Page 56 of The Lies We Tell

“I’m surprised you waited this long to grope me,” she teased, pressing the button for the elevator.

“I won’t be waiting much longer.” The doors slid open and he tugged her inside, pushing her back against the wall and punching the button for the top floor. “I have been thinking about doing this all goddamn night.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Tessa didn’t get much time to prepare before Matteo’s lips were on hers, his hands gripping her hips possessively while his tongue explored her mouth. She registered the faint beep as the elevator climbed, but she was too lost in him to notice the doors opening on their floor until someone cleared their throat.

Matteo took her hand, pulling her off the elevator and through the group of people with amused expressions waiting to get on. He fumbled the old-fashioned key, cursing under his breath before giving up and pushing her back against the door and taking her mouth again.

Fuck. If they didn’t get inside this suite, he was going to end up fucking her in the hallway. And she would let him. Breaking the kiss, she turned in his arms and shoved the key against the lock until it finally slid home. Matteo painted kisses across her shoulders as she unlocked the door and it swung in.

He followed her inside, slamming the door shut and wrapping his arm around her waist to draw her back against his chest. Sliding his hands up to her breasts, he cupped one in each hand and gave them a rough squeeze.

“It’s a miracle I was able to concentrate tonight with you in this fucking dress.”

She smiled as he traced the underside of her breasts with his fingers and then slid them around to the zipper at her back, pulling it down with the click of metal teeth.

“You’re the one who picked it out.”

“I asked for red, and I asked for sexy.” He pushed the sleeves off her shoulders and down her arms. “I didn’t know they’d do such an expert job. And this goddamn bra and panty set.”

The dress fell to the floor in a whisper of fabric, leaving her in only the black pumps, black lace bra, and matching thong. She wasn’t usually one for thongs, but with the way Matteo was looking at her, she might have to wear them more often.

He twirled his finger in the air, indicating she should turn for him, and she obliged, catching sight of herself in the window across the room. She squeezed her eyes shut and moved quickly to face him. She would not ruin this moment or that look in his eyes with her insecurities.

Matteo shed his suit jacket, tossing it over a nearby chair and undoing his cuff links as his eyes raked her from head to toe. The desire in his gaze heated her from the inside out. That’s what she wanted to see when he touched her, when he made her come alive.

“He was right,” Matteo said, undoing the button of his suit pants but not moving to take them off.

“Who was?”

“Laurent. Tonight he said you were exquisite. He was right. You don’t agree?” he asked when she snorted.

“I don’t think me half naked is what he meant.”

“Impossible.” Matteo undid the buttons on his shirt as he moved closer. “I think about you naked all the time.”

She chuckled, watching him reveal the tanned, toned muscles of his abs and biting her bottom lip. “You’re biased.”

He drew her up against his chest, smiling when she ran her hands up his torso to his shoulders and pushed his shirt onto the floor.

“I think about you naked all the time too.”

“Do you?” he murmured, carefully removing the clip from her hair and setting it down with his cuff links.

“I do.” She sighed when he fanned her hair over her shoulders, twirling the strands around his fingers. “Let’s go into the bedroom, and I’ll show you what I was thinking about at dinner.”

“Why the bedroom?” He leaned down and nipped her bottom lip. “Plenty of surfaces out here for me to fuck you on.”

“Because the curtains are closed in there, and I can’t see my— People can’t see us,” she amended quickly.

He eased back slowly, studying her face for a long moment. When she tried to squirm away, he tightened his arm on her waist, holding her in place against his chest.

“You can’t see your what?”

“Nothing. Just all the lights are on. People can see in here and watch us.”

Matteo was silent for a long time, his fingers drawing lazy circles across her hip while he stared over her shoulder. Capturing her hand, he pulled her across the room to stand in front of the window. This close, she could see both of their reflections as if she was looking into a mirror.

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