[ P ] i need you like god needs the devil

Her stomach flips when he laughs in a warm, honeyed tone—and then flips again when calls her sweetheart, his fur coasting over her cheek and sending a prickle of awareness along her skin. Ginevra only manages to burrow her face into the pillow further as he murmurs tempting, scandalous words in her ear, her heartrate kicking up. She wishes she hadn't said anything, well aware that a sober Ginevra never would have made such a slip to encourage the sultry side of Matteo out to play. Now, she has no idea what to do with the repercussions.

Slowly, she pulls her head back enough to peek up at him through her lashes when she feels the weight of his paws bracing the mattress on either side of her. Ginevra's eyes are wide and doe-like, uncertain what it is that he's looking for in the way he searches her face like she's the most fascinating fucking person he's ever met. She's still looking for the words to say when he swiftly closes the distance between them, and then his lips are on hers in a searing, breathtaking kiss; Ginevra makes a startled noise in the back of her throat, her body flushing hot from the tips of her ears to her toes.

One forepaw curls instinctively around his elbow, as though she wants to draw him closer, but the shock factor of her first kiss is enough to kick Ginevra's logical side into gear, and her other paw lifts to press flat against his chest, gently pushing him back. "Matteo, Io... Ci siamo appena incontrati," ( Matteo, I... We just met ) she whispers, her ears tipping back uncertainly against her head. It isn't an outright refusal of his advances, but her hesitation makes it clear that Ginevra isn't ready for whatever it is that he's looking for. "Possiamo semplicemente... dormire?" ( Can we just... sleep? ) she asks softly, tugging slightly on his elbow in a wordless invitation for him to stay in the bed with her—so long as he can behave himself.

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Her touch sends tendrils of fire through his nerve endings, and it’s a sensation he instantaneously knows he will grow helplessly addicted to. She catches his elbow, their kiss broken though she had stolen the air from his lungs. His heart beats steadily, rhythmically under the weight of her paw on his chest, and he watches her quietly as he’s gently pushed away.

”Can we just… sleep?”

Matteo blinked.

So used to having his dashing good looks and persuasive personality charm the pants of any girl he wanted, he found himself almost dumbfounded that Ginevra stopped him. Her body had responded well enough, in his professional opinion, but for some reason she resisted against him.

However, she also didn’t pull away.in fact, she tugs on his arm, as if he were a giant plushie to be brought to bed. His eyes flickered from her to the pillows, his body humming with the anticipation. He could deny her. He could tell her to shut the fuck up and roll over, and cover her head with a pillow while he took what he wanted. It would be easy - she was delightfully small, and knew she didn’t have enough strength to hold him off.

But instead, the guy simply rolled his shoulders, swallowing a mouthful of saliva that had pooled in his jowls. One claw caught the fabric of the sheets as he pulled them back, before he twisted around to fall upon the mattress back first.

“Fine,” he murmured lightly, and his tone was not unkind. After a day like today, he probably needed rest rather than… such activities anyway. Once he was relatively comfortable, he returned the gesture by pulling on her arm as well, hoping he’d at least get some cuddles with a cute girl before passing out.

He looks shell-shocked, as though he's never been asked to slow down before. She wonders if she ought to feel guilty, but then reminds herself firmly that she's done nothing to lead him on—if anything, Ginevra has made her boundaries crystal clear. She might owe Matteo her gratitude, but she refuses to gaslight herself into thinking she owes him anything else; she waits with that same uncertainty tipping her brows together, hoping he won't push the issue.

Finally, Matteo shrugs, and Ginevra sighs a soft breath of relief, her lips quirking into a soft smile. She shivers a little as he drags the blanket down her body, only to break out into a little giggle when he flips himself and all but collapses onto the mattress beside her, bouncing her a few inches into the air in the process. She doesn't resist the gentle tug on her leg, rolling onto her other side and sidling across the bed until her shoulders are tucked into his chest, and his warmth surrounds her, slowly seeping into her skin.

She's never done anything like this before, but the alcohol eases her anxieties and makes her tired, and in an impressively short time that suggests her inherent trust in this man, she's asleep.

exeunt ginevra via sleep

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