His Tesoro: An Arranged Marriage Age Gap Mafia Romance (Empire of Royals Book 1)
His Tesoro: Chapter 50

The morning light streaked through the bathroom window. I leaned back in the bathtub, the warm water washing over me, and sipped my coffee. The coffee my husband had made for me, complete with a misshapen blob of foam on top. I smiled to myself thinking of how he’d scowled as he handed it to me, muttering something about “lack of cooperation” from the foam.

I’d been expecting to be sore after our foray into rope last night, but I’d woken feeling strangely relaxed. It was probably due to my husband’s fussing over me. He’d looked murderous when he saw the rope had left a few marks on my skin and had insisted on rubbing lotion on them after kissing each one.

But I liked being marked by him.

He’d given me a long massage last night, and this morning he’d insisted I get in an Epsom salt bath. I’d tried to convince him to get in with me, but he and Romeo were busy with something and he didn’t have time. I tried not to be too upset that we wouldn’t get our office training time today… that I wouldn’t get to spend the day with him.

Matteo entered the bathroom, dressed in a suit, and crouched down by the tub. I put down my coffee cup and lightly brushed my fingers along his jaw. My lips were still swollen from kissing him late into the night.

“You sure you can’t come in with me?”

He slipped his hand under the water and tweaked my nipple. “Seeing you in there, wet and soft and fucking beautiful, is the biggest temptation of my life. But I have to go.” He gripped my chin, tilting my head up to give me a kiss. “There’s something waiting for you in the closet when you get out.”

My heart skipped a beat. Had he gotten me a present? “What is it?”

Matteo chuckled as he stood. “My impatient, greedy girl. You’ll have to go see.”

I grabbed his hand before he left. “Will you be back tonight?” I bit my lip, unsure if my question was too needy, but I missed him when he was gone. I slept so much better when he was in bed with me.

“Yes, baby. I’ll be back tonight. Be a good girl for me.” He leaned down and gave me one final kiss before leaving.

I sat back in the tub, trailing my fingers through the water. So much had shifted in the past few days between my husband and me. I wished I could talk to Mila about it all—I could practically hear her excited scream at the recent developments—but she’d gone radio silent again. I was doing my best not to panic over it, but the constant worry was still there.

The suspense finally got to me—I needed to see what Matteo had put in the closet. I called Noodle over and leaned on him while I got out of the tub.

“What do you think the surprise is, malysh?”

I quickly dried off, wrapped my robe around myself, and pushed open the door to the closet.

I stopped in my tracks.

Matteo’s walk-in closet was massive—the size of my childhood bedroom—and until now, it had contained a long row of his suits on one side and the clothes Sienna got me on the other. But now the back wall was filled with a large display of jewelry that looked like it was out of a movie. My heart pounded as I moved closer. The wall was lit, highlighting bracelets, necklaces, and earrings arranged in a rainbow of gemstones, and in the center was a diamond tiara.

“Holy shit.”

I approached the display slowly, as if an alarm would go off if I got too close. Tucked behind the tiara was a note. I picked it up with trembling fingers.

For my queen

I flipped the card, looking for more writing, for some sort of explanation for my husband’s sudden over-the-top lavish gift-giving, but there was nothing.

I sat down on the seat of my rollator and stared at the jewelry. It didn’t feel like it was really mine. But then again, nothing in my current life felt real.

I ran my fingers along the edge of the card, taking in all the details of Matteo’s handwriting—the unexpected swoop and flourishes of his letters—before pressing it to my chest. Warmth spread within me because no matter what, this card was real. While I wouldn’t read into it, wouldn’t let my mind believe my husband’s gifts meant love, they did mean something.

I smiled as I ran my fingers over the diamond tiara.