Page 221 of My Italian Love Affair

Matteo laughs beside me, the sound low and satisfied.

"You kept up."

"Yeah, barely," I sigh, peeking at him through my fingers and find him watching me with a lazy smile.

His hair is a mess, his chest slick with sweat, and I can't help but think he looks absurdly good like this.

"Are you always this...intense?" I ask.

"Only when it matters." He shifts onto his side, running his hand along my hip. "And you,bella, definitely matter."

My stomach flutters even as I groan.

"God, you're smooth."

"It's not smooth. It's honest," he chuckles as his thumb traces circles on my skin. "Can't help it if the truth sounds like a line."

I laugh softly, but the warmth of his words lingers.

We lie there for a while, the silence broken only by the sound of our breathing, and I let my eyes drift to a close as exhaustion creeps in.

Matteo pulls me closer, fitting my back against his chest. His hand slips beneath the sheet, resting possessively on my stomach as his lips brush against the nape of my neck.

"Sleep,mi amore," he whispers. "You're safe here."

The words wrap around me like a blanket, and for the first time in weeks, I believe them.

Chapter Fifty-Four

Daphne

The first thing I register when I wake up is the warmth of Matteo’s body pressed against mine.

The second thing is the complete, disorienting darkness.

My eyes blink open, but the room remains pitch-black. For a moment, panic grips me. I sit up abruptly, heart racing, and grope around for some sense of orientation.

"Relax,bella," Matteo’s sleepy voice murmurs from beside me.

His arm snakes around my waist, pulling me back down.

"It's just the blinds."

"The blinds?" I ask, breathless.

"Black-out blinds," he explains, voice thick with sleep. "Helps me sleep in after late games." He nuzzles his face into the crook of my neck. "No idea what time it is."

I grope for my phone on the nightstand, squinting as the screen lights up.

"Oh my God," I say, sitting up again. "It's nearly ten a.m."

Matteo groans and tightens his hold around my waist, effectively anchoring me to the bed.

"Exactly. Too early to get up."

"Too early? It's practically lunchtime!"

"You needed the rest after last night's workout," he says with a teasing grin.

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