The Sweetest Temptation
Chapter 243: Pain

Chapter 243: Pain

"Yes, please, I would really appreciate that." With that, she walked out of the office, alerting him to her departure with a soft click. He threw his head back and dragged a deep breath.

This is so not me.

He thought to himself, a ruefulness filling his being as he tried so hard not to imagine endless possibilities. He had promised himself that he would only give in to his pleasures with her just once. But he’d gone ahead and indulged his mind and soul, and now, he can’t see himself being without her for even a moment.

He locked his gaze with his phone, briefly contemplating the idea of calling her up. But then, he was no weakling, and he wouldn’t let a one night rendezvous with an employee ruin his level headedness.

He opened his eyes, studying the patterns of the drop ceiling, and then he straightened on his seat, reaching toward his personal computer to attempt some sort of work.

I can do this.

He thought to himself as he replayed a form of mind programming mantra to get his head out of the clouds and into work mode. He promised he would get over her once he had a night’s stand with her, and that’s what he’s going to do.

Just when he reached his hands onto the keyboard, there was a knock at the door. "Come in," he said, not paying much heed to whomever it was at the other side.

Having heard his go ahead to come in, Stella pushed the door open and walked in, meeting him bent over his laptop, hardly aware of her presence in the room. Slowly, she closed the door, hoping not to rouse him from his deep concentration. But as soon as the door clicked, his attention was triggered, causing him to look up at her.

Matteo’s breath hitched when he met her penetrating stare from where she stood at the door. He hadn’t expected her to show up at the office moments after speaking with her, especially after what had happened last night.

Looking at her right now kindled reactions in places he did not want to feel. But he braced himself to endure her for another few minutes. Their gazes locked for a moment, and then his eyes abandoned hers, raking over her body and studying her outfit.

For someone that had tasted him carnally, it was odd that she wasn’t trying to seduce him. She was on a simple white dress shirt and knee-length black skirt, the plain old office assistant outfit – but her natural allure was too much to suppress. For in spite of her simplicity, there was no taking away the fact that he’d seen her in her state of sensual abandon.

Her hair was combed back to a ponytail, glistening with a gel-like consistency that made its tresses stay in place. And her eyes in a pair of glasses was a most stunning, almost erotic sight.

"I came to report to work, Mr. Quinn," she said in a voice void of emotion, stalking toward his desk in careful steps to prevent herself from losing balance, when it was in fact being in his presence that rendered her out of shape.

"You should’ve done so at the reception," While giving his reply, he returned his attention to the activity on his computer.

A searing pain shot through her heart as she stopped in her tracks, raising her gaze to study him. Somehow she had hoped that him seeing her would rekindle some of what they had shared the previous night, but right now, as she stood before him, stunned to silence, she was more convinced that he had somehow forgotten all about what they shared, casting her aside like a whore he picked out the street.

With the last thought clashing with her belief of someone who’d done what she did out of love, she felt even more useless – and she hated it with all her being.

Her face contorted with displeasure as she struggled to withhold her emotion. There is no point showing that she felt anything anyway, because there will be no one to soothe her pain.

Best act responsible if I want to keep working here.

"My apologies sir, I did not know that."

Matteo could sense the strain in her words, she was clearly struggling to keep her emotions at bay. But there was nothing he could do about it. They were all like that after a night or two – wanting more from him when there was clearly nothing to give.

He hated himself for even feeling something in the first place, and he wanted to shut it out. But how?

"Get me coffee, expresso," he said, not lifting his head to acknowledge her as he gave his order.

"Yes sir," she replied and made her way toward the door.

******

Just as she made her way back into the office, with the coffee in hand, she announced her arrival. But then, "I have your coff –," her sentence was cut short when she missed a step and tipped forward. The coffee slipped from her grip and fell with a loud crash that roused Matteo from his activity. He looked up with a slightly stunned expression.

"I’m deeply sorry sir." She whispered with her hands over her mouth and then she went down on all fours, trying to right the mess that had been made.

Within the blink of an eye, he rushed over to where she was and took her hand in his, turning it over and over in search of any form of inflicted wounds. All the while, she stated in stunned silence.

When he was satisfied, he released her hand and went on his haunches, retrieving the bits of plastic that were scattered on the ground.

"Why do you push yourself when it’s clear that you’re not okay?" He began scolding her.

You have no idea that you are the reason for all of this.

Her mind was in disarray from the numerous faces that he displayed to her. One moment he was kind and caring, and the next, he was cold and unwavering. And every time that he changed, it affected her negatively. There was no way of her being able to maintain a straight mind around him if every thing about him made her chest hurt like he will.

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