The Sweetest Temptation
Chapter 265: Ex

Chapter 265: Ex

By the time Stella had made up her mind of what an appropriate gift would be for him, the night had fallen and her colleagues at the office had rounded up for the night, leaving just her and Matteo in the entire building.

She got to her feet, stretching her hands above her head in an attempt to shed off the stress that had taken over her muscles. After she had left his office, the work came swarming in, with a lot of his clients and prospects seeking an audience with him. He had to take his time to go through them and know which he would attend to and which to postpone. A few times, he had to leave the office for one appointment or the other. If she had known, she would’ve just escaped his advances from the beginning. Now, they both ended up getting extra worked out—and it was not a nice way to feel.

My goodness, I need to soak in a warm bath. She thought to herself as she imagined a well-prepared luxury bath to soak away her tiredness. And then thoughts of she and Matteo sitting together in a bathtub filled her mind.

No, no, no, snap out of it, ma’am. She thought to herself, shaking her head vigorously, in an attempt to wade off the line of thoughts that were beginning to fill her mind.

"I’ll just get right to it." She whispered, righting the items on her desk and making her way toward his office. When she walked in, she met him still on his computer, duly lost in his work as he typed away. Gently, she tiptoed backward, attempting to walk out before he noticed her. And to her luck, it worked.

I’m gonna go get his gift and sneak it into his office—when he’s gone, at least. Which means I’d have to wait for a while. She thought to herself. Her mind went to work mode as she thought of how to do it with him still inside. From the look of it, he was not about to leave anytime soon.

Whatever, I’ll take my time to figure out the best gift for him. With that thought, she made her way out of the office.

***

Matteo sighed heavily, feeling the weight of a long day’s work settling upon his shoulders. Looking at the time on his phone, he was caught off guard at how late the hour was, and he quickly realized that Stella was still in his office. Frustration welled up inside him, and he sprung up from his chair. However, before he could make a move, a gentle and rhythmic knock echoed through the room, causing him to pause in his tracks.

A knowing smile curved his lips as he approached the door, anticipating the arrival of Stella. With a sense of amusement, Matteo swung open the door, only to freeze in astonishment. Standing before him, her presence filling the doorway, was Lorena—his ex-lover. A flood of memories rushed through his mind, and he found himself momentarily transported back to the time when their relationship was at its peak.

"Hello, Mat, it’s been a minute," Lorena greeted him in a voice so warm and familiar it brought chills to his bone.

Without an answer to her greeting, he turned his back to her and strode back into the office, leaving the door ajar before her, a welcome signal for her to follow. She walked into the office, taking in the sight of his office, as if drinking an addictive potion that she’d been deprived of in a long time.

Matteo on the other hand headed straight for the mini bar in the office, taking up the whiskey, he poured himself a portion and made his way to the glass paned wall that overlooked the strategically lit city below.

"What are you doing here?" His voice came cold and strained, signifying his evident displeasure in her presence. However, she did not seem to have noticed. She threw her bag on the table before her, sinking into the sofa.

Without uttering a word in response to her greeting, Matteo turned his back to her and strode back into his office, leaving the door ajar as an unspoken invitation for her to follow. Oblivious to his dismissive demeanor, she stepped into the room, her eyes eagerly scanning every corner as if savoring the long-lost familiarity of his office.

Meanwhile, Matteo made a beeline for the mini bar nestled in the corner of the room. His hand found the familiar weight of a whiskey bottle, and with a practiced motion, he poured himself a generous portion. Clutching the glass in his hand, he made his way to the glass-panelled wall that provided a captivating view of the city lights twinkling below.

The tension between them was palpable as he turned to face her, his voice laced with a coldness that betrayed his evident displeasure at her unexpected presence. "What are you doing here?" he questioned, his words tinged with strain. Yet, she appeared oblivious to his underlying hostility. Disregarding his question, she nonchalantly tossed her bag onto the nearby table and sank into the plushness of the sofa, as if she belonged there.

"I asked you a question, Lorena," his words were accompanied by an undercurrent of simmering anger that pulsed through his veins by the minute. "You will do best to answer, else—wait, how did you even get into the office?"

The force in his tone pushed her to the edge this time. She sprang to her feet and made her way toward him, her movements emitting a deliberate seduction, a desperate attempt to entice him once again.

"I have my ways, Mat, you should know that by now." Her voice was laced with that familiar seductive note, one that had once captivated him.

In his fleeting reverie of the time that he’d spent with her, he came to a not-so-surprising revelation—this woman, whom he’d once thought he’d known, was just as she was at the time that he decided to get rid of her. He turned back to the glass, observing his almost transparent reflection.

"What are you doing here, Lorena? And go straight to the point."

The soft clicking of her heels drew close, indicating the gradually closing proximity between them. A few moments later, she brought her arms to circle his waist, resting her head on his back while she spoke.

"Isn’t it obvious, I came to see you."