The Twelve Vitali Ch. 06

"Do you have one?" she asked.

"No," he chuckled. "I have no need of one. I am not so ugly that I can't get a date every now and again. Nor am I in a loveless marriage and need to seek solace elsewhere, like the ones I was talking about."

"Does that mean that if we take this business agreement to its final end I could have a specially trained and discreet lover? Is that why you were acting so weird about intimacy last night when we spoke about it?" she blurted.

"You really do just say whatever is on your mind, don't you?" he chuckled. "It's complicated," he answered. "If it's just about scratching an itch there is no reason we couldn't do that for each other if we had boundaries and rules."

"Would I need training like a kept for these rules and boundaries?" she said acerbically.

"If you were curious you could, but I'd never ask you to do it for my benefit," he said carefully as he pulled into the underground garage below her building.

"Peri asked me to sign a non-disclosure thingamajig before letting me talk to the family. But you're just telling me all of the ins and outs of yours," she said, turning to look at him.

"I promised you honesty and friendship above all else. How else are you supposed to trust me and me you if we aren't honest about everything? Besides, you don't strike me as the kiss-and-tell type with anyone's business, even your own." He answered, turning to return her look and locking eyes with her.

"If I'm entirely honest, I'm not sure how this will play out, but I know this is how I want it. There will be some things the family will want you to do before we get married, if we get that far, but nothing too onerous," he admitted. "Maybe some lessons in public speaking, we do a lot of charity work, especially through my company. That sort of thing," he hedged. "If you want training as a kept I can organise that for you, but I have no intention of treating you that way. I know that is why you broke up with Ricco. I want you as my girlfriend and fiancé in the public eye, which means paparazzi and other difficulties, but that's part of who I am. So public speaking and elocution is something every member of my family has had to learn, including my brothers and me."

"I guess there is a lot for me to get used to and understand. Intimacy isn't just about the sex though; all of those people there tonight were intimate because they know each other so well. The couples in particular," she tilted her head at him. "It's hard to fake that sort of love with hand-holding and the occasional peck on the cheek. Intimacy needs to be felt," she leaned forward and brushed her lips softly against his as a demonstration. "Not just by the couple, but the people around them. Something to think about." She went to get out of the car. "Good Night, Matteo. Sweet dreams," she said softly, stepping from the vehicle and closing the door. She gave a short wave and walked steadily to the elevator.

Matteo watched her go and began making all of the usual excuses in his mind. He was tired, he'd been working too hard, he'd just sat through a huge lovefest with his cousins! None of it rang true as he realised that in just three days this girl had managed to get under his skin and he was in very real danger of crossing a line he had vowed never to cross again. The elevator doors closed on her, and, despite wanting to follow her up to the studio, he turned the car toward his apartment and made himself drive home.

Cat let out an explosive breath as she entered the lift alone. She was grateful for the space from him after today. He was sweet and attentive and had looked after her throughout the day. It was easy to have sat with his arm around her as the family all told stories and laughed together as if they were a couple, just like every other couple there.

There had to be something wrong with her. She must be insane after Ned attacked her, treating her like a possession to be claimed. Then Ricco had treated her like a dirty little secret. Now she was letting another man treat her as if her wants and needs didn't count, "It was all about this bloody contract!" she raged at herself. She knew she wasn't being fair to Matteo or herself, but she wanted more. For the longest time she had just accepted what she had been offered and been grateful. She had begun to believe she could have more when she'd been seeing Ricco, and had crashed back down to earth with a thud when she realised it wasn't going to be possible. Now here she was again in another impossible situation wanting more than what she was being offered, only this time she wasn't sure she wanted to walk away.

Could she live in a relationship like what he wanted, always wanting more? He could give her the acceptance she craved for just being who she was. He could help David's career. He could do so much for her except love her. She threw herself on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Seeing how happy everyone was today, the obvious love and devotion of that huge family had made her want that for herself. She knew she should call off this whole thing with Matteo. What she'd found out today about how their family worked should scare her. His face hovered in her mind. The only thing that scared her was the very real possibility of falling in love with him and not having him love her back.

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