10. Matteo

10

MATTEO

H eat licked Matteo's face as he stared into the burning fire. There was something calming about the way the flames danced over the logs as if celebrating their freedom of being released into the world.

It was hypnotic and soothing.

Matteo raised his glass and took another sip of his wine. He let the liquid roll over his tongue, enjoying every bit of sweetness before letting it slide gently down his throat.

Wood crackled as Matteo reached for the bottle.

The wine was a red cabernet he had picked up from a tiny shop earlier this afternoon. He had never heard of the winery, only knew that it was local and produced somewhere near central Spain.

It was pretty good. The sweetness of the grapes rolled gently over his tongue as he enjoyed every sip. He would have to buy a few cases before he returned home, perhaps contact the local vineyard and have them send over a few cases each month. This might be something new he could add to their menu at the club.

He stared at the label on the bottle. It was nothing fancy. It contained the name of the wine and details of the winery, all written in gold lettering against a black label. Perhaps he would speak with the owners and discuss the possibility of rebranding—updating the label to give it a more elegant look. Possibly even invest some money into their company so that they could widen their distribution. A wine like this shouldn't be hidden from the world.

Placing the bottle down on the floor, he returned his attention back to the fire.

This was what he needed. A calming fire and a good bottle of wine. Yes. Some peace and quiet to be alone with his thoughts and try to sort through the mess in his head.

Still, as he sat there, alone in his cabin, he found his thoughts returning to his family. A group of strangers who had entered his life and somehow managed to carve out a place for themselves deep in his heart.

He loved them. All of them. Even when they acted out and got on his fucking nerves. Deep down, he knew that they would do anything for him. They cared about him, just like he cared about each one of them.

The other day was a perfect example. All the boys sitting in his study, pretending to do their own thing while secretly being concerned for Matteo's well-being.

It was sweet. It was moments like those that reminded Matteo that even though his parents were gone and he had no other living relatives, he wasn't alone. He still had a family. People who cared about him.

But this was something that he needed to work out on his own. He hoped the boys understood. Although Levi looked like a wounded puppy when Matteo tried to explain to the group that he was heading out of town for a few days, possibly a week, to have some alone time and work through some of the issues rolling around inside his head.

It meant a lot to him that he had people who loved him and who he could turn to if he ever needed to talk. That was the definition of family, he explained to them.

Matteo never did mention where he was going or that he was leaving the country. They didn't need to know. In fact, this place, this cabin that he owned just outside of a tiny town in Spain, was a place that no one knew about.

It was his one escape. The one place that was just his.

A hidden place that he could retreat to whenever he wanted to be alone and just be… Matteo . A quiet, simple man who nobody knew from a place that nobody knew about. The anonymity of it all was so refreshing.

So here he was. Alone with his thoughts, drinking wine and watching the fire burn in his fireplace.

A large chunk of wood crackled before exploding, breaking apart, and then continuing to burn amongst the others.

The log was like him. When his parents passed away, he felt his life be torn in two—the man that he wanted to be and the man that he had suddenly become.

The sole heir to the Sabarino fortune.

He was thirty-one when his parents died in a plane crash. He never would have imagined that he would be master of the chateau and sole heir to such a massive fortune at such a young age. There was still so much that he wanted to do.

But like that mighty piece of wood, he was determined to continue to burn bright, make his parents proud, and hopefully, still manage to accomplish a few of his dreams.

Wealth, power, and business, he had managed to succeed at.

Love… he had failed at miserably.

Love…

And to think, at one point, he had such high hopes.

Hypnotized by the fire, his mind began to drift.

Pebbles crunched beneath his sandals as he took in all the sights all around him. Everything was so… natural.

Loads of local vendors lined the dirt path, which acted as a road leading through the tiny village. Each vendor had set up their makeshift carts and booths, all hoping to sell their goods to anyone with cash to spare.

There were fruits, vegetables, clothing, and homemade trinkets. It was a collection of anything and everything, all available along one dirt road that most of the world seemed to have forgotten about.

Matteo loved it.

He picked up a hand-painted ceramic plate and admired the images of a mother and daughter working together to prepare a family meal.

Family.

That was what was important.

"Cuanto?" Matteo asked, already knowing he was going to pay the young woman more than what she was asking.

The woman held up her hand, signaling five euros. Matteo smiled and passed her a twenty. The woman reached into her pocket to make some change, but Matteo lifted his hand, signaling for her to stop. He slipped the plate into the leather bag he had slung across his chest and gave the woman a friendly nod.

The woman thanked him profusely as he waved and continued on his way.

Children ran between the carts, playing as their parents bartered with locals and discussed prices with visitors. It was such a humbling image to see. People, all working together to help one another and children playing freely without the burden of societal expectations bearing down on them. They did not have "obligations" or "expectations" that they needed to live up to. They were just kids being kids.

Matteo jumped as a thunderous crash tore through the sky. Above, the sky grew dark, and the air around them began to change.

Another loud bang followed by a flash of lighting.

Without warning, the sky opened up, and heavy rain began to pour down.

Everyone hurried to cover their items, trying their best to protect their goods from the assault of the rain.

All around him, people ran for shelter, doing what they could to get out of the rain. Matteo joined them, jogging down the path until he spotted a tiny awning jutting out between two booths.

He ran toward it, head down, trying to avoid stepping in any puddles as he ran.

Ooof.

Matteo's body collided with something solid, causing him to stumble backward out into the rain.

A quick-moving hand reached out and caught him, pulling him back under the safety of the awning.

Before Matteo even had a chance to register what was happening, he was pulled close against the stranger's body. Rough and firm hands held Matteo in place as the mystery man spun them around so that his knight in shining armor was now standing with his back out in the rain.

Staring into the man's gentle brown eyes, Matteo couldn't believe that this total stranger was voluntarily allowing himself to get wet while making sure that Matteo stayed dry.

Who does that?

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that someone was hiding under here," Matteo shouted, struggling to be heard against the crashing of the rain.

The figure before him smirked, giving Matteo a heated gaze.

"No need to apologize. It's not every day that a handsome man comes barreling into my life."

Blushing, Matteo couldn't help but smile back. The man was a tiny bit shorter than Matteo, with rugged good looks and long dark hair, which was quickly getting soaked by the falling rain.

"Here, come in a bit. You're getting soaked." Matteo laughed, pulling the man closer toward him. His back was already pressed up against the wall, but he wasn't letting this handsome hunk of a man get soaked on his behalf. Plus, he didn't mind feeling the man's chiseled chest pressed firmly against his own.

The man chuckled. Even with them standing this close, the poor guy's back was still being rained on.

"It's a small price to pay to keep that gorgeous face of yours dry and out of the rain." Their faces were just inches apart.

The man wrapped his arm around Matteo's waist and pulled them closer together. There was something about the way he held Matteo, firm and confident, that made Matteo's dick take notice.

The man was protecting him.

Holding him close to ensure that he was safe and out of harm's way.

Matteo felt butterflies. He had never been held before in such a protective, possessive manner. He wasn't going to lie—he was kind of loving it.

"I'm Matteo," he finally announced, smiling at the mysterious stranger like a blushing schoolgirl.

The rod in Matteo's pants thickened when the man holding him gave him the dirtiest smirk he had ever seen.

"Hey, gorgeous. I'm Ares."

And with those four little words, Matteo was hooked.

The rain continued around them for the next forty minutes, but Matteo didn't notice. The only thing that existed was the intriguing, burly man pressed firmly up against him.

Breathing in each other's air, they passed the time by chatting and getting to know one another.

Matteo talked about his travels and how he was on a trip to explore the lesser-known regions of Spain and Portugal. He wanted to get to know the people and experience different cultures and regional customs.

Ares, in turn, explained that he was visiting as well, having rented a cabin for a few weeks, and was using the opportunity to learn Spanish from a local tutor.

Once the rain stopped, Ares asked Matteo if he would like to join him for dinner. They grabbed a couple of bowls of paella, a simple rice dish with vegetables and chicken, from a tiny woman who looked to be pushing a hundred. For a meager old broad, the woman certainly made an incredible dish!

Sitting on a fallen log, the two enjoyed their rustic dinner, not caring that their asses were wet from the rain or that the sun had set ages ago. It was just the two of them sitting under the stars, getting to know one another.

It was one of the best dates Matteo had ever been on.

Not wanting the evening to end, Matteo asked Ares where he was staying.

Giving him the cockiest grin, Ares took Matteo's hand and walked him back to the cabin he had rented.

They made love that night. Tender at first, quickly turning into rough and violent. It was rare to find a guy so in tune with Matteo's needs and body, but Ares was a master. Skilled and patient. At one point, Ares pounded into Matteo so hard that they broke the tiny table they were fucking up against.

It was only after the sun was rising over the trees that Matteo decided he should head back to his hotel.

Ares offered to walk him, but Matteo didn't want the man knowing where he was staying… not just yet. The truth was, until Matteo got a chance to know Ares a bit better, he didn't want him to know just how rich he really was.

Matteo had been down that path before. Never really knowing who wanted to be with him for him and those who were only after his money.

But there was something about Ares. Something in the depths of his eyes. The way he looked at Matteo. Kindness and loyalty. He felt safe and cared for when he was with the man. It was because of that feeling that Matteo gave Ares his telephone number as he left.

Downing the rest of his wine, Matteo got up and walked to the kitchen to open another bottle.