Adrian shook his head softly, giving him a gentle push. "You go on down first, babe. I need a few more minutes. I’ll co down right after you."
"Alright," Matteo said, before stepping out of the room and heading down to the grand dining wing.
When Matteo entered the dining room, he found everyone already seated around the long dining table. Kevin, Mark, Charles, and Tony were all there.
Frank had gone back to his own place earlier in the day. Likewise, rissa and Maxwell had already left the estate after the family eting.
A few monts later, the sound of soft footsteps echoed, and Adrian finally walked into the dining room.
The second Matteo’s eyes landed on him, his entire deanor brightened. "Babe, you’re finally here."
Hearing the word babe, Kevin casually raised his head to see who Matteo was talking to. But the mont Kevin saw Adrian, his mouth fell open, and he completely froze, unable to close it.
Adrian looked effortlessly stunning, wearing a loose, free-flowing white matching outfit that looked incredibly comfortable yet elegant against his skin. He walked directly over to the head of the table, taking his seat right beside Matteo, who had stubbornly refused to start eating until his partner arrived.
Adrian completely ignored Kevin’s staring, acting as if the man didn’t even exist. He kept his eyes locked on his plate, intentionally avoiding Kevin’s gaze until Matteo noticed the silence and spoke up. "Babe, this is my friend, Kevin."
Only then did Adrian finally turn his head, offering a polite but beautifully dismissive smile. "Oh, I’m sorry. My bad. I’m Adrian."
Kevin quickly blinked out of his trance, clearing his throat. "Nice to et you. I’m Kevin."
"I’m happy to have you here," Adrian said smoothly, his voice sweet but layered with a subtle, protective edge. "My baby told you’re just a friend. Glad to et you."
The mont Adrian emphasized the words just a friend, Matteo’s eyes imdiately flicked toward him.
Babe... he called silently, already recognizing the jealousy hidden beneath Adrian’s polite smile.
Adrian shot him a deadpan look that clearly said, Don’t start.
Then he turned back to Kevin with the sa pleasant smile on his face.
Kevin caught the phrasing and glanced at Matteo, a knowing smile touching his lips. "You really have incredible taste, Matteo."
Matteo just smiled proudly.
As dinner got underway, the entire table watched with a mixture of amusent and complete familiarity as Matteo spent the ti taking care of Adrian.
Adrian, anwhile, shalessly leaned into the attention. Every ti Matteo lifted a fork, he opened his mouth without hesitation, allowing himself to be fed bite after bite.
Throughout the al, the two of them constantly exchanged whispers, affectionate glances, and soft kisses, behaving as though everyone else at the table had ceased to exist.
Kevin found himself watching the two of them throughout dinner, unable to look away. He was completely fascinated by the softer, more affectionate side of Matteo, a side he never would have imagined existed.
The rest of the table, however, barely paid any attention. They had seen this behavior countless tis before and simply continued eating as if nothing unusual was happening.
When dinner finally ended, Mark and Charles excused themselves from the table first, followed shortly after by Tony. Adrian turned in his seat, wrapping his arms around Matteo’s neck to press a deep kiss to his lips. "I’ll be up in our room waiting for you, okay?"
Matteo nodded. "Okay, baby."
"I love you so much, Matteo," Adrian murmured loudly enough for the room to hear.
"I love you more, Rian," Matteo replied smoothly.
Adrian stood up from the table, turning to give a polite wave toward the guest. "Bye, Kevin. See you around."
"Bye, Adrian," Kevin waved back.
As Adrian turned and headed toward the grand staircase, Matteo reached out from his chair and gave him a playful swat on the backside through the soft fabric of his white pants, a familiar gesture that spoke of their closeness.
Adrian didn’t even look back. A beautiful smile curved his lips as he continued up the stairs, completely unfazed by the attention, making his way back to their room.
After Adrian left, Matteo and Kevin moved over to the spacious living room to unwind. Selene quickly arrived to serve them drinks, pouring the premium liquor before quietly leaving them to their conversation.
Taking a slow sip from his glass, Kevin looked over at Matteo. "Your boyfriend is very cute, Matteo," he noted, swirling the ice in his glass. "But I don’t think he’s very friendly."
Matteo offered a calm smile, leaning back against the leather sofa. "What makes you say that?"
Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? I saw the way he kept staring at during dinner. He practically—"
Matteo interrupted him before he could finish.
"Adrian is very friendly," Matteo replied, imdiately coming to his boyfriend’s defense. "You just t him tonight, Kevin. Don’t be so quick to judge. Once he gets comfortable with soone, he’s one of the warst people you’ll ever et."
Kevin shook his head with a small laugh.
"Yeah, you’re right. But he really is exceptionally good-looking. Honestly, he’s exactly my type, definitely soone I could see myself dating. And the way he acts so baby..."
Hearing Kevin repeatedly point out how perfectly Adrian fit his preferences, Matteo’s expression instantly changed. The warmth vanished from his face, replaced by a dark, unyielding stare.
"He is only ’baby’ with ," Matteo corrected coldly. "Not with any other man. Not with anyone else."
His eyes locked onto Kevin’s.
"That side of him belongs to ."
Sensing the sudden drop in the room’s temperature, Kevin raised his hands in defense. "Chill, bro. I’m only saying."
"I don’t joke when it cos to him. I’m entirely serious," Matteo replied, his gaze unblinking.
Kevin cleared his throat and raised both hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I get it," he said with a laugh. "ssage received."
Eager to steer the conversation in a different direction, he leaned forward slightly.
"Anyway," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "Can I get so stuff? So gear?"
The casual request eased so of the tension lingering between them.
Matteo gave a brief nod and signaled to one of the guards standing nearby.
Without a word, the man disappeared from the living room. A few monts later, he returned and discreetly placed the requested items on the table before stepping back into position.
Kevin imdiately began preparing it for himself. As he did, he glanced up, fully expecting Matteo to join him.
Instead, Matteo remained where he was, making no move whatsoever toward the items on the table.
Kevin frowned slightly.
"Don’t tell you’re not—"
Matteo didn’t even let him finish. "My boyfriend is upstairs, so I can’t."
Kevin rolled his eyes playfully.
"Oh, co on," he teased. "A little wouldn’t hurt. It might even spice things up for you and your boyfriend tonight."
A faint smile touched Matteo’s lips as his mind wandered to Adrian. "My boyfriend is still recovering from surgery," he said. "And besides, I never want drugs to be part of anything intimate between us. What we have is more than enough."
Kevin frowned, genuinely baffled by the level of restraint. "I really don’t understand why you are pampering him this much."
"Because he’s not a one-night stand," Matteo replied instantly, his voice thick with pride and certainty. "He is my future. And I am treating him exactly how I want my future to look."
Kevin smirked.
"Let get this straight," he said. "So your boyfriend can’t handle your usual level of intensity, and you’re still letting him control every decision you make?"
He let out a laugh.
"Damn. Does he really have that much power over you?"
Matteo’s jaw tightened, his patience finally beginning to wear thin.
"Kevin, enough," he said, his voice dropping into a cold, dangerous tone that imdiately wiped the amusent from Kevin’s face.
"Are you seriously sitting here criticizing my boyfriend when you’ve only known him for a few hours?" Matteo continued. "Don’t do that."
He leaned back slightly, his expression hard and unwavering.
"And for the record, Adrian isn’t controlling . He’s never once told what I can or can’t do. I’m choosing not to touch drugs tonight... because that’s what I want."
A flicker of pride crossed his face.
"Everything I’m doing is my choice."
"I’m sorry," Kevin said, imdiately backing down. "I was only..."
Matteo glanced at the watch on his wrist and realized how late it had gotten. Without waiting for Kevin to say anything else, he pushed himself to his feet and adjusted his clothes.
"It’s late," Matteo said. "My man is waiting for , and he won’t sleep without . We’ll see each other in the morning. Goodnight, Kevin."
Kevin raised his hands in surrender and nodded. "Alright. Goodnight, man."
Matteo turned on his heel and walked out of the living room, heading straight upstairs to their bedroom.
As he walked down the long corridor, he took a deep breath and consciously wiped the lingering irritation from his face. He knew exactly how sharp Adrian’s instincts were; if he caught even a tiny hint of the frustrating conversation he just had downstairs with Kevin, it would completely ruin the peaceful mood. Wanting to protect Adrian from any more stress, Matteo quickly smoothed over his expression and opened the door, completely back to his normal, loving self.
Stepping inside, the room was bathed in a cozy, dim light. Adrian was sitting propped up against a mountain of plush pillows on the bed, a bowl of snacks in his lap as he focused intently on a horror movie playing on the television screen.
Matteo’s chest tightened with instant affection at the sight. "Baby, you’re still awake?" he asked softly, closing the door behind him.
Adrian glanced up from the screen, a sweet smile gracing his lips. "Yes, I’m still up. I was waiting for my husband so we could go to sleep together."
Matteo walked over to the bed, far too distracted by Adrian’s adorable expression to fully process what he had just said. "Oh, my baby, you should have just gone to sleep—"
Matteo froze mid-stride, his brain suddenly registering the phrasing. His eyes widened in absolute shock as he stared at Adrian on the bed. "Babe... what did you just call right now?"
Adrian’s smile turned playful, his eyes twinkling in the dim light as he played dumb. "I told you I was waiting for you."
"Not that part," Matteo said, as he stepped closer to the edge of the mattress. "You used a specific word."
Adrian let out a soft chuckle, tilting his head. "I said I’m waiting for my husband to—"
Matteo didn’t even let him finish the sentence.
He lunged forward, scrambling onto the mattress and throwing his body over Adrian...
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