Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
Matteo
Damn. Now that’s a distraction I didn’t need.
The sight of shapely calves, from a woman bending over to pick something she’s dropped, catches me unawares. For a split-second admiration replaces simmering anger.
Desperate to find out what the old man is up to, I rush past her and catch the elevator. Luckily, I manage to get in, but it’s packed tight. Frustration bubbles up inside me again. I’ve been up since 4am. Couldn’t sleep.
I have a shit ton of work to do, but I can’t focus until I find out what’s going on and the sooner I get this confrontation over with, the better.
The doors start to slide together when a bag gets shoved through, preventing them from closing. What the hell?
The doors open again.
“Sorry.” It’s a breathless whisper, and then Shapely Calves squeezes in. It was already tight in here and now she’s taking up space we didn’t have.
“Thanks,” she mutters, gazing up at me, because I’m standing right in front.
She thinks I pressed the button to open the doors.
I catch the sparkle of her nose ring. That’s not something you see around here.
Hers is hard to miss; thin and silver, it glints in the light.
Impossible to ignore. I wonder who she’s here to see.
Her eyes startle. She looks like she’s not sure if she should look away or look closer.
Maybe I’m staring too much. I admire the rebellious streak and I kinda like her nose ring.
Corporate won’t approve. I could warn her, but it’s none of my business.
Corporate don’t think I don’t fit here either, with my chains and tattoos, but who gives a fuck?
The woman turns her back to me but not before I catch a whiff of her perfume. Something clean, and floral. Something expensive. She has the audacity to stand directly in front of me so that her pert little butt is only inches from my ...
I swear to God, if she moves back a few inches, I’ll have to nudge her away. I stare at the glowing numbers above the doors and try to focus on something else.
Work issues. Power plays. The old man.
As expected, silence falls. Nobody talks.
A fluorescent hum bounces around. The elevator whooshes up and people start getting out floor by floor.
To my surprise we’re halfway up and Shapely Calves is still here.
She’s moved away and is standing to my side now, busy staring at her cell phone.
At least the elevator is almost empty and I can breathe again.
I shoot a quick glance at her, trying to figure out which floor she’s heading to.
She’s probably an intern. Someone desperate for work experience.
Someone who wants to make an impression in that black fitted blazer and pencil skirt.
I wince when I see the sharp points of her heels.
Those things could leave serious dents in the flooring.
Still, I doubt I’ll see her again. Can’t see how she’ll end up working here, especially with that nose ring.
* * *
LIZ
My stomach is twisted into knots.
I so badly need this. It’s an opportunity I never thought I’d get and it could help so much. I need to impress and this presentation is my last chance. I was up until three in the morning redoing my slides, and then I overslept. I had to rush like a maniac to make it here on time.
At least I know where to go.
Final stretch.
That’s what the email said. I smooth down my blouse and try to breathe. It’s packed in here, and these shoes are so uncomfortable.
Wish I’d worn my sneakers.
I take a deep breath and mentally try to prepare for what’s ahead by running through my presentation in my head for the fiftieth time.
People get out, occasionally jostling me from the side, interrupting my focus. I move aside, giving them way, but the tall guy I stood in front of, doesn’t flinch an inch.
Someone else gets out of the elevator and it’s just me and that guy.
I lean my back against the wall, my curiosity getting the better of me as I shoot a glance in his direction.
He’s facing the doors, so I only see him from the side.
He presses the button to close the doors then tucks his hands into the front pockets of his dark jeans.
He’s wearing a charcoal-colored shirt. No tie.
I’m sure I caught a faint glint of metal around his throat when I rushed in.
His sleeves are rolled up and I see a tattoo which looks like a phoenix; the intricate ink curling around his arm and stealing my attention.
He’s wearing a couple of thin bracelets, too, similar to the ones I have in matte leather. His are sitting low on his wrist.
I wonder where he works. He’s not suited and way too casual for a place like this. He could be a tech guy, but the ones I saw the last time were all in shirts and trousers. He probably works in office maintenance or something.
Heat coils around my neck because I like a man with tattoos. I also like a man with thickly veined forearms. Ordinarily, this is the type of guy who would catch my eye, but this isn’t an ordinary day.
I should be focussing on my presentation.
And now he’s caught me looking at him. I turn away quickly, feel the flush in my cheeks, but not before his lips widen into a smile.