Matthew stood in front of Vinny's apartment building for a few moments longer, trying to steady his breathing. His pulse raced, a mixture of anger, confusion, and something else—something he didn't want to admit to himself. He could feel the heat of Vinny's touch lingering on his skin, the way his voice had sent waves of tension through him. He'd barely been able to control his response, the way his body had reacted even when his mind was screaming at him to walk away.
But instead of walking away, he'd stood there, like a fool, waiting for something. Hoping for something.
He shook his head, pushing all thoughts of Vinny out of his mind. This was all a game—a sick, twisted game they had been playing for far too long. And this time, Matthew was going to be the one to control it.
It was almost midnight when Matthew finally made his way back home. He stepped into his apartment, the familiar coldness of his surroundings greeting him. The walls were bare, the floors sleek and polished—everything in his life was always in perfect order. Everything except him.
He pulled off his jacket and tossed it carelessly onto the couch, his fingers running through his hair in frustration. He needed to regain control. But Vinny... Vinny had a way of getting under his skin, of making him feel things that he didn't want to feel.
Matthew walked over to his desk, where his laptop sat open. The glow from the screen illuminated his face as he stared at the documents in front of him. There was a meeting tomorrow—something important that he couldn't afford to screw up. He had to keep his focus, had to stay ahead of everything. But as his eyes drifted across the screen, all he could see was Vinny's face, his smirk, and the way his body had felt too close in the street.
He slammed the laptop shut with a growl, his frustration boiling over. He wasn't sure why Vinny had this effect on him, but he had to put an end to it.
Vinny didn't show up at the club the next night. Matthew had been watching for him, his eyes scanning the room with a practiced precision, but there was no sign of him. No smirk. No teasing. Just silence.
For a moment, Matthew wondered if he'd been imagining the entire thing, but as the minutes dragged on, the feeling of unfinished business weighed on him.
He sat at the bar, his fingers wrapping around his glass, but his eyes never strayed far from the entrance. Vinny was still on his mind—he couldn't shake him, not tonight. And it was driving him crazy.
It wasn't long before he noticed a familiar figure in the crowd, leaning casually against the entrance. Vinny.
Matthew's breath hitched in his chest as their eyes met across the room. Vinny's expression was unreadable, his eyes dark with an intensity that sent a shiver down Matthew's spine. He was standing at the edge, watching him like he was waiting for something.
Something inside Matthew clicked, a realization that he was no longer the one in control.
The moment Vinny walked in, he made his way straight to the bar, where Matthew was sitting.
"You're staring at me," Vinny said with a grin, the challenge clear in his voice. "I didn't think you liked me that much."
Matthew's jaw tightened. "I don't. But you've got a habit of showing up at the worst possible moments."
Vinny leaned in closer, his breath warm against Matthew's ear. "Maybe I just like to watch you squirm."
Matthew's heart rate sped up, and he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "You don't control me, Vinny."
Vinny's smirk widened, as though he found Matthew's resistance amusing. "You're funny. You think you have all the power, but we both know the truth. You wouldn't be here if I didn't have a hold on you. And you wouldn't be lying if you didn't want me here."
Matthew stood, moving closer, forcing himself to meet Vinny's gaze. He was angry now, but there was something else beneath that—something that made him feel like he was losing himself to Vinny's game. "You think you know me, don't you?"
Vinny leaned in even closer, their faces mere inches apart. "I don't think, Matthew. I know you."
Something shifted in Matthew's chest. The tension between them was palpable, thick enough that it was hard to breathe. But there was a part of him, a small part, that couldn't deny the truth. Vinny had been a part of him for so long, buried deep beneath layers of control and distance.
Vinny reached out and brushed a strand of Matthew's hair behind his ear, the simple touch sending a shock of electricity straight through him.
Matthew tried to pull away, but Vinny's grip on his wrist was firm, unyielding. "Stop," Matthew whispered, but the words came out as a plea rather than an order.
"You don't get to stop me this time, Matthew," Vinny whispered back. "I'm done with you pretending you don't want me. You can lie to yourself all you want, but you'll always come back. You'll always want me."
Matthew's chest tightened. He wanted to pull away. He wanted to be the one in control, the one with the upper hand. But the way Vinny was looking at him—eyes full of that familiar fire, that confidence—made everything else seem secondary.
Vinny's lips were dangerously close now, so close Matthew could feel his breath, warm and intoxicating. "I told you," Vinny murmured, his voice soft, almost gentle. "You're not the only one who can play this game."
In an instant, Matthew's resolve shattered. Before he could stop himself, he grabbed Vinny by the collar and yanked him into a kiss. It was rough, desperate—everything he'd been trying to suppress. The control he thought he had was gone, slipping through his fingers like sand.
Vinny responded immediately, his hands tangled in Matthew's hair as he deepened the kiss. There was no hesitation, no restraint, just raw, unbridled desire. Matthew couldn't stop himself—he didn't want to. For the first time, he didn't care about the consequences. All that mattered was the feeling of Vinny's mouth on his, the way his body responded, the way he felt like he was losing control all over again.
They pulled away, breathless, their foreheads resting against each other. "You always were weak," Vinny said, his voice thick with desire. "I knew it. You couldn't resist."
Matthew glared at him, his chest heaving. "Don't flatter yourself."
Vinny laughed softly, a sound that made Matthew's heart race. "I don't need to. You just proved everything I've been saying all along."
Matthew wanted to shove him away, wanted to keep the distance between them. But instead, he stood there, frozen, caught in the storm Vinny had created. The game was no longer about control. It was about something else. Something much more dangerous.
Matthew had always been the one who controlled every situation. But right now, he realized, the tables had turned. And for the first time in years, he wasn't sure who was winning.