The Truth About De Campo(61)
Walter frowned. “You have fifteen minutes left to make your case, Mr. De Campo. Use them as you will.”
Matteo inclined his head toward Quinn whose eyes were as big as saucers. “Join me in the hallway for a moment?”
She started to protest, then a quick glance around the room at the undivided attention the two of them were generating brought her scrambling to her feet. “What are you doing?” she hissed as they walked out into the hallway and he shut the door. “You have at least a third of your presentation left.”
He braced his palm against the wall. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Matteo, you need to get back in there and—”
“Not until you tell me why you look like crap.”
“Where were you?”
His gaze sharpened. “In California with Gabe like my text said.”
She stared at him. “The only text I got was the one that said we needed to talk.”
He frowned. “I sent one in the morning before I left. Told you I’d be back today in time for the pitch.”
“I never got it.”
His mind whirled in a race against time. “Where did you think I was?”
“I thought you’d left.”
“Left?”
She squeezed her eyes shut and leaned back against the wall. “The first I knew my marriage had ended was when Julian sent movers on a Saturday morning when he was supposed to be in Boston watching a ball game.”
His jaw dropped. “You think I would have walked out like that? Dammit, Quinn, has this week not convinced you of how I feel? I was talking about buying houses with you, for God’s sake.”
She pressed her palms to her face. “I came home so excited to cook a meal for you. I was so hurt when you weren’t there. I didn’t get that text. I wasn’t thinking rationally. All your things were gone. Then I saw Giancarlo’s watch this morning, and your suit, and I told myself I needed to trust you. That for once I needed to have faith in someone.” She locked her gaze on his. “Because if it isn’t you, Matteo, I won’t ever have it.”
His heart contracted into a tight fist in his chest. “Do you think a confirmed bachelor starts making plans to buy a house with a woman he isn’t crazy about?”
“You were very casual about it.”
“I was fishing. Seeing what you thought.”
“Oh.” A tiny smile curved her lips. “Sometimes I’m not so good at the subtle.”
“You don’t say.” He shook his head. “You operate with all the subtlety of an 18-wheeler.”
The vulnerability staining her green eyes tore at his heart. He uttered a low curse. “You are killing me right now, Quinn. I have a very beautiful, very you rock in my pocket I was going to give to you in a very romantic proposal after this presentation to prove I love you no matter what happens with this deal. Do not make me do this now.”
Her eyes rounded. “You have a ring in your pocket?”
“Yes.” He put her away from him with a grimace. “Now if you could please wipe the thought from your head, preferably until tonight when I can do it right, I will go and try to secure our future with the ten minutes I have left.”
“I’m not sure I can do that,” she whispered.
“Work it out,” he came back grimly.
She followed him back into the room. Heart racing, he tore ruthlessly through the rest of the presentation in just enough time to get to the last slide, take five minutes of questions and look around the room. All the committee members were smiling except for the cagey Luxe head chef. He exhaled deeply. He’d done all he could. And when it came down to it that’s all a man could do. Lay down your best and hope it was enough.
Walter Driscoll thanked him and said he’d be in touch within the week. Matteo shook hands with the others, gathered his things and gave Quinn a pointed look. “Time for a coffee?”
Quinn tried not to think about the ring as she dropped her things off in her office and rode the elevator to the ground floor with Matteo. But she was walking on air and dammit, the man she was crazy about had a ring in his pocket. How was she supposed to pretend it didn’t exist?
Her heels clicked on the pavement as they walked outside, her love for this man bigger than all of it. Bigger than the vibrant city that pulsed around them. Bigger than the sunshine beating down on their shoulders, gilding everything in a warm golden glow.
Bigger than the pain of the past.
She tugged on his hand as he dragged her toward the coffee shop on the corner and dug in her heels.
“I can’t.”
He eyed her. “Can’t what?”
She pulled in a breath. “I can’t go for a coffee with you when I know you have a ring in your pocket. It is physically impossible.”