Page 78 of Ice To Meet You

He ran a hand along my arm, and just as he suggested, a pulse of electricity reached my belly. Alarm bells rang in my body. I’d known Matteo long enough to realise what was happening. It would only take a little more contact, a couple of smiles and some whispered words, and I’d be putty in his hands.

“Stop,” I pleaded. Who was I kidding? I’d already threaded my arms around his neck.

“That’s the problem,” he murmured. “I don’t think I can.” He leaned in and pressed his soft lips to mine.

I let out a slow breath, returning the pressure. I didn’t think I’d be much good at stopping, either. “I just don’t want everyone talking about us.”

He rested his forehead on mine. “I know. I promise I’ll lie low until after my grandfather signs on the dotted line. But after that, all bets are off.”

“What does that mean?” I threaded my fingers through the curls at his nape.

He grinned. “I’m not sure yet, but it’ll probably involve a lot of this.” He leaned in and brought his lips to my neck, planting a soft kiss on my skin.

“And a little of this.” Matteo traced his fingertips to my belly, and my heart skipped.

“Plus, an enormous amount of this,” he said, picking me up and lifting me onto the kitchen counter. He nudged my dress up around my thighs, his fingers trailing goosebumps in their wake. He leant down and kissed the inside of one thigh, his eyes sparkling up at me.

I sighed. Who was I to argue? Ifthiswas what I had to look forward to, I’d happily wait until I locked in his grandfather’s investment.

But as Matteo kept his eyes on mine, kissing a path up my skin, I knew if he was anywhere nearby, I’d have to lock up my heart, too.

26

MATTEO

Abreathy sigh left Esmé’s lips as she came to a trembling climax at my hand in the storage room.Dio, she was incredible.

Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks, and her lips curved. “I love how you spoil me,” she whispered.

My heart burgeoned. It’d been one week since our zip line adventure. One week since we first kissed properly, and one week since I lost my heart.

“I’m under strict instructions from my boss to keep you as relaxed as possible, so consider any extra attention as part of my job description.”

She giggled and my toes curled.

As we stood together in the dark, voices from outside made their way through the walls. The rest of the gallery buzzed around us. Lola and Maurice bickered outside the door, the latter haranguing a delivery driver. Tomorrow was Esmé’s exhibition.

Luc du Comtois and his wife were here. She and Esmé were good friends, and I wondered how much Luc’swife knew about our situation. I’d caught her studying me—studying Esmé and me together—more than once.

Es, for her part, played things cool, sticking to her decision to keep our relationship hidden. But I’d found it increasingly difficult to act as if everything was normal. Like we were just a boss and assistant. Like we hadn’t begun a relationship.

And that’s what it was. A relationship. True, I only paid late night visits to Esmé’s apartment, but both Claudette and I had become almost permanent visitors.

I’d brought some clothes over to replace her ex’s, and we’d moved Claudette’s bed upstairs. She’d made the apartment her own, coming and going from the kitchen balcony. She’d almost become a “proper” pet, not a stray.

I cooked Esmé dinner most nights and even ran her a bath. At this point,Imight have officially graduated from stray to certified boyfriend material myself. I liked taking care of her.

Esmé kissed me on the mouth and straightened, rearranging her dress. She pushed her fingers through her hair, shaking it out until she looked like Medusa.

“Leave it down,” I said, tucking my shirt into my trousers. Even though I’d been in control during our storeroom fumble, Esmé had used her nails. I sucked in a breath at the sting of my scratched skin.

She shook her head and bunched her hair into a tight bundle at the back of her head, poking a pen through to keep it in place. “This’ll have to do. I can’t find my clip.”

“Then leave it down,” I repeated, doing up my shirt buttons.

“I can’t. I came in here with my hair in a chignon. If I leave tangled like a banshee, someone’s going to notice. There’s only so many reasons to explain letting my hair down in a storeroom.”

I chuckled, kissing her temple. “Then I’m glad we found the best one.”

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