Page 29 of The Broker
Jealously raises its ugly head as I watch her wipe down the counters. She’s an integral part of Dante’s life, and I’m the outsider, and I don’t know why that matters. And when she offers to bring me lunch every day, so obviously nice and sincere, I feel like even more of a jerk.
I’m in a terrible mood by the time she leaves. After that, rebuilding my laptop takes much longer than expected. Much, much longer. I’ve just installed the final program when Dante knocks on the door. “Hey, we’re back.”
I blink up at him. “What time is it?”
“Six-thirty.”
“Shit.” I scramble to my feet, ignoring my screaming muscles. “I didn’t get dinner started.”
“I figured you’d be busy, so I brought pizza.” I open my mouth to say something, and he grins. “Andsalad, so we could pretend to eat healthy.”
“You eat pizza? How? So unfair. If I eat bread, it goes straight to my hips.”
“And what’s wrong with that?” His gaze slowly slides down me before he seems to catch himself. “Anyway. Come, eat while it’s hot.”
My stomach churns all through dinner. Angelica chatters about her day—the fight Anita and Pedro had during recess, Mabel’s new iPad, and how Signorina Mason taught them all about insects—but I only half-listen. I need things to get back to normal between Dante and me. He can’t tell Marta to get me lunch. He can’t get us pizza for dinner. He can’t take care of me when I’m sick. He can’t take care of me, period.
I need to put an end to this truce. Because if I don’t, I’m going to start wanting things I cannot have. I’m going to want Dante Colonna in my life. For real.
I wait until Angelica is in bed, then head to the living room. Dante is reading a book, his feet stretched on the coffee table. “How did the computer reset go?” he asks. “Is it safe to use the Wi-Fi again?”
“Yes,” I say shortly.
He quirks an eyebrow at my tone. “Everything okay?”
“What are you doing Saturday night?” I demand, ignoring his concern. Yes, I know I’m being a bitch. “Can you watch Angelica, or should I ask Lucia?”
He frowns. “Why?”
“Because I have a date.”
I’m trying to get a rise out of him. But even I am astonished at how well it works. “A date?” he explodes. He gets to his feet and stalks toward me. “Are you fucking with me, Valentina? You want me to take our already stretched resources and assign them to you so that you can go out on a Saturday night? You can’t stay away from Peron for even a week?”
I should be thrilled at my success. I’m not. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m not going out with Enzo.” He’s close enough that I can feel the heat radiate off his body. I step back to put some distance between us, and my back hits the wall. “I’m having a double date with Rosa and the guy she’s seeing.”
“No,” he says flatly. “It’s not a productive use of our resources.”
My temper flares. “And there it is,” I sneer, my chest heaving. “The Dante I know so well.” He’s not touching me, but his body is caging me in. I should be terrified. I’m not. “What about your date Friday night? Somehow, that’s a productive use of our resources?”
His eyes narrow. “How do you know I have a date?”
“Because I work with you, and you have the most predictable schedule in Venice,” I snap. “You go on a date once a month, every month, and take them to Grazie. Never the same woman twice, though. What’s the matter, Dante? Can’t bother being charming for more than an evening?”
“Are you watching me, Valentina?” His voice lowers. “Paying attention to my movements?” A seductive light fills his eyes. “Why is that, sparrow?”
He’s close enough I could kiss that smirk right off his face. Kiss? No. Not kiss.Neverkiss. What the hell is wrong with me? He’s close enough that I couldsmackthe smirk off his face.
“Tell me, Valentina.” His voice is a hypnotic murmur. “Why do you care who I date?”
I’ve lost this round. That’s fine; this is just one battle in a long war. “Let me go.”
He steps back instantly, his eyes still amused. “Running away? You can dish it out, but you can’t take it?”
I was willing to let it go. I was the one who walked into the trap, after all.
But then, the bastard does something that pisses me off.
He laughs mockingly after my retreating back.