Page 118 of The One
Still, the thought of him with Veronica, or anyone else, makes my stomach churn. I swallow the bitterness rising in my throat and focus on his hand that’s now resting on my belly with his fingers splayed wide. It feels possessive and protective at the same time, and intimate.
Oh God! It’s hot in here. Is the air conditioning working? Or is it the fire Mateo ignites in me that’s burning me up?
Mateo’s heart beats softly against my back and I sense the steady rise and fall of each breath he takes.
His lips graze my ear and my blood runs a fever.
“You know,dolce mia, I truly love watching you experience things for the first time. You have a sense of wonder about you that I can’t get enough of.”
His warm breath kisses the shell of my ear, and goosebumps erupt across my skin. My stomach tightens with a sudden pang of desire.
Who am I kidding? That pang of desire has always been there.
I don’t reply, my mind a jumbled mess. I have no idea how to respond to that.
Moving his hand back onto my lower back, Mateo leads me toward a darkened, secluded corner at the back of the club. When we reach it, the guards surrounding us peel off and silently position themselves around the area.
Mateo sits down on a large leather sofa facing the club. The lights bounce rhythmically around the dancing area while the beat of the music seems to resonate in my chest. Mateo tugs on my hand, and I go to sit down next to him, but he shakes his head, pulling me into his lap.
I yelp, my arms going around his broad shoulders for stability. Frantically, I dart my eyes around to see if anybody is watching.
“Nobody can see us here,” Mateo says.
He turns my face toward him, cupping it tenderly while his other hand holds me by my waist.
“I haven’t been able to think of anything other than our kiss this morning,” he whispers, his voice a gravelly tone that sends the butterflies in my stomach into a frenzy.
“I need another taste.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Mariella
YES!
Yes, please.
I want him to kiss me and never stop.
I run my tongue over my lips, and Mateo’s attention immediately drops to my mouth. Self-conscious under his penetrating focus, I bite my lower lip, but it only serves to intensify the hunger in his eyes.
Hmm, interesting.
Analyzing this cause-and-effect will have to wait, though, because his lips crash against mine.
Adrenaline floods my body, my heart leaps and I forget how to breathe.
Our mouths meet with passion and desire. Both his hands lift to cradle my face, angling my head for him to deepen our kiss. It’s long and hard and growing more heated by the second.
I moan as he bites my bottom lip teasingly before slipping his tongue into my mouth. He flicks it against mine and I get lost in this moment of us together.
God, I’m in an alternate universe. One where the hottest man alive is kissing me again!
Scratch that! He’s more than just kissing me. He’s devouring me.
How is this my life?
I’m so lost in him that I don’t even realize he’s shifting me slightly on his lap to pull me closer. That’s until I notice something hard digging against my hip.
