Page 30 of Third Crime's A Charm
One moment, he was frustrated with Truman and suspicious. The next, Matteo was more turned-on than he’d ever been in his life. Matteo had a suspicion of what the cause might be, if he could talk to his older brothers about what was really going on. They’d probably be right, but falling for a man like Truman was dangerous for reasons that had nothing to do with the law or his reputation.
“I’m spending the rest of the day in my hammock,” he declared and shooed Truman off. “I’m much safer out there.”
Twelve
Hallelujah and praise Dr. Barnaby. The state’s best cosmetic surgeon happened to live next door and had declared that Matteo once again had the face of an angel. It had sustained no permanent damage and had healed nicely.
They were returning to Manhattan on Monday so Truman was selling the last weekend of their romantic getaway—to the neighborsandMatteo—for all he was worth. He drove into town with the convertible’s top down and waved ateveryone.Nothing aggravated Truman more than useless small talk but he chatted up the florist and the barista, asking for tips and advice.
“How do I say he’s the one without scaring him off?” he asked the young woman gathering their pastries. She giggled and groaned at Truman’s thoughtfulness and he enjoyed his solo performances as the perfect boyfriend. “I should hurry,” he said as he checked his watch. “I don’t want him to wake up without me.”
“I hope he appreciates how lucky he is.”
“I promise, I’m the lucky one,” Truman said, then thanked her. He stopped to get the door for a pregnant woman and plucked one of the smaller roses from the bouquet. “Because youare blossoming and glowing,” he told her with a wink, making her laugh.
“Thanks, now I’m double pregnant!”
Truman chuckled about that all the way back to the beach house and was smiling as he let himself in, juggling the flowers, pastry box, and coffee carrier. “That’s probably the closest I’ll ever get to conception,” he noted and paused when he found Matteo in the kitchen in a white robe and searching the cabinets.
“Danke!” he said when he spotted the coffee cups. “No one was here and there was no coffee so I started to panic.”
“I sent Donna to Atlantic City for the weekend. She’ll be back on Monday, before we take off. Neville’s headed back to the city to prepare for our return,” Truman explained as he set everything down and took the lid off of Matteo’s coffee. He wanted everything to be perfectandfor all the right people to be aware that Matteo would be staying at the townhouse. “Espresso with just a splash of milk and two sugars,” he said as he handed Matteo the cup.
“You remembered,” he said but Truman shrugged and went to get their plates and silverware.
As the perfect boyfriend, it was Truman’s job to know how Matteo liked his coffee and what his favorite foods were. Truman took his role as besotted lover seriously. Maybe a little too seriously… His gaze dropped to Matteo’s bare feet when he turned from the silverware drawer.
He was transported back to the bedroom as he sipped coffee, unable to think of little else the last two days. He stifled a wishful sigh but it had little to do with Matteo’s feet. They were often bare and Truman wondered if Matteo did it to be cruel. If only Matteo understood how deeply Truman cravedeverypart of him.
He swept the memory and his regrets aside for later and focused on setting their places on the kitchen island. “I got blueberry cake and apple muffins.”
“Super! I love the blueberry cake and apple muffins.” Matteo picked up the bouquet and his eyes narrowed. “Are you sure you’re safe without your bodyguards and am I safe, alone with you?”
They both knew that was ridiculous. “Neville isn’t my bodyguard. He’s my assistant and manages my security and Carmine is my driver. I’m not particularly concerned about my safety but we had a feeling you’d react poorly. You have a tendency to be…hotheaded,” he said gently.
Matteo hummed as he sniffed. “Especially if I’m being blackmailed and you use my brothers to manipulate me. It was smart to have protection.”
“Ah! Ah!” Truman shushed as he placed a square slice of cake on a plate and slid it in front of Matteo. “We don’t have topretendto have a lovely weekend. You’ve worked hard and we’ll have to be careful once we return to the city. Let’s relax for a few days without Neville stomping around and Donna’s constant rambling.”
They had mastered the art of behaving like a couple but a week and a half of dueling with Matteo had worn Truman out. He was hoping that a few days of true privacy would give them both a chance to be their true selves and recuperate.
“Your assistant and your driver are handy with their fists and carry weapons. Seems like you’re concerned about something,” Matteo observed but Truman made a dismissive sound.
“I’m as safe as anyone else.”
Matteo gave him an impatient look. “The average person doesn’t keep the kind of company you keep. Most of your associates are afraid of getting assassinated,” he said, making Truman snort at the thought.
“No, I face the exact same risk as anyone else because the really dangerous people know better than to bother me. I might get mugged by a random dickhead but any criminal with half a brain doesn’t want to be on my radar unless they’re hiring me.” Truman tried to take the flowers so he could put them in water. A vase was waiting by the sink but Matteo held onto them.
“Why hire an assistant and a driver with those…skills if you aren’t in any danger?” he asked accusatively. “Unless you’re in the habit of intimidating people…”
“I am,” Truman said simply. “Nobody likes to go to court and I deal with a lot of intimidating people. When have I ever denied what I do or the type of people I hire? In fact, a lot of my employees are former clients, like Neville and Carmine.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Matteo said flatly.
“Everyone deserves a second chance, not just princes,” Truman returned. “Neville wanted to turn over a new leaf and do something a little more respectable.”
“Alittlemore respectable,” Matteo agreed with a snort but Truman waved it off.
