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Paige exhaled loudly as she stopped in the living room, turning to face him dead on. “What is it that you wish to tell me?”
He was surprised by her abrupt candor. Rather unlike the Paige he’d spent time with these last few months. Her spine was stiff, her expression void of any emotion, and he realized she must be nervous. After all the talk at the restaurant after dinner, she most likely thought he was demoting her or worse—firing her.
Hell, he couldn’t bring himself to do such a thing, no matter how much he knew he should. Having her in his home was a temptation he found harder to resist as each day went by. But Matty loved her…
And Matteo wasn’t ready to let her go.
“It’s not a bad thing,” he reassured, noting the subtle fall of her shoulders when he said that. “I wanted to ask you to accompany us on a special trip.”
That got her attention. “A trip? Where to?”
“Sit down.” He indicated toward the couch. “I’ll tell you all about it.”
She slowly shook her head. “I’d rather stand, if you don’t mind.”
Huh. She was being…odd. “Very well then.” He clasped his hands behind his back. Best to stay in that position so he wouldn’t do something rash, like reach out and grab her. Haul her in close and mold that slender body to his. “I need to go back to Italy for business and I want you to accompany Matty and me for the trip.”
Her jaw dropped open, her eyes went wide. “Y-you want me to go to Italy with you? When?”
He winced. Here was the bad part. “Next week. I remember you telling me you had a current passport. That’s still correct, right?”
“Well, yes, but next week? That’s so close.” She frowned, wrapped her arms around herself.
Unease crept up his spine. Would she refuse him? Hell, he hoped not. “I only confirmed that the trip was necessary this morning. It’s why I came home early, so I could talk to you about it. But then Stasia showed up and distracted us all and now…here we are.” He spread his arms out wide, indicating the entire room, and let them slowly fall to his sides.
She sunk her teeth into her lower lip, letting it go when she started to talk. “How long would we be gone?”
“A week, maybe ten days, but no longer than that. We’ll stay at my family residence.” It was a favorite place of his. He’d grown up there, and since he’d come to the States he hadn’t a chance to go back and show his son where he’d lived and dreamed as a child. He couldn’t wait to share that with Matty.
And Paige.
“Isn’t that where your mother lives?”
“Well, yes…” What did that have to do with anything?
“So Claudia could take care of Matty, couldn’t she?” She nodded once, as if she just solved the matter.
There was nothing to be solved, though. And he wasn’t going to let her get out of this so easily. For this, he would get his way.
“But I want you there,” he said quietly. “And so does my son.”
She stood incredibly still, watching him. He noted the delicate movement of her throat as she swallowed, the way her body seemed to quiver with her every breath. He made her nervous. Hell, she made him nervous. The two of them together in a room, alone…the potent physical chemistry between them arced and spun, bouncing off him straight to her. Again and again.
“Why do you want me there, Matteo?” she asked, her voice a thin whisper. “For Matty or for…you?”
It was his turn to be shocked. What she asked, what she implied, it could never be. No matter how much he wished for it. “Paige…”
She closed her eyes and shook her head, a false little smile curling her lips. “Don’t say it, please. I don’t think I could bear it.”
“You don’t even know what I was about to say.”
Her eyes opened, pain glittering in their depths. “I’m sure it was going to be some sort of gentle let down so you wouldn’t hurt my feelings, right?”
Paige was one hundred percent right, but he had a feeling agreeing with her at this moment would be the wrong thing to do. “No.”
“Don’t lie, Matteo. I know what you’re going to say. What you’re always going to say. And maybe, just maybe I’m overstepping the line here, but I can’t keep it inside me any longer.” She rushed him, one moment standing across the room and the next she was upon him, raining her fists on his chest, her upturned face full of anger. “It’s pointless to deny what we both feel. I know I’m your employee. I know you’re my boss. But the attraction is there. I’m sick and tired of denying it. Are you?”
