Page 17 of Business Temptations

She shook her head, ignoring the soft curls that tickled the back of her neck. “I have nothing to discuss with you. In private or in public.” She tilted her head slightly. “I’m guessing that you’re angry that your factory in Selitia is about to go out of business. And you want Matteo to step up and take control.” She grinned at the man’s startled expression, which confirmed her suspicions, and shook her head again. “Apparently, you think that your legitimate son doesn’t understand how to run a business with the same finesse that you have done for the past several decades. Am I right?”

The man’s face suffused with angry color. “This is not a conversation that I will have in public.”

She stepped closer. “Ah, but you were more than willing to humiliate your child during his years at boarding school, right? All those years ago, you spoke to Headmaster Daniels and urged him to find any possible reason to punish Matteo, because you had an affair outside of your marriage that resulted in an illegitimate son.” Her temper fired as she remembered the stories Matteo had told her. “And despite the fact that Matteo had nothing to do with your errors, you felt the need to punish him simply for existing. Now, you are aligning yourself with a rebel group that, perhaps, has plans to overthrow the Spanish government?”

There were several startled gasps from the surrounding eavesdroppers.

The man was literally sputtering with rage. “You are nothing but a secretary! You report to my son and I will have you fired for your impertinence!”

She chuckled and moved closer, lowering her voice now. “Actually, I own thirty-three percent of the business. So no, I’m not a secretary, nor can you wield your non-existent power through Matteo to have me fired.” She lowered her voice even more. “Isn’t that what’s making you so angry? That you can’t control Matteo?”

The furious marquesso looked around, then downed the rest of his champagne in a single gulp. “He should come home and work with the family business!” he hissed, smoothing a hand over his still-flat stomach. “He is needed at home.”

Bailey laughed bitterly. “You mean, your legitimate son is a waste of space when it comes to business. You thought that you could step back and release control to your legitimate son and enjoy retirement.” She paused, tilting her head as if contemplating the man. “But your legitimate son is so bad at business that he’s allowed the drug cartels to infiltrate your distribution lines, using them as a means for getting their illegal products to their customers.” She shook her head when he started to deny it. “Don’t lie to me. The vast power of the internet means that we get Spanish news here in the United States.”

The arrogant man sliced his hand through the air as if he were trying to dismiss her comments. “My son should be home where he belongs. With his family!”

She pursed her lips together for a moment, as if contemplating that statement. Then she took a breath and said, “You ripped Matteo from the arms of his mother, threatened to revoke her parental rights if she didn’t allow you to send Matteo off to boarding school here in the United States. Is that what family does?” She paused, waiting for the marquesso’s reaction. When he simply glared at her, Bailey continued. “She was devastated at not having her son in her home, but you didn’t care. All you wanted was to have your illegitimate son out of sight, so that your wife and legitimate son weren’t forced to endure the shame of your mistake. However, Matteo and his mother are the ones that suffered. Is that what family does?” She moved back a step, unconcerned if anyone overheard her next comment. She ignored the threat of violence in the man’s eyes as she continued. “And now you need someone intelligent to come in and fix the royal mess that you and your legitimate son have created.” She shook her head.

“You will not speak about my son in this manner!”

She sighed. “Mr. del Campo,” she started again, purposely not using his title, “you don’t really understand. When Matteo was a teenager, his life’s ambition was to bankrupt you. But now that he’s older and wiser, Matteo no longer wishes to bankrupt you. He doesn’t care about you at all. You’re not even a blip on his radar. He’s banished you from his thoughts.” She could see that the man was nearly apoplectic with rage, but didn’t care. “He is an amazing success, and he did it without your help. Meanwhile, you inherited your wealth and you never expanded beyond what your ancestors created.” She leaned forward and whispered, “In other words, you’re a pathetic and complete failure!” She stepped back again and continued in a normal tone. “Now it’s your legitimate son’s turn and you know that he’s going to destroy everything that centuries of privilege gave you. He’s going to bankrupt your businesses, or at least the ones that remain, and there’s nothing you can do to stop him!”

“Bailey!” a deep voice called out.

Bailey turned, recognizing the voice. Sure enough, Matteo stood behind her. She straightened her shoulders and smiled welcomingly at him. “Oh, you found me!” She extended her hand with the scotch, not surprised when Matteo took it while still frowning at his father. “Your father is going to demand you fire me for my impertinence. He thinks I’m your secretary.” She moved to Matteo’s side, relieved when his arm wrapped protectively around her waist. “Such a silly man.”

Matteo frowned at the man who looked shockingly similar to him in so many ways. Other than the flush of rage suffusing the old man’s face, they might have been twins. Except for the age, of course. But Matteo was still surprised by the similarities. He remembered his father being larger than life, on the few occasions that the old man had bothered to come by to speak to him or his mother. Now they stood eye to eye.

Matteo tightened his arm around her, pulling her closer to his side. “How in the world did he get the idea that you are a secretary?”

She shrugged and Matteo was momentarily distracted when her soft breast pressed against his chest.

“I suspect that it’s just his misogyny coming out to bite his butt.” Then she turned, looking up at him. “Does it matter?”

“Matteo!” his father snapped. “I will speak with you in private.”

Matteo stiffened slightly. For a long moment, he surveyed his father. There was a bit of tension around his eyes and a tightness in his compressed lips. Instead of obediently following his father, he turned and, with Bailey by his side, moved deeper into the crowd.

“That man…!” Bailey grumbled as they walked away.

“Levi and Sean just arrived,” Matteo commented casually, as if he hadn’t just had an awkward confrontation with his abusive father.

Bailey looked at up him, wondering how he could be so blasé. Ricardo del Campo was a monster! And he was here now, demanding that his son return back to Spain to save the family from financial ruin.

But as she watched, Bailey realized that Matteo wasn’t as blasé about the interaction as she’d assumed. Underneath Matteo’s calm façade, he was tense and angry, and something more. Almost as if he were waiting for…something? She wasn’t sure what Matteo might be waiting for, but before she could analyze the thought further, Matteo was ambushed by his two best friends.

“Damn man!” Levi burst out, grabbing Matteo by the shoulders and pulling him into one of those bro-hugs. “It’s been too long since you’ve come out to annoy us at the club!” Matteo chuckled and then was hugged by Sean, who made a quietly inappropriate comment that caused Levi and Matteo to laugh.

“You’re a sick man,” Levi commented, slapping Sean on the back.

“And proud of it,” Sean replied, then stepped back, pulling Kennedi, his pretty wife who was currently rolling her eyes, into his arms. “And she loves me all the more for it.”

Kennedi, a cute brunette with a fiery attitude and a warm smile, moved in and hugged Matteo, then laughed as she hugged Bailey as well. “I can’t believe that you still put up with this guy. Does he ever relax?”

“Never!” Sean and Levi replied at the same time.

Matteo remained aloof, as if he were above the fracas. But Bailey noticed that the tension from moments before was gone, replaced with wry humor and a genuine affection for these two men.

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