UNHOLY DESIRE

DIERDRE

“Stay close, darling,” Matteo whispered intermittently. We had been walking for the past ten minutes, and I couldn’t help but wonder where exactly we were going.

Though we were supposed to meet up with the other survivors, we had been walking in the forest, and nothing was in sight.

“You should tread carefully; we saw some poisonous snakes and spiders a while ago,” Larry, the man leading us to the survival site, said.

“Spider?” I choked on my breath, glancing at Matteo and then Vittorio. Neither looked fazed. It must have been something they faced often, but it wasn’t for me, and I was scared shitless.

“Did anyone get bitten?” I asked.

“Not that I am aware of, but we are taking precautions,” he replied, and I nodded.

“Any medical setup? I mean, is there any doctor available?” If someone happens to get bitten, there should be emergency treatment available.

“Not that I am aware of,” Larry repeated, making me groan.

Without immediate treatment, the possibility of people dying would be high.

“Are you afraid?” Matteo questioned.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

“Of course, who wouldn’t be?” I scowled.

“I’ll protect you; it is my responsibility, after all.” He said.

“It isn’t anymore,” I replied. Perhaps I needed to repeat it for him to understand that he had embarrassed me and called me cheap.

“I did it to protect you,” he said. “That isn’t protection, Matteo. You don’t say demeaning things and make someone look like a fool, then believe you were doing the best for them.” I doubted he understood as he kept watching me.

“I did it because I didn’t want Kendall to lose both parents,” he said.

Frowning, I glanced at him. Even though his expression remained unreadable, I doubted Matteo was lying.

He was always blunt, saying what he desired without remorse, never shying away from speaking his mind-that was what I knew the most about him.

About to reply, Larry interjected, “We are here.”

“It is…” I trailed off, assessing the new environment. I had thought we were heading to another beachside on the gloomy island, but instead, we were deep in the forest.

To my surprise, rather than finding gloomy survivors, I saw happy ones chattering away near a thatched condo.

The condo looked somewhat new as if built a few weeks ago. I doubted it was the survivors from our wreck who were here.

“It looks amazing, right?” Larry asked, turning to me.

“No,” I shook my head. It was different, not what I had in mind.

As the chattering survivors noticed us, they fell silent. I felt Matteo’s arms snake around me, pulling me closer. Larry stepped closer to the fireplace, where they were roasting some kind of meat.

My nose wrinkled, and I bit my lower lip as my gaze returned to Larry when he clapped.

“Listen, everyone!” His voice boomed, surprisingly loud for such a tiny man. “We have a new set of survivors,” he said, pointing towards us.

I noted the grimace in his tone when he mentioned the word “survivors.”

“We are going to make them feel welcome until help comes along the way. And they are only three,” he continued.

Larry then asked, “Is there any objection to them staying here?” Silence enveloped the forest, and I felt Matteo’s grip tighten around my waist. Glancing at him, I noticed the vein ticking in his jawline and the hard set of his lips.

A petite blonde jumped to her feet, breaking the silence. She dusted her hand on the denim skirt she wore, laced up her sneakers, and straightened.

Approaching us, she sniffed the air.

Instinctively, I sniffled, wondering if I smelled bad as her eyes focused on mine. A smile lit up her face, and she extended her hand, saying, “I’m Leslie. Nice to have you here.”

I shook her hand, but she surprised me with a hug. Before letting go, she whispered, “How does it feel being with both? Are they good in bed?”

“Um, no,” I shook my head, feeling awkward about her assumption regarding Matteo and Vittorio.

Matteo, who was currently holding me, had a stern expression that made it clear he would not tolerate anyone approaching.

“Don’t worry; you don’t have to say now. There’ll be plenty of time for that,” Leslie winked.

That was just weird. Vittorio stifled a laugh, having overheard, and I glanced at him. He smiled and shook his head.

“Now that it seems settled with no objections,” Larry said, bringing my attention back. “Kindly follow me.”

“Why do I get the feeling we’ll be here longer than planned?” I whispered.

“Why do you think that?” Vittorio asked as he fell into step with Matteo and me.

“They don’t seem like recent survivors, and they’re enjoying the wilderness. Roasted meats? Really?” I grimaced at the thought of joining their feast; it made my stomach churn.

“How about we find shelter first, then think about leaving later? It’s just two days; rescue will likely come soon. Right, Matteo? We have important business to settle before this happens,” Vittorio suggested.

“Right,” Matteo grunted, guiding me inside the cottage.

The condo appeared much better on the inside than its somewhat rough exterior. Despite its timber and wood facade, the interior exuded a cozy atmosphere.

Navigating through several rooms, each equipped with a toilet, bathroom, and a small kitchen, Larry pointed out, “This is the best part of the building, featuring two rooms, a spacious kitchen area, and separate bathrooms for privacy.”

The living room and kitchen coexisted, divided by a kitchen island. I wasn’t concerned about that; what bothered me were the two available rooms.

“I’ll share one with my wife,” Matteo declared.

“I’ll stay alone,” Vittorio grinned. “After all, I came alone.”

“Great, then the largest room goes to you, sir,” Larry handed the room key to Matteo, who promptly pulled me towards it.

“You shouldn’t go around telling people I’m your wife,” I mentioned as he unlocked the door.

Only a large bed occupied the center, without any additional seating. Sharing a bed with Matteo was not something I was looking forward to.

“Why shouldn’t I? You didn’t sign the divorce papers; it was your choice, darling,” Matteo replied, loosening his tie.

He undressed, flexing his muscles, and let out a groan as his back popped, revealing various tattoos. The most prominent one depicted a sphinx surrounded by words I could barely make out.

“You didn’t give me a choice,” I remarked as he turned back to face me.

“Why would you want me to do that, Deirdre?” He advanced towards me, causing me to step back with each stride. My back hit the door as he approached.

“The marriage wasn’t real, and if we didn’t have a child between us, I doubted you would have remembered I existed,” I admitted, swallowing hard.

I couldn’t look away; despite the bruises on his jawline and body, Matteo exuded an undeniable allure. His rock-hard chest, the dark mat of hair, and the intense glint in his eyes captivated me. My gaze trailed down, noticing his undone belt and the first button of his pants.

Lost in my thoughts, I snapped back to reality, perceiving Matteo’s masculine cologne.

Gripping my hair, not tight for it to hurt, he placed his hand above my head.

“You wanted my daughter to live like a bastard, and I would never accept that. Besides, even if Kendall wasn’t in the picture, I would still have hunted you down. I didn’t want you for her; I wanted you for you.”

“Deirdre,” Matteo’s voice was gruff as he called my name, and I heard him sigh. “You should change your outfit.”

Stepping back, he turned away.

“Why?” I questioned. “Why are you so concerned about my outfit, Matteo?”

He turned, swiftly approaching me, pushing me against the door. One hand cupped my face, the other snaked around my waist, pulling me close. His face inches from mine, he rasped,

“Because I want to lose myself inside of you, Deirdre. I want to toss you on the bed and make you breathless. I want to be territorial right now, and for the life of me, I don’t know why I’m hesitating. Just change the damn outfit before I regret my actions.”

His unexpected words left me stunned. The answer, ‘Take me, Matteo,’ lingered on my tongue, but my remaining dignity pushed at his chest. Matteo released me, and I hurried into the bathroom.