CHAPTER 3

Jamie’s walked meekly behind Matteos. His back was so broad and he could probably snap him if half if he tried. The mansion was enormous, impossibly silent except for the distant hum of some unseen appliance. Moonlight rays streamed through the towering windows, dust motes floating lazily in the rays. Every surface was pristine, gleaming, too perfect. It made Jamie feel… small.

Matteo walked without looking back, like he expected Jamie to follow, the quiet control in his movements impossible to ignore. Even in his casual motion, there was a precision that made Jamie’s chest tighten. His pitch-black hair was neatly combed, the faint shadow of stubble along his jaw lending him a rugged, dangerous appeal. A silver cross glinted at his neck, catching the light with every slight turn of his head.

Jamie tugged at the hem of his t-shirt, his usual cheeky grin not gracing the corners of his lips. He tried to match his energy with Matteo’s stillness, but it felt impossible. Every glance Matteo cast at him seemed to weigh him down, measure him, dissect him. Jamie wasn’t used to being analyzed so carefully. Normally, his impulsive, reckless energy carried him through social interactions with ease. Here, he felt exposed.

Matteo brought him into an ernomous room. His dorm looked like a cubicle next to the size of the room. His mouth hung open.

“Sit,” Matteo said, voice low and controlled, and gestured toward a high-backed chair in the corner of a moonlit sitting room. Jamie obeyed, sliding into it with a slight fidget, hands clasped loosely in his lap. A chill ran through him. He realized he was freezing after playing in the sea all day and putting on his wet t shirt. The chair’s leather was cool against his thighs, the faint scent of aged wood and polish making him aware of every detail of the room. A king size bed in the middle of it. He gulped.

Matteo leaned casually against a nearby console, arms crossed, eyes watching him like a chess master observing a pawn’s first move.

“Who sent you?” he questioned, almost sounding like a threat, the words carried a weight Jamie couldn’t ignore.

Jamie laughed nervously, ruffling his hair. “Who sent me?” He tried to sound casual, but his pulse was racing, a little thrill mingling with nerves. “I mean… We kinda found this place”

Matteo’s lips curved slightly, almost imperceptibly, but his dark eyes never left Jamie’s. “Found?.”

Jamie chewed his lower lip. “We walked for a long time on the beach then found a cove...” He trailed off bitting his bottom lip, tousled red hair falling over his forehead. “Kind of impulsively went through...actually I convinced Lucas to follow me.”

Matteo’s gaze flickered down for a moment, his hand stretched out grabbing Jamies face firmly. His thumb pulled Jamies bruised bottom lip from his teeth. Jamie stared at Matteo until he let go. His face felt hot.

Jamie shrugged, trying to brush away the thundering feeling in his heart, freckles dusting his cheeks like constellations, his cheeks red as apples. “I'm James by the way… I go by Jamie. Umm...I'm not always like this.. maybe only when I drink and after hangovers, mostly. Not that I get many...or drink.” He forced a grin. He couldn't stop his mouth from vomitting words. This was his nevous trait. “umm....”

Matteo straightened slightly, the subtle shift catching Jamie off guard. The man’s presence was magnetic, intimidating, and… fascinating. “Jamie...” Matteo said carefully. As if savouring the name. His voice was steady, smooth, the kind that made Jamie’s thoughts jumble and shift uncomfortably.

“ You can call me Matteo.”

Jamie swallowed, nodding. “Hi Matteo.” He felt heat creep up his neck, aware of the sharp, analyzing gaze Matteo kept trained on him.

The room was filled with quiet light, the faint creak of floorboards beneath Matteo’s shoes, the soft whisper of curtains moving with the breeze. Jamie noticed everything—details that normally escaped him. The way Matteo’s fingers tapped lightly against the console, the subtle shift of his weight, the way his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. Every movement was deliberate, controlled.

“I want to know,” Matteo said finally, voice low, “how you ended up here. How a… reckless person like you finds himself on a private beach in my domain.”

Now he was offended.

Reckless?

Jamie shifted, brushing a hand over his freckled cheek. “Well… we were just exploring. Thought it would be fun. Didn’t expect to… well, end up on your private beach.” He chuckled nervously. “I didn’t think anyone was actually there.”

Matteo’s eyes narrowed slightly, and Jamie felt the weight of them like a physical pressure. “Interesting,” Matteo said. “Sometimes what seems harmless can be… dangerous.”

Jamie nodded slowly, fingers fidgeting in his lap. “Yeah… I guess I learned that the hard way.” He glanced at Matteo, noticing the subtle tilt of his head, the way his lips pressed together thoughtfully. “You’re… different from anyone I’ve ever met.”

Matteo’s gaze lingered a moment longer, then shifted, as if to dismiss the tension—but the air between them remained taut, electric. Jamie couldn’t stop noticing how Matteo’s presence seemed to fill the room, command it, bend it around him effortlessly.

“Is this room to your liking?” Matteo asked quietly, almost casually.

Jamie blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change of topic. “umm... yes?”

“Great,” Matteo said, standing up preparing to leave moving like a predator observing his environment. “Tommorrow we will talk more in detail”

Jamie’s heart skipped. “Uh… I mean… Thank you” He forced a grin, leaning back in the chair.

Matteo’s lips twitched into a faint, knowing smile. “Good night Jamie.”

Jamie felt his pulse quicken. “Yeah… Good night Matteo.”

 He fidgeted, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear, suddenly very aware of Matteo’s presence. The danger, the power, the calm control—it was intoxicating. He wanted to test it, tease it… and part of him wanted to run.

Matteo finally moved to the door shutting it behind him.  

Jamie let out a huge breath he was holding. Matteo made him feel...things. Things he didn't want to feel.  

Jamie knew one thing: this vacation had become far more complicated than he’d ever imagined. And Matteo…

Matteo was not someone he could ignore.