Page 111 of Empire of Seduction

Not meeting her gaze, I put my juice glass in the sink. “I’m busy at the moment. Maybe later.”

“This won’t take long,” Paloma said. “I promise.”

“I can check the tank readings, if you want,” Mikey offered. I knew he was trying to help because he didn’t understand. And now I looked like a bitch if I said no.

I pressed my hands into the bar and clutched the wood like a lifeline. Maybe it was best to get this over with. “Okay, sure. If it’s quick.”

“I’ll give you privacy,” my brother said, standing. After he closed his laptop, he moved closer to Paloma, a little too close actually, and dropped his voice. “If you’d like a tour of the property later, I’m free all day.”

“I would like that very much,” she returned in the same tone.

I tried to keep my juice down. Mikey and I would be having a very serious conversation soon. “Thanks, bro,” I snapped. “We wouldn’t want to hold you up.”

My brother disappeared toward his office and I gave Paloma a hard stare. “Donotsleep with my brother.”

Unbothered, she slid gracefully onto a bar stool. “Why not? You are fucking mine.”

“That’s different. And none of your business.”

“Wrong. Vito is very much my business.” She folded her hands on the wood and I tried not to stare at her perfect nails. “I have been ordered to apologize to you.”

She had? By who, Vito? I didn’t know how to feel about that. Clearly, Paloma didn’t like me, but he shouldn’t interfere. I didn’t need anyone to fight my battles for me.

Seconds ticked by and her dark eyes continued to stare into mine, her expression cool and indecipherable. I refused to let this woman intimidate me. She had no reason to dislike me, other than I was Vito’s fling at the moment. Soon that would be over and everything would go back to the way it was.

I waited for the apology. It never came.

I knocked my knuckles twice on the bar. “Good talk. See you around.”

“Wait.”

“What is it?”

“Are you after his money?”

What thefuck?The room spun as all the blood in my body rushed to my head. “Are you fucking serious right now?”

“I never joke about money.” She tilted her head. “So, tell me. Are you hoping for a payout?”

Everything in me went still. My bones, my skin. Each cell, frozen to the core. Was this how the world saw me, as some gold digger? Was this whatVitothought? I hadn’t asked for anything from him, not even things for the winery, let alone me. I didn’t care about his money.

A rush of anger went through me, like someone took a blow torch to my insides. I burned with hatred for this woman. If we were still in high school, I would’ve wrestled her to the floor already.

Leaning on the bar with both hands, I sneered at her. “Fuck. You.”

She appeared calm in the face of my anger. Unbothered. “You can see why I would be concerned, no? You are much younger than him and you clearly are struggling.” She gestured to me, insulting me further. “I’m very protective of my brothers. So, do you care for him—or are you using him to improve your vineyards?”

“Listen up, bitch.” I pointed right in her face. “I don’t know what your fucking problem is, but stay away from me. We’re not friends, we’re not co-workers, okay? I don’t want your brother’s money; I only want his dick. Which he’s giving me on the regular right now until he goes back to Toronto. Got it? So put your manicured gel tips away and stop trying to start shit with me. Because I promise, if you keep this up, I will take you down, mobbed-up brothers or not.”

I snatched my gloves off the bar and stomped out of the tasting room. I went into the bottling room and flicked on the overhead lights. Then I locked the door behind me, lest anyone want to follow me and lob any more accusations my way.

Goddamn it. I couldn’t remember the last time I was this mad, this rattled. Maybe when Mikey lost the winery to Vito? But even then, it hadn’t felt like a personal insult tome.

Paloma had insulted me to my face. Repeatedly.

I hated mean girls. Women, whatever. Did Vito know what a bitch his sister was? Probably not, based on what I saw of their family dynamic this morning. Well, I wouldn’t be the one to tattle. I could handle Paloma for however long she was staying. It couldn’t be more than a few days. Maybe a week?

In the meantime, I’d stay with Mikey upstairs in the winery. There wasn’t a second bedroom, but there was a storage room big enough for an air mattress. No way in hell was I sleeping at the cottage or at my house while that woman was on the property. She might strangle me when my eyes were closed.

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