My Mafia Husband

CHAPTER 24

I decided to break the silence.

"Well, what are you going to order?" I asked, my voice sounding breathless to my own ears. Matteo's eyes remained trained on mine as he spoke, his thumb grazing over the back of my hand in a gentle caress.

"I think I'll have the steak," he replied, his voice low and gravelly. "What about you?" I forced myself to look down at the menu, my mind racing. Why was he being so tender with me all of a sudden? What was his game here?

"I'll have the chicken," I said, feigning nonchalance. Matteo's thumb continued its slow stroking motion over my hand, sending sparks of electricity up my arm. Despite my best efforts to remain composed, I couldn't help the growing warmth pooling in my stomach at his touch.

Matteo's gaze was still fixed on me, his eyes seemingly drinking me in as I spoke. His thumb moved from my hand to my wrist, tracing light circles over the sensitive skin there. The action sent shivers down my spine, and I had to bite back a gasp as the feeling spread throughout my body.

"You look beautiful tonight," Matteo said suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper. "That dress looks stunning on you. It brings out the color in your eyes." The compliment caught me off guard, and I found myself flushing under his intense gaze.

"Thank you, I can say the way about you too" I respond.

Matteo's lips quirked slightly at my reply, a ghost of a smile passing over his face. His thumb continued tracing circles on my wrist, the gesture so intimate and distracting that I had trouble concentrating on anything else. As if sensing my distraction, Matteo leaned slightly closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur.

"You know, you play the part of the devoted wife very well," he said, his voice laced with a hint of mockery. "I almost believe that you actually care about me."

I clear my throat.

Matteo's eyes gleam with amusement, his thumb still tracing lazy circles on my skin. I felt a jolt of annoyance at his comment, his teasing tone and the way he seemed to enjoy watching me squirm making me feel even more defensive. "You never seem satisfied, do you?" I muttered, my voice tinged with frustration.

Matteo leaned back in his chair, a smirk on his handsome features, his thumb finally stopping its maddening circular motions. "Satisfaction is overrated," he said, his voice low and amused. "I prefer to keep things interesting." I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his words, his nonchalant attitude making my blood boil.

"You always have to be the one in control, don't you?" I muttered, my tone laced with irritation. Matteo raised an eyebrow at my response, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before he quickly schooled his expression into one of aloofness.

"Control is everything," he responded with a shrug. I bristled at his response, my anger flaring up again. He was infuriating, with his aloofness and his constant need to be in charge. It was like he couldn't help but try to push my buttons, to get a rise out of me.

I decided to change the subject, so I put a fake smile on my face as I say "So baby, maybe after dinner we can watch a movie together at home, what do you think?"

Matteo's expression soured slightly at my use of the term "baby," though he quickly hid it with a small shrug. "If that's what you want," he replied. "I have some work to do, though. So we'll see." He sounded unimpressed, his tone dismissive as if the idea of spending quality time with me was tedious chore.

I felt a pang of hurt at his response, my previous irritation giving way to disappointment. It was clear that he had no interest in spending time with me beyond the confines of this game we were playing. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't shake off the feeling that this whole situation was nothing more than a cruel game to him.

As if sensing my displeasure, Matteo's eyes flicked up to mine, a flicker of something almost like remorse crossing his features. But just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone again, replaced once more by his usual aloof demeanor.

"Look, I'm sorry," he muttered. "It's just that work has been really hectic lately. I have a lot on my plate." The apology sounded more like an excuse than anything else, and I couldn't help but feel skeptical about its sincerity.

"It's fine," I said, trying to keep my voice level. "I understand. I'm sure you have a lot going on." I tried to sound empathetic, but in reality, I was seething inside. I couldn't understand why I was even trying to empathize with him.

Matteo looked at me for a moment longer, his eyes searching mine as if trying to gauge my reaction. But I kept my face neutral, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing my true feelings. "Right," he muttered, his voice gruff. "Let's just focus on the food."

The waiter arrived then with our meals, placing them down in front of us with a flourish. I barely noticed the beautiful presentation of my meal, lost in my thoughts as I was. I picked up my fork and poked at my food, my appetite gone as I stewed in my own frustration.

Matteo, on the other hand, seemed unaffected by the tension between us. He dug into his meal with gusto, barely looking up from his plate as he enjoyed his food. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger at his nonchalance, as if he couldn't have cared less about my feelings.

After a few minutes of silent eating, Matteo glanced up at me, his eyes piercing mine. "Is something wrong with your meal?" he asked, his tone slightly taunting. I forced a polite smile onto my face, shaking my head. "No, it's fine," I managed to say with a strained voice. "I'm just not as hungry as I thought."

Matteo raised an eyebrow at my response, a smirk playing on his lips. "Is that so?" he said, his voice laced with skepticism. "I would've thought you'd be ravenous after all the exercise you've been getting recently." I bristled at his suggestive tone, my cheeks flushing scarlet.

I knew I couldn't let him get to me. I steeled myself and replied, my voice cool and measured. "Well, a woman like me has to watch her figure, you know." Matteo's smirk deepened, his eyes roaming over my body in a way that made me feel both vulnerable and infuriated.