Page 183 of Forbidden Heroes

Wow, that was a mouthful.

Standing in the entryway, Mateo’s assistant, Porter, looked from his boss’s glowering face to me. I slid behind Mateo to shield myself. I was in a top and nothing else.

“Sorry, Boss. Sorry, Wynter.”

Damn. I’d hoped to find a way to disclose my identity myself, but yeah. That just happened.

Shit.

Fear gripped an iron fist around my heart.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Porter continued completely unaware of my inner freak-out. ”I passed the kitchen staff and I figured you were just eating in your room again tonight.”

Mateo pulled me out from behind him. He held me tightly at his side.

“You called her Wynter. You two know each other?” If I thought Mateo was glowering before, judging by the muscle ticking in his cheek, he was beyond furious now.

How many times had I lamented my invisibility! I would gladly take it all back and never complain again if only the hotel floor would swallow me up right now.

Porter shrugged. “Sure, it’s Wynter. One of your junior accountants. Hi, Wynter. Umm…congratulations on the deal, boss.”

Porter wasn’t stupid. He didn’t stick around to discuss things with Mateo. He left the folder he carried on the table in the entry and slid out the door with an awkward wave and one last look my way.

Bastardo.

My entire body wanted to burst into flames. Anything would be better than having to deal with Mateo right now

“Mateo, I can explain,” I began, hesitantly hands clutched in front of me.

“Sit down, Angel,” he said calmly, his vice slightly detached, his accent back in full swing. I tended to grow thicker when he was aroused or pissed. My best guess was the latter. He dropped my hand and pointed to the couch where my panties lay. “Make that Winter.”

“With a ‘Y,’” I added out of nerves, I guessed.

I sat down, doing my best to tug the hem of the pajama top down to cover my thighs, suddenly feeling exposed.

Mateo paced in front of me on the plush carpet, head down, brow creased.

“How did you know?” he asked in that too calm voice that sent shivers up my spine. “It can’t be a coincidence.”

I knew what he meant. As much as I wanted to play dumb, I couldn’t.

“It wasn’t, Mateo. I heard Porter mention your Jolly Nights account and your screen name.” Flames of embarrassment licked up my neck and settled like low burning embers in my cheeks. “When I overheard, I don’t know, I thought maybe I finally had something go right in my life for once and it was my one chance to get you to notice me. Since you never really saw me when you came to accounting I thought I had a chance to show you the real me.”

He swore something under his breath. His expression grew dark and closed off. Gone was the Mateo I’d grown to know over the last few days.

“I never lied to you,” I tried earnestly. A lone tear streaked its way from my eye, and I swiped at it impatiently with the back of my hand. “I just didn’t tell you everything.”

“You were a virgin. Your cherry was all over my cock. That part you did tell me, I’ll give you that.”

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Do you know what you’ve done? Not only have I fucked my employee. I also took her virginity.” Mateo was back to pacing, those worry lines back around his eyes. “What am I supposed to do, fire myself from my own company? Fire you and let you sue me for sexual harassment?”

“I would never. You have to know that, Mateo.”

He stopped cold. “Do I?”

“Yes! You asked me to trust you with the one thing I consider sacred…us… and I did. Now I ask that you trust me. Know that what we’ve shared was real.”

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