Page 46 of Untamed

It’s too much. Tootreacherous.

When he leans forward to claim my mouth, I find the last thread of control I have. I reach up and press my fingers lightly against his lips, stopping him an inch away from mine.

“No kissing,” I whisper, breathless but firm, my heart pounding so hard I’m sure he can feel it through my back. “I told you, I’m not like the other girls you’re used to. As cliché as it sounds, you want me, you’re going to have to earn the pleasure, Matty.”

For a second, he freezes, his hazel eyes burning into mine. And then he smiles, slow and wicked, the kind of smile that promises he’s just accepted a challenge he fully intends to win.

“Earn you? Va bene, Fossette,” he murmurs against my fingertips. “I can do that. Hell, I can wait for as long as you need me to.” Matteo pulls my fingers from his lips and inches closer until our lips are a breath apart. “I know you’re worth the wait, but how am I supposed to keep my hands off you when you look and smell thisgood?”

Oh my God, my pulse spikes at the mere thought of revealing such a sacred part of myself to him. I’ve never allowed anyone to go that far before.

My head tips back and I brush my lips along his jaw slowly until I reach his ear. My tongue lightly trails the shell of his ear before I bite and tug his lobe teasingly, “I never said you couldn’ttouch me, Matteo.” I feel Matteo stiffen behind me and I hear a low throaty groan. “I’m just...”

“You’re just...”

I sigh when he peppers soft kisses along my jaw. Now is probably a good time to tell him that I’m a virgin. At least then he won’t think I’m just being a cock tease. “A... virgin.”

Matteo freezes. Like,actuallyfreezes.

His lips hover against my jaw, warm breath ghosting over my skin, but the soft kisses are gone. His hands don’t move. His body goes still behind me, except for the rapid rise and fall of his chest.

And then he pulls back slowly, and I turn around to face him. His eyes lock on mine like he’s not sure he heard right.

“Wait. What?”

I nod, cheeks burning. “I’ve never...”

There’s a beat of silence, and then. “No, fucking way.”

I flinch. “You don’t have to say it like that?—”

“No,Cazzo. I just…” He shakes his head, blinking like I’ve just short-circuited his entire system. “You’re joking, right?”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Do I look like I’m joking?”

Matteo stares at me.Stares. Like I’ve just told him the sky is green, and he’s lived his whole life blind. His dark brows pull together, hazel eyes darting across my face like he’s trying to find the lie.

“How?” he blurts. “How is that possible? How the hell hasn’t anyone... I mean—” He gestures at me wildly. “Have youseenyourself? Like, are guys blind where you’re from?”

I laugh despite myself, half mortified, half amused. “Wow. Thanks, I guess?”

He runs a hand down his face, pacing a small, agitated circle in the water. “Jordyn, come on. I mean, you’re so fucking beautiful. I just… I had this whole idea of you in my head, you know? Like, confident, dangerous, untouchable. You walk into a room and own it, Fossette. And now—” He stops, eyes narrowing. “Wait...is that why you said no kissing? Fossette, have you never been kissed?”

I chew my bottom lip and shake my head once. God, my face feels like it’s on fire. I know it’s nothing to be ashamed of and I’m not ashamed of it, but...I still feel a little embarrassed by it. All my friends back home lost their virginities before they hit sixteen. And the stories they all told me about how awful it was and how much they all regretted not waiting, it just made me want to wait.

“Wow.” Matteo utters with a shake of his head. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t him stepping forward, closing the space between us, gently cupping my face and looking into my eyes. “You’re absolutely right about one thing.” he adds, his forehead pressing against mine. “You’renothinglike any other girl I have ever met. Fuck, how are you even real?”

I smile, “I’m just avirgin,Matteo, not some whimsical fairy from an alternate universe.”

Matteo shakes his head, his thumb brushing along my jaw. “Are you kidding me? You may as well be. Do you have any idea how rarely a girl like you comes around,mia cara?” I stare up at him, not really knowing what to say in that moment. “Why me?”

I blink. “What do you mean?”

“Why did you let me touch you like that, kiss you like that, if you’ve never even…” He trails off, jaw clenched, a flicker of something raw behind the cocky front.

I lift my hands and place him on his muscular chest, water swaying around us. “Because with you, I forget to be afraid.”

His throat bobs. “Jordyn…” His voice is tight now. Less teasing. Less wild. “You can’t say stuff like that and expect me to just float here and behave.”

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