Chapter 150 Close Enough to Taste
Valentina
I was in the closet, halfway through organizing the new dresses with Tess buried elbow-deep in tissue paper behind me, when I felt hands grab my ass and haul me back into a wall of solid heat.
“Matteo,” I gasped, just before his mouth crashed down on mine.
His tongue swept in like he owned me—because he did—and one hand slid up, fingers grazing the swell of my breast through the thin blouse I had on.
I whimpered into the kiss, arching instinctively, already melting.
Then I remembered we weren’t alone.
I broke the kiss with a gasp, breathless and flushed. “Matteo—Tess is right there.”
He glanced lazily over my shoulder.
His voice was a low, unrepentant drawl. “Our night in Paris should’ve made it clear—I enjoy an audience.”
I smacked his chest, scandalized and turned on all at once.
Tess, unfazed and way too smug, called from across the closet, “By all means, don’t mind me. I wouldn’t be mad at a live demonstration of the kind of details she refuses to share.”
Matteo’s brows lifted as he looked back at me. “What details?”
I glared. “She opened the black box.”
Understanding dawned. And then that wicked smirk that meant trouble. “Ah. So she saw the toys.”
Tess let out a delighted laugh. “Oh, I absolutely saw the toys. Vibrating cock ring, glass plug, remote bullet, restraints—someone’s birthday was wild. I asked for details, but she clammed up.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Because they’re private.”
“She’s blushing,” Tess said gleefully. “That means it was worse than I imagined.”
Matteo’s voice dropped an octave. “Or better.”
“Enough!” I spun, putting a hanger between us like a shield. “We are not doing this in front of her.”
He stepped back with a chuckle, clearly enjoying himself. “Don’t worry, principessa. We don’t have time anyway.”
“Why not?” I asked, suspicious.
“Because,” he said, smoothing his hands down the front of his shirt, “I came to give you good news.”
That got my attention. I set the hanger down and tilted my head. “What kind of news?”
“Bexley is docked,” he said, satisfaction curling around every syllable. “Nassau. Rented slip. He’s planning to stay for two weeks, according to the port schedule.”
My pulse kicked. “Oh my God. So when are we going?”
“First thing tomorrow,” Matteo said. “We’d leave today, but there are things I need to take care of first. Logistics. Personnel. Preparations.”
He stepped close again, brushing a kiss to my temple. “But we’re getting closer, Valentina. You just hang tight. It’s almost time.”
And just like that, Paris melted behind me. Pleasure shifted to purpose. And my blood began to simmer for a very different reason.
Matteo dipped back in before I could say anything else, stealing another kiss like it was owed. This one slower, more possessive. Less about lust and more about marking time—like he hated leaving but knew he had to.
When he finally pulled back, his voice was velvet over steel. “I’ll send someone to escort you to the plane tomorrow. Rosco will help will be with me.”
I nodded, swallowing the knot in my throat. “Be careful.”
His eyes softened, just for a second. “Always.”
And then he was gone.
The room felt quieter without him, like some storm had passed and left the air too still.
Tess slowly sat up on the bench, eyes still wide. “Okay. What the hell is a Bexley?”
I turned to face her fully, taking a steadying breath. “A very bad man. The kind of man who buys girls—young girls—through a trafficking ring.”
Her mouth parted, but no sound came out.
“And it’s… a long, complicated story,” I continued, walking to the bench and sitting beside her. “But my father—Stefano—was a prominent figure in that ring. He used his business empire as a front while secretly procuring and selling girls. He arranged contracts with people like Bexley. Arranged me, actually.”
Tess blinked. “Wait—what?”
“I was supposed to be given to Marion Bexley,” I said quietly. “My sixteenth birthday was going to be a hand-off date. My family groomed me for it. Conditioned me. I didn’t even know any of this until very recently.”
Her hands clenched around a piece of tissue paper. “But… you weren’t—?”
“No,” I said. “Because Matteo unknowingly saved my life. He slaughtered my family in a revenge hit—months before the sale was supposed to go through. He didn’t know what they were planning. He just saw monsters who needed to die.”
Tess stared at me like I was speaking a different language.
“And now,” I added, softer, “we recently found out I had a sister. An older one. I didn’t even know she existed.”
“Oh my god.”
“She would be thirty now,” I murmured, the words thick in my throat. “Almost thirty-one. And she was sold to Bexley when she was only fourteen.”
Tess covered her mouth.
“We’re trying to track him down. He’s the only lead we have. If there’s even a chance she’s still alive…”
I didn’t finish the sentence. I didn’t have to.
After a few seconds, Tess lowered her hand, eyes fierce now. “Can I come with you?”
I blinked. “You want to—?”
“Yes,” she said, sitting up straighter. “I know I’m not part of this, but… if I can help, I want to. If I can do anything.”
I stared at her.
Tess met my gaze without flinching. “I am your assistant, right?”
I raised a brow.
“And you said you wanted me to be to you what Rosco is to Matteo. Ride or die. Handle shit. Show up when it counts.”
I didn’t reply—yet.
“Well… this feels like my chance. To prove to you, and to myself, that I’m not just some charity case with wide eyes and good intentions. I want to know if I can actually handle this life.”
I studied her face—earnest, but steady. No fake bravado. No flirty deflection. Just her, standing in the doorway of something bigger than she’d ever walked through before.
“You know what?” I said slowly. “You’re right.”
Her eyes widened, but I held up a hand.
“If I’m going to bring you in fully, if I’m going to trust you the way Matteo trusts Rosco, then there’s no better trial by fire than this. But Tess…”
“Yes?”
“This is serious. Life-and-death serious. We’re not playing mafia dress-up anymore. This is about my sister. A girl who’s been missing for seventeen years. If there’s a chance she’s still alive, I will find her.”
Tess nodded. “I get it. I swear, I do.”
“And I know you’ve got a thing for Rosco,” I added, giving her a look. “And I know you’ve been fucking around.”
Her lips parted, flush creeping into her cheeks.
“But while we’re on this mission, I need you focused. No distractions. Especially not him. If you want to flirt when we’re back, fine. But while we’re on the clock, he’s off-limits. Got it?”
Tess straightened. “Got it.”
“Good,” I said. “Then let’s pack. We’ve got a sister to find.”