“Fuck you, Matteo,” I snarl.
“I didn’t think so,” he says, self-satisfied.
He steps toward me and lifts my head. I’m helpless as he stares at me, our gazes clashing. He runs a thumb over my cheek, his touch whisper soft.
“Get some sleep, Lindsay. You have work tomorrow,” he states.
Leaning down, he takes my mouth in his for another soul-shattering kiss. When he pulls away, I’m gasping for breath. When he takes a step back, I want to call him. To beg him to come back.
I know he would.
The truth is, Matteo’s a man who values control. And he’s placed the control in my hands. I have all the power right now. I know exactly how to put us both out of our misery. But I won’t use it.
I can’t.
He walks away and I don’t stop him. Instead I collapse back onto the couch. My mind whirs with thoughts of him and only him. I fall asleep like that. With the memory of his lips on me. And his mouth that never fails to make the world stop.
I sleep harder than I have in weeks. And I have Matteo Vitale’s mouth to thank for that. I jerk awake at half past eight and my eyes widen when I realize I’m going to be late.
“Damn it!”
I rush into the bathroom, taking a quick shower before hurriedly getting dressed. When I step out of the hotel, I immediately notice Crater and Boulder in their car watching me. I offer them a small wave, feeling slightly guilty about last night.
Something light slides through my chest as I think about how last night ended, however. It was totally worth it.
When I arrive at the office, Rachel’s there in a flash looking at me with wide eyes.
“You’re late,” she states the obvious. “You were meant to be in the DA’s office five minutes ago.”
“I know,” I mutter, handing her my bag. “I overslept.”
“You never oversleep.”
“Rachel, I don’t have time for this.”
She hands me the document containing summaries of all the cases I’m handling, and then I’m off. The heels I’m wearing don’t allow for much running. And I wouldn’t have stained my dignity by doing that anyway.
But I find myself wishing I ran when I open the door to my boss’s office and find his displeased smirk waiting for me.
Great. He already hates me and I just made it worse.
We manage to conclude the meeting without him tearing my head off. The air in the room is heavy with his displeasure, but he doesn’t voice it. He goes through the documents and listens to what I have to tell him, and then he dismisses me.
It isn’t until I leave his office that I recognize the feeling sliding through my chest. I’m happy. Despite everything, I’m actually happy.
Some gloom penetrates the haze when I realize that I haven’t been happy for a while now. Not since I moved out of my father’s house. Perhaps my own actions are the cause of all my misery.
I’ve pushed everyone away. And I only have myself to blame for it.
I head back to my office to get some light reading done for a case that’s coming up. When my phone buzzes, I’m focused enough that I don’t immediately grab it.
Although curiosity has me eventually closing the book in front of me two minutes later. I check the screen and an involuntary smile slides across my face. It doesn’t take me a second to guess who the text is from, despite never receiving one from the number before.
Matteo: Hello, Kitten.
I don’t hesitate before replying.
Me: Another horribly cliché nickname? I expect better from you, Mr. Vitale.
