Page 85 of Mafia King: Matteo
“Fuck.”
“Darling,” she drawls out her voice like Cruella de Vil. “Let me see that ring. You never mentioned Matteo. However, did you meet?”
“It was a coincidence,” I state. Oh, God. Will the world know it was a sex club?
“I bet,” she replies, popping the ‘t.’
Her hands are cold when she picks up my hand, which is heavy with the ring, and bends over to examine the diamond.
“Matteo has the best taste. Why he picked you, I’ll never understand. I assume he’s in grief over losing his father. They say don’t make hasty decisions when one’s had a major life event.” She drones on. “The order you placed on Friday can’t be delivered in time, so you’ll have to find an alternative. The tile company is running late today. I told them you’d be happy to stay late and lock the office behind you. They can’t be on the floor without supervision. The work order has to be signed. They are doing a bathroom today as a test. We have to make sure it’s perfect.”
“Of course.”
She turns all my achievements into a mudslide of shit.
Matteo never mentioned that they knew each other. What are the odds that they are both from Italy and speak Italian?
My head is swirling. Matteo texts, but I’m too angry and busy to reply.
I take a few minutes to wolf down Federico’s Italian sandwich. It’s made with homemade bread that resembles pita bread, but it’s light and airy. As the leafy green lettuce protrudes from it, I take a bite and taste the fresh turkey and cheese. Both are thinly sliced with a touch of mustard to the mayo spread, which is utterly delicious. He must have baked a turkey while we were out yesterday. It’s that fresh.
I hear a commotion, and Matteo is leaning against a wall supporting my tiny office’s partition.
“Why haven’t you responded to my text?”
I quickly swallow and take a swig from my water bottle to wash it down.
“I’m sorry.” I stand.
Vito is behind him, looking helpless.
“You can’t go without answering me.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sure you have more important things to do. I was so busy...” My voice trails off as he raises his hand to quiet me.
“From now on, you answer,” he states like the mafia boss he is. All his orders are carried out immediately. I realized too late that I have to follow the rules as well. “I was worried about you.”
“Matteo, my dear,” Sophia appears in the narrow excuse of a hallway. He turns and greets her. She kisses both of his cheeks, and I’m enraged. She buries me in work out of spite, and now, she’s kissing my fiancé.
“Sophia, I trust everything is running smoothly. The floor has to be finished on time.”
“Oh, that. Yes, your protégé is incredible. She’s a hard worker. She even volunteered to work late tonight so I could leave on time for our dinner. You know how subcontractors are unreliable.”
“Unfortunately, I do.” He raises an eyebrow, and I can’t tell if he’s amused or overly kind to the woman he burned with a surprise engagement to someone else. I observe Matteo. What is he playing at? Why are they having dinner? He never mentioned it to me.
“Can I have a word?” I ask Matteo as Sophia stands devouring him with her eyes.
“Sure, Angel. Excuse me, Sophia,” he says as we walk past her and into the hallway where Vito gives us the room. This is why Vito’s presence didn’t raise any eyebrows. Sophia knows who he is and where he’s from. She must have assumed he was here for her or to protect his interests.
Matteo twists me into his arms, and his lips are on mine. I put my hands on his chest to ease his crushing presence that steals my oxygen.
“You never mentioned Sophia.”
“That’s my oversight. I’m sorry. I had a busy weekend. We’re having dinner to discuss the project. Did you volunteer to work tonight?”
“Well, you know, gotta be a team player,” I say as if I’m on a cheer squad for a Taylor Swift rally.
“Okay. Let me know if there are any issues. I have to run. Is that all?” He gives me a once-over, and I almost orgasm. He undresses me with his eyes, and I feel the heat building between us.
