Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Gen knew she shouldn’t be doing this. She trailed quietly behind Matteo as he strode toward the stairwell door. The broad muscles of his back flexed as he pushed the door open and held it wide for her. She slipped past him, deliberately ignoring the way his eyes flickered downward to her chest. She began ascending the stairs, but Matteo quickly overtook her, weaving around to take the lead. Gen rolled her eyes in mild annoyance. When they reached the first landing, he stopped and once again held the door open for her.

“The first floor?” she asked, stepping into the dimly lit hotel hallway. “Aren’t guys like you supposed to have penthouse suites with trays of room service carried by half-dressed women?”

He smirked. “Are you volunteering?”

Genevieve didn’t reply. Instead, she folded her arms across her chest as Matteo approached a door and swiped his key card to unlock it. He stepped inside, waiting for her to follow. But Gen hesitated, standing in the doorway, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and anticipation. Matteo’s back remained turned as he shrugged off his suit jacket and tossed it onto the nearest armchair. She watched, mesmerized, as the muscles in his back tensed and relaxed while he untied his necktie.

He glanced over his shoulder, catching her gaze, and smiled before shaking his head and returning to the task at hand. “Planning to keep the door open the whole time?”

“No,” she replied quickly. “Just for…” Gen pulled out her phone and checked the timer. “Twelve minutes and thirty-two seconds.”