Page 103 of Bitter Rival

He has sex hair so he was obviously with another woman. No meeting lasts that long.

But you don’t know that for sure. Stop jumping to conclusions.

He leans forward, grabs the bottle out of my hand and takes a big swig. “Truth or Dare?” he says, holding the bottle hostage.

Our eyes lock and hold. “Dare.”

“You’re so predictable.”

What a joke. I’ve told him plenty of truths. I’ve been more honest with him than he’s been with me.

I’m starting to think that nothing he’s ever told me is the truth. It was all just sweet words designed to get exactly what he wants—my cooperation.

“So are you.” I spread my arms across the back of the hot tub and push out my chest. Look, but don’t touch. “So what’s the dare?” I give him a seductive smile and bat my lashes, practically purring. “Do you want me to seduce Michael Castellano?”

I had no intention of saying that but those are the words that came out of my mouth, and I can’t take them back now.

A vein in his temple I’ve never noticed before is throbbing. Good. Let him get angry.

This wasn’t how I planned to broach the topic, but I’m on a roll now, so I double down. “Should we offer him more than just this vineyard?”

That little muscle in his jaw is working overtime. I can tell he’s trying to rein in his temper, but I’d rather see him lose control, so I keep going, keep taunting and teasing, trying to push him over the edge.

“I could be his very own Astrid.” I tap my finger against my chin like I’m thinking it through. “If I play my cards right, I can walk away with both vineyards. After forty years with the same woman, he’s probably looking for a little variety.”

Beckett’s nostrils flare and his eyes darken. “That’s not who you are,” he says through clenched teeth.

I laugh. “Really?” If I weren’t so drunk, I’d be disgusted with myself. But hey, all’s fair in love and war and he had it coming. “Would you bet your life on it?”

His eyes narrow like he’s trying to figure out what game I’m playing.

“How do you know I haven’t been playing you all along? Seems only fair since this is obviously just one big game to you.” My voice escalates until I’m almost yelling.

“I thought we were finally a team.” I shake my head, getting angrier and more worked up by the minute. “Silly me. You were just using me as a pawn in your own twisted little game.” And that’s what really gets to me. The complete lack of respect. “So really…you’re no better than your father, are you?”

He flinches. Bullseye. My poison arrow hit the mark.

“What are you talking about?” His voice is measured and controlled. So steely it should scare me, but it doesn’t.

“I’m talking about Michael Castellano. Your uncle.”

He laughs under his breath and looks up at the sky. “So, that’s what this is all about.” He relaxes, looking visibly relieved now that he’s cracked the code, and chugs some wine. “He’s not my uncle.”

“Interesting. So he’s not, in fact, your father’s illegitimate brother?”

“Just because we share DNA doesn’t make him family.” He spreads his arm across the back of the hot tub and takes another swig of wine. “Who told you?”

“It doesn’t matter who told me. It should have come from you.”

He shrugs. So casual. So cavalier. So dismissive.

“I can’t see how it matters,” he says calmly.

Maybe I’m being irrational. Maybe I’m overreacting and this really isn’t a big deal. But it feels like a big deal to me. “It matters to me.” And really, shouldn’t that be enough?

“Well, it shouldn’t.” Another dismissive shrug.

As if he has any right to tell me how I’m supposed to feel.

---