Chapter 73: Same Effect

Third POV

The Maserati moved through the streets in unusual silence, its engine the only thing breaking the quiet between them. Fabio sat behind the steering wheel, one hand resting near the gearshift, while Marco occupied the passenger seat beside him. Luca had been left at his father’s villa for the night. He had spent several days living in the Moretti mansion, and now he would spend the night at home. Luca had complained, naturally, but eventually agreed to stay.

Marco had barely spoken a word. Fabio noticed. He had noticed the first time Marco’s gaze drifted towards the window, then the second time he glanced at his phone without checking anything on the screen. Every few minutes, Marco’s eyes moved towards him, only to turn away before Fabio could catch him staring for too long. Fabio wanted to ask what was bothering him, but he held back.

By the time they reached the Moretti mansion, Fabio had grown tired of waiting.

He drove into the parking lot and brought the Maserati to a stop. The engine fell quiet, but Marco did not move. He sat staring blankly through the windshield, his expression so empty that anyone who did not know him might have thought he was looking at nothing at all. Fabio turned off the ignition and watched him for a few seconds.

Then he placed his palm on Marco’s upper thigh.

Marco jolted slightly, his head turning at once. His eyes settled on Fabio’s face, and the daze that had held him seemed to break.

"What’s up with you?" Fabio asked.

Marco released a low exhale and leaned his head against the leather seat. For a moment, he kept his eyes closed, as if even answering required more effort than he was willing to spend. Then he tilted his head towards Fabio.

"Edoardo is planning to become the Prime Minister."

Fabio’s brows drew together. He stared at Marco, waiting for him to add something, but Marco offered no further explanation. After a short silence, Fabio let out a quiet, disbelieving breath.

"That man is overambitious."

Marco gave a low grunt. "He’s giving me a headache."

The words came out with a weariness Fabio rarely heard from him. Marco was usually the one who calculated every move before making it, who kept his expression blank even when the situation around him threatened to collapse. Yet the news had clearly unsettled him. Edoardo was already dangerous with the power he possessed. Giving him a political office that could extend his reach beyond the Moretti family was a problem neither of them could afford to ignore. Not just the Moretti, but he would become a bigger threat to the Corvino too, his arch enemies.

Fabio’s palm remained on Marco’s thigh. Their gazes held, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Fabio’s fingers began to move, slowly tracing higher along Marco’s thigh. His touch was light, almost absent-minded, until his hand brushed the front of Marco’s trousers.

Marco went still.

His throat shifted as he swallowed, and his eyes flickered down before returning to Fabio’s face. "You want to do this right here?"

Fabio did not answer. He merely continued, his hand moving away from the place it had brushed to settle against Marco’s torso. The car windows were tinted dark enough to keep anyone outside from seeing what happened within, though they could still look out at the empty parking area. There was no one nearby, and Fabio seemed perfectly aware of that.

Marco could have pushed his hand away. He could have reminded him that they were sitting in the mansion’s parking lot. Instead, he stayed where he was, watching Fabio with narrowed eyes while allowing him to continue.

Fabio took his time. His fingers travelled over Marco’s chest, then moved to his neck, brushing the skin there before sliding around to the back of his torso. He returned to Marco’s thighs, letting his touch linger just long enough to make it clear that none of this was accidental. Marco’s expression remained controlled, but the tension gathering in his body betrayed him. His breathing changed, and his gaze followed every unhurried movement of Fabio’s hand.

Fabio’s mouth curved into a wicked smile when the growing bulge beneath Marco’s trousers became impossible to ignore.

There it was. The reaction he had been looking for.

He let his hand travel slowly from Marco’s thigh towards his waist, his movements deliberate enough to make Marco watch. Fabio’s smile deepened as he lowered his hand further, appearing to aim for the obvious evidence of his effect on him. Marco licked his lips. His own lips parted slightly letting out a light groan, as his gaze dropped to Fabio’s hand, following its torturous progress.

Fabio paused just short of reaching his cock.

Then, at the last moment, he pulled his hand away.

Marco’s eyes widened. He turned sharply to look at Fabio, disbelief flashing across his face before irritation began to take its place. Fabio leaned back with a smirk, looking entirely pleased with himself.

"I just wanted to make sure I still have the same effect on you."

For a second, Marco only stared at him. Fabio had the audacity to look triumphant, as though he had accomplished something worth celebrating. Then he opened the car door and stepped out, leaving Marco sitting there with his own frustration and a body that had not received the attention Fabio had deliberately stirred up.

Fabio shut the door and walked towards the mansion, wearing a smile he did not bother to hide.

Marco remained motionless, his eyes following Fabio until he disappeared inside. A low chuckle escaped him, surprising even himself. He glanced down at the bulge stretching the front of his trousers and hissed under his breath, though the smile at the corner of his mouth refused to disappear.

"Just you wait, asshole."

Marco got off the car, hastening his steps as he followed Fabio inside, going directly up to his office where he guessed the man might have headed to.