Desire in Lingerie (Lingerie 7)

“Connects you to strangers,” he said. “Like I said, I don’t do setups. But when I saw your photograph and your painting…I couldn’t meet you quick enough. I wanted to meet you before you had a chance to meet someone else and I missed my shot.”

He flattered me again, which was surprising considering how good-looking he was. He had the perfect features that I liked in a man. I liked the traditional Italian appearance, with dark hair and skin. Bones looked nothing like that, but I’d never been so attracted to a man as I was to him. I’d described Matteo as perfect, but now he didn’t compare to the man who wasn’t right for me. “That’s flattering…” I forced a smile even though I didn’t feel it.

“I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable. But like I said, I’m transparent. You never have to wonder what I’m thinking.”

I never had to wonder what Bones was thinking either. I could just read it off his face. “What are you looking for in a woman at this time of your life?” I asked the question bluntly, out of curiosity. Attractive men like him usually just wanted good sex with no commitment. If that was all he was interested in, that was fine with me.

He shrugged. “I’m not sure. Sometimes I meet someone, and there’s a connection. We have a short-term fling that’s full of passion and heat. But then I lose interest and move on to the next woman. But I’m always looking for the right woman to settle down with. I’m not necessarily in a hurry, but if I met her, I wouldn’t let her go.” He stared at me with brown eyes, his gaze slightly intense. It wasn’t full of the power that Bones possessed, but it held a sliver of it. “May I ask what you’re looking for?”

Matteo said he would be transparent with me, so I decided to be the same with him. “I just got out of an intense relationship. We had a deep connection. But I ended things because I didn’t see a future with him.”

Matteo listened to every word without blinking.

“So I’m not sure what I’m looking for right now, whether it’s just a fling or something more. But I know if I’m ever in a relationship again, I won’t make the mistake of being with a man I don’t want to marry, regardless of how passionate we are.”

“That makes sense.”

“I made the mistake of letting a fling grow into something more. Next time, I’ll end it before it gets there. Because I am looking for the man I want to spend my life with. I want kids, and I want a husband who will be close to my family. I enjoy good sex with men I meet, but I don’t want to waste too much time on them.”

He drank his wine then gave a nod. “Looks like we’re one and the same.”

My phone vibrated again. He’s not good enough for you. Not even close.

I immediately locked the phone so the screen would turn black, not wanting Matteo to see it. Now I wondered if Bones could hear everything I was saying. But if that was the case, he would have to be very close.

My eyes scanned the room again.

“Except for the man part,” he said with a chuckle.

My eyes turned back to him, having no idea what that meant. “Sorry?”

“You said you like sleeping with the men you meet, but you don’t want to waste too much time on them…I said I feel the same way, except the man part.”

“Oh…” If I hadn’t been distracted by the message, I wouldn’t have made myself look like a fool. “Of course.”

He swirled his wine as his smile faded away. His eyes pierced mine, but he didn’t pressure me about my slipup.

The waiter arrived and took our order. While Matteo was absorbed in that, I looked around again but didn’t see Bones anywhere. I grabbed my phone and quickly texted him back. Where are you?

It’s rude to leave your date for another guy.

I definitely won’t be leaving him. You’ll be leaving.

Baby, you look so beautiful when you’re mad.

I was going to kill him.

“And what will you be having tonight?” the waiter asked.

I dropped my phone and ordered, doing my best to appear casual. Bones was ruining my date with this nice man—and it was completely intentional.

The waiter disappeared, and we returned to our conversation.

Matteo drank his wine again, drinking just the way my parents did. He could handle his wine because he was used to drinking it around the clock. “Would it be alright if I asked you about the last man you were seeing?”

I was an open book. “Sure.”

“This ended recently?”

I despised people who lied about the truth of their lives. If Matteo didn’t like the answer I gave, then it only told me he wasn’t right for me sooner rather than later. “Two weeks ago.”