Tempted by Her Boss (11 page)

“Playing happy household in the city is not the way to grow a relationship, Matteo,” Vince muttered.

“As if you can judge me. When was the last time you slept in the same bed as your wife, hmm?” Matteo sneered, hating that they pushed him to this.

Vince’s cheeks turned ruddy. “Shut the fuck up.”

“Stop, both of you.” For once, Rafe was the voice of reason. Strange. “We just don’t want you to end up with a woman who’s not good enough for you, Matteo. We watched it happen once. We don’t want to see it happen again.”

No one would ever forgive him for marrying Lucia. Settling heavily on a bench that overlooked the ocean, he studied the majestic view, the rays of the sun warming his tense shoulders. His thoughts were jumbled, full of his brothers’ concern and worry.

Countered with images of Paige. The last few days had been wonderful with her. He’d taken her all over the city, exploring the mountains, the historic buildings and secret alcoves that only natives knew of. He took her and Matty to the beach, where they splashed on the shore, Matteo’s gaze unerringly going to Paige’s slender body in the skimpy two-piece swimsuit she wore again and again. She stood out with her pale, freckled skin amongst a crowd of olive-hued, sun-bronzed Italians, her fiery red hair in stark contrast amongst the mostly dark heads that surrounded her.

She was beautiful. Sweet, and with lips that were ripe for kissing—which he did plenty of, never in front of Matty, of course. They didn’t want to confuse him, not yet. But at night, after Matty went to bed, they left him in Matteo’s mother’s care and Matteo would take her out for a late dinner, where they would talk and eat and drink plenty of good wine. Her cheeks would turn rosy and she’d become more open with him, reaching across the table to clasp his hand. Reaching beneath the table to run her bare toes against his leg.

And when they would return to the villa he would kiss her in the car, in the front alcove of the house, outside her bedroom door. Long, drugging, deep kisses with plenty of tongue and whispered words filled with promise. Wandering hands slipping beneath clothes, though he never took it too far. He needed to gain her trust. Make her believe he wanted her and that he wasn’t going to push her away.

He needed to convince himself of this as well. Old habits died hard. He’d grown accustomed to pushing all women out of his life after Lucia’s death, with the exception of his mother and sister. That he was slowly letting Paige into his life and his heart was a monumental event.

“Paige isn’t Lucia,” Matteo finally said when he realized they were waiting for his reply. “She’s a completely different type of woman. And we have a completely different type of relationship.”

“I should hope to hell so,” Vince retorted as he settled on the bench beside him. “I know my marriage isn’t perfect, so I probably have no room to talk, but we worry about you. You weren’t the same after Lucia’s death.”

No, he wasn’t. He’d withdrawn from the world almost completely, throwing himself into his work even further, if that was possible. Only giving what little precious free time he had to his son and no one else. He’d moved away from Italy, moved far away from his family and never looked back. He saw Stasia on a frequent basis only because she wouldn’t let him get away with hiding. Thank God for her stubbornness.

Now, he was full of regret. His brothers’ concern made him realize just how much he needed them around, in his life. Matty needed his uncles and especially his grandmother, as well as his aunt. The little boy needed his family.

But if Matteo were to move them to Italy permanently, they would be away from Stasia. And also…Paige.

Would she come and live in Italy with him? Hell, did he want her to come to Italy and live with him? She would go as his nanny, but would she live with him as his…lover? That sounded so ridiculous. Girlfriend? That sounded too juvenile.

He didn’t know what to call this…thing he shared with Paige. As of this very moment it felt like a friendship that included plenty of kissing with the potential for more. It was far too soon to define it any further.

“I’ve changed,” Matteo answered. “Despite how distant we had become, I was in mourning over my wife’s death. Sorry that we lost her so soon and that Matty hardly remembers her. Our relationship might’ve been tumultuous, but I never wished death on the woman.”

“Of course not,” Rafe said. “I understand. We both do. But you need to know where we’re coming from as well. Let us investigate this girl. Look into her background.”

“Hell no.” That was a complete invasion of privacy. He was walking on shaky ground with her still. He wasn’t about to tear apart the trust he was building with her.

“Why not? Afraid of what you might find?” Vince asked.

“She’s twenty-three. From the Midwest. Worked for a real asshole before she came to work for me. That’s it,” Matteo explained. There wasn’t any need to investigate her. She was as innocent as they came.

“She could be lying.” When Matteo glared at him, Rafe shrugged. “It’s true. Everyone lies. Anyone can make up whatever they want about their past when they move to a new city. It’s easy.”

“Paige isn’t a liar.” He stood, sent them both a scathing stare. “Watch her at dinner tonight. Talk to her. You’ll see.”

“That’s our plan,” Vince called after him as Matteo strode back toward the house. “We’re going to dig as deep as we can tonight, Matteo. Hope you don’t mind. And if she has nothing to hide, she won’t mind either.”

He gave them the finger in answer.

The table was filled with a total of four Renaldi men, from Matty to Matteo along with Matteo’s two younger brothers. They all looked so similar. The almost black hair, swarthy skin and dark-as-sin eyes, those terribly handsome faces. Though of course, to her, Matteo was by far the most handsome of all.

She sat across from Matteo, Matty to her left and Claudia to her right. The three Renaldi brothers sat across from them, intimidating in their silence as they all waited for Renzo, the gentleman who worked at the villa along with his wife, to bring the giant plates overflowing with food that would be their dinner.

Tension seemed to come off each of the brothers in obvious waves, and she didn’t understand it. Tried to ignore it, but it was no use. She caught them studying her. Their gazes hard, their mouths firm, contemplating her as if they didn’t like what they saw.

Paige wanted to shrink into herself, pretend she didn’t exist. Maybe if she went away, they wouldn’t think about her any longer. They’d forget all about her.

Foolish. She was a grown woman with nothing to hide. Maybe they were upset that she was—seeing?—their brother. If that’s what she could call it.

She didn’t know what to call what was blossoming between her and Matteo. The last few days had been romantic, exhilarating, passionate.

He hadn’t lied to her that first night they arrived, when he confessed being in Italy changed him. He was much more relaxed, at ease with himself and his surroundings. As if all the worry and stress of his job and life wore off and he could almost act carefree.

A carefree Matteo was rather intoxicating. She couldn’t resist him. The late evening dinners at intimate restaurants were her favorite part of the day. Just the two of them at a tiny table in a crowded bistro, how their knees brushed and the flickering candlelight cast them in a soft glow. The way he would look at her, reach across the table to touch her, grasping her hand, caressing her fingers.

The kisses in the moonlight, in front of her bedroom, his hands roaming all over her body, his heated breaths when he finally broke the kiss and pushed her into her room. She wanted more. Her body would ache for his but she knew what he was doing.

He was trying to win her over. Slowly but surely. And it was working.

“What in the world is wrong with you three?” Claudia finally said, breaking the silence. “You all look so blessedly angry.”

That was a mild way of putting it. The Renaldi brothers looked as if a thunderous storm had crossed their faces all at the same time.

“We’re fine.” The middle brother, Rafael, smiled at his mother. And boy, was it a beautiful smile. He was very good looking, with longish, dark hair that brushed his collar, intense brown eyes and an almost pretty face. “The meeting was rather long, but productive. I know I’m exhausted.”

“Same,” Vincenzo agreed, sounding bored. His gaze zeroed in on Paige. He looked more like Matteo than Rafael did, though he was shorter and stockier. “So. You’re Matty’s nanny, hmm?”

“Um, yes.” She nodded, clutching her hands together in her lap. Fear slithered down her spine and she told herself to grow the hell up. She could handle his questioning. “I’ve taken care of Matty for almost six months.”

“Taking care of my brother now as well, I hear.” Vincenzo’s brows rose, as if defying her to deny it.

Paige’s mouth dropped open. She didn’t know how to answer. Luckily enough, she didn’t have to.

“Shut the hell up,” Matteo growled. “Leave her alone.”

“What?” Vince shrugged. “You said basically the same thing when we talked about her earlier.”

They talked about her? What did they say? What did Matteo say? Her cheeks burned with embarrassment and she ducked her head, wishing she were anywhere else but here.

“You boys need to leave Paige alone, and I mean it,” Claudia chastised. It was almost amusing, how she called her three grown sons “boys”. “This is the first time we’re all together in months and you instantly start fighting, picking on this poor, innocent girl who does nothing but take good care of my grandson and your nephew. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

“We’re sorry, but we’re worried about Matteo, Mama,” Rafe said. Paige glanced up, confused by the meaningful glance Rafe shot in her direction. “We discussed it earlier in the meeting, but I thought it best if I bring it up in front of you. We want Matteo to come home, to live in Italy, where he belongs. The business needs him here.”

Paige’s heart fell into her toes. She couldn’t imagine Matteo leaving her, though she’d been just as eager to escape him not even two weeks ago. But she wasn’t planning to now, was she? No. Now that they’d spent the last few romantic evenings together, she knew his heart—and his mind—was finally in the right place. He acted as if he really wanted her. And she didn’t want to leave him—or Matty—ever, if she could help it. In fact, she was now more convinced than ever to fight for what she wanted. And she wanted them both.

But if he remained here in Italy, she certainly couldn’t assume he’d bring her with him. Did she? That would be a major move. She had no real place here. She didn’t quite know what her place was with Matteo’s family.

Or his heart.

She might want to fight, but how much ammunition was really at her disposal? If he didn’t really care for her, nothing she did would ever hold weight with him or sway him in any way, shape or form.

“Well, I would love to have you back home again, but what do you want?” Claudia asked her eldest son.

Matteo’s smoldering gaze never strayed from Paige. “I’m not quite sure what I want.”

“You’d be most welcome here,” Claudia continued. “Though we cannot ignore how you’ve actually grown the business within the global market and made it bigger than ever. Your father would be so proud, Matteo.”

“It was the prudent thing to do, me relocating to New York.” He jerked his gaze away from Paige and she wanted to sigh with relief. All that intensity locked on her rendered her breathless. “And after this meeting today, I realize just how smart of a move it really was. Profits are up by a considerable margin.”

“I am not surprised.” Claudia smiled. “You’ve always been an innovator.”

The pride in Matteo’s mother’s voice was unmistakable. How Paige wished her parents were proud of her accomplishments, not that they were any match for Matteo’s, but still. She always felt as if she were a giant disappointment.

“I’m just not sure if I want to leave.” His gaze locked with hers again. “There are many things keeping me in New York.”

“Give me a break,” Vince muttered under his breath.

“Yay, Renzo has food!” Matty suddenly exclaimed, breaking the tension. Everyone laughed as Renzo swept in, delivered two platters filled with pasta.

“Dig in, dig in,” he encouraged as he exited the room. “I’m bringing plenty more.”

The table grew quiet, everyone eagerly digging in as they served themselves. The rich, fragrant scent of spices lingered in the air, making Paige ravenous and she filled her plate with a variety of dishes, excited to try them all. Her first bite was like a little piece of heaven and she hummed with pleasure, catching sight of Matteo watching her yet again, his direct gaze upon her dark and sexy.

Her emotions crashed within her like a lost ship in a stormy sea. She didn’t understand what was happening between them. What was happening between him and his family? Did he want to come back to Italy? What about Matty? What would be best for him?

More than anything, what would be best for her and their relationship? Not that they really had one, but still…

Her appetite slowly ebbed away and she set her fork on the edge of her plate. This was all so confusing. She didn’t know what to do, what Matteo expected from her. One wrong move on her part might send him running.

“You worry too much,” Claudia whispered, patting Paige’s hand. “I see the wheels turn in your brain,
cara
. Matteo will do right by you. I know it.”