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“Perdonami,” I said earnestly. “I shouldn’t have said it.”
“No, you shouldn’t have. I flew in from Roma to save your ass, V. The least you could do is show some fucking gratitude.”
“You’re right. Forgive me.”
“Get the fuck out. I have work to do and you’re pissing me off.”
I exhaled, braced my palms on the counter, and leaned over. “I’m sorry, Maz. Truly. But I don’t want you hitting on her.”
“I won’t hit on her. I never would, knowing how you feel about her.”
“I don’t feel anything for her. I’m her employer.”
“That wouldn’t stop you, if you decided to pursue her. My guess is that you want her, but she hates you.”
My brothers were perceptive assholes sometimes.
I put some emphasis behind my words. “Stay away from her—and don’t tell her I’m single.”
“It’s a mistake, V.”
“I live in Toronto, Maz. And things are still too unstable for me to consider taking a wife or mistress. It’s for the best.”
He stacked two pots and moved them aside. “Unstable, how?”
“I’m branching out into real estate. They don’t enforce their disclosure laws and it’s easy to hide behind anonymous ownership. And owning more rental properties and office buildings will help me clean the ’ndrina’s money.”
“Smart. Really smart. Like Enzo’s fraud empire. But why unstable?”
“A few others are pissed off that I’ve come to town.” I waved my hand dismissively. “No one I can’t handle, though.”
“So back to this woman.”
“Maggie,” I corrected.
“I’m supposed to stay away from her, but I’m living with her. How does that make sense?”
I’d already come up with a solution. “She’s out during the day, overseeing the vineyards. You’ll be sleeping then, working nights. Your schedules will never line up.”
He chuckled softly and dumped a drawer out onto the prep station counter. When the noise died down, he smirked at me. “You’ve already thought it through. That means you’re worried. As you should be, I suppose, considering I am the most handsome and charismatic of the D’Agostino brothers.”
“Fuck off. I’m not worried about you. This transition has been hard on her. I don’t want her overwhelmed.”
“Hmm.” He dumped another drawer, utensils crashing atop the other pile. “How considerate of you.”
I rolled my shoulders to ease the sudden tightening between my shoulder blades. “What are you implying?”
“Nothing, nothing. How many times did you fuck her?”
“It was one night, Maz. Don’t make it into something more than it is.”
“Madonna, this girl has really gotten under your skin, no?”
I sighed and pushed off from the counter, straightening. “I’m going to bed.”
My brother laughed, deep and loud. “I’m busting your balls, V. You don’t need to worry about me. I’m seeing someone.”
That got my attention. I hadn’t known this, and I wondered if Enzo knew. “Who?”