Page 28 of The Fall Affair

He was adorable with his cat-that-ate-the-canary smile, albeit way too young for me. “Ciao.”

“I am Tomasso.” He patted his chest and spoke with a thick accent. “And you are a vision of beauty.”

The screen door creaked behind me, calling my attention to it. Matteo walked out, took one look at his worker, who still had my hand near his mouth, and frowned.

“Allontànati da lei o sei licenziato!” he barked.

The young guy grinned and shrugged. “He called dibs.”

I looked back to Matteo to ask what they were talking about, but I forgot my question when I realized he was shirtless. It seemed impossible to have missed all that glistening, muscular flesh a few seconds ago. The man was seriously stacked—chiseled pecs, each muscle in his abdomen sharply defined and taut, a narrow waist, plus a deep-cut V that made smart women do very stupid things. I tried not to ogle him, but unfortunately, my eyes didn’t get the memo, and by the time I managed to drag my gaze away, the young worker was gone.

I blinked, finding him a full football field away. I stared that long?

The corner of Matteo’s lip twitched like he was fighting off a smirk, but he didn’t say anything. He let the moment hang there, almost daring me to keep looking.

I forced my eyes to stay on his face, which wasn’t a bad consolation prize. “I hope the tub wasn’t too much trouble to carry in.”

He shook his head and put his hands on his hips. “Just needed a few extra sets of hands.”

The change in his stance showcased how thick his arms were. Damn, his body really is crazy. I shook the thought from my head. “Speaking of extra hands…” I thumbed over my shoulder toward Tomasso. “What did you say to that guy?”

“Nothing important.”

I squinted but managed not to go into interrogation mode like I normally would when someone withheld information, an occupational hazard. Matteo was, after all, helping me.

He used the back of his hand to wipe sweat from his brow, and I didn’t miss the way the movement caused his abs to flex and tighten.

“Your meeting was good, yes?” he asked.

“It was. I got another letter from my grandmother, and apparently, I’m going to receive some more.” I smiled. “She writes exactly the way she spoke, so it’s almost as if I’m hearing her talk to me again.”

Matteo smiled. “That’s nice.”

“And it seems there’s a purple Vespa under a tarp in the garage. She told me to ask you to teach me how to ride it.”

“First conquer driving a car, yes?”

“What are you talking about? I drove two hours today, and I only stalled once. And maybe I got stuck in one of those dumb roundabouts for a half dozen extra spins.”

He shook his head. “You will kill yourself on a scooter.”

“Maybe.” I shrugged. “But it’s purple, and I’m going to look fabulous on it. So it’s worth the risk.”

Matteo tried not to smile, but I saw the gleam in his eyes. “I should be able to finish up the bathroom today, but da caulk will need twenty-four hours to fully cure, so you cannot shower until tomorrow.”

“All right, great. Thank you. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No. I was about to run next door and get a pipe cutter when you pulled up.”

“Okay. I’ll make us a fresh batch of iced tea. You look…” My eyes swept over him again. “Hot.”

“Sounds good.”

I got to the front door and remembered something from my grandmother’s letter. “Hey, Matteo?”

He turned back.

“Any chance you know a woman named Carlina?”