Page 33 of A Billionaire for Christmas
‘We’ll see.’
‘No, we won’t,’ Molly said firmly. He may be as handsome as his brother, but Lucca was already beginning to get on her nerves. Out of her peripheral vision she saw Levi crossing the lounge towards them.
‘Lucca!’ he barked. ‘Leave her alone.’
Lucca threw his head back and laughed. ‘I’m not doing anything. You’ve both saidnothingis going on between you. We’re all adults. I’m just being friendly.’ He winked at Molly.
‘Well, befriendlywith someone else,’ said Levi through gritted teeth. ‘Molly is an employee of mine. Show some respect.’
Molly thought that that was a bit rich all things considered, but it was Lucca who was quick to take him down. ‘The kind of respect you’ve been showing her?’
Touché.
‘That’s enough. I don’t want to argue.’ Levi regarded his brother. Both men were the same height but there was something about his confident air that gave Levi the edge.
‘We wouldn’t know how else to talk to each other,’ Lucca replied cockily. ‘Molly, apologies if I overstepped. I will leave you two topretendingthat nothing is going on between you.’
As he sauntered off, Levi and Molly stood in uneasy silence.
‘Sorry about him,’ Levi said.
‘From what I’ve seen, you’re both as bad as each other.’ Molly was still irked at the way Levi had so casually dismissed her earlier.
‘Meaning?’
‘One minute you’re all over me, and the next you’re treating me like I’m the hired help.’
‘You literallyarethe hired help.’
Molly was finding his regular and maddeningly accurate observations increasingly annoying. ‘Yes. How could I forget? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have meals to prepare.’
Levi stiffened. ‘Don’t feel you have to join us for dinner.’
‘Happy not to.’
‘We’ll just help ourselves.’
‘Isn’t that what you usually do?’
Levi raised his eyebrows, but Molly was already slamming kitchen cupboard doors and drawers. She heard him say something like ‘try not to be so puerile’ before he left.
* * *
Hours later, Molly risked going back to the kitchen to fix herself some supper. She’d left everything warming in the ovens and hoped that the two men had left her something to eat. She opened the oven door to find a full rack of roasted lamb and vegetables. But… if they hadn’t eaten that… Molly quickly checked the smaller oven to see that her meat face was gone.
‘I’d heard that the resort had an innovative new chef, but that was quite something,’ said Lucca, standing in front of her with an empty plate. ‘And while I appreciated the irony of you quite literally serving yourself up on a platter, I’m not sure my brother did. Although, to be fair it did look remarkably like you.’
Oh, dear. There you go, Levi, you handsome bugger. Resentment on a plate. Enjoy!
Molly tried to picture Levi tucking in as he stared down at her image, made entirely of squashed sausage.
‘By the way, great idea to use red pepper for the lips and sprouts for your hazel eyes. Very tasty. Quite delicious.’
‘That was not meant for you.’ She grabbed some oven gloves and bent down to retrieve the slow-roasted lamb. She put the heavy dish on the bench. The aromas filled the kitchen. She placed the rack of roasted vegetables beside it. ‘Thiswas what was on the menu. Did you at least find the dessert I left for you?’
Lucca shook his head.
This was on her. She should have risen above it and served dinner properly. ‘Apologies. I wouldn’t normally abandon my post. Can I get you some dessert now? If it’s not too late?’
