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“Before you go, where is your list?”
“What list?”
“Of the things you need for the winery.”
She drummed her fingers on the marble, irritation in every line of her tall frame. “Vito, you mentioned it only yesterday afternoon. I haven’t had time to write it yet.”
Now I was curious. What did Maggie do after she finished in the vineyards? Did she go out at night? Meet up with friends? Go on dates? “Why not? Were you doing something else last night?”
She let out a brittle laugh. “As if that’s any of your business, Don D’Agostino.”
I froze. She hadn’t called me by my honorific before and those words on her lips . . . .
Desire slashed through me like a blade, swift and sharp and I struggled to stay focused.Stop. She’s off-limits.This was no time to get caught up in what I would never have again.
Like her smart mouth wrapped around my dick.
“Answer the question,” I ordered, my accent thicker. When I was turned on, my tongue struggled to form the English syllables and words. I wondered if she noticed.
“I was sleeping, actually. I know it’s hard for you to remember, but I work outside all day and it’s physically exhausting. So usually I go home and relax, eat, maybe drink a glass of wine, and fall asleep.”
Oh, that prickly, fiery attitude. Why did I find it so arousing?
Needing something to do, I carried the empty cups to the sink. “I’ll put ‘hire more help’ on the list for you.”
“I don’t need more help at the moment. The extra hands come in handy over the summer and into the fall. Didn’t your research into wineries cover that?”
Turning, I leaned against the sink and crossed my arms. “I know you like to be at odds with me, but I can be very helpful.”
“I’m sure you like to think so.”
I decided to drop the issue of the winery. She wasn’t ready to partner with me on ways to make it stronger, which was fine. Michael had already come around and provided me with a list of things to either repair or replace. “Thank you for letting my brother stay with you.”
Standing, she adjusted her winter hat and tucked her hair more firmly underneath. “You’re welcome. Though I really don’t know why he can’t crash on your couch for a few nights.”
“We are a bit beyond the ‘crash on a couch’ stage in our lives. And I don’t think you’ll see much of him, considering you have opposite schedules.”
“He said he’s the fun brother.”
I nearly rolled my eyes. Maz had a high opinion of himself. Always had. “That may be true if you like to party and screw all night long.”
“Maz is a partier?”
Coke, booze, and French models had been our usual routine during those lonely nights on the yacht. I didn’t think Maggie wanted to hear about those days, so I shrugged and adjusted my glasses higher on my nose. “Don’t worry. He has a girlfriend back in Roma. So he won’t get too out of hand here.”
“How long is he staying?”
“Not long. A few weeks. A month, maybe. Enough to stabilize your kitchen and get you through the winter events. You’ll need to hire someone to replace him.”
“I’ll put it on the list for my new boss.” She gave me a smile that was all teeth. Like a shark. Madonna, this woman. I itched to put her over my knee and spank her.
Clearing my throat, I decided to circle back to the winery. And she truly would not like this news. “I have a meeting with Bruce this afternoon. I thought you should know.”
She paused in the middle of slipping on her coat. Now she was on alert, regarding me with suspicion. “About what?”
“I’m bringing in a renowned oenologist. His name is Carlo Leoni. He has a meeting with Bruce tomorrow to start learning what you’re doing here. I wanted to give Bruce a heads up today.”
She didn’t move, didn’t react, merely stared at me with those big, soulful eyes. I waited for the explosion, the anger and vitriol. Yet none came. The seconds stretched and I wasn’t even sure she was breathing.