Chapter 55: Where Do We Stand?
Matteo’s response was instant, his arms hooking under Adrian’s thighs to hoist him up. He pinned Adrian against the wet tile wall, his chest pressed against Adrian’s.
Under the heat of the shower, they lost themselves in a deep kiss, the water pouring over them as everything else faded away.
The steam curled around them, thick and heavy, as their mouths stayed locked in a desperate, breathless kiss. Adrian’s chest rose sharply, his lungs burning for air, but the heat between them held him there, unable to pull away.
Suddenly, Matteo broke the kiss just enough to murmur against Adrian’s lips, his voice dropping into a dark, demanding growl. "Have you slept with her?"
Adrian’s eyes snapped open, his vision blurry from the water. "What... what do you mean?"
"I’m asking a simple question, Rian," Matteo rasped, his grip tightening on Adrian’s thighs. "Did you sleep with Iris?"
"It’s none of your business," Adrian snapped, trying to regain some sense of pride even as his body trembled against Matteo’s.
"Did you sleep with her?" Matteo repeated, his eyes burning with a possessive fire. "Just tell me."
"Will you stop?" Adrian snapped. "Why are you so obsessed with that?"
"I need to know," Matteo pressed, his forehead resting against Adrian’s.
Adrian let out a frustrated huff, the water streaming down his face. "What about you? For three months... You can’t tell me you haven’t slept with anyone else."
"I haven’t," Matteo said immediately, his voice raw with honesty. "I haven’t touched anyone. Not even a kiss... not even holding someone’s hand. It’s the longest I’ve ever gone without anything."
"Why?" Adrian whispered, his anger fading into surprise.
"Because I have you," Matteo said, his gaze intense. "I know I do. There’s no way I’d touch anyone else when you’re already mine. So... did you sleep with her?"
Adrian finally relaxed, the tension easing from his shoulders as he met Matteo’s eyes. "No," he admitted quietly. "I haven’t. We’ve just been going out... nothing serious has started between us."
A flicker of relief crossed Matteo’s face, but he didn’t stop. "And what are you going to do with her? What happens next?"
"Matteo, I’m horny right now," Adrian groaned, his head falling back against the tile. "Can we please talk about this later?"
"No, baby," Matteo murmured, his lips brushing Adrian’s ear. "I want to know. I want to hear the truth. What do you want to do with her?"
"The deal is between her father and mine," Adrian gasped, his fingers clawing at Matteo’s shoulders. "I don’t know... I don’t want to be with her. I just—"
"Will you be with me then?" Matteo asked, his movements slowing down, forcing Adrian to focus on him.
"I don’t know. Can we just do this first?" Adrian pleaded, reaching for him.
But Matteo stopped. He looked at Adrian with a sudden, serious clarity. "I’m not doing this, Rian. I don’t want to sleep with you unless I know where we stand. I don’t want to be just a mistake... or a ’one-night stand’ for you. I don’t want us to spend the night like this and then wake up as strangers tomorrow morning. If we aren’t boyfriends... if you aren’t mine... then I won’t touch you."
Adrian stared at him, the rejection stinging more than the cold air outside the shower. The desire turned into a sharp, bitter spark of pride.
"Fine," Adrian snapped, his eyes flashing with hurt and anger. "You won’t do it? Fine."
He shoved Matteo’s chest hard, forcing him to let him down. Without another word, Adrian stepped out from under the water, grabbed a towel, and walked straight out of the bathroom, leaving Matteo standing alone in the steam.
The hot water continued to drum against Matteo’s shoulders long after the door slammed shut. He stood there for a moment, the steam curling around him like a shroud, before finally reaching out to turn off the tap. He dried himself slowly.
When he stepped back into the bedroom, Adrian was already under the covers curled on one side of the bed. A set of clean clothes had been left on a nearby chair.
Matteo cleared his throat, his voice low and gravelly in the quiet room. "I can leave if you want me to. If you don’t want me here, I’ll go."
Adrian didn’t move. He didn’t say a word or tell him to stay. He simply shifted, turning his back more deliberately toward Matteo, pulling the duvet tighter around his shoulders.
Taking the silence as permission to stay, Matteo dressed in the clothes left for him and moved to the other side of the bed. He climbed in, the mattress dipping slightly under his weight. In the past, he would have closed the distance immediately, pulling Adrian into his arms, murmuring apologies until the tension broke.
But tonight was different.
Matteo stayed on his side. He didn’t reach out; he didn’t beg for forgiveness or even a touch. His resolve sat heavy in his chest, cold and unyielding. If he wasn’t going to be Adrian’s partner, if he was just an option while Adrian played house with Iris, then he couldn’t let himself be used. He wouldn’t be the man Adrian turned to for a secret night of passion while the rest of the world saw him with someone else. He refused to be a side character in his own love story.
Matteo turned his back to Adrian, staring at the wall.
Adrian lay wide awake, his heart racing. He waited for a hand at his waist, for the heat of Matteo’s body against his back, but it never came. A sharp pang of insecurity twisted in his chest.
Maybe he’s finally realized I’m not worth the trouble.
Neither of them spoke. They lay back to back, inches apart but feeling worlds away. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and they both drifted into a restless sleep.
When Matteo woke the next morning, he felt a familiar weight against his chest. Adrian had moved closer in his sleep, his head tucked beneath Matteo’s arm. Matteo looked down at him and smiled, his fingers tracing the soft lines of his face before gently stroking his hair.
As the morning light filled the room, Adrian stirred. He looked up, and for a long moment, they simply stared at each other. Finally, Adrian leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Matteo’s lips.
"Good morning," Adrian whispered.
"Good morning, baby," Matteo replied.
Adrian pulled himself closer, his voice quiet. "I don’t know what I did wrong last night, but I didn’t like that you rejected me."
"I know," Matteo said firmly. "I did it intentionally."
Adrian sighed. "Fine. Can we have a conversation?"
"Whatever you want," Matteo said.
Adrian shifted, his expression turning serious. "There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you... and I want the absolute truth."
"Okay," Matteo said, his fingers still stroking through Adrian’s hair.
Adrian looked up at him. "What’s your relationship with Tony?"
"Tony?" Matteo asked, surprised.
Adrian nodded. "Yes. Tony. What’s your relationship with him?"
Matteo exhaled lightly. "He’s my friend. We’ve known each other for a long time... and he’s my right-hand man. That’s all he is to me. Why do you ask?"
Adrian hesitated. "I don’t want to cause any trouble between you and Tony... or make things awkward. I’m just trying to understand something... back at the villa, Tony said something to me."
