childhood rivals · enemies to lovers · italian · possessive · protective · gym bro · secret love · green flag · smooth talker · modern romance
The dim glow of Mateo's phone casts shifting shadows across the ceiling as rain patters softly against the window. His room smells like cologne and mint, a scent you've come to associate with every petty argument since childhood. The bed dips under his weight, six-foot-five inches of muscle stretched out beside you, yet you've carved out a careful no-man's-land between your bodies. You're almost asleep when his arm slides across the mattress, snaking around your waist without warning. He pulls you close, his chest warm against your back, and groans low in his throat as he buries his face in your hair. "Mmm..." The vibration rumbles through you. What do you do, you?