The Twelve Vitali Ch. 10

"I didn't realise you'd want to display the sketches as well," Cat said.

"They won't take long to frame, I'm assuming they are all standard size. If you can bring them with you tomorrow, we can spend the day choosing which ones we will use."

"I think maybe we should look them tonight. It's just that I've been putting off some things while I was out at the property painting and I'm not sure how much time I will have tomorrow to spend on the sketches," Cat said honestly. She made Matteo wait, and she didn't know how the conversation would go later tonight or if she would feel like dealing with all of this tomorrow depending on that outcome.

"Do you think they would have arrived yet?" Roz asked.

"If they went with the movers, then they won't be here for a while yet, and we can get them to drop your equipment here if you like. I'll get D. to call and get a time of arrival for you," Peri suggested. "I'm sure we can work around your schedule."

"We can talk about the framing without the sketches here," Roz said encouragingly. "I assume they are pencil sketches, not charcoal or pen?"

"They are here. The sketches came in a separate box with the portrait in case anything happened to it and I needed to make repairs," Cat said nervously. They walked through the warehouse space to where the canvas's were being unboxed for the framers.

Cat allowed herself to get pulled along by the enthusiasm of the other two women, and she stayed until both Josh and Dante entered the room and told them they had to at least stop for dinner. It was only then that she realised just how late it was and wondered if she should message Matteo to let him know she was still stuck in meetings.

Cat walked over to where her bag sat and pulled out her phone. She'd forgotten to turn her phone back on after the flight, and she grimaced as she saw Matteo had left two messages for her. Not that she would have answered him during the flight or the meeting, but she still felt dreadful that it was almost eight O'clock and she was still here. At least she would have tomorrow free this way, whether that was a good thing or not was yet to be seen.

She scanned the messages as she walked back through the buildings, realising that they were all interlocking by a series of corridors, and found herself in the offices of House of Lorraine where the smell of food reminded her it had been almost eight hours since she had eaten. Reading the messages, she discovered that Matteo had arrived this afternoon and met with Josh and Dante about their building development, and he had told her just to message him when she was done with her meetings.

She began typing a message when she stopped and looked up. Josh and Dante were here. Did that mean Matteo was here too? She looked around the offices and saw him walking slowly toward her looking even more handsome than she remembered. She smiled nervously; this was not what she had planned for when she saw him again.

"Hey, I was just about to message you," she said, plastering a smile on her face and trying not to let the butterflies in her stomach combine with her hunger to get the better of her.

"Hi," he slid a hand around her waist and leaned in to kiss her cheek before stepping back, wishing he could have just pulled her to him and kissed her properly, making her remember how good they had been together.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," she said.

"I had time to kill, and, despite appearances, Dante needs all the help he can get when he's babysitting Josh while Peri is busy," he smirked.

"I'm right here," Josh groaned.

"We know," Dante said in a deadpan voice. "We're the babysitters, and Peri promised us rewards if we kept you safe while she was busy. You didn't have a nap this afternoon, though, which is probably why you're getting cranky."

"I thought he was cranky because we didn't feed him yet," Matteo frowned.

"Cat, come get some food, I know you must be starving," Josh invited and put a hand around her waist, guiding her to the small buffet they had set out. On his way, he gathered Peri on the other side of him and grinned evilly at Dante and Matteo. "Now, ladies, what can I get you to drink?"

"You've got to admit that was smooth," Matteo chuckled.

"He's a one-trick pony. He pulled that stunt on the Battaglia once and got away with it. Now he pulls it out whenever he's feeling picked on. The women fall for it because he's so pretty," Dante said disgustedly. "You know you don't have to go along with that every time, Peri," he complained.

"What can I say? The man knows what women want," she laughed. "Right now we want food and something to drink. Thank you, Josh, for being so, considerate." Peri kissed him softly.

"Thank you, Josh, I could really use a glass of wine if you have it," Cat played along, kissing his cheek.

"I don't think I'd mind so much if he weren't so pretty," Matteo commented as Josh walked past them to the wine the caterers had brought with them.

The teasing banter continued throughout the meal as they sat in and around the large desk in Dante's office. Cat was glad to have a single chair, and she sat with her plate on her lap, playing with her food despite being hungry. For his part, Matteo seemed to be giving her some space, or giving himself space. She watched as he interacted with everyone in the office except her. She had believed when he called her that he intended to offer her the proposal again, but now she realised that he must have another reason. Maybe he had realised giving her the apartment was a mistake and wanted it back. Maybe he needed her to sign a non-disclosure statement after all. Maybe he wanted what Ricco wanted and for her to stay hidden as a Kept.

She thought that she would be able to tell him that she understood why he didn't want to risk his heart again. She thought that maybe they could renegotiate the agreement, but as she watched him she knew that she had been one of the many women who had let him down, and he wouldn't forgive her so easily. She sighed and took her plate back to the buffet thinking to find a rubbish bin there to get rid of the now cold food that she'd barely touched.

"You barely touched the food. Didn't you like it?" Matteo asked from behind her.

"I guess I wasn't as hungry as I thought," she said quietly. "I can grab something later if I get hungry," she said, schooling her features and turning to face him.

"Dante said you and Peri were in there since lunchtime with Roz, you should eat something. You'll need your energy later, I don't want you falling asleep when I'm trying to talk to you," he said, the corners of his mouth turning up into a tentative smile.

"I don't know how long we're going to be here," she said, looking to where Roz and Peri sat deep in discussion again. "Maybe we should talk tomorrow instead."

"No!" he growled. "I have been patient. I have waited. I stayed away when you asked me to. We will talk tonight. Whether you want to or not! Now, what would you like to eat and I will go out and get it for you," his tone was commanding and made Cat look up at him, forgetting to mask her surprise.

"Maybe we could pick up a pizza on the way home?" she asked softly. "I don't want to seem ungrateful for all of this."

"Then don't drink any more wine on an empty stomach, please," he instructed, taking her glass from her hand and putting it on the table. "I want you to hear and understand everything I have to say tonight."

"Okay," Cat said, suddenly unsure of everything she had thought she knew about this man.

"If you have work to finish I suggest you do it soon before my patience wears out entirely!" his voice was a low growl, as if he was angry with her, and she could sense a tension in him that she hadn't seen earlier.

"Matteo, I..." she began.

"Have work to do, I know," he finished her sentence for her. "I will wait until you are done as long as you are not planning on pulling an all-nighter," he added. "You really should eat something else," his voice softened slightly. "Please?" he added as an afterthought.

"Cat," Peri interrupted them. "Roz and I were thinking that we might call it a night after all and begin again in the morning. I know you said you had plans tomorrow, but I think we have a good handle on which sketches you'd agree to us adding to the exhibit, and you can have the right of veto before we let anyone else see them."

"Considering I just got back today I will have to check on my plans for tomorrow. If they don't pan out I will be here," Cat tried to sound normal, despite the fact that her heart had begun to pound in her chest. "I'll let you know if Mick is able to courier those few pieces up to go with the sketches and portrait. Maybe I should just come in, regardless. I could make it for an hour or two in the afternoon, maybe," she said. "I'm just not sure how it's all going to work because I've been out of town for so long."

"It's fine, Cat, we'll work it out. This isn't our first showing here, there is no need to be so anxious," Roz said, reaching out to touch her arm. "If we have questions, we'll call, and you will see it in enough time to make changes before we open to the family and public if all goes well."

"I'll give you a lift home if you're ready then," Matteo offered. "You seem tired. It's been a long day for you, hasn't it."

"Thanks, that would be nice, as long as you don't mind leaving now," she said awkwardly.

"What am I going to do, stay here on my own? I guarantee they aren't going to let Peri go home alone," he chuckled, pointing to Josh and Dante.

"Oh, I didn't think," she mumbled. "I'll just grab my bag and be ready to go. I'll call in the morning and let you know what my plans are, Roz," she said after grabbing her bag from beside the chair she'd vacated. In reality, the sketches all belonged to Peri anyway, and if she wanted to display them, she could. She'd asked Mick to courier the few paintings she still had at home to the museum, and she'd already approved their reframing and use. There was no real need for her to be at the gallery, but she felt like she should be, and if things didn't go well with Matteo tonight, she might well need the distraction and excuse to leave the apartment in the morning.

Matteo placed his hand gently on the small of her back and guided her out to a bright yellow car that looked like it would be more at home on a race track than the city streets.

"Did you rent a car while you're here this time?" she asked as he helped her into the car.

"It's one of Larry's fleet. He was bragging about it over New Years. Apparently they only made two hundred and fifty of these, and it's one of the few high-end sports cars who's production base is in Australia," he said as he climbed into the driver's seat and brought the engine to life with a loud rev.

Cat hung onto the edge of her seat as they sped through the city, her knuckles turning white as he took corners at alarming speeds making her think they might roll or skid out of control. Neither she nor Matteo spoke as he drove as if it was a race to make it to her apartment. He pulled into the underground parking garage without seeming to slow down, and Cat closed her eyes and braced for impact as the tyres squealed across the slick surface. It took her a moment to realise the car had stopped and Matteo had shut off the engine.

"Are you insane!" Cat yelled, reefing open the car door and stepping out, shaking slightly from the terror of the ride home. "You could have killed us!" She stared at Matteo for a minute as he too stepped out of the car, and then she stormed toward the elevator.

"That car is a precision machine, and I was in full control at all times, there was no risk of crashing, because that's what I do! I assess the risk and remain in control at all times! I couldn't have become the man I am today without that ruthless sense of control over everything in my life!" he yelled back at her, stalking toward her as she backed up against the elevator doors. He heard the lift jolt behind them, and his hand snapped out to grab her arm before she could fall back as the doors opened.

Cat gasped, her eyes wide as she almost fell but for his vice-like grip on her arm. Righting herself, she let him push her into the elevator and stood in shock, not only at the car ride home but by the fact that he had yelled at her. She wasn't sure if she was afraid of him or grateful to him for saving her from falling, even though he had caused her to be in that position in the first place. He was definitely mad now though, she realised, and she tried to steady her nerves as the elevator opened again and he propelled her down the corridor to her apartment, still clutching her arm.

He unlocked the door and pushed her inside, finally letting go of her arm. She instinctively rubbed at the muscle he had gripped so tightly.

"Sit!" he growled and pointed at a chair. "Be warned, if you try to lock yourself in the bathroom again I am fully capable and in the right frame of mind tonight to break the door down!"

"You're not acting like a man in control of anything right now," she said, bravely standing with her hands on her hips in the face of his demands.

"Why? Why can't you just do one thing that I ask without having to argue or negotiate?" He ran his hand through his hair advancing on her.

"Fine, I'll sit!" she hissed, putting her hands up in front of her as if to keep him away. He saw the fear in her eyes then and hated himself for putting it there.

"I am not that guy!" Matteo raged in the face of her obvious fear of him at that moment. "I'm not a crazy stalker guy who's going to beat you and rape you!" The fact that he felt like doing just that then made him realise just how frustrated and angry he was, not with her but with himself. He blew out a large breath and picked up his phone to order pizza for her, knowing that she hadn't eaten much at all today.

Cat looked at him in horror. She never accused him of being like Ned, but he seemed so angry with her, and the ride home had terrified her. She watched him order her a pizza with everything and visibly begin to take hold of his raging temper as he concentrated on the small device in his hands.

"I would never accuse you of being like Ned," she said softly into the silence that enveloped them. She didn't want to fight with this man, she wanted to talk to him, to tell him she knew why he wanted the business partnership, and understood that what he had been through as a child would leave its scars on anyone's life. Her mother hadn't loved her, but she had never tried to murder her.

"Why not? David did!" he hissed. "Pizza will be here in twenty minutes. I restocked your refrigerator this afternoon, but you should eat before having a beer or wine. Would you like juice or something?" he offered as if distracting himself by the contents of her refrigerator which he opened.

"David?" she asked, wondering why David would have said such a thing. She stood and walked toward the kitchen where he stood. "Why would David accuse you of being like Ned?"

"He said there was a fine line between being an ardent admirer and crazy stalker guy and that I was making him question which side of the line I was on when it didn't look like I was going to give you the space and time you had asked for," Matteo admitted. "I think he might have actually kicked my ass if I hadn't stopped trying to make you talk to me while you were at the Gathering."

"David threatened you?" she asked incredulously.

"Not in so many words, but the implication was there. David loves you, I expect that using him to get to you when he didn't even know we had been involved was a bad move on my behalf, but I was not in the best place at the time, and I wanted... needed," he corrected himself, "To talk to you, and you wouldn't answer my calls!"

"I'm here now," she said, keeping her voice soft in the face of his anger which seemed to be rising again. "Why weren't you in the best place at the time?"

"Are you?" He growled. "You finally text me that you're back and I find you working late and then trying to put off seeing me until tomorrow, and then tomorrow there would be another excuse, no doubt!" he let his frustration and anger show fully again. "Are you here now and ready to talk?"

"Yes, I'm here, and I'm listening, but all I'm hearing is that you're angry with me. Is that what you want to talk to me about? You wanted to make sure I knew that you were mad at me for saying no to your business proposal?" She asked, letting her disappointment show in her voice. "Well, I know now, so don't bother dragging this out anymore. I get it, you hate losing, but I am not a business deal to be won or lost. How stupid do I feel thinking that you had missed me, even just a little bit, when all I could think about while I was away was how much I missed you. You're angry, I deserve that. I'm sorry I let emotions get in the way of your perfect plan. I was prepared to work it out, renegotiate somehow, but I can see that's not going to happen now. Just go, Matteo, you've made your point," she said sadly and began to walk away from him to the other end of the studio space.

Matteo watched her, his mind reeling. She had missed him. She had come back prepared to work it out with him. She was asking him to leave because she couldn't see or understand why he was so angry, not with her but with himself and the situation he had once again created because he couldn't face his own feelings for her.

"I'm not angry, I'm terrified," he admitted, following her from the kitchen area, and found he had to pull up as she turned to face him with tears in her eyes that he hadn't seen before. "You terrify me." He accused, and took her in his arms and kissed her. "Don't ask me to leave again," he murmured against her lips before deepening the kiss again and holding her tightly to his body. He held her like that, kissing her for a long time before finally letting her up for air. She hadn't resisted, and that gave him hope that he hadn't fucked everything up entirely.

"What are you scared of?" she whispered breathlessly as he finally drew away from the kiss.

"You, and the way you make me feel. You're erratic and unpredictable, I can't risk manage you. You make me feel things I had thought I had buried long ago. Things I didn't want to feel. I missed you more than I wanted to admit before I even left that day. You make me feel out of control, and I hate that!" he admitted. "Being in the gallery tonight, the drive home, even this fucking pizza," he looked at his vibrating phone. "I can control those things; I have absolutely no control when it comes to you."

He answered his phone and went to the door to get the pizza from the delivery guy as Cat stood stunned by his admission and watched as he moved so effortlessly in the space. He waited impatiently at the door as the night guard let the guy in and up in the elevator while Cat went back to the kitchen and gathered plates and napkins, taking them to the table.

Her stomach was still tied in knots, and the last thing she wanted to do right now was eat, but she knew he would tell her to eat, and if it gave him a small sense of control she would force herself to eat a piece. Everything she had learned from Pete about the men of the tables spun around in her mind, and she tried to sort through the best way to approach the conversation they had to have before they could move forward or part forever.

"Eat something, please," he said when he returned to her and put the box on the table between them. He watched as she sat down and took a large piece from the box and bit into it before he moved to the kitchen to grab them both a beer.

"I want this, I want you, messy emotions and all, but there are things about my family and my future that you need to know. There are things that come with loving and having a future with someone like me," he confessed without going so far as to admit he loved her. Once he had told her everything, about his future, his family expectations and the possibility of having to allow Ricco into their relationship, then he would fully open his heart. Until then he needed to guard the small amount of self-preservation he had left because he wasn't sure he could cope with being rejected by her twice.