lips. And all of that black hair of hers made his hands itch in ways to touch her that he’d never felt before.
He came back to reality briefly, gave her his card, and apologized once more. The target had been acquired and the first contact had been made. That was all he needed to do for now. He left her to carry on with her errands and went into the store to buy a few things, so nobody would notice that he’d gone into the parking lot but not gone into the store.
His aunt wanted him to be noticed so he went over to the library briefly, picked out a book, and got himself a library card. He left there and drove on, thoughts of the girl, the woman rather, still on his mind. He turned on a playlist he kept hidden in his phone and hit play. The sound of The Beatles filled the car as he drove back to the mansion hidden down a bayou path.
It wasn’t until he was in the driveway, the voice of John Lennon in his head, that he realized he felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Desire tinged with something he thought might be hope. That made him blink a few times before he turned the car off and stepped out.
Now, why would a girl from the back of beyond in Louisiana make him feel anything? Was that what had happened to his late Uncle Nick? He’d met a woman that he couldn’t take his eyes off of, or had she just been another conquest? Matteo was familiar with conquests, women he’d bedded for prestige, women he’d bedded that had refused him, but he’d charmed them over time. They’d given in to him, just for him to dump them after their conquest.
Would this woman be the same? Would he be able to seduce her, as his aunt wanted him to do, and then leave her with a broken heart and a debt she couldn’t possibly repay? He’d had another notification about their finances: they were one unexpected bill away from the poorhouse, so he knew the women wouldn’t be able to repay his aunt. Would the girl’s broken heart be enough for her?
Somehow, Matteo doubted it. The whole situation was far thornier than he’d expected it would be. But then, he’d expected a woman like any other, easily conquered and discarded. Something about this young woman told him that wasn’t going to be the case.
He thought he’d be able to keep his heart out of it, he had little doubt about that, but would he be able to forget her? That was a question he didn’t want to examine too closely, so he went out to the pool instead. A few laps would keep him focused, and when he went to rest an hour later, his mind was clear.
He had a mission; he would do his duty.
He owed his allegiance to Celeste and the family. Make that family with a capital F. That’s who would protect him, serve him, make him their king. This girl meant nothing to him, and he’d do what was expected of him.
She stayed on his mind throughout the night, however, and when he went to bed, it was her he dreamed of. Long, slow kisses made him hum with pleasure, even in his sleep, as he stroked the full breasts, he’d barely noted earlier that day. She wrapped herself around him, eager to know his touch.
At that moment, in that place, Matteo finally felt free of the mental restraints that had shackled his thoughts for so long and he surged against Marie’s body with his own. He was just as eager as she was, he craved the devotion those dark brown eyes of hers promised him, craved the solace of her embrace. Even more than that, he accepted it all from her, he expected it, demanded it as the moments passed and he felt her soft body melt into his.
Every inch of her was cradled against him and he slipped the shoulder of the white gown off of her shoulders, to kiss the smooth skin there. He inhaled deeply, about to lose control, but he restrained himself, just for now, just until she begged him for more, for all of him.
The gown slipped lower, to the very tops of her breasts, and Matteo shuddered as he let his lips skim the plump flesh. She felt so good, so right. Nothing, no one, had ever felt