Page 59 of Empire of Seduction

When we were alone, I glared up at him. “What is your problem with Carlo? Because you don’t have any right to be mad at him for flirting with me.”

“He works for me and that is the second time I’ve caught him touching you. I don’t want him trying to get into your pants.”

“Well, he doesn’t work for me and I’ll sleep with whoever I want.” I leaned in and lowered my voice. “And you have no?—”

A strong smell hit me, one I recognized. Perfume, sweat, musty carpets. A hint of disinfectant and tobacco. It was how the high school guys smelled when they returned from the strip clubs. Tommy Favato had been a regular at Club X and I’d almost gagged the one time he and I hooked up during junior year.

Leaning in, I inhaled Vito’s suit. Yep. Definitely a strip club. “Which one did you visit, Sparkles or Club X? Sparkles has the prettiest girls, of course, but I hear Club X is a little looser with the rules, if you know what I mean.”

Vito drummed the fingers of his right hand on the table lightly. I didn’t want to stare at his hand so I focused on his handsome, lying face. He said, “I didn’t go there for that.”

“Really? Are you telling me you didn’t get a lap dance? Because I can smell perfume and baby oil on you.” The truth was plain in the stormy blue of his eyes. I gave a brittle laugh. “Are you really that hard up, Vito?”

“You’re wrong. About all of it.”

“Sure. I’m glad we talked, though. This was a good reminder for me.” I lifted my tray and walked away, feeling the weight of his stare on my back.

Fuck him.

My god, what an asshole. Off getting lap dances! Thank goodness I knew the truth about him. This was not a man who deserved my time or energy. Now if I could only stop fantasizingabout him, remembering every detail of our night together, that would be a big help.

I threw myself into the work behind the bar. I was a dynamo, doing anything Adam needed and pouring drinks with singular focus. Thinking about Vito was unacceptable. Then the group began to thin, everyone working their way into the dining room, and relief filled me. Soon I’d be able to go home and crawl into bed.

When the room was nearly empty, I finally looked around.

And my stomach dropped to my toes.

Vito was still at his table, but he wasn’t alone. A young woman was there—one of the bridesmaids, if I wasn’t mistaken—and she was standing close to him. A little too close. He was smiling down at her, then he said something that made her throw her head back and laugh—and my chest tightened painfully. He hadn’t smiled at me like that, not since the casino. No, he’d been cold and emotionless while tearing my life apart.

Well, he wasn’t cold and emotionless now. Was heflirtingwith her? Because the bridesmaid was clearly flirting with him. She tossed her hair and blinked her long lashes at him, her expression fascinated. I couldn’t blame her. Vito was good-looking and his accent was panty-melting. But he was also pretending to be married.

Then he lifted his left hand and I didn’t see a ring. There was nothing there, no band of silver wrapped around his fourth finger.

He took the ring off.

That motherfucker. My throat closed as a lump settled behind my ribs. There was only one reason he’d take off that ring and it was to sleep with this woman. I couldn’t breathe. The room tunneled to that table, a tiny sliver of horror in my brain, and I couldn’t decide whether to laugh, cry, or hurt someone.

I latched onto my anger, fanned it. Poured metaphorical gasoline on it until I was fuming.

Oh, hell no.

I didn’t care if he was single or not. He wasn’t picking up women in my winery. No, sir. I wouldn’t let it happen. Fuck that.

Hands shaking, I walked toward them, my fingers wrapped around a pair of scissors that I barely remembered picking up. I was too angry to think clearly, so there was no plan. I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do when I reached the table. It was like I was having an out of body experience, watching myself from above.

Vito noticed me first. He didn’t react, just cocked his head as I approached. The young girl rolled her lips and sipped from her wine glass, peeking up at Vito the entire time. I ignored her though. She hadn’t done anything wrong.

Walking up to him, I grabbed his tie with one hand. I think I surprised him, because he didn’t move or say anything. In a flash I lifted the scissors and cut through the expensive silk. It took three good slices, then I held half his tie in my free hand.

I dropped the scrap into his wine glass.

Then I looked at the bridesmaid. “Hey, babe. You should know that even though he isn’t wearing a ring right now, he’s married.”

Head high, I walked away. I didn’t know where I was going, but I couldn’t stay here for one more goddamn second.

eleven

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