Accardi (Genevieve and Matteo) by Allison Franklin novel Chapter 79

Seventy–Nine

People around the conference room table paused, their eyes tracking quickly between Gen and Matteo. Slowly the room emptied with Bella being the last to leave. Gen continued to stand with her palms splayed and her eyes burning a hole into the table.

“Close the door,” Matteo ordered Bella. “Sit down, Genevieve.”

Gen slowly lowered herself back into her chair. She stared straight forward through the glass to the coastal painting on the wall in the hallway. Out of the corner of her eye she could tell he was doing the same. His fists flexed on the table before they relaxed. He flattened his palms on the wood and let out a breath.

“I went too far,” he admitted. “I have been fantasizing about doing that for…” Matteo flicked his left wrist, a habit she’d quickly picked up on to see the time on his watch. “Well… It was out of line and I apologize. Sincerely.”

“Thank you,” she said, her voice level.

“I think we can agree the punishment fits the crime?” he asked, stretching his right hand that now displayed a prominent hole and a ring

of ink.

Genevieve’s stomach twisted with guilt. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“Don’t apologize to me,” he interrupted quickly. “You told me in five different ways to stop and I didn’t. I deserve the brand.” Gen glanced at his profile while he continued to stare straight ahead. The side of his mouth twitched upward. “You’ll bear my brand soon

enough.”

He let out another breath, dropped his head and interlaced his fingers. “Having said that, this morning when you discussed keeping our relationship professional at work, I didn’t realize you meant you wished to hide it all together.” His jaw ticked, illustrating how strongly

this realization affected him.

“It’s not that I want to hide it, Matteo, but there are certain stereotypes against women and men who sleep with their supervisors and

subordinates.”

Matteo snorted. “You care what they think?”

“You don’t?”

Matteo’s head finally turned to face her. His jaw was firm and his eyes sharp. “There is nothing preventing my workers from seeking love in the workplace with a coworker or even a supervisor. The first contract I gave you is the same one given to anyone within my company.

I have no policy against intercompany relationships. Why shouldn’t I be allowed the same courtesy?”

Gen’s mouth hung open in shock. “I thought…”

“Well, you were wrong. Plus, do you really think these people can’t already see how I feel about you?” he asked, holding out his hand in reference to everyone on the floor. “Or you me?” he asked, raising a brow. “I understand your desire to remain professional, I do, but you

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Chapter Seventy–Nine

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cannot expect me to hide that I’m in love with you. I’ve never been able to. These people realized I was a goner the moment I came into work that Monday after you ran. Your showing up in the office as our new accountant was just putting a face to what they already knew. Now… I’ve said my peace, it’s your turn. What’s bothering you? The private meeting insinuation or the trip to LA?”

Gen tapped her nails against the desk. “When were you going to tell me you were leaving?” She turned to look at him and he gave her a

playful smirk.

“I’ve been trying to get you in my office all morning, if you recall,” Matteo answered with a wiggle of his eyebrows. His face softened at

her dubious expression. “I’m meeting with Guerra. I think he and, or Michele are behind the incidents Miss Kennedy brought up. When

she came to me about handling the PR side of it all, I figured it would be a good cover for a meeting in LA.”

“I see. When?”

“I leave Wednesday and come back Friday,” he answered quickly.

“Hm.”

“And about Miss Kennedy…”

“I trust you,” Gen said, causing Matteo’s eyes to widen. Gen smirked. “Don’t look so surprised. I chose you. I’ve been hurt a lot but I

would have no business being in this relationship if I didn’t trust you. So I will continue to, until given a reason not to. But…” Gen looked

away toward the hall again and fisted her hands.

“But…” Matteo prompted.

“I’m going to sound like a snitty bitch,” Gen admitted.

“All the more reason to say it,” Matteo said with a chuckle.

She sighed long. “I just know she’s in her office planning her wardrobe for the trip. She’s probably already thought of five good excuses

for showing up at your hotel room door in nothing but a towel. And I just know that bitch thinks this whole thing is going to be her lucky

break in getting Matteo Accardi in bed,” Gen confessed in a rush.

Matteo turned in his seat and placed his hand on the back of Gen’s chair. “We won’t be staying at the same hotel. She will fly economy on

another airliner. I will only see her at necessary media functions. She doesn’t stand a chance,” Matteo assured her.

Gen took a deep breath. “It’s just, I want her to know she doesn’t stand a chance.”

Matteo chuckled. He pushed back from the table and stood. He kept his one hand on the back of her chair and gripped the edge of the table with the other. “Well, you could always do what I do when I sense a threat,” Matteo said, his voice low.

Gen scoffed and looked up into his dark eyes. “If it has anything to do with a hacksaw, count me out.”

The corner of Matteo’s mouth lifted higher. He leaned down so that his mouth was beside her ear. “I stake my claim in whatever way I

deem necessary, Weakness,” Matteo whispered.

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Chapter Seventy–Nine

Matteo stepped back and started for the door.

“So, like, what? Send out a company–wide email or something?” Gen called after him.

Matteo’s chuckle followed him out of the room. She glared at him as he walked along the conference room toward his office. Gen looked down at her hand that had been tapping her pen for an immeasurable amount of time. She glanced back up to see Matteo in front of his office looking down at an envelope while discussing something with Alexander. Down the hall she could see Kaitlin taking diligent notes from whatever Mrs. Tutt was telling her while Bella stood beside them… her eyes eating up an oblivious Matteo.

Genevieve wished the chair she was in didn’t have wheels. The sound of the legs scraping back would have been the perfect punctuation on what she’d decided. She walked out of the room and turned to face Matteo. She took a deep breath and started walking. This was it. If she continued with her plan, everyone would know. There would be no more rumors, speculation, gossip. If she did this, everyone in the office would know Matteo Accardi was officially off the market.

“Mr. Accardi!” Gen called, still halfway down the hall. Matteo glanced up from the envelope in his hand. “I have an answer to what we

discussed in the conference room.”

Matteo’s mouth curved and his eyes hooded as if he had received a two hundred page dissertation on exactly what she planned. Alexander stepped back as Genevieve stopped in front of Matteo, gripped his face with both hands, and kissed him. His free hand immediately wound around her waist as she stood on tiptoes to seal their lips. A few gasps sounded from around the office. The sharp slap of an envelope hitting the floor came a second before Matteo’s other hand firmly grasped her back. Genevieve laced her fingers through his hair as her tongue explored every inch of his mouth. A moment later she pulled away but kept her hold on his head. His face lit up in excitement, his dimple appeared deeper than ever before.

“When will you be home tonight?” she asked, admiring his swollen lips and the way his eyes brightened to gold under the overhead

lighting.

He raked his lower lip through his teeth and shook his head. “As soon as I fucking can.”

“Do you think that was enough to drive my message home?”

He pursed his lips before they pulled wide again. “Maybe one more?” he suggested with a wink. “Just to be sure?”

The smile on her face was hard to wrangle so that she could kiss him softly one more time. She could feel his eyes, and the eyes of

everyone on the floor, as she turned away from him in the direction of her office. She bit the inside of her cheek to hold back her smile as

she walked. Her face flamed as she met Kaitlin’s eyes and Kaitlin gave her an awed thumbs–up. She ignored Bella’s look of shock and Mrs. Tutt’s proud smirk as she walked into her office and wished, for the first time since working at Accardi Industries, that the walls weren’t made of glass.