Page 78 of The Fall Affair

“Okay.” I waved. “I’ll let you get back to work, and see you tonight.”

I started to walk away, but two steps in, Matteo reached for my hand and tugged me back, wrapping me in his arms. “Not so fast,” he murmured before covering my mouth with his. The kiss was tender and passionate, just on the right side of aggressive, making my knees go weak. When we finally came up for air, he groaned. “You must go. Or Tomasso will never let me live down walking back to da field looking like a fifteen-year-old boy.”

I chuckled, thinking he was kidding, but when I looked down, I realized he wasn’t. “Oh. Wow. You’re…”

He pointed to the door and shook his head. “Go now.”

Chapter 26

Allegra

I WAS SO damn nervous.

I stood at Matteo’s door at five minutes past eight, wearing a dress I’d picked up at one of the expensive tourist shops in Montepulciano this afternoon. The wardrobe I’d brought with me from New York consisted of sundresses, jeans, and sweats. Nights were getting too chilly for sundresses now, and I would’ve gone stir crazy waiting around all day doing nothing, so a little shopping had seemed like the perfect solution.

I’d purchased three dresses and a sweater, all of which were sitting on my closet floor now because I couldn’t decide which to wear. I wanted to look nice, sexy even, but not like I was trying too hard. Looking down, I decided the deep burgundy, ribbed knit dress fit the bill nicely. It hit mid-thigh, hugged my curves without being too tight, and had a scooped neckline that revealed just the right amount of cleavage.

I took a deep breath and raised my hand to knock, but the door swung open before my knuckles even met the wood.

“Oh. Hey. How did you know I was out here?”

“I didn’t. I was about to walk next door to tell you to stop worrying about what to wear and just come over.”

My mouth fell open. Matteo chuckled. His eyes slid appreciatively over my dress. “Though I do love what you picked.”

I smiled. “Thank you.”

He opened the screen door wider and stepped aside for me to walk in.

My heart thumped as he closed the door behind me. The familiar scent of his cologne—woodsy with a hint of leather—scattered my thoughts.

He kissed my cheek. “You look bellissima.”

I swallowed hard. “Thank you. And you smell good.” Though as soon as I walked farther into the house, I caught a whiff of something else that rivaled Matteo’s scent. My nerves had gotten the best of me today, so I hadn’t eaten, and whatever he was cooking smelled positively divine. “So does the house. What are you making?”

“White truffle lasagna. Your grandmother once told me it was the only thing I cooked better than she did, so I hoped maybe the palate ran in the genes.” He nodded toward the kitchen. “Come. I opened a bottle of wine I’ve been saving for a special occasion.”

I loved that Matteo had no qualms sharing his emotions. Most men I knew wouldn’t admit a first date was a special occasion, even if they felt that way.

In the kitchen, the table was set for two—the way high-end restaurants did it, with a dessert fork and spoon at the top and a bread plate off to the side. “Wow. You know how to properly set a table.”

He walked over to the counter and picked up a bottle of wine. “I do now. Had to Google it.”

That might’ve been the sweetest thing a man had ever done for me. Such a simple gesture, yet it revealed so much about who he was. My heart started to race, and I lifted my hand toward my chest to scratch an itch—but caught myself and stopped. Scratching would trigger more histamine releases, sending me into a vicious itch-scratch cycle.

Matteo poured two glasses and passed me one. He held his up. “To firsts.”

“To firsts.” We clinked, and I sipped and set down my glass. Standing so close, all I could think about was how much I wanted him—tonight. I offered a flirty smile and moved closer, settling my palms on his chest. “You know…we could put dinner on hold and celebrate other firsts.”

Matteo’s eyes flickered with heat, yet he didn’t move. Instead, he smiled slowly and shook his head. “I know what you’re doing, Allegra. And I want you, too. But this”—he gestured between us—“isn’t something we’re going to rush. We’re at the beginning and don’t need to race to da end zone.”

I pouted and closed the gap between us, pressing my breasts to his chest. “But what if I want to race to the end zone?” I tilted my head and flashed a cheeky smile. “Don’t tell me you don’t want to score?”

Matteo dropped his head and laughed a low rumble. “You’re a dangerous woman, you know that?”

I licked my lips. “Dangerous can be fun.”

Matteo set his wine down and wrapped a hand around my waist. Pulling me tight, he looked into my eyes. “One kiss. And only because I don’t think I could focus during dinner if I don’t taste you. Then we eat.”