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"Pull it up," Giovanni orders, and Roman complies.
"May I?" I ask, gesturing to Giovanni's chair. With a nod, he relinquishes his seat, and I sink into the supple leather, my fingers hovering over the keyboard.
As I scroll through lines of code, I feel their eyes on me—Roman incredulous, Giovanni curious. After ten minutes, I find the source of the memory leak—a misplaced line that causes an infinite loop.
"Here," I announce, pointing out the issue and explaining my discovery. I quickly write a workaround, launch the program, and watch as it runs smoothly without crashing. Relief washes over me as Roman gapes in disbelief.
I glance at Giovanni, and my heart swells at the pride shining in his eyes. It feels so good, and I push down the reason why.
* * *
The door clicks shut behind Roman, and I'm about to rise from my seat when Giovanni's voice, low and authoritative, stops me. "Don't move."
I turn around, startled, and watch as he strides towards me with purposeful steps. Before I can process what's happening, he's pulling me into his arms, my body flushed against his. I look up at him in shock, my heart pounding in my chest.
Giovanni wraps his fingers around the back of my neck and pulls me closer, his gaze locked on mine. Without breaking eye contact, he presses his lips against mine, the heat of his mouth both electrifying and intoxicating. As the kiss deepens, I find myself breathless, opening my mouth to let our tongues tangle together in a passionate dance.
"God, you're incredible," he murmurs against my lips, his grip on my neck tightening just enough. I want this moment to last forever, but he pulls back, brushing my cheek tenderly with his thumb.
"That's your reward for figuring out that problem," he says softly, searching my eyes for something. "I hope you finally got what you wanted this week, and can stop playing this silly game with me."
My cheeks flush, but I nod my head in agreement. He rewards me with a small, knowing smile. "Good."
Releasing me, Giovanni watches as I return to my desk, still breathing hard from our encounter. My fingers unconsciously dance against my lips, the memory of his kiss lingering like a phantom caress. I pull out my keyboard and refocus my attention on the screen, trying to hack his system again.
He may be an amazing kisser, but that doesn't mean I'm giving up on getting home. I need to stay vigilant, especially now that I've tasted the sweetness of his lips. I can't let my desire for him cloud my judgment.
As I work, my mind races, thoughts of Giovanni and our stolen kiss intermingling with the numbers and codes on my screen.
"Lucia," Giovanni calls from his office door, drawing my attention away from the computer. "I won't forget what you did today. You're extraordinary."
"Thank you," I manage to say, feeling both flattered and conflicted. He retreats back into his office and my fingers pause on my keyboard. I take a deep breath and force myself to refocus on the task at hand, unwilling to let anything—even a searing kiss—distract me from getting home.
ChapterSixteen
The week’s gone by so slowly and I plop into the chair in front of Giovanni's desk unannounced, watching as his dark eyes flicker up from his work with a serious expression. He says nothing and returns to whatever he was doing. I sigh dramatically, rolling my eyes toward the ceiling before he finally looks up again.
"Is there something the matter?" he asks, his voice calm yet commanding.
"I'm bored," I admit, letting out a huff of frustration. "This office is so dull."
"Good," he replies, leaning back in his chair. "Offices aren't supposed to be interesting. In the course of your boredom, you've managed to earn yourself a few merit points."
"Merit, shmerit," I scoff, tossing my hair over my shoulder. "The points aren’t doing anything for me."
"That's because you haven't earned enough yet," he retorts, raising an eyebrow.
"Then maybe you've set the exchange rate too high, and I might as well give up and go back to hacking your systems," I tease, a smirk playing on my lips.
"Go back to?" Giovanni narrows his eyes. "My computer logs indicate that you've never stopped."
I giggle at him, fluttering my lashes. "Just trying to keep you on your toes, boss."
"I'm sorry the office is boring but I don't really have a solution for you."
I sigh dramatically again. "Are there other assistants I can at least talk to?"
He frowns slightly before responding.
