really one of our usual disagreements. This is more of a changing our lives for the better kind of moment.

  “We should stop.” Her words are whispered, and although she’s voicing her protests, her legs open wider, inviting me in.

  “You don’t want me to stop. You know I can make you feel good. You really are wound up, Savvy. Let me help you relax.” I lean forward, my lips traveling a path up her left leg, from her knee all the way to the apex of her thighs. Biting and nibbling as I go. My plan was to repeat the process. That is, until I reached the top and discovered she’s not wearing any panties. “Fuck. Fottimi, ho appena trovato il paradiso.” My tongue slides through her wet folds.

 

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