Jaded Hearts
Chapter 27

Matt

Taylor and I were able to fall asleep after a while, and when we woke up a few hours later, the sun had already come up. I knew I needed to get her fed ASAP if I had any chance of getting her out of the room. We had room service bring up breakfast, and we ate out on the terrace overlooking the Palermo Harbor.

“So, what do you want to do today, tesoro? We could go to the beach or museums, see some medieval cathedrals, or go on a winery tour. Anything you want, really.”

“Beach, definitely. When are we going to your family’s place?”

“This afternoon. My nonna’s making a huge dinner for you, so get ready to eat. She doesn’t take no for an answer.”

“You won’t see me complaining. Food is life, and authentic Italian food is even better.”

“You won’t be saying that after the third plate full of manicotti. Come on, let’s get changed. The beach is a short drive from here.”

Thankfully, when we walked through the lobby, the clerk who checked us in was no longer behind the counter. This time, it was a guy who was shamelessly checking out Taylor’s a*s. She had on shorts, and they weren’t helping the situation by hugging her figure so close.

I stopped walking and looked over at the clerk. “C’è qualcosa con cui posso aiutarti?” (Is there something I can help you with?)

He was so busy staring at her, he didn’t even register that I had stopped.

When his eyes landed on my pissed off face, he jumped slightly and shook his head. “No, mi scuso Signore.” (No, my apologies, sir.)

He just couldn’t help himself. His eyes moved back to Taylor as soon as the apology was out of his mouth. She was a gorgeous woman, no doubt about it, but she was also taken. I started to walk towards the counter to drive my fist in his eye when Taylor called me back.

“I didn’t hit the clerk this morning, so you can’t hit this one now. Let’s just go.”

“It’s disrespectful, tesoro. He shouldn’t be looking at you like that.”

“Like what? Like the clerk was looking at you this morning? She blatantly offered to come up to the room and jerk you off! All this guy’s doing is looking. It’s fine, let’s go.”

I looked over at him once more, and when my eyes flashed black and green, he took a step back and hung his head. This hotel catered to wolves and humans, so he knew what he was dealing with. I didn’t want to ruin our vacation by getting into a fight, so I took Taylor’s hand in mine and walked out into the warm, sunny morning.

I’d rented a Jeep, and it was waiting for us out front. I helped Taylor into her seat, and when she was buckled in, I pulled her face to mine for a k**s. She looked like a fallen angel under the bright Italian sun. Her skin was glowing, her hair was shining, and her eyes were stunningly bright and clear. I could understand why the clerk couldn’t keep his eyes off her. I’d never tell him that, but I did understand.

This place suited her so much. One day, I’d buy us a home here. I wanted to see her like this every single day. “You’re radiant, Taylor. Breathtaking.”

She flashed her bright white teeth at me in a huge smile. “Thank you, babe. Now get in—I’m ready for some sand between my toes.”

I tossed her huge beach bag in the back and hopped behind the wheel. We went to Mondello beach. I knew Taylor would love everything about it, from the pure white sand to the crystal-clear Mediterranean water. We’d arrived early enough to where we could pick out the spot she wanted and get set up before the crowds moved in.

She stood up and pulled her shirt over her head, then pulled her shorts off. The bikini she had on was teal with bright pink string trim tied low on her h**s. Her hair was pulled up in a bun at the top of her head, so her back and neck were exposed as well. There was one string tied across the middle of her back, and a final one at the base of her neck. That was it—small patches of fabric that tried but failed to cover her body.

Who invented these f*****g things?

After I was out of my trance, I jumped to my feet. “Tesoro!” I didn’t mean to, but I scared her, making her jump and shriek.

“What?! What’s wrong?”

I laughed at her reaction; I couldn’t help it. “I’m sorry, angel, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s fine. But what’s the matter?”

“Is that the bathing suit we picked when we were back home?”

She looked down in confusion. “Yeah, you were right there. We agreed on this one over the strings you were trying to buy.”

“This is a f*****g string! Your a*s is falling out, babe, and let’s not even get me started on the twins here,” I said while pointing to her chest.

“Matt, your entire chest is exposed. Every single ripple of muscle under your perfectly tanned skin. And don’t think we can’t see the large imprint of your d**k through your trunks, or your tight little a*s either. This is swimwear—deal with it.”

I looked over her once more and out at the beach. There were a few people who had shown up by then, and just as I’d expected, there were more than a few eyes on her. I growled; I couldn’t help it. This was like Eden all over again when I first saw her in her bunny costume.

“Matt, look at me. Do you want me to go change? My other suit is identical, just a different color, but I can go buy something else.”

There was no point. Not even a potato sack would cover how sexy she was. “It’s fine, baby. You look beautiful, by the way. Did you want to get in the water?”

“Can you rub some of this on my back first?” She passed me her sunblock, which just made her skin shine even more, but I did what she asked and rubbed it all over.

“Now come on. I need to get in the water and cool down before I punch someone.”

* * *

Taylor and I had such a good time at the beach. After I let go of some of the jealousy and possessiveness that was just part of being a wolf, I was able to relax some and enjoy my time with my mate. We were in water up to her chest when I lifted her up and wrapped her legs around my waist.

“None of that waterfall activity, sir. There are babies out here.”

“You have my word. I just wanted to be closer to you.”

She wrapped her arms around my neck and laid her head on my shoulder.

“How are you feeling, baby? Are you tired? We can go up for a nap if you want,” I said, smoothing a hand over her hair.

“No, I’m fine. I’m just realizing that this is the first time we’ve been able to completely relax since you first shifted and scared the s**t out of me that night. Fast forward a couple of weeks, and I’m in Italy about to meet your nonna, I’m a marked and mated werewolf, and possibly pregnant. Oh, and also homeless and no longer a college student or waitress.”

“Yeah, a lot has changed, but it’s changed for the better, right?” I held my breath, waiting for her answer. She was my light, my heart, and my soul. I don’t know what I would do if she felt that becoming mine hadn’t been a good thing for her.

“It’s better than better … whatever that is. I’ve never been happier, Matt.”

I pulled her face down and kissed her gently. She was my greatest dream come true. “Will you marry me, Taylor?”

Wait. What?

She pulled herself back and stared down at me. “Are you serious right now?”

I sat her on her feet and took a small step back. Was I seriously asking her to marry me like this? No planning, no ring, just out of the blue?

Yes. I was.

“I’m serious, baby. You are my air, tesoro. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything or anyone. I want you and only you, always. So, will you marry me?”

She pulled her bottom l*p, and I could see she was thinking really hard. I’d never been more nervous in my life. What if she said no?

“Matt, I’d love to be your wife. But …”

Oh, god. This was it. She was turning me down.

“But you have to meet my parents first. My dad is old school, and he’ll want you to ask him ‘for my hand’ and all that. Is that okay?”

“Really? That’s it?”

“That’s it. Then I’m all yours.”

“My fiancé?”

She laughed and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Yes, your fiancé. Just don’t tell my dad I’ve already agreed when you ask him.”

“It will be our little secret. I adore you.”

“You’d better. I don’t believe in divorce, so it’s you and me until we take our final breaths.”

“No. Not even death could take me away from you,” I said, looking deep in her emerald eyes.

“Save some of that for the wedding vows, sweet-talker. Now come on, I need to eat something ASAP, and I’m sure I look like a prune at this point.”

We left the beach and went back to the hotel to shower, get changed, and check out. When we were back on the road, I took Taylor into town to grab some pizza. I had tried to explain to her that the pizza she had been eating at home was nothing compared to what they made here. She didn’t believe me until she took that first bite.

“Dear god! What have I been eating all this time?!”

“I told you. The food here is like nothing you’ve ever experienced. But you eat all you want; I’ve got more than enough energy to help you burn off the calories.”

“That’ll have to wait until we get to Rome.”

“What?! That’s not for two more days.”

She shrugged a shoulder and took another bite. “I can’t be screaming at the top of my lungs with your nonna down the hall. What will she think of me if she heard that?”

“She’ll think that her grandson is doing his job and keeping his woman satisfied. We’re all wolves; no one cares, beautiful.”

“Rome.”

“Okay, we’ll see about that.”

Taylor talked a good game, but the way her body responded to mine whenever we were close spoke volumes. There was no way she could go two days without feeling me inside her. She craved me just as much as I craved her. Plus, I was a Stone. I knew how to get her where I wanted her.

Looks like it’s time for me to pull out my incubus skills.