Page 37 of Stalk (Assassin’s Kiss Duet #1)

Ren

M y world is frozen. I feel like I have been covered in cement and left outside to dry.

I can barely feel the warm water that pours over me.

But I see Mattia. I can kind of feel his fingertips on my cheekbones.

His caramel eyes are wide with worry. It’s probably the most human and vulnerable I’ve ever seen him.

I’m here. I’ve got you.

My thoughts aren’t thoughts—they are pictures, memories, what-if scenarios—all blended into a movie-like stream of consciousness. I know I need to move. I know I need to do something. Instead, I’m stuck here, making things worse for Mattia.

Despite the horror of him absolutely destroying Anthony, I am happy he’s here with me.

I know that he is a killer, and I understand that a large part of him enjoys it.

Deep down, though, I know he wouldn’t torture good people like he did to Anthony tonight.

I don’t understand him. I may never understand him.

But something about Mattia turns off the crazy inside of my head.

I focus on his eyes as he holds my face, his nose only inches from mine.

My gaze travels to his lips, his beautifully carved lips that could have been sculpted by Michelangelo himself, and I take a small step into him, forcing our bodies closer.

Something comes over me, and I’m not sure exactly what.

I force the images in my mind to pause. I force air into my lungs.

I look at this beautiful man in front of me, and slowly return to the earth.

This is the moment where I choose to fight . This is the moment where I choose to live.

My arms move from being limp appendages at my side.

One hand finds Mattia’s bare chest, and the other holds the side of his warm neck.

He doesn’t move, just continues to hold me.

Despite my swollen lip, I do something bold.

Because it feels right. No second thoughts.

I lean in and kiss him delicately, and my soul ignites.

His lips are soft and taste like nothing I’ve ever tasted before.

Minty and smokey and downright addictive.

To my surprise, Mattia kisses me back, and I feel his kiss deep down in my lower stomach, as though he’s inside of me, healing me from the inside out.

His hands travel from my face, all the way down to my hips.

He pulls me in as close as possible, our chests and torsos colliding, then laps at my lower lip with the tip of his tongue.

It sings, but for some reason, it feels right.

Like he should be lapping up my blood and healing my wounds.

My lips pull apart and a moan escapes from my throat.

Mattia’s tongue moves from my lower lip to caressing my tongue.

I do the same back to him, feeling dizzy with intoxication.

Eventually, he pulls away, but only to move his mouth to the sensitive part of my neck right below my jaw.

I hiss out in pleasure and my body breaks out in goosebumps, despite the hot water pouring over us.

Mattia trails kisses down my neck until he reaches my collarbone, which he traces with his tongue.

“Oh, God,” I moan breathlessly.

He comes back up and smiles at me like he’s been thinking of devouring me for weeks. Maybe… maybe he has. Maybe I’m not the only one who’s been wanting this.

He takes my dominant hand in his, then brings it up to his lips.

Mattia stares me down like a predator and begins licking the dried blood from my fingers, sighing in delight as he does.

He never once breaks eye contact as he laps me up, and I’ve never been harder in my fucking life.

The swim shorts that were once a little too big on me feel strained now.

Unable to resist, I grind my hips into him, needing some sort of friction.

Mattia licks my pointer finger last, then licks his lips like he just had the best meal of his life.

It turns out that my fantasies of Mattia were nothing compared to reality.

His cheeks are flushed, making his light golden skin look warm and inviting.

His eyes are alive and full of lust. For me.

And his chest —I knew he was in shape, but this is more than I imagined.

I want to run my tongue between all of his muscles until I’ve memorized and savored every valley.

Want to entangle my fingers in the dark hair that begins below his collarbones and runs down to his v-line.

There is still some of Anthony’s blood on Mattia’s face, near his hairline and at the back of his neck.

Feeling bold after what he just did to me, I tilt my chin up and begin licking the blood off him.

It’s not Mattia’s blood, but I pretend that it is.

The taste is bitter and coppery, but Mattia’s skin underneath is salty and smooth.

I can feel how aroused he is, too, even through his jeans. His hands travel from my hips to my ass as I lick and lick, pushing me into his arousal as much as he can.

“Fanculo a me!” Mattia shouts as I nip at his earlobe.

I don’t know what that means, but it sounds like he wants more of me. I want more, too. My heart is hammering inside my chest, and I feel more alive than I have in years. I pull away from him, and he whines. I smile at him, happy to see this vulnerable version of Mattia.

“Take off my shorts,” I demand softly, touching myself through the annoying fabric.

The flush in his cheeks darkens and he swallows roughly, then nods and bites his lower lip eagerly.

Without hesitation, Mattia pulls the drawstring loose on my shorts, then pulls them down with ease, despite the fabric sticking to my legs.

Once they’re pooled around my ankles, I kick them to the back of the shower, out of our way.

I move to fist my length, but Mattia’s hand prevents me from doing so. He shakes his head. “Now take mine off,” he says, voice strained and gravelly with need.

He doesn’t need to ask me twice. With some renewed strength, I unbutton his jeans and pull down the zipper, then forcefully push the wet denim along with his briefs down his muscular thighs. Mattia does the rest of the work for me, then tosses the clothes away like I did.

When we both straighten back up, we stand there and stare at one another’s naked bodies in silence.

Mattia is true perfection, I almost feel self-conscious, but I’m too turned on to care all that much.

His uncut cock is a bit larger than mine, and standing at full attention for me, begging to be touched.

I’m beginning to think Mattia is having some doubts, but then he moves closer. Our chests brush up against each other. His cock brushes up against my own, and I inhale sharply at the delicious contact.

“I’ve never done this before,” Mattia says suddenly, his breath hitting my cheeks. “Not with a person who doesn’t have a vagina.”

“Me neither. I–I’ve never gone this far with anyone, I mean,” I admit.

I look into his eyes, wondering if I’ve just scared him off. His features soften as he runs a hand down my back. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. We can take it slow.”

I appreciate his tenderness and understanding, but as someone who has never had any attention in this way before (aside from using my own hand), I think I’ve waited long enough. Now that I’ve chosen to live, I want to do it properly.

So, I kiss him again. This time with more urgency and need, showing him just how badly I do need him .

I tilt my head for easier access, forcing my tongue inside, exploring to my heart’s content.

I think I could do this forever—touching him, tasting him, devouring every inch of him—and from how he’s behaving, kissing me and exploring back with urgency, I know the feeling must be mutual.

My cock aches painfully as it bumps and slides against Mattia’s.

He must be feeling the same frustration, because the next thing I know, he’s jerking both of us with his hands.

I can’t help it. I break away from his swollen lips so I can watch.

With his foreskin pulled back, I can see how pinkish purple his cockhead is, already wanting relief as it slides against my slimmer, pink cock.

Having Mattia touch me, jacking both of us off in his large hands, feels better than anything I’ve ever felt before—and it may be the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.

“More, Mattia,” I whine needily.

He chuckles. “Sì, tesoro mio.”

Mattia drops to his knees without an ounce of hesitation, and my thighs quiver in anticipation. I can’t help but work my length as he gets situated. As I pull on my balls, Mattia’s mouth kisses and sucks at my inner thighs. I lean my head back with a heavy sigh, my body tight and full of ecstasy.

Mattia swats my hand away, and I whimper in protest, but obey. Then, I feel his lips lick each inch of my cock, and I shout out in pleasure.

Please, let this last forever.

“Direct me, Ren,” Mattia says, breaking away from my skin. “I don’t know what you like or?—”

I look down at him and grip his hair tightly. “Suck me.” I’m shocked at how… dominant I feel. I’m even more surprised at how much I like ordering him around.

Mattia grins wickedly. This time, I watch him closely, not wanting to miss a single second. He parts his lips and swirls his tongue against my tip, and I yell out again. How can such a simple, small movement feel like heaven, igniting every molecule in my body?

“Oh, fuck!” My grip in Mattia’s hair intensifies.

Then, he grows brave, putting half of me in his mouth and sucking.

His teeth scrape against me a little, but not enough for me to say anything or stop him.

It still feels amazing. He works me deeper into his throat, and I see stars.

There’s no way I’ll last at this rate, even though I want this to go on for as long as possible.

“Suck harder,” I moan.

He does, and my knees tremble. Then, he tugs on my balls like I was doing earlier, mimicking my movements, and I almost come right then and there.

He stops sucking and pulling on me, and I squirm in frustration.

Mattia looks up at me with a gorgeous grin, pride painted all over his beautiful face, and then he sucks on his middle finger.

I have no idea what he’s doing, but it doesn’t take long for me to find out.

He takes me back into his mouth, this time bobbing and sucking me harder with newfound confidence, and then his middle finger travels down my taint, and I’m thrown into a different dimension.

My head falls back and my breaths grow rapid.

He works me with his mouth as he searches for my hole.

When he finds it, I lose my goddamn mind.

Mattia swirls his finger around my entrance, then grows bolder and pushes inside, just a little.

“God, yes. More, baby. More,” I shout.

He laughs around my cock and does as he’s told.

Mattia’s finger works inside of me a little more, and the sensation is life-changing.

He takes his time spreading me out, never once slowing down his pace as he bobs up and down around my length.

He’s becoming more comfortable now, no longer scraping me with his teeth at all.

I look down at him once again. He’s drenched in water and his cheeks are beautiful and hollowed out.

He stares up at me as though he’s never been more content in all his life.

There’s no way I’m going to make it.

I need to come. I need to come in his pretty mouth.

“I’m not gonna last—” I throw my head back with a gasp.

Mattia’s finger dives deeper than before, hitting that spot deep inside, right as my cockhead hits the back of his throat. Heat trickles down my spine. I grow lightheaded as I spill out into his mouth, riding out my orgasm until he’s milked me dry and I’m gasping for oxygen.

When I’m done, I look down at him just in time to watch him swallow every last drop. He licks up the small droplets that remain, then licks his fucking lips. My eyes fall down further to his dick, painfully hard and begging for my touch.

“Now it’s your turn,” I say breathlessly.