Chapter One - The Rougishly Handsome Mechanic

“Sure! After you’re able to fix the car!” Amelia tried to keep her voice confident and casual, although she was far from feeling so. She wasn’t a teenager who would react to the flirtatious guy with his panty-dropping good looks. She was a grown woman of twenty-two and it was time she acted like one. 

“I’ll get it done right away! Only for you, signorina!” Her heart skipped a beat at his flirty tone, yet she held his gaze boldly, trying to look unaffected. 

He smirked and looked away, instructing a man to drive the car into a stall and examine the damage. She handed him the keys, her fingers brushing against his rough palm. A tremor of electric charge shot up her body and she placed her hand inside her pocket immediately, as if stung.

“Freddie, here!” Matteo said to his man, tossing the car keys over to him. The man caught them and went over to the Bentley, steering it straight inside the shop. 

“Please come inside, Emilia!” said Matteo, with a sly grin that made her breath get stuck in her throat. 

She followed him in silence, standing beside them and watching him inspect the damaged parts with Freddie. There was an effortless, animal-like grace in everything he did! It drew her to him all the more and she couldn’t look away. He turned to look right into her eyes and blinked, drawing her attention to his long, thick eyelashes. Amelia licked her parched lips, unable to fathom the strange feelings growing inside her. Matteo raised his eyebrow and then the corner of his mouth quirked upwards. He knew! He was aware of the effect he was having on her. Maybe he had the same effect on every woman he met!

Concentrating on the job at hand, he flexed his biceps, rolling his shirt sleeves up while bending down to take a look at the bumper. It immediately drew her attention to his tight, muscular backside encased in the figure-hugging slacks and a troupe of needy butterflies started fluttering in her stomach. 

“Amy, stop lusting after a random stranger! What’s wrong with you?” chided her inner mind. She looked away from the sinfully tempting creature and focused on the car and his assistant instead. 

“Matteo, the front bumper cover and the right bracket are broken. Other visible damage includes these scratches here beside the headlights and a dent near the fender here. I need time to assess any hidden frame collision damage and smoothen and fine-tune the vehicle as well,” said Freddie. Amy’s eyes widened with horror. That would cost her a lot! She wasn’t sure she had so much on her card. 

“Yes, we will go ahead with the repairs,” said Becca, entering the stall, watching Matteo like he was the tastiest piece of man-meat on earth! Amy rolled her eyes at her friend. Where were they when she needed them the most? Matteo turned towards Becca and flashed her a dazzling smile! The flirtatious as*hole! 

“I’m Matteo Ricci, the owner of this place!” Amy scowled at them, her insides burning with jealousy at seeing the way they flirted right under her nose. Becca fluttered her eyelashes, drooling already at the sight of him. 

“Rebecca Carrey. The car belongs to my uncle, Denver Carrey, a renowned criminal attorney here in NYC.” She stretched her hand forward for a shake, but to Amy’s relief, he ignored it completely. 

“We’ll discuss the final estimate and you need to grant me written permission before we proceed with the repair work,” said Matteo, his tone crisp and professional. Lizzy came over to join them, standing with Amy with an apprehensive look on her face. 

“Please come this way,” said Matteo, walking away towards his office. Becca flashed Amelia a victorious smile and followed Matteo to his office. Amelia stood in the stall with Lizzy, watching Freddie work, not interested in their flirting. 

“Becca has fallen for the as*hole, I think!” muttered Lizzy angrily. 

“When does she not?” Amy snorted, chiding herself mentally for feeling attracted to such a man. She had always avoided such guys all her life. What changed now? 

“Emilia? I called you to my office,” said Matteo with a frown on his beautiful features. Startled out of her thoughts, Amelia looked at him with a lost expression on her face while Becca rolled her eyes. 

“We need to discuss, right?” he reminded her impatiently. 

“Oh, you both can decide the amount and inform me. I’ll pay,” she shrugged, not making any move to join them. Matteo frowned and returned to the stall instead of heading to his office, much to Becca’s disappointment. 

“Why do you have to pay out of your pocket, Emilia? Why don’t you claim your uncle’s insurance?” asked Matteo, stopping beside Amy, and watching her with concern. 

“Denver Carrey is actually my uncle, Matteo. Amy is paying up because she caused the accident and I don’t want to anger my uncle. She can use her card and we will pay her later.”

Matteo frowned suspiciously, not liking the arrangement at all. 

“I don’t work this way, Ms. Carrey. I usually cooperate with the insurance company concerned in case of an accident. Nevertheless, I’ll prepare a legal permission of agreement for you to sign before my technician starts the repair work.” 

“Please call me Becca, Matteo. I’ll sign the permission if that’s what you want. You can take my number in case you need to contact me,” she chirped, gazing at him with open admiration reflected in her eyes. Matteo ignored the latter part of her offer and strode towards his office. 

“Fine. I’ll be back with the document.” After he left, Becca turned towards them with dreamy eyes. 

“Gosh! He’s so se*y! I want him in my bed every night! Did you see the way he smiled at me? I think he likes me,” she rambled on while Amelia felt a strange jealousy coursing through her body. 

“I doubt he does, Becca. He’s just being himself. Stop daydreaming about every guy you meet,” scolded Lizzy. His assistant Freddie grinned overhearing their conversation but his glance went to a quiet Amelia who chewed her lips worrying about the money. 

Amelia sighed with worry. She hadn’t told her friends that she had stuffed the wrong bank card in her wallet at the last minute. After paying for her airfare and shopping, that specific account had no more than two thousand dollars. How would she pay for the repairs? 

“Your just jealous, Lizzy. The way he looked at me said it all. He wants me the same way I want him.” The argument continued and Amelia walked away from them, deep in thought about the sticky situation she was in. Should she call her dad and request him to transfer some money into her account? No, it wasn’t a good idea. Her dad would kill her with his questioning. 

“Emilia! Come here and sign this.” Startled, Amy turned to find Matteo standing at the entrance to his office with an important-looking document in his hand. 

“Why would she sign? The car belongs to my family,” said Becca with a snort. 

“Whoever pays will sign. That’s how I work,” said Matteo, holding Amelia’s shocked gaze. Rebecca grumbled angrily and glanced at her friend while Lizzy smiled knowingly. She could see who the hot man was more interested in! 

“What are you waiting for, Amy? Go sign,” ordered Becca. It brought Amelia out of her daze and she rushed towards him to get it over and done with. 

“Where do I sign?” she asked the man who hadn’t taken his eyes off her even for a second. 

“Come inside,” he said on a softer note, leading the way into a small office that looked more like a crow’s nest with papers haphazardly stacked and stuff lying all around. Amelia’s eyes widened at the condition of his office! If this was his office, she didn’t want to see his home!

“How can you find anything here?” she asked, looking around for a place to keep the document and sign it. 

“I don’t! I really need a helping hand with this mess!” Amelia nodded and placed the document beside his laptop and signed. 

“You shouldn’t sign anything without reading it, Emilia!” he said, his hot breath fanning her neck as he stood close behind her, watching her sign. Acutely aware of his nearness, Amelia stood frozen, unable to turn and leave the close confines of his office. With his manly scent playing havoc with her senses, Amelia knew he had to escape his nearness before she made a fool of herself in front of him. She slowly turned around to face him, pasting a stiff smile on her face. 

“My name is Amelia. Why do you call me that?” 

He held her gaze, licking his lips as if trying to hold himself from saying something. Her gaze flickered briefly to his sinful lips that glistened seductively, inviting her for a taste. 

“Emilia suits you, signorina! I like the name better, don’t you?” he winked at her and walked out. “You can stay here and think of me! I’ll get the work started in the meantime.”