I pulled away as fast as humanly possible, completely forgetting about the stairs behind me.
My foot missed a step, and for a terrifying, frantic second, I tottered over the edge before grabbing the banister at the last possible moment.
The sickening realization that I’d nearly broken my neck washed over me in a wave of icy terror.
My fingers clutched the cold metal until they went numb, but I quickly yanked one hand free and began aggressively wiping my mouth with the back of it.
My chest tightened, panic clawing at my throat.
I had a boyfriend, and kissing someone else—even if it was entirely against my will—felt wrong, disgusting, and completely unacceptable.
“Is this how you show your love for me?” Matteo hadn’t moved an inch.
With his hands still casually tucked in his jeans pockets, his tone carried no weight, no threat.
If anything, he sounded mildly amused, but a cold shudder ran straight down my spine anyway.
“Who exactly am I supposed to be putting on a show for right now?” My words came out muffled while I kept furiously scrubbing at my lips, until they were burning and raw.
Yet no matter how hard I rubbed, the sensation of his touch wouldn’t go away—even though it had been brief, just a fleeting press of lips.
“And I don’t want any part of this.
Do you hear me?
Whatever your father is planning, I’m not playing along.
And I’m telling you again—he’s completely wrong about me.
I don’t matter to a single soul.” Matteo let out a long, slow exhale, as if addressing a defiant child throwing a tantrum over something she had no say in.
“Do I need to tie you up again?” he asked, his tone as casual as if he were offering me a cup of coffee.
“Only this time, I’ll strap you to the bed after giving you a thorough thrashing with my belt.” My hand froze over my lips.
I shifted nervously from foot to foot, my mind racing as I tried to figure out where to run if he made a move.
Back into the apartment?
Or a mad dash down the stairs?
For some reason, I couldn’t just brush off his threats.
They chilled me to the bone.
“Just relax and enjoy the ride,” Matteo said, closing the distance between us with a slow, almost lazy stride.
I was ready to bolt down a few stairs, but fortunately, he didn’t get too close.
“You’re pretty enough.
And you’ve got a surprisingly nice body,” Matteo said, his gaze taking a deliberate tour down my frame—my neck, my bare shoulders, my chest covered only by a thin tank top, then my stomach and legs.
“We could actually date for real.
I wouldn’t mind.” “You’re not my type,” I snapped back.
Fear was one thing, but his arrogant words triggered a surge of fierce rejection inside me.
As if a potential “relationship” depended entirely on his permission.
Matteo raised an eyebrow ever so slightly.
“That’s a first.” He reached out.
I tried to react fast and retreat down the stairs, but it was too late.
His fingers clamped around my chin—hard—pinning me in place.
Stepping closer, he wiped out what little space was left between us.
A sharp gasp escaped my throat.
Dammit, I wasn’t used to feeling so small around anyone.
Matteo towered over me like a solid wall of brick.
“And what, exactly, is wrong with me?” “You’re just not my type,” I repeated, fighting to project absolute confidence.
Yet my heart was hammering against my ribs as if trying to break free.
He wouldn’t actually do something to me over a comment like that, right?
“What kind of guys do you like?” Matteo leaned down until I felt his breath brushing against my ear.
“Brown-eyed blondes who don’t stalk me or bind my hands with a belt.” I wasn’t lying about the blondes.
I’ve always had a thing for light hair.
Maybe that’s why I couldn’t take my eyes off Dante from the moment we met.
He was handsome in his own right, but his hair was something else entirely.
Matteo leaned in even closer, his lips practically grazing my ear.
“I’ll be keeping an even closer eye on you from now on,” he whispered, his thumb tracing a stroke across my cheek.
The gesture seemed soft, but the icy edge in his voice sent a shiver down my spine.
“If I catch another guy anywhere near you, I will destroy both him and you.
You wouldn’t want things to get excruciatingly painful for you, would you, Diana?”