“Damn,you’ve been here for half a day, and you already got your name on a plaque? I need to tell my brother to step it up. I’ve been working for him for … well, shit, my entire life, and I still don’t have a plaque on a door.”
Matteo walks in, and I roll my eyes at his sarcasm.
“Probably because he knows you’d lose your shit if you had to be confined to four walls,” I say, standing to greet him.
“True,” he agrees, closing the door behind him.
Then, he shocks me when he grabs a handful of my ass with one hand and lifts me onto my desk. Since I’ve been visiting all the different departments, I’ve barely been in here, so the desk is empty, save for a computer that I haven’t even fired up yet.
“What are you doing?”
“Visiting my girlfriend at her job. I heard it’s a very boyfriendy thing to do.”
“Oh, you did, huh?” I laugh.
“Yep. And so is this.” He pulls a small bouquet from behind his back.
“What is this for?” I ask, taking in the pretty white Cala Lilies he’s holding.
“The lady at the flower shop said they symbolize new beginnings.” He places them on the desk next to me.
“Matteo,” I whisper, glancing down at them. “You got me flowers?” I lift them up and inhale their fresh scent. “Thank you.”
I look at them again and then back up at Matteo, who shrugs nonchalantly.
“Nobody’s ever bought me flowers before,” I admit. “And they’re so meaningful,” I choke out, having no idea why I’m so emotional.
I mean, they’re just flowers, right? But they’re from him, and he went out of his way to find out what they meant. And maybe to some people, that’s not a big deal, but to me … it’s everything.
“Damn, Sweetness, I didn’t know buying you flowers would affect you this way. Listen,” he says, cradling my face in his hands. “I don’t know if you’ve been on the terrace at the condo yet, but it’s huge, and if you want, we can turn the whole thing into an outdoor garden, hot tub be damned. Just say you’ll move in with me, and I’ll make it happen.”
I bark out a watery laugh. “Oh my God, you’re so crazy. Why are you so hell-bent on me living with you?”
It’s meant as a joke, only Matteo’s features turn serious, not taking it as one.
“Because the alternative is living without you.”
I swallow thickly and nod in understanding because as scary as it is to imagine taking this next step with Matteo, the thought of not being with him is even more terrifying.
“Okay,” I tell him. “I’ll live with you.”
His brows shoot up to his forehead. “Are you serious? Because if you’re just saying that to fuck with me, it’s not funny.”
“I’m serious,” I tell him, yanking him closer by wrapping my legs around his waist. “I want to eat with you and sleep with you, and I want to live with you.”
His mouth fuses with mine, his strong yet soft lips caressing mine as he leans in, his arms caging me in … and then the door opens.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” my brother hisses. “Is this going to become a thing? Me walking in on you two?”
I hide behind Matteo, embarrassed at having been caught again, but Matteo only laughs.
“Maybe if you knocked, you’d stop walking in on people.”
“And maybe if you guys took it to a fucking room, people would stop walking in on you.”
“Um, we are in a room,” Matteo deadpans, making me stifle a laugh. “And the last time we werein a room, you walked in on us, so I don’t think that would matter. Besides, we were just celebrating. Your sister is moving in with me.”
Lorenzo’s brow furrows. “Isn’t she already living with you?”
