“How about a little bet?”

I had a feeling I wouldn’t like what he was going to suggest, but I motioned for him to keep talking.

“If I manage to give you an orgasm today, then we put the ankle monitor back on. If you manage to resist my skills, we throw that thing in the trash.”

“Only one?”

“Greedy girl,” he said teasingly, his dark eyes sparkling with excitement. “I thought you weren’t attracted to me? Are you worried your body won’t be able to resist me?”

I wished he was wrong, but my body really was a horrible traitor. I’d lost count of the times we’d had sex in our short marriage. “No, of course not. But one orgasm seems setting the bar very low for you, don’t you think?”

“Oh, I don’t know. We both know how stubborn you can be, and I promised Luca to put that ankle monitor on you. I can’t make it too easy for you to get rid of it again.” His eyes were drawn to my breasts, then lower. “So what do you say? Resist an orgasm until midnight and you’ll be free of the monitor.”

I backed away from him to be safe. “Okay.”

“Of course you can’t just avoid having an orgasm by not letting me touch you. You have to give me a fair fighting chance.”

I huffed. “A fair chance? What is fair about this?”

Matteo shrugged. “Deal?”

“Deal,” I said grudgingly before dashing into the shower and closing the door. It wouldn’t stop Matteo, but he didn’t try to follow.

Grinning, he walked toward the bedroom. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

Okay, I needed to put myself in a mindset of complete calm, needed to figure out a way to make me immune to whatever Matteo was going to do. Problem was my pulse was pounding with excitement when I thought of what he was going to do. Damn it. I closed my eyes and turned the water on cold. Gasping for breath, I started shattering and slowly my arousal abated. After a couple more minutes, I stepped out of the shower, frozen to the bone and hopefully turned off enough to resist Matteo at least for the moment. I headed into the bedroom. Matteo lay on the bed in all his naked glory with his arms crossed behind his head.

I was actually glad for his self-assured smile because it only strengthened my resolve to resist him. Straightening my shoulders, I walked past the bed, determined to head toward the dressing room. “Shouldn’t we get up?”

Matteo’s grin widened. “We have some time. Or are you scared of losing our bet?”

I walked toward the bed without another word. Matteo’s eyes followed every move I made. I should have made a bet that he wasn’t allowed to come. That bet I would have won without trouble judging from the hunger in his gaze. Matteo pulled me down on top of him and kissed me. He took his time, his hands only lightly stroking my back, and yet the pressure between my legs was already close to unbearable.

I tried to think of something else. Anything really, and somehow Matteo seemed to sense that I was drifting away. He flipped us over so he hovered over me, and then my torture began. His mouth closed around my nipple, nibbling and licking, before moving on to my other breast and lavishing that one with the same amount of intention. I lay my palms flat against the bed spread, trying to calm my breathing and racing pulse.

Matteo cupped my other breast, and squeezed harder than expected. I arched up at the intense sensation, then quickly relaxed again. I couldn’t make it too easy for him. He’d be even more smug if he got me aroused so fast. Peering up at the ceiling, I focused all my attention away from Matteo’s teasing lips. He chuckled against my sternum, then licked a trail down to my navel. “So stubborn.”

I knew the moment Matteo parted my legs, he’d see how much my body craved his touch. There was nothing I could do about it. Maybe there was a way I could have an orgasm without Matteo actually noticing? By now that was almost my only hope because I was fairly sure my body was going to betray me.

With a wicked grin, Matteo moved between my legs and pushed his palms below my butt and then he pressed his mouth to my heated flesh. I bit back a moan at the feel of his tongue. His eyes were on me, so possessive and hungry that it turned me on even more.

I closed my own eyes tightly, trying to block out what Matteo was doing, but he was making it difficult.

“Delicious,” he murmured, then took another lick. “You taste so good, Gianna. I want to eat you out every day.” He dipped his tongue into my opening before drawing the softest circles with the tip of his tongue, only to enter me again. I pressed my lips together to hold back a moan. His hands pushed my legs even further apart and then his fingers gently opened my lips to give him even better access. His tongue barely brushed me, so soft my toes curled from the intense sensations. “You can pretend this isn’t doing anything to you, Gianna, but your body betrays you.”

Damn it, as if I didn’t know it.

“Are you going to keep your eyes closed the entire time?” he asked in a mocking tone.

My eyes shot open and I glared at him.

He lifted his head with his damn shark-grin, his chin glistening with my juices. “That’s better,” he murmured before he lowered his gaze back down to my center and rubbed his thumb lightly over my clit. His tongue slid over my inner thigh before lightly biting down. More wetness pooled between my legs and Matteo’s smile widened even more. “See, you like this.” He slid his thumb between my folds, then lifted it to his lips and licked off my juices. “Hmm.” I knew I should close my eyes again but it was impossible. Instead I braced myself on my elbows to get a better view. This was a losing battle anyway, I might as well enjoy it fully.

Matteo raised his eyebrows. “Upping the ante?” He dove back down and I threw my head back, not even bothering to keep the moan in. Fuck the stupid bet and the stupid ankle monitor. My calves started spasming and the tremor spread through my entire body as pleasure cursed through me. There was no thinking of hiding my orgasm. No chance in hell.

I arched off the bed, letting pleasure consume me. Loud cries fell from my lips and I let them out without restraint.

Eventually, I caught my breath. Matteo pushed himself up on his elbows. The look on his face made me regret my weakness. “Maybe one orgasm was really unfair,” he said in a raspy voice.

“You think?” I whispered breathlessly. “How about an additional bet? All or nothing?”

“I’m listening.”

“If I manage to make you come, you lose and I won’t have to wear the ankle monitor again. If you resist, I’ll put that thing back on without protest.”

Matteo sat back on his haunches, presenting his rock-hard cock. I leaned forward and curled my fingers around his length with a challenging look. “So what do you say?”

“Why should I risk losing if I can only win the same thing again.”

I licked my lips and squeezed his cock once. “Are you scared of losing?” I repeated his earlier words.

He chuckled. “Of course not. The bet’s on. I’m in your hands.”

“Lie down,” I ordered, not wasting any time. I’d win this bet no matter what.

Matteo

I flopped down on my back beside Gianna and crossed my arms behind my head. Gianna looked pretty confident. My cock was already hard from licking her, and she probably thought I wouldn’t last very long. She didn’t know me very well.