Page 37 of Mr. Aster
Now, I was the one reduced to one-word responses, in shock about what would happen next.
“It’s like Sebastian said—your dad, of course,” she rubbed my leg briskly again and smiled, referring to my dad by his first name like they were friends, “with everything Mark is doing, and withyoufalling in love with a simple winery owner’s daughter in California, they need good press…” she paused and looked at her dad. “I’m sure Mr. Aster meant no disrespect when he put it to me that way, Dad.” She looked back at me, “I think he was just a little upset that he had to find out about our beautifulrelationship from me and notyou,” she chuckled. “So, it came out harshly, but I understood why. He just wants to ensure both of his sons cease throwing all the one-percenters into hysterics and causing any further harm to the Aster family name andfortune,” she said the word with wide eyes and excitement. “He’s pressing for this article to come out sooner than later.”
“Well, I’ll speak with him,” I said, not knowing what to expect from my dad now. “He will understand we don’t have time for silly articles when we must get this winery up and running.”
“Funny, he said something similar when I first told him about our relationship. Something along the lines of sending you out here for business and not fucking?”
My eyes widened.
“Don’t worry. My parents already know you’ve hardly been able to keep it in your pants since finding out how much I was in love with you.”
“What the hell are you doing?” I finally said, dropping the bullshit.
“You seem upset?” she feigned sadness.
“Will you both please excuse us?” I said, smiling.
I was thankful Tina and Billy were so in love with love that they didn’t see my mask slip.
“Go ahead. You two enjoy the rest of your night. Billy and I are going to join Ines and Antonio for a movie night with the kids.”
“Fantastic,” I said.
“Don’t get too loud,” her dad teased with a giggle, referring to our nonexistent sex life.
“Billy!” Tina swatted at her husband as they both laughed with the joy of a thousand children on Christmas Eve.
Darcy and I would have to establish some ground rules from here on out before we both regretted this. I was ninety percentsure that she’d contacted my parents, and it was going to take a considerable effort to piece that back together.
My amusement about this charade had quickly faded, putting me in damage control mode all because Darcy thought the best way to fuck with me was to snitch me out to my family. She didn’t realize it was the dumbest move she could’ve made.
She had no idea how dangerous the bear was that she’d poked.
Chapter Fifteen
Darcy
“You will tell me what exactly you’re up to,” Sebastian snarled after my parents floated out of the dining room on a cloud of love.
I met his angered expression with a look of innocence, “I think you need to take your own advice. Remember when you told me not toact like a nagging wife?”
“Forgive meif I’m upset to learn that myfakegirlfriend went behind my back and called my father,of all people,” he snarled.
He was right where I wanted him, wishing he’d never fucked with me. I was not a woman who would kiss his ass, so I couldn’t imagine why he was surprised that I wouldn’t back down. I couldn’t care less what this man thought about me, or if I made him angry, and with that in mind, I called upDaddy Aster.I told dear old Dad how his son had fallen in love with me, leaving him with the sinking feeling that his and Margot’s plan for Sebastian to get over his grief had backfired on them.
I said it in a compelling, innocent way, of course. I wouldn’t want to give the Asters a real reason to dislike me. It was better to stick to the straight-up, black-and-white reason: classism.
“You know, if this is yourtruepersonality, we should probably break up. Abuse is a horrific thing for a person to go through?—”
“Agh,” he practically yelled. “This is preposterous! You are out of your goddamn mind.”
“I thought the same thingabout youhours before I was blackmailed to do any of this. Perhaps now that your parents are involved, you’ll dump me for calling them behind your back? Then, you can still give me the article because your dad expects it now, and we can peacefully go our separate ways. Sounds like the perfect solution.”
Unexpectedly, he flashed the wolf grin I found sexybeforeI realized there was nothing sexy about it or him.
“So, you thought your cute little phone call to my father would make me end all this?” he said, his smile growing broader as he cocked his head to the side to wait for my answer.
“I was hoping it would,” I answered truthfully.
