I walk back to Matteo’s room. Every step draining more and more energy out of my body until I have hardly anything left when I make it back to his bedroom.
I’m panting and sweaty, and I can’t focus on anything because of the pain. That’s all I feel—the pain. In my legs, my arms, my head. Everything hurts.
I bend over and put my hands on my knees, like I just ran a marathon. I hate what that bastard did to me. I’ve never felt so weak in my entire life.
I feel Matteo’s hand on my shoulder before I see him.
“You should get back into bed. You pushed yourself to your limit, and now, you just need to rest and gather your strength for tomorrow,” he says gently to me.
I take a couple of more breaths, and then I stand up and see that Matteo is fully dressed in a suit. He’s barely worn any clothes this last week since I’ve been here. So, it’s weird, seeing him clothed, much less so sharply dressed.
Matteo nods toward his bed, and I don’t argue. I let him lead me toward his bed. He helps me in, and the pain slowly starts to subside. The weakness stays with me though.
“Better?”
I nod. “Why are you wearing a suit?”
He smiles, although I can see a hint of sadness in his eyes that I haven’t seen before.
“Because, believe it or not, I have a job that doesn’t involve lying in bed all day and night with you.”
“When do you have to leave?”
“Five minutes,” he says without looking at his watch.
I frown. Even though I’m pissed at him, I still don’t want to be alone.
He laughs at my pout. “Don’t pretend that you care if I’m here or not. You clearly prefer my brother to me. I’m just your protector. I get it. As soon as all your wounds have healed, I’ll send you to his bed.”
I carefully consider my next words. I don’t want him to know that I know they are both just playing games with me. But I need to have my questions answered. Until I have more information, I need to stick to my original plan. To get them all to care about me. Maybe even fall in love with me. So that they will let me go. I know love is stronger than anything. Make them fall in love with me, and then I’ll be free.
“I care about Arlo,” I say.
Matteo cocks his head to one side. “You’re obsessed with him, is what I heard.”
I nod. “I’m obsessed. Even though he’s done horrible things to me. Stolen me from my husband. Raped me. And didn’t even bother to take care of me afterward. I still care about him. I’m obsessed. It’s my personality. I can’t control it. Just like I can’t control my feelings toward you either. Even though you made me suck your brother’s dick.”
He raises an eyebrow. “And what are your feelings toward me?”
“I’m becoming obsessed with you, too.”
He laughs. “I don’t believe you, beautiful. You gave me a chaste kiss and sucked him.”
“With Arlo, it’s just about sex. That’s all the obsession has ever been. Wanting to get into his pants. But, with you, we started differently. You became my friend, my caretaker, my protector. I didn’t want to suck you off just because you commanded me to. With you, I want our first time to be special,” I say, pushing all thoughts of Heath out of my mind. I can’t think about how much I might be hurting him. All I can think about is getting free at any cost.
Matteo studies me with his arms folded across his chest. “I don’t believe you, beautiful. I think you want Arlo and no one else.”
“I kissed you. I didn’t kiss him. We have something different. Something that I will never have with Arlo.”
“Prove it,” he says with a dare in his eyes.
I crook my finger at him. “Come here.”
Matteo takes a seat on the edge of the bed, like he always does when he is about to take care of me.
I hesitate as the smell of his cologne washes over me. It’s sexy and manly, and it immediately makes me want him. But I feel so weak that I’m not sure
I can even lift my head off the bed again, much less hit on Matteo or have sex with him.