Page 43 of The Chameleon

“No. I don’t,” Matteo said with a crack in his voice.

For someone who was usually so poised and in control, Matteo was struggling with so many emotions. This was one of the reasons he insisted on being alone. He didn’t want anyone else to see him struggle.

These past few weeks had been a mindfuck. Dealing with his parent’s pending anniversary, questioning his own life choices, and now this?

The last thing he needed to deal with were old wounds that had barely healed being slashed back open, again.

When it came to Ares, Matteo was a mess.

“Because I still care about you,” Ares whispered.

Hearing those words uttered out loud was like a punch to the gut. Matteo closed his eyes and tried to gain control of the shitstorm of feelings battling it out inside his head.

“I know that this is a tough time of year for you. So, when I heard that you had run off, I got worried and had to come check on you.”

There was a long pause as Matteo tried to reel in his emotions. Ares had been the only man who truly understood him. When things ended between them, Matteo had been devastated.

“I still love you.” Ares’s words were barely audible.

Words like those did not come easy to the hardened man. Knowing how hard it was for Ares to admit that was like getting struck by a cannon in the chest.

The next thing Matteo knew, his soapy hands were flying out of the sink and pulling Ares’s startled body right into his. Their mouths slammed together, and Matteo began his hungry assault on his ex-boyfriend's lips.

Emotions collided together.

Anger, fear, lust, love.

Each of the emotions he’d kept bottled up was now battling it out for dominance, taking it out aggressively on Ares’s stunned lips.

A moan escaped Ares’s throat before his mind seemed to finally catch up with what was going on.

The need. The hunger. The uncontrollable urge to just let go.

Matteo hated to admit it, but he’d never stopped loving the horrid beast before him. Even after hearing those heartbreaking words… “I’m no longer in love with you.”

It was madness.

He didn’t understand why.

But for some fucked-up reason, Matteo still loved the infuriating man.

Tired of fighting, Matteo finally let his guard down and gave in to the desires he’d been fighting all these years.

As if sensing Matteo’s plight, Ares wrapped his arms around him and pulled him tight against his burly chest.

Fuck.He missed this. Being wrapped inside this hungry man’s arms, having his mouth devoured like he was the first meal after a hunger strike. All of it.

Letting out a snarl, Matteo spun them around and shoved Ares hard against the fridge.

The man let out a groan as a few items sitting on top of the fridge fell to the ground.

“Excited, are we?” Ares huffed, staring at Matteo with knowing eyes.

“Shut up,” Matteo shot back, struggling to undo the buttons on Ares’s shirt, thanks to the soap still dripping from his hands. “Fuck it,” Matteo growled, deciding to rip open the shirt in frustration.

Buttons flew across the room, proving that Matteo was part Hulk and sexually frustrated.

“Damn, and that was one of my favorite shirts,” Ares complained sarcastically.

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