Page 36 of Matteo

“This is a first.” She smiles and hands me a lanyard.

“Is it?”

“Never had a woman working there in the five years I've been here.”

I'm shocked, but I shouldn't be. The few clients I've dealt with in my cybersecurity business have all been men. Even in Vlad's small team, I was the only female. I just expected not to be the only female here in Matteo’s department where I assume the team will be bigger. I didn’t even think of asking Paul those questions.

We wait for the elevator but my stomach is in knots, my throat dry. I can’t work out if it’s a fear of getting trapped again, or the thought that I’ll be facing Matteo soon. I’m not fazed at all by what’s expected of me because I’m good at what I do, and this short-term stint at Knight Enterprises is something I know I can handle easily.

I think it’s Matteo being here that unnerves me. Having him be my boss. It was so different that last time, not knowing who he was when we were in an enclosed space. He's hot, gorgeous and broody and him stroking my wrists, making me feel all sorts of horny, was okay when I thought we were equals.

But now? The dynamics will shift.

At least this is temporary. That's what I tell myself. It's what I told myself as a child, and then a teenager, before I aged out of foster care. This won’t last forever. I'm not a permanent full-time employee and I get to leave once I’ve finished my assignment.

The doors glide shut as soon as we get inside, and the elevator glides smoothly. I suddenly notice that it’s going down, not up, as I’m expecting.

“Where are we going?”

“To the basement.”

“The basement?”

The receptionist blinks a few times. “That's where the tech lab is. Were you not told that?”

“No.” I feel even more uneasy at the idea of having to work underground. Thoughts of walls closing in make me feel nauseous again.

I try not to focus on it and attempt some humor. “There I was, preparing to take forever going up to the seventy-fourth floor.”

She gives me a reassuring smile. “Now you only need to go down one floor to the tech lab.”

I bite down on my teeth to brace myself. It's so quick. A few seconds later the doors slide open, and I step out, but the receptionist remains inside.

“Good luck,” she says.

“Thank you.” I start to feel like I really will need it.

There's no one here to meet me. There's no reception desk. It's just a lab. I walk in and see rows of sleek long black desks. No cubicles. Everything is open plan. Mostly.

At the far end I catch a glimpse of Matteo sitting at the back in a huge office. It has glass walls facing out onto the open plan area, which is why I can see him so clearly inside. The sight of him immediately sends a rush of heat up the back of my neck.

A guy turns and sees me, then walks towards me, carrying a file in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. He looks to be around my age, maybe a few years older, and he has caramel-colored skin and dark hair.

“Hey. You must be the new hire. Sorry, I’d shake hands but …” He gives me an apologetic smile. “I’m Sonny Bains. You must be Elizabeth?”

“Yes.” I sound more nervous than I feel, and wonder what Matteo’s been saying about me. He seems friendly, and I feel the warmth in his eyes.

“I'm one of the lead engineers here and—”

“I'll take it from here, Sonny.”

A ridiculous flutter erupts low in my belly at the sound of his voice.

It's him.

Matteo Knight.

My heart slams against my ribcage. I was so transfixed on Sonny, I didn’t even see Matteo coming. Now my insides are in turmoil, excitement warring with restraint. I hear my heartbeat, and pray my boss doesn’t.