Page 10 of Entangled Vow
“Clayton Manning.”He removed his aviators, which until now he had been wearing indoors like the cheesy dork he was, then shook her hand.“And who might you be?”
Because it seemed like Janine had swallowed her tongue or somehow forgotten how to speak, I answered for her.“This is Janine Vasquez, the general manager of this property.She is worth her weight in gold.”
“Now that’s a glowing endorsement.”He only had eyes for her, and I could feel her practically melting under his gaze.“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Janine.”
“The pleasure is mine,” she murmured.
He hadn’t blinked, too busy studying her face, his eyes warming as his smile widened.He knew how to charm women, but the ability to get a girl pregnant just by looking at her a certain way didn’t translate to him being some hospitality genius.
Finally, he turned his attention toward me.“Miss Rinaldi, excuse the intrusion, but there was some business I wanted to discuss with you before I took it any further.Can we have a few minutes?”
“Please, don’t let me get in your way.”Janine picked up the tub of knives.“I can polish these someplace else.”
I almost wished she wouldn’t.This marked the first time the two of us would be alone.Considering he took up most of the air in the room, not even a ballroom built for three hundred guests was big enough.
I was a big girl, though, and he was the one butting in where he wasn’t invited.I held that truth close to my heart as I waited for Janine to lead a few staff members into the hall.
He checked over his shoulder, watching Janine retreat.“Do these people know?Have they heard what’s going on?”Funny how the charming lilt in his voice had gone flat.Apparently, I didn’t deserve his best effort.
“Janine mentioned whispering with upper management, but that’s as far as it’s gone.”I inserted another menu into another napkin before starting on the next one.There was something satisfying about creating sharp creases at a moment like this when control felt completely out of my grasp.“So?What did you decide?Is this your way of giving me the courtesy of letting me know first?”
Opening his suit jacket, he slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks.They fit him beautifully, tailored to accommodate his thick thighs.“It doesn’t have to be this way, you realize.”Dimples appeared on his cheeks when he grinned briefly.“We don’t have to consider ourselves on opposite sides of this.”
What was his angle?His friendliness lifted the fine hairs on the back of my neck.He was trying too hard.What was the point?“Why don’t you explain what you mean instead of throwing cryptic language at me?”I suggested, using the flat edge of a knife to create those sharp creases I was looking for.
He snorted, watching me work.“Do you always do napkin origami when you visit your properties?”
“Sure.Can I make something for you?A swan, maybe?”
“Are you always this argumentative?”
Fuck this.I rolled my eyes once aggressive politeness was too much to maintain.“Are you going to keep asking questions, or are you going to tell me why you’re here?Let’s not pretend it was a coincidence you happened to be in Santa Barbara at the same time I am.”
“Who’s pretending?I didn’t give you an excuse.”He admired the crystal stemware covering one of the tables, waiting to be distributed to each place setting.“I wanted to have a real talk with you before I give your father my final decision.”
Was I supposed to thank him?“Wow, imagine that.Somebody talking things over with me beforehand.”
“Hey, don’t get on my case.I was just as surprised as you were yesterday.”With a smirk that threatened to curl my toes, he added, “I could just as easily accuse you of being a gold digger.Using the family brand as leverage to convince a billionaire to marry you.”
Fucker.He wanted a reaction?He was going to get one.I threw a napkin back onto the pile, glaring at him.“And if you’ve done half the due diligence a man with your resources is capable of, you would know I don’t need a cent of your money.I’m not interested.”
“That’s the thing about money.There’s no such thing as enough.”
“Hang on.Let me find a pen to write down these pearls of wisdom.”Folding my arms, I said, “Let’s stop wasting time.Are you taking the offer?”
“I have decided to, yes.”
Shocker.“Terrific.I’m sure you and my father will be very happy on our wedding day.”
“I came all the way out here to talk a few things over with you, so we’re on the same page.Are you going to listen to me, or are you going to keep offering the same childish comments?”
I took a seat on a nearby chair.“Go ahead.Say what you came to say.”
If only he wasn’t so impossibly hot when he grinned.Like he knew he was doing something he shouldn’t.Almost daring the people around him to tell him to stop, knowing they wouldn’t.I wondered how much he had gotten away with based on that smile alone.“Like I said before you interrupted me, we can work together.I don’t expect you to be my silent, accommodating wife.I say this respectfully.Your father might be stuck in a different time.I’m not.”
Interesting, but not enough to win me over.“Yet you’re accepting the offer.”
Lifting a shoulder, he replied, “Business is business.”
