I looked down in shock. He was right; I was gripping the material of my skirt so hard, I had torn the seam. If that wasn’t enough, my fingers had worried the fabric so much it was broken down and frayed.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“Evie!”
His sharp tone stopped my words. They dried up in my throat as I stared at him, fear spiking down my spine.
He cupped my face, shaking his head. “Do not look at me with fear, beautiful girl. You need never fear me. I love you, and you are my world.”
Tears filled my eyes, and with a groan, he undid my seat belt and pulled me onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed kisses to my head.
I inhaled deeply, his scent calming me. In his arms, there was no fear or worry. Only him, only us.
“I’m sorry, Evie. I know this is all still new and frightening to you. I hadn’t meant to work on the flight home, but Julian sent me some files I had to go through right away. Otherwise, I would disappear when we arrived home, and I wanted our first night at the house spent together.”
“It’s fine,” I whispered.
“Tell me what is upsetting you so much.”
I leaned my head back, meeting his gaze. His deep brown eyes were soft and concerned—there was no anger or judgment. My Matteo was here.
“I worry I will disappoint you. That I will step out of line and cause you embarrassment. I worry I won’t be able to handle working with your sister, or she won’t like me. She never came near me the night we married or since then. What–what if I do something to displease you?”
Matteo frowned. “I fully expect you to—I’ll do the same to you. Evie, what do you think I am? Do you think I would harm a hair on your head? Do you think I’m some sort of monster?” He cupped my cheek. “I’m just a man. A man in love with his wife. Nothing is going to happen. We might argue. If I get angry, we’ll get through it. If I anger you, the same thing. Couples fight.” He ran a finger under my eyes, wiping away my tears. “Gianna will come around. She’s incredibly nervous of new people, but she will warm to you. Let her do it on her own time. She will come to you when she is ready. As for the rest, I will help you. Roza and Lila will be there to help you as well. And if you hate that aspect, then you can do something else.” He tweaked my nose. “I need lunch daily, and you told me you loved to bake. You know I have a sweet tooth.”
“You…we–we won’t be the same.”
“As we were on the island?”
“Yes.”
“Yes and no. Will I sweep you into my arms and kiss you in front of my team? Tease and chase you around? No. But nor will I ignore you. You are my wife, and as such, you deserve respect. I am intensely private, and my feelings for you—the deep, unshakable ones—will be between us. But if you need me? If you need my arms or my touch? All you have to do is come to see me. Close my door and tell me privately. Anything you want is yours.”
He paused, looking down at me, then bent his head and brushed his lips over mine. “I show only strength to my team, Evie. Although some are family, I am still their boss. They don’t get the private side of Matteo unless I allow it—which is rare. But you, my wife, you get all of me. When I’m conducting business, I do what I have to in order to maintain my role, but in private, I am yours. My heart is always with you, even when I’m somewhere else. Don’t allow the façade I have to use make you think anything else.” He dropped another kiss to my mouth. “Never forget what you mean to me. You can always talk to me. I want to know what you’re thinking and feeling.”
His lips quirked. “Unless, of course, I’m in a meeting and you decide right then to yell at me about missing the hamper with my socks.”
A little giggle escaped my lips. He smiled back at me, then became serious.
“What I do is dangerous, Evie. It’s one of the reasons I never thought I would get married. I didn’t want to endanger anyone. I had no soft spot for anyone to take advantage of—to use against me. But you changed that. My biggest fear is that it become known how profoundly in love with you I am and you become a target because of me. What I do, what my team does, is kept under such tight wraps that only a handful of people know for sure we are real. There is gossip and rumors, but nothing that leads to me directly. I want to keep it that way, now more than ever. And I will take every precaution.”