Accardi (Genevieve and Matteo) by Allison Franklin novel Chapter 100

Chapter One Hundred

Matteo adjusted the bowtie around his neck and went to answer the door.

“Five minutes, Gen!” Matteo yelled down the hallway.

“I’m almost ready!” she called back.

He opened the door to reveal Frankie sporting a rented tux. He gave Matteo a crooked grin and walked in, carrying a bouquet of red roses.

“I know, I know, I look fine as hell,” Frankie said. He turned and eyed Matteo up and down. “You look alright, I guess.”

“Thanks. You didn’t have to bring me flowers,” Matteo said with a mock expression of flattery.

Frankie hid the flowers behind his back. “They’re not for you. They’re for the Donna.”

“Hm, bringing my woman flowers?”

“Bringing my lady–boss flowers,” Frankie corrected, making Matteo roll his eyes. Frankie’s smirk turned down at the corners. He peaked around Matteo down the hall and lowered his voice. “You still haven’t told her what tonight is about?”

Matteo shrugged, crossed his arms and widened his stance. “No.”

“You sure that’s not a mistake?”

“Think she can’t handle it?”

“I think I don’t want to deal with you having blue balls for the next week when she realizes what you’ve thrown her into and decides to punish your most influential brain.”

“She’ll be fine, relax. She doesn’t need to know everything,” Matteo said.

*She doesn’t need to know everything about what?” Gen asked behind him.

Frankie’s eyes rose and Matteo noticed his pupils dilated. He swallowed, knowing he was about to be struck dumb, and turned. Genevieve was breathtaking in the navy gown he’d handpicked for her. It moulded around her curves as if the fabric wanted to caress her skin as much as he did. The neckline accentuated her cleavage without giving too much away while the slit up her left thigh left little to the imagination. His eyes lifted back to her face where she wore a shy smile, Her ice blue eyes cast down as she resituated her loose flowing curls over one shoulder and dipped the other to show him the backless portion of the dress.

Matteo could see Frankie’s mouth open as if he was stunned speechless.

“Stop looking at her like that,” Matteo hissed, unable to take his own eyes off the woman waltzing toward them.

“You first. She’s a fucking Goddess,” Frankie whispered. Matteo ripped his eyes away from Gen to glare at Frankie, “I win.”

Matteo smacked Frankie upside the head, propelling him forward. Frankie quickly put up the bouquet of flowers as a barrier to keep from touching her and

further setting Matteo off.

“Oh, wow, these are beautiful, Frankie. Thank you,” she said, touching a few of the soft petals with the tips of her freshly manicured nails. “I’ll put them

with the others.”

Chapter One Hundred

Gen touched Matteo’s sleeve as she walked past him to the kitchen island where four other bouquets sat: gifts he’d given her earlier in the day. Matteo gave

Frankie a smug smile.

“If you all are ready, Leo’s waiting for us down in the car. The event should be in full swing at this point,” Frankie said, stepping toward the door.

“I’m nervous,” Gen admitted, wiping her palms along her dress.

Matteo took her hand and grabbed her shawl and purse from the table by the door. “There’s no need to be nervous, Weakness. Me, Leo and Frankie will all

be there.”

Frankie started down the steps. Gen waited for Matteo to lock up. Before she could walk away, he grabbed her by the waist and hauled her into his chest,

making her gasp at the sudden gesture. Her hand settled along his chest and he stared down into her dazzling eyes.

“Before we get in the car and lose the chance for a private moment…” he whispered, brushing his thumb across her cheek, making her eyes flutter. “I want

you to know how breathtakingly beautiful you look tonight. I’m proud to have such a stunning woman on my arm.”

Gen smiled, her cheeks turning rosy as she straightened his bow tie. “I like you in a tux,” she whispered back. Her eyes flicked up to meet his and he lost the

ability to breathe. “I look forward to taking it off with my teeth later.”

Matteo groaned and bent down to kiss her delicately on the lips to keep from smearing her lipstick.

“Well, this is adorable,” Frankie said from the stairway, popping their love bubble. Gen sighed and stepped away, but kept her hand on Matteo’s arm. “Let’s

go, lovebirds. We got work to do.”

The trio walked down the stairs and got into the SUV. Leo managed to send several compliments Gen’s way until Matteo told him to keep his eyes on the

road. He could tell by the way she was fidgeting that she was really nervous. If he were honest with himself, he’d admit he was a bit nervous as well. He’d

never had a woman he cared for accompany him to the Royale. He knew it would only be a matter of minutes before she was swarmed with propositions by the other leaders in attendance. Matteo took in a deep breath and let it out. He trusted her. With all of his heart. But these men… they were on top for a

reason.

Gen grasped his cheek and pulled his face toward hers. Her lips touched his and her fingers wove through his hair. Matteo relaxed as he cupped her throat and pressed his thumb into the soft skin of her jaw. By the time she pulled away, he’d completely forgotten what he had been anxious about. She smiled and wiped the lipstick from his lips while biting her own.

“Sorry,” she whispered.

Matteo cupped her neck again and kissed her. “Don’t apologize for something like that ever again,” he whispered against her lips.

Gen pulled away and blushed as she noticed Frankie’s stare in the mirror. “So, am I allowed to at least know the sequence of events for this shindig?” she asked.

Matteo chuckled. “We’ll arrive in…”

“Just a few minutes,” Leo informed them.

“We’ll walk up the carpet and…”

“Will they take our picture?” Gen asked, her eyes widening with fear.

“Only a few. We won’t linger, I promise,” he reassured her. “Then we’ll go inside, find our table and network a bit. I’ll have to leave you for a while to talk business but I’ll always be close by as will Leo and Frankie.”

3:41 pm 0

Chapter One Hundred

“I’ll be the closest to you, Miss Sinclair,” Leo told her in reassurance. “I’ll be your shadow.”

“Okay,” Gen said as if what he said put her at ease.

“After everyone talks business we will eat something. People will get up and do speeches. There’s an auction and then dancing.”

“Dancing?” she asked.

“Nothing formal. Not everyone does it but there is a dance floor and…” Matteo took her hand and brought it to his lips. “I intend to use every excuse I can to show you off.”

“We’re here,” Leo said, the first to open his door.

“Stay,” Matteo ordered. “I’ll get your door for you.”

Gen took a deep breath and nodded. Her eyes focused on the flashing lights and photographers yelling outside her tinted window. Matteo adjusted his suit sleeves as he walked around the back of the car.

“I want her in your sights at all times, Leo,” Matteo said under his breath. “Something happens tonight, you’ve used up your one free pass. Don’t forget that.”

Leo gave a curt nod, not needing to be told how important his detail was for the night, nor having to reassure Matteo that he would take his job seriously. Matteo opened the door and smiled down at his girl. She took his outstretched hand and stepped out of the car with all the grace of a fucking queen. She held her head high as he held his arm for her to take.

They walked down the carpet and he paused for a moment to allow the photographers to capture her beauty. As if he couldn’t help himself, he pulled her attention back to him, touched under her chin and kissed her. The flashing lights and snapping of cameras intensified. He pulled back enough to look down at her. She smiled up at him, knowing he had just claimed her in front of the world.

In that moment, with the lights threatening to blind him and the noise dulling his hearing, he wished he could sweep her in his arms, carry her back to the car and take her away from all of this. Gen squeezed his arm and gave him a slight nod. He took a deep breath and turned them toward the door, hoping he could get through the night without putting a bullet between someone’s eyes.

Accardi