CHAPTER TWO (ELI'S POV)

This game. I was losing.

My days usually started with brutal training. Matteo wasn't going easy on me— not that I expected him to. His strikes were always fast, powerful and relentless, designed to bruise skin and break bones.

I took it all.

I had to.

But what I didn’t expect was the way he pushed boundaries. Teasing touch on my exposed body, brushing his hand against my member, sliding his knee between my legs and brushing his lips against my skin while Luca watches from the sidelines with a drink in hand, always.

He was always watching.

For what? I didn't know.

And I didn’t know if I was passing.

***

After training one day, I was shoved into a shower but not alone.

Matteo, who was drenched in sweat, stepped in after me like he owned the place.

No. Like he owned me.

Peeling his shirt off his body and looking amused by my reaction.

“What are you doing here?

"You’re stiff," he said, ignoring my question, his eyes flicking over my body.

No shit.

"There's a lot of tension in his muscles," Luca murmured from the doorway, arms crossed. "You should help him with that, Matteo."

I stiffened and Matteo smirked then his hands were on me. “Relax, I'm only here to help.”

Drifted to his lips as he spoke. The lips that have been making me restless all week. Lips that I shouldn't even be thinking about.

Heat. That’s the first thing I felt. The heat of his body as he stepped behind me, the heat from his breath fanning my next. 

He gently touched my shoulder then he began to massage my shoulders, gently kneading the flesh beneath his fingers.

My body reacted against my will and my toes curled from the feeling of his hands. He was performing a miracle with them.

Matteo chuckled, his thumbs pressing into a tight knot between my shoulder blades. "Tense as hell," he murmured, his lips brushing my ear.

I swallowed hard.

I didn't like this but, I didn't want it to stop.

I felt blood rushing to my lower region as Matteo pressed his body against mine. His hard chest came on contact with my back and something hard pressed against my—

My eyes flew open as I realized what it was.

“Shh…” he murmured in my ear as he pressed further into me, a slow, deep, alluring sound escaping from him.

Heat bubbled up with me and my heart hammered against my chest. I hated it.

I hated that my skin was burning where he touched me. Hated that my breath was coming faster. I hated that I was getting more aroused and wanted to hear more of that sound from him.

Matteo’s fingers slid lower. Slow and teasing. He was testing the waters, he wanted to see if I would stop him. I wanted to, but I couldn't.

He gently rubbed my nipple between his fingers, instantly making me breathless.

“Good boy.”

Oh God.

He went further down until it got to my hard aching member. His fingers brushed it barely, making my hips buckle and a soft moan escaped me.

Matteo hummed. “That's it.”

I closed my eyes and sighed as he continued to brush his fingers against my slightly. I wanted him to touch me fully but I wasn't going to ask.

His lips brushed against my shoulder, not really a kiss but one of his teasing touches. I felt like I was going to explode from the pent up arousal in me.

"All done," he murmured.

“What?” I whispered.

“All done.” Matteo said with a dark chuckle before stepping away from me.

I stumbled a bit from the lack of contact and support from his body making Luca chuckled from the doorway.

“You're no longer tense.”

I lifted my head to look at them and that was a bad idea because Luca was watching me with his predatory gaze. Slowly, he smirked.

And that’s when I knew one thing.

I was completely fucked.

****

The rest of the day continued like that.

Small touches. Lingering gazes. Gentle brushing of lips against my skin. All I wanted was to be away from them.

At lunch, Luca passed me a drink, his fingers deliberately touching mine for a moment too long.

At dinner, Matteo leaned in too close, his breath fanning my neck as he reached for a bottle of wine.

By nightfall, my entire body was on fire.

I was overstimulated and frustrated.

I didn’t know if it was anger at the fact that I was being harassed or something else.

Something that I was trying to deny.

And that terrified me.

***

Later that night, I stood in my room, hands gripping my dresser so hard that my knuckles turned white and my breathing was hard.

This was the control I had heard whispers about.

They were controlling me without really laying their hands on me. Their powers were clawing into my mind.

I closed my eyes.

This was a mission.

A game.

And I wasn’t going to fucking lose.