Jade
Coming.
Matteo
Damn, Sunny. You couldn’t even wait for me?
I choke on air. My eyes widen, water welling along my bottom eyelids as I cough loudly, struggling to catch my breath.
Matteo
Just kidding. Hurry up, though. Food’s gonna get cold.
Heat spreads across my face and I ignore the tingling sensation between my legs. I need to get laid or something by someone who isn’t Matteo Ford.
Slipping my feet from my slippers and into a pair of sneakers, I briskly walk out of my apartment, hopping on the elevator to the lobby on the first floor. It’s empty downstairs as I step out of the car and head to the front door.
Matteo stands on the other side of the glass, not noticing me at first. My eyes roam over his tousled hair, dropping down to his chest, then his torso before bouncing back to his face.
He’s wearing a pair of loose-fitting jeans, a white shirt, and a dark bomber jacket. I can’t tell if it’s navy blue or black in the lighting outside. He turns his head, a plastic take-out bag in his hand and his gaze collides with mine.
Steel gray eyes stare back at me, trailing along my neck, deliberately slow before flickering back to my face. The corners of his mouth twitch.
I push the door, holding it open for him. “Hey.” The word slips out on an exhale, sounding breathy. My throat tightens.
Matteo passes by me, that familiar bold, woodsy scent wafting toward me, and his lips lift into a smirk. “Hey, Sunny.”
The door shuts behind him, but he stops right in front of me. The space between us is almost nonexistent. I’m acutely aware of how tall he is, standing this close. I tip my head back, my neck extending as I look up at him.
“Hey.”
You already said that, Jade.
Channel your inner Candy Stone energy.
He chuckles softly, a small flicker of heat in his eyes as he tilts his head to the side. “Are you hungry?”
My stomach growls at the mention. “Starving.”
“Good.” His voice is low and hoarse. “I hope you like baked ziti,” he winks.
“Look at you. You listen so well.”
His eyebrows lift, just a fraction of an inch. The movement is so subtle, if I weren’t hyperaware of him, I wouldn’t have noticed. “You have no idea just how good of a listener I can be.”
Heat creeps up my neck again while simultaneously spreading across the pit of my stomach. I need to get him up to my apartment… to eat, and then send him on his way before I end up doing something I’ll likely regret.
“Come on.” My voice catches in my throat and I clear it, stepping around him as I turn away and head toward the elevator. “I’m on the seventh floor.”
Matteo steps into the car, both of us occupying opposite corners of the elevator as the doors slide shut. Tension follows us into the space, heavy and thick. I shift my weight on my feet, tucking hair behind my ears to keep my hands busy.
I chance a glance at Matteo and his eyes are already on me, body turning to face me as he leans against the wall. My mouth is immediately dry. I lick my lips to try to bring some moisture back.
“You’re staring.”
His gaze draws down to my lips. “You’re standing awfully close.”
I swallow hard, warmth trailing down my spine. “The elevator’s small.”
