Matteo’s parting shot echoed inside Amelia’s head, and a warm flush crept up her neck. He really knew how much affected she was with him!

Amelia sat in his office, thankful to rest her tired limbs. There wasn’t much she could do outside at the stall and she had no wish to witness Rebecca’s desperate ploys to grab Matteo’s attention. She knew she didn’t stand a chance against Rebecca, who never failed to win over a guy she fancied. With her perfect combination of good looks and sass, Rebecca excited guys too much to turn her down. 

Amelia’s stomach grumbled for food, but after offering everything she had in her wallet, she couldn’t even afford a sandwich for herself. She could hear Becca’s chirpy laughter outside. It ignited a strong feeling of jealousy within her she couldn’t ignore. Maybe Becca conquered Matteo’s flirty heart after all! The curiosity was too strong to ignore, and she got up to find out for herself. As she stepped out, she saw Matteo lending a helping hand to Freddie while her friends ogled at him. 

“Amy, there you are! What was the hold-up about, girl?” yelled Rebecca before she could quieten her. It immediately grabbed Matteo’s attention, and he looked up from his work to flash her a dazzling smile that took her breath away. She had to look away to stop the incessant flutter in her stomach. 

“Why? What do you need?” Of course, she knew what Rebecca needed. Money! Amy would exhaust her brains calculating the huge mountain load of money Rebecca owed her, but she could never ask her to repay. She couldn’t be so cheap! 

“I need some cash, girl. We’re dying of hunger.” Amy shrugged, walking away from them towards the bench in the corner.

“I have nothing apart from my bank card.” Rebecca snorted and grabbed Lizzy’s hand, pulling her away with her. 

“They’ll deliver the car in the evening. We can’t starve here. Let’s go grab something, Lizzy. How much do you have with you?” Lizzy rolled her eyes at her friend, turning to look at Amy.

“Only five hundred dollars. Amy, what are you doing there? Come join us.” 

“Let her be. Someone needs to be here, at least. I have one thousand with me. Let’s go sightseeing. Amy, we will bring something for you,” yelled Rebecca, rushing out. 

Amelia’s jaws dropped at their admission. While she had given away every penny she had with her, they hadn’t. How could she be so foolish? Unaware of Matteo’s attention focused on her, she held onto her grumbling stomach and closed her eyes. Rebecca’s behavior didn’t surprise her at all. She was always this way, money-minded and selfish, but how could Lizzy leave without her? She was her best friend! Was the accident completely her fault? She didn’t agree to sneak out with such an expensive car, nor did she wish to drive it. 

The bench creaked beside her, and she opened her eyes to see Matteo, sitting beside her. “Hey, Emilia! You can wait inside my office!” 

“It’s too messy. I prefer sitting here.” Matteo smiled ruefully, fixing his x-ray stare back at her. 

“It’s not that bad! Why don’t you help me arrange it? I might feel benevolent and reduce the repair charges.” Amelia gave him a look of disbelief. Couldn’t he hear the rumbling in her stomach? How can someone focus on any work under such circumstances? Maybe under different circumstances, she would have considered his offer, but now all she could think of was food. 

“I can’t concentrate on anything right now.” Matteo frowned as if contemplating something. If he offered to take her out, she would decline outright. Then his glance fell on his stained, soiled shirt and he pinned her again with another dazzling stare, a brilliant idea hitting him instantly.

“I’m going home to change. Do you want to join me for lunch? I can offer you truly authentic Italian fare.” Amelia’s mouth watered, but one look at his smoldering eyes made her change her mind. The skew smile and the seductive vibe oozing out of him didn’t particularly look like he was just offering her food. 

Matteo waited impatiently for her to agree, having followed their conversation closely. He found her friends taking advantage of her kindness. He wanted to know more about what happened! How did she land up with just her bank card? 

“No, thanks! I’d rather stay back here for the car.” Shaking his head in disbelief, Matteo stood up impatiently, holding out his hand for her to take. 

“That’s absurd! Freddie can handle the car. It will take at least five hours to assemble. I live nearby. You can take a breather.” 

Amelia hesitated, having never gone home with random strangers, and definitely never with the hottest creature on earth who had a seductive vibe oozing out of every one of his tattooed pores. It was what her mom had always warned her against. 

“I promise I won’t bite unless you want me to.” He flashed her an amused grin while she rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand. Sparks of electric current shot up her body as he pulled her up. 

“No, thanks! You’re not my type!” His fingers coiled around hers and she stiffened, watching him react. There was a possessiveness in his move. His eyes bore into hers with interest. 

“What’s your type?” Amelia tugged at her hand, but he didn’t release his hold on her.

“Opposite to what you are, maybe!” He raised an eyebrow at her, his interest now increased by leaps and bounds. 

“And what am I?”

“The biggest flirt on the entire planet, maybe?” Acutely aware of his tight grip on her hand, she didn’t have much of a choice but to follow him out of the shop. 

“Wrong! I don’t flirt at all.” He rolled his eyes, leading her out onto the busy street, after a wave at Seth. 

“Whatever! Please, can I stay back at the shop? I can’t possibly walk down!” With her legs killing her, staying back at the shop on an empty stomach seemed a better proposition than walking all the way to his apartment. Having led a sheltered life, today’s experience was more than she had ever handled in her entire twenty-two years of life. 

“I can carry you if you want me to.” 

“No! Are you crazy?” Matteo chuckled, loving her reaction. Before she could say a word more, he picked her up on his shoulder and walked down the busy street! She was sure he was indeed crazy! With the entire world watching her with surprise, Amelia’s face flushed with colour.

An electric jolt shot through her body feeling crushed against his hard chest and shoulders. His muscular arm felt like an iron band around herself. She instinctively snaked her arm around his neck to keep herself from toppling over. It was a bad idea since it made her nipples harden with arousal. No, this wasn’t right at all! This guy should come with a statutory warning sign hanging around his neck saying,

Dangerously Tempting! Females could have detrimental side effects from severe cases of se*ual arousal in his company!

“Stop Matteo! I’ll walk.” Matteo ignored her request and chuckled instead, as if enjoying her discomfort. With his arousing masculine scent tingling her nostrils, and her body pressed against his, she knew she couldn’t stay unaffected for long. She had to stop this. 

“Can you please put me down? Everyone is staring at us.” 

“I don’t f*cking care!” 

He really didn’t as he strode into an apartment block further down the road with her struggling to get free. It was a futile effort, since he remained unaffected by her struggle. Was he made of granite or what? 

The gateman greeted him on his way inside. A small look of surprise registered on his face. 

“Hey, man! Luckiest day today!” he joked, but Amy frowned at what that implied.

“You bet.” Now, what did that mean? Did they mean her? 

“Put me down right now,” she hissed, feeling insulted. What the guard might think of her?

“As you wish, signorina!” Matteo placed her down on her feet near the elevator, slowly, deliberately, watching her like a hawk as their bodies brushed against each other. Amelia jumped apart, her eyes wide with the effect it had upon her. She could still feel his hard muscles against her. It made her breath hitch, and she gasped for air while he waited for the elevator, watching her all the time. 

“On second thoughts, I’m going back to the shop.” After her reaction to him, she wasn’t confident that she could stay alone with him anywhere. He was dangerously detrimental to her health with his devilish good looks and seductive smirk. Maybe he was deliberately trying his luck with her! After all, even a blind person would know how his nearness was affecting her! She had no wish to surrender to his incessant flirting and engage in anything she would regret later. He watched her with a strange expression on his face and slowly shook his head. 

“That’s not even an option. I’ve abducted you for a few hours.”