Adriana

I woke up naked in Matteo’s bed. But I guess it may have been ours now.

The sheets smelled just like him.

Cigars, leather, and a darker scent that was pure male. I shifted slightly, only to wince when the soreness in my wrists and ankles screamed at me.

Pain and memories crashed back like a storm. The shadow in the club. The rough hand trying to drag me away. The panic choked me until Matteo’s arms cut through it.

His fingers were in my hair now, combing slowly, his chest rising beneath me like he’d been carved like a demigod. His voice was low, a whisper in Italian over the phone, commanding but careful, like he didn’t want to wake me.

But I was already awake. My body was sore, and my pride was completely hurt.

A shiver rippled through me, and instantly, he knew. Matteo always knew.

His lips brushed my forehead, a feather-soft kiss that silenced the chaos in my head. “The doctor is on his way. He’ll check you, make sure you’re not too wounded.”

“I… I’m fine,” I whispered, even though the ache in my bones said otherwise.

His tone dropped, cold enough to freeze the air. “No lies, princess. I don’t like them.”

Something foreign twisted inside me. His voice was sharp, commanding, yet it didn’t scare me. It pulled at me, drew me in.

He rose from the bed, muscles shifting under his skin, and opened a drawer. “I’ll get you something to wear. But you can’t live in my clothes forever. This afternoon, you’ll go shopping.”

“You don’t like my own clothes, huh?” I asked softly, forcing a smile.

His eyes flicked back, one brow raised, amused. “They’re not bad. But you deserve more than ‘not bad.’ Your body is amazing, Adriana. I want you to flaunt it”

With that declaration, I blushed.

He came back with a black shirt, far too small for him but still loose enough to swallow me whole. He handed it over, and I caught his wrist, keeping him there.

“Matteo… last night, I—”

His gaze dropped to where my hand clutched him, then lifted to mine. Something in his eyes softened. Without a word, he sat back on the bed and pulled me onto him until I straddled his body. My skin flushed with heat at the realisation.

I was completely naked, pressed against him, my thighs spread over his.

His chest was warm under my palms, his heartbeat steady against my fingertips.

“Adriana,” he said, his voice low, surprisingly soft, “last night you almost got taken from me. You wanted me, Adriana. I saw it. But you needed rest. You needed your mind back. I wasn’t going to take what you couldn’t give.”

My throat tightened. A man like him, powerful, ruthless, was choosing restraint? It was unheard of. But he was right. My body had burned for him, but my mind wasn’t ready.

If I let him claim me, I’d lose the only shield I had left. I’d fall, and when he eventually cheated on me, it would shatter me.

But all of those reasons disappeared when he kissed me. His mouth crashed onto mine, hot, demanding, devouring. I gasped, and he swallowed the sound, his tongue sliding against mine until I was drowning in him.

“You were beautiful last night,” he murmured, breaking the kiss only to drag his lips down my jaw.

Then his hips lifted. The hard length of him pressed against my bare slit, only the thin fabric of his briefs separating us. A shocked moan tore from my throat.

His hands gripped my ass, guiding me, rocking me forward over him. Heat exploded in my belly.

“I’ll be inside you soon,” he promised, voice dark, sinful, looking straight into me with those icy blue eyes.

My nails raked down his chest as my hips betrayed me, moving on their own, grinding against the bulge beneath his briefs.

The friction made me whimper, my clit sparking every time I dragged across him. My breasts rubbed against his chest, my nipples painfully hard, aching with every brush.

“Fuck, Adriana,” he groaned, gripping tighter, kneading my ass. “You like this shit, huh? Look at you.”

My cheeks burned, but I couldn’t stop. My wetness was soaking through his briefs, marking him, shaming me.

His palm cracked against my ass, sharp and stinging, and I cried out—but the heat that followed had me rocking harder. I liked it. God help me, I liked it.

“If you keep this up,” Matteo growled, his voice rough, “I’ll flip you over and fuck you until you scream my name.”

Every nerve in my body screamed yes. Every piece of my plan screamed no.

I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. He smirked, reading my silence, and his hips bucked once, hard enough to send me spiralling on the edge.

Then his phone rang.

The sound shattered the moment like glass.

Panting, I scrambled off him, thighs trembling, my face crimson. A dark, wet spot stained his briefs… evidence of just how close I’d come to begging. Humiliation clawed at me, and I fled to the bathroom.

The marble room glowed like a palace. White tiles, mirrors, and a rainfall shower that hissed from the ceiling. I stepped under it, desperate to cool the ache between my legs, but the water only made me burn hotter.

When I came out, towel wrapped tight, Matteo was waiting in fight shorts, chest bare, tattoos carved into his body like war paint.

My mouth went dry.

“Are we… training?” I asked, tugging on my black shorts, panties, and his shirt.

“No.”

“But Matteo—”

“Not today. You’re weak. You’ll watch.”

The snap in his voice silenced me. I bit down the retort and nodded.

The car ride was tense, silence suffocating. Finally, I broke it. “Where are we going?”

“The Diavolli gym. The doctor’s there. You’ll train there when you’re ready.”

My pulse jumped. “In front of your men?”

“Yes.”

Anger simmered. I turned up the music, drowning myself in Coldplay until the city blurred by.

The gym was massive, buzzing with raw male energy. Bodies glistened with sweat, tattoos and scars on display.

At the front desk, a woman looked up and smiled. Her blouse clung to her breasts, cleavage on full display, her lips painted scarlet. Her eyes locked on Matteo like she was starving, like she already knew what he liked.

She didn’t even glance at me.

Heat surged in my chest—jealousy, hot and violent. I brushed past Matteo, shoving for the elevator.

His hand snapped around my waist. “What’s wrong?”

“You’ve fucked her, haven't you, Matteo?” I hissed, eyes blazing.

He raised a brow, calm. “Yes. But that was the past. You are my wife.”

“Oh, how honoured I must be,” I spat. “Chosen after years of whoring.”

His jaw flexed, but he let me go. I stalked ahead, only to stop dead.

The gym was filled with men half shirtless, ink crawling over their muscles, all eyes on me. Some familiar, some not. My skin prickled.

Matteo’s arm slid around me, pulling me into his chest. His hand stroked through my hair, firm, reassuring. “You’ll be fine, princess.”

Some men nodded at him. Others pretended not to see the Made men and their pride.

“Buongiorno, Don,” a man greeted.

“Buongiorno, dottore.” Matteo pulled me tighter. “This is my wife, Adriana.”

The doctor blinked, looking at both of us, stunned. “She’s beautiful.”

“I’m a lucky man.” Matteo kissed my forehead. The gesture lit my stomach on fire.

The doctor checked me, murmuring about ointments, pain meds, and rest. Matteo hovered, eyes burning into every mark on my body.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, brushing his thumb over my bruised wrist.

“I didn’t know you were supposed to be my papa,” I teased weakly.

His grin was sinful. “I’ll be your daddy if you want.”

My face flamed. “So inappropriate.”

Lorenzo and Marco appeared, shadows flanking me. Matteo handed me a gold card. “They’ll take you shopping. Ruby will meet you. Buy nice things for yourself.”

My eyes widened. “Matteo…” My lips brushed his cheek before I realised. “Thank you… I really wanted to see her”

Outside, Marco’s cybertruck waited. I scowled. “This car is hideous. And I don’t need babysitters.”

“You’re Matteo’s wife. You do,” Marco said flatly.

I cursed under my breath. Lorenzo laughed, blasting music as the city blurred past.

When we pulled up, Ruby was waiting. I ran to her, my chest loosening.

“Bestie!”

“Adriana!” She hugged me tight, then pulled back, her eyes glittering when they landed on the card in my hand. Her lips curled into a wicked grin.

“I’m so sorry about everything. But today?” She kissed my cheek. “Today we’re going to spend all his money.”

Her words pulsed like gasoline on fire. Thrilling. Reckless. Dangerous.

Matteo had trusted me. Ruby wanted to burn that trust.

And if we did… when he found out…

The consequences would be deadly.