Page 32 of Sinful Attraction

...Whoah, there, cowboy. Calm down. Take it one day at a time with this chick. She’s still a Castellucci, and you know how they are about revenge.

That thought, though, doesn’t dampen my mood one bit. Or my boner, either.

My thoughts go back to that short and somewhat weird phone call after a little while, and I frown and mull it while I’m checking our stores of ice, juices, and booze. She had seemed very stressed out. Holding it together well, but stressed.

It’s family shit, I’m sure. Her dad is a legendary asshole and a chauvinist, and I’m sure he doesn’t spare his kids. He also made enemies of our family by grabbing my mom’s ass at The Don’s daughter’s wedding five years ago. He says the cold war between us started because she punched him—for something he denies doing.

Everyone else, including The Don, says the bastard had it coming.

If I were a woman and that guy’s daughter, it would be absolute hell for me. It must be hell for Arya, with her brains, ambition, and that super obvious desire to prove herself. Apparently, her mom is even worse than her dad—a controlling shrew, though I don’t know the details.

It’s pretty common for the different Families to live together until they marry or after a divorce, but the problem with that is that if you live at home, even in a mansion where everyone has their own wing, some parents will try to treat you like a kid when you’re almost 30. My guess is they fall into old habits again—or never break them.

If I were an asshole, I could probably turn her against them. But they seem to be doing a pretty good job of that all by themselves. Besides, I’m not big on manipulating people.I’m probably bad at it,too. I can usually see it coming a mile away, but that doesn’t make me practiced in doing it myself.

Arya shows up 12 minutes later. There’s rain in her hair, and her eyes look tired. There’s a very promising-looking overnight bag in one hand and her laptop bag over her shoulder. She offers a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes: strained, polite, empty.

“You look like you’ve been dealing with assholes all day,” I quip, and she smirks and nods silently.

I help her out of her coat. She sets the overnight bag down in the bottom of my coat closet. I almost tell her to go drop it off in the bedroom, but she looks too troubled to start hitting on her yet.

“What is up with this weather? It’s eighty-five degrees and raining. It feels like New York in summer.” She starts with a good-natured grumble about nothing. But she’s talking, and that’s an opportunity.

“It’s those Baja hurricane remnants,” I tell her. “That’s why the big weather shift.” I pause, consider. “Are you okay?”

“No,” she replies flatly. “But that has nothing to do with you this time, so don’t worry about it.” She lifts an eyebrow just a little. “You mentioned something about blender drinks?”

I smirk. “That I did. piña colada, a couple kinds of daiquiri, frozen margaritas.”

“I’d love a margarita. You like sweet booze?”

“I’m more of a beer man, but I learned they’re fun to drink with other people. Also, a lot of women like them on hot days.” And I have absolutely always been a ladies’ man.

“That’s true. Besides, I kind of like a drink that tastes like a dessert but kicks like booze.”

I get to work putting the margaritas together. “So, we’re taking a look at all our staff, like I said, and I just got the last of the videos. We can review them together later. I would appreciate your help.” Much later, if I have any say in it. I want to solve this thing, but right now, I want her even more.

“Good going.” She hesitates. “Look, I need to ask you a favor, and it’s weird. I’ll understand if you don’t want to do it.”

I lean over and eye her curiously. “Uh... what is it?”

“To cover for what we’ve found out, I had to tell my dad I have a source within your family. He’ll only keep his nose out of our business for so long.”

I wince. “Fuck. That’s the last thing we need right now.”

“Yeah, if he’s not going to be of help, I don’t want to deal with him meddling either. He’s always looking for an excuse to get... violent.” Now, she’s the one wincing. “Anyway, now, he wants to know if anyone else is going to replace Imelda on our staff as a Rossi spy.”

“Huh.” That makes me have to stop and think for a moment. My gut wants to tell her I’ll do anything to keep her from getting in even more trouble with her maniac of a father. However, the rest of me remembers that doing that would betray my own father. “That’s a big ask.”

“I know.” She suddenly can’t look me in the eyes. “I just need something to tell him to keep him from getting suspicious.”

“Mm.”That doesn’t necessarily mean telling the old bastard the truth. “Okay. I’ll keep an eye out for anything, but remember that my father usually makes his decisions without my input.”

She relaxes a little so she can make eye contact again. “Thanks.”

“Does he usually give you loyalty tests?” I ask as I finish preparing the drinks.

“He gives everyone loyalty tests, but I go under a microscope because I haven’t followed their plan for me.”

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