Chapter Forty
Matteo couldn’t recall how long he’d been standing there. He’d gone out for a late lunch and to get a fresh cup of coffee. Just as he’d been about to round the corner into the hallway where the executive offices were located, he’d seen something that stopped him in his tracks.
At first she had been sitting cross-legged on her office floor. To an observer, such as himself, the papers scattered around her in a circle seemed chaotic, even giving off calculative detective vibes. He watched as her fingers skimmed from one page to the next while her reading glasses threatened to slip from her nose.
After some time, she started pacing her office with her eyes closed. Matteo could see her lips moving as if she was mumbling to herself. After a dramatic display of pulling at her dark hair and throwing her head back, she’d stomped toward her desk and started calmly stacking everything together. He’d thought she was done for the day, most of the other execs had left to get an early start on the weekend. Instead, she’d surprised him by removing everything from her desk and laying on top of it with her hands on her stomach.
Now, he watched, completely transfixed on the strange woman while she remained on her back throwing a ball into the air in a monotonous rhythm with a sleeping mask covering her eyes.
He was happy to have found this little spot in the hallway a few days ago. If he stayed leaning against the wall, she wouldn’t notice him, yet he could see her very clearly. He was happy, more so than ever before, that he’d decided to make the offices completely glass. It was meant to be symbolic: everything is out in the open, he is always watching. He rolled his eyes at the thought. It certainly hadn’t kept Giovanni from stealing from him.
Matteo’s phone buzzed. He resituated the now cold coffee to his other hand and glanced down at the screen.
Alexander: According to Kaitlin, Miss Sinclair is trying to figure out how to reallocate money we’re losing from Diego in order to save jobs.
Matteo put his phone back in his pocket and resumed his stalking behavior. He watched the ball fly into the air and land in her small hands. She’d kicked her heels off long ago and her red-painted toes dangled over the edge of her desk as she stretched. He groaned at the sight. How many times since they met had he imagined her in a similar position, only on his desk? She was torturing him. Perhaps the spot wasn’t as discreet as he’d thought. Maybe she was doing it to him on purpose.
As it often had over the last few days, his mind wandered back to the elevator. As he recalled the event, it wasn’t the fear of plummeting to his death that sat at the forefront of his brain or even the way she tasted or felt in his arms, it was how quickly she figured out one of his most guarded secrets. It terrified him. Was he so easy to read? Had everyone else known and merely kept it close to their chest? After days of analyzing he’d come to the startling realization that it wasn’t him at all. It was just her. He let her see him at his lowest. Alessio was right. She was a weakness.
After the truth finally dawned on him, Matteo kept his distance. He worked all day in the office, preparing for the opening of his track in Austin. The stress level in the building was high as final arrangements were made for the big event. After leaving the office, Matteo’s work wasn’t finished. He’d shirked his responsibilities in his family business for weeks and they were all in desperate need of maintenance.
He hadn’t been back to his apartment since the night he showed Genevieve his family garden. The only interactions he’d had with her since the brunch with O’Brien had been in meetings where she was forced to sit on the opposite side of the room or when he would happen to glimpse her walking by in the hallway toward the kitchen.
He’d lived for those little moments, the ones where she would walk by with a small smile on her face and her eyes on the floor. He wondered if she missed him. He was keeping his distance, like she’d asked. Perhaps, though not necessarily intentional, his staying away was drawing her closer. Perhaps…
Genevieve suddenly sat up on her desk. The ball came back down and hit her head but she didn’t appear to notice. She pulled the sleep mask from her face and threw it to the side as she leapt off her desk and started pacing around the room looking for a certain stack of papers arranged in her chaotic organization. She squatted down and stood up, holding a piece of paper as if it were the Holy Grail while her finger skimmed the page. She nodded a few times and then jumped into the air, sending a fist bump toward the ceiling. She yelled in triumph.
A moment later, Kaitlin went running into the room causing Genevieve to turn toward the door. Matteo sucked in a breath at her beaming smile that lit up her bright eyes and the entirety of her face. Genevieve spoke animatedly, using large hand gestures and pointing at the paper as she explained her revelation to Kaitlin. The poor assistant’s body language was uncertain as her boss continued around her office with the same earth-shattering smile. God, he wanted to go in there.
As she spoke she kept stealing glances at her assistant. After only a minute, her expression dimmed. She gave Kaitlin a small dismissive wave and an understanding smile. Kaitlin left the room, shaking her head slightly while Genevieve started picking up the papers scattered around the floor with less excitement than before. After only a few seconds though, her smile returned. She spun and jumped into the air before giving out another victorious fist bump.
“Mr. Accardi?”
It took Matteo a great deal of willpower to pull his attention from his target to look back at his assistant. “Yes, Alexander?”
Alexander’s eyes flicked to Genevieve’s office. The man had clearly figured it out long ago but had been doing a great job being discreet with Matteo’s obvious infatuation. He deserved a raise.
“I have all of your flight details for tonight along with our itinerary,” Alexander told him, holding out a file.
Matteo took the folder with a sigh. He usually loved track openings. There were parties, new connections, plenty of beautiful women to release stress, and he always had a jump in profits. He started walking toward his office. He turned his gaze toward the woman he wouldn’t see for another three days, wishing there was some way he could force her to go. There was no need for his clean accountant there, though. He knew it. As if sensing his turmoil, Genevieve looked up. A blush coated her cheeks as if she knew he’d been watching her for the better part of an afternoon. She smiled and tucked some of her silky hair behind her ear before dragging her eyes back to the stack of papers in front of her.
“Alexander?” Matteo said, looking ahead toward his open office door.
“Sir?”
“Send me next week’s schedule. I would like to be buried, please,” Matteo informed him, shoving his office door open hoping there was enough work to distract him until he needed to leave.