Mateo has a terrible, awful crush on Maia Jefferies, the painfully beautiful best-selling novelist who lives next door, but he promised himself he'd never fall for the kindness of a woman like her. Not again. He's been down that road and was left lo...
"Don't let me go," she murmured, wrapping her tired limbs around him.
"I won't," he whispered, massaging the back of her neck as he held her tight. "I want to be right here by your side, liefje."
She sighed, pressing her lips against his chest as her eyes drooped closed. "Ik denk dat ik van je houd, mijn prins," she mumbled as she drifted to sleep in Mateo's warm comforting embrace.
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Maia yawned, reaching out for the warmth of Mateo and her eyes slid open when she felt the empty bed where he should've been. A small smile tugged at her lips as the smell of coffee brewing and Mateo rummaging around in the kitchen.
She sat up, wincing at her sore thighs and a blush burned over cheeks at the memories of the night before. Sliding a hand over her face as she let out a slow breath.
She told him she thought she was in love with him.
It wasn't a lie, but she wasn't planning on letting that truth slip from her lips so soon.
But shit, he had her wrapped up in her feels the moment they stepped on that beautiful boat with a candle light dinner and a trio of violinists waiting for them.
She slid out of the bed and shuffled into the bathroom and a soft laugh left her lips as she gazed into the mirror. Her neck was littered with a few dark blotches and five little bruises dotted one of her hips.
And the things he did to her body last night sent her over the edge.
Slipping into the shower, letting the warm water soothe her sore limbs.
Mateo reminded her what it felt like to be with someone who could indulge in her sexually, but it was more than that because, not only did he give her what she needed last night, he made her feel like she was the only one he wanted to give it to.
She was in love with him, but doubt nagged at the back of her mind. She wanted things to be different with Mateo. She didn't want to rush into loving him like she did with Sven only for things to go sour when she saw who he truly was.
Stepping out of the shower, Maia wrapped herself in a towel and padded into her room to get dressed.
She still didn't know who he was as a prince or what kind of man he'd be when they got to Oost den Burg. He could tell her everything about himself, but in her experience, people always reveal who they are when they're in a place of comfort.
Would he still cook for her? Would he really make time for them to go on dates and be a couple? What if she couldn't live up to the expectations of being a princess? Would he still want her then?
Her tumultuous thoughts blew out of her mind as she shuffled into the kitchen and Mateo greeted her with a bright smile and joy dancing in his eyes.
"Good morning," he said, closing the gap between them and wrapping his arms around her. "How are you feeling?"
"Good," she said, smiling up at him as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
"Are you sure? You looked like you had something on your mind."
She laughed softly, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Only you."
"Mm, I like that," he said, leaning her back against the counter. "Does that mean you meant what you said last night?" He kissed her softly. "Are you in love with me, liefje?"
Maia's heart thumped as she stared into his warm brown eyes wondering if she should tell him the truth. But if she couldn't be honest with him now, then how could she ever expect to find something real with him. "Yes," she said, sliding her hand to his cheek and pressing another kiss to his lips. "I'm in love with you, Mateo."
"I'm in love with you too," he said, lifting her onto the counter and nestling himself between her thighs as he slid his hand to the base of her neck. "Every part of you."
Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she pressed her forehead against his. "I'm scared to love you," she whispered. "I don't want to get hurt again."
"Neither do I," he said, kissing the side of her mouth. "I've never felt like this for anyone and I promise to always be true to you, Maia."
"I promise too," she said, wrapping her legs around his waist. "I don't want to hurt you, either." She kissed his soft lips and her heart simmered at the tenderness swirling in his depths.
"I love you," he whispered against her lips, slipping his tongue in her mouth and she drowned in his tender embrace forgetting the food cooking on the stove and the world around them as they indulged in the confession of their love.
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A/N: 🥰🥰🥰 Ahh, our cinnamon buns confessed! A lil mind blowing sexy time was bound to do it and I'm so glad Maia didn't get caught up in her doubts because I thought for a moment she wasn't going to say anything and drag this out 'til the end! I do hope Maia tells Mateo about these doubts she has though and I'm sure Mateo has some himself. He's been burned and hurt just as much as she has and now he's going back to where it all began....and we know Saskia and Sven are scheming, but how about we just live in this sweet sensuous moment for a bit.
Translations:
mijn mooie ding - my beautiful thingIk denk dat ik van je houd, mijn prins - I think I love you, my prince
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