Page 71 of Matteo
“We’ll find out.”
I shot him a surprised look. “We will?”
“Why did you think I picked today of all days for this ride?” he drawled, amused. “We’ll have food, drinks, and some champagne while we wait.”
“Ah, that’s what that basket is over there. You really thought of everything.” I smiled as I gazed down at the stretches of farms, towns, and lakes passing beneath us. I’d never seen anything like it, even from an airplane.
Being out in the open like this felt like flying. Thrilling and exciting, but also terrifying and reckless. Except, I didn’t mind being reckless because I knew Matteo would always keep me safe.
“This is the best date I’ve ever been on,” I said after we’d been in the air for about an hour. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling as if the stars were within my grasp.
Matteo’s lips sucked along my neck, marking every inch of my skin.
“Those dates with other men don’t count.” His rough voice below my ear caused my pulse to sputter. “You and me. We are the only thing that counts.”
I shot him a dry look. “Only because you worked overtime, chasing every boy away and ruining all my dates.”
A sly smile tugged on his lip. “You’re lucky I didn’t kill every one of those boys.”
I should be worried about his possessiveness, but instead, it made me jittery and warm inside. Turning my head to the side, I kissed him, hard and deep, while the stars reached for us and streaks of light burned all around us in the night as they entered Earth’s atmosphere.
It was only the beginning of our life together. Our future.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
ARIANNA
Our feet back on solid ground, Matteo handed a stack of bills to the waiting men who had been tethering the hot-air balloon so we wouldn’t wander off course. Truthfully, it made the whole experience even more enjoyable because it would have been terrifying to get lost in the air. Or God forbid, get into an air crash.
Matteo took my hand, tugging me along as he checked his phone with his other.
“Merda… Figlio di puttana…” He let out a string of Italian curses as we stopped in front of his bike, and I bit my lip as he typed on his phone. “Porca miseria.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked, the ridges of his face now hard, his eyes stormy. I’d seen the same look in Dad’s eyes when business called.
He handed me my helmet, smiling tightly. “Nothing. I just need to stop at my penthouse.”
My eyebrows shot up. “You have a penthouse?”
“Yeah.”
I let out an uncomfortable laugh. “Justyeah, huh?”
“I don’t use it all that much.” He swung his leg over the bike and revved the motor. “Come on, hop on.”
All the way there, I noticed Matteo checking behind us, but I didn’t notice anything unusual when I followed his line of sight.
An hour later, we arrived at a luxury building in the heart of New York City. After he parked the bike in the underground garage, we took the elevator to the reception area.
One guard stood right outside the door of the building and another sat behind the reception desk, eyes trained on a monitor.
“I’ll be right back, okay? I don’t have my keys on me, so I’ll need to grab one from the manager.”
I plastered on a smile. “No rush. I’ll be here.”
Once he disappeared from view, I studied the luxurious waiting area with marble floors, sofas, and floor-to-ceiling windows while I waited for him, observing the passing crowds as they rushed out into the night.
“Hello, Arianna. I’m surprised to see you here.”
