Page 25 of Business Temptations

Wow, was all she could think. She remembered pressing her cheek against his chest last night, but this…this…was so much better!

Sort of. Why hadn’t she ever seen him like this before? Had they never gone swimming together?

Obviously not, or she would have been prepared for those rippling muscles. She wouldn’t be standing here with her mouth hanging open as he came towards her.

“Wha…what are you doing?” she whispered, leaning back against the counter as he stopped less than an inch from her.

“You poured this for me, didn’t you?” he asked, reaching around her for the travel mug filled with black coffee.

“Yes,” she replied back, but her voice cracked. Bailey licked her suddenly dry lips, trying to remember…to remember…?

“You have a coffee maker in your place.”

Oooh! An easy answer. “Your coffee is better.”

He chuckled. “Bailey, you buy the exact same brand of coffee.” He took a sip, still watching her. Still so close she could feel the waves of heat coming from him.

Nice, broad shoulders too!

“Bailey?”

“Umm…” she pulled back more, trying not to touch him. Because if her fingers came into contact with his tempting skin, Bailey wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop.

“You’re not wearing heels.”

Heels? He was talking about shoes? Matteo was standing in front of her, shirtless, talking about her shoes?

“It’s Saturday,” she reminded him, then mentally patted herself on the back, proud of herself for such an intelligent comment.

“True,” he replied, nodding. “And we have a meeting with what’s-his-name in ten minutes, don’t we?”

Time? Was time actually moving? With his chest still so temptingly close to her fingers, Bailey wasn’t sure.

Then he turned and started back toward his bedroom. “I’ll finish getting ready,” he called back over his shoulder. “Can you make me a bagel?”

Bailey released all of the air from her lungs while her eyes lingered on his butt. She had to admit that the man had an excellent butt! And because he wasn’t wearing a shirt, Bailey could see the muscles rippling over his back when he lifted his arm to rub his hair dry with the towel.

With a mental groan, Bailey was just about to rip her eyes away from Matteo, but before she had a chance, he turned.

Caught! Bailey’s face turned a deep shade of red when he stared back at her. Thankfully, he didn’t comment. Instead, he turned and continued walking down the hallway, disappearing into his bedroom.

Bailey sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Get a grip, woman!” she whispered. These moments of staring, of mentally undressing him and, even worse, the erotic dreams she had been having nearly every night starring her best friend, had to stop! It was bad and wrong and…a shiver raced through her body when she remembered last night’s dream. His mouth and fingers had driven her so wild in her dream that Bailey had woken up with a hungry ache between her legs that was hard to ignore.

Matteo stood in his closet and pulled down a shirt, then realized he had already put one on. With a muttered expletive, he hung the second shirt back up and started buttoning the one already draped over his arms and shoulders. As he buttoned it over his chest, Matteo’s mind focused on Bailey’s reaction moments ago. Her gaze had been a nearly physical caress! The heat from her eyes had pressed against his skin and, at the last moment, he’d looked back to confirm that she was still watching him.

Lifting the coffee, he took a long sip of the scalding hot liquid and wondered what his next step should be. Today’s walk into the kitchen had been a good first step, but he needed more. Infierno, his body needed a hell of a lot more.

Paciencia, he told himself. He needed to be patient.

After getting dressed, he went out to the living room, carrying his travel mug of coffee with him. He found Bailey sitting on his couch where she was already reviewing a document.

“I know that we usually work on Saturdays, but I’m going to suggest something loco today.”

Bailey lifted her eyes to him and Matteo noticed the sudden tension in her body. Was it because she was sexually aware of him or because she worried she wouldn’t like what he was about to say?

“I’m always cautious when you start speaking in Spanish,” she teased.

He blinked down at her. Spanish? “What do you mean?”

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