Page 8 of Cherished Lands
My parents wouldn't let me go without a fight.
As I drove home, my anxiety built. I was equal parts thrilled for tomorrow's meeting and terrified my parents would find a way to take this opportunity away from me. When I pulled into the horseshoe driveway outside our house, I glanced toward the winery and the vineyard that stretched beyond it.
This had been my home for more than three decades, but it was time to take the next step. I intended to stand on my own two feet, no matter what it cost.
Chapter Three
ELLIOT
The doorto the conference room swung open, and my jaw hit the floor. Natalie walked in, followed by a familiar blonde. Tessa Belmonte.
"Absolutely not," I growled.
This was the largest room in Choi Accounting, but it suddenly felt small and cramped. Dad's eyebrows shot up, and Jasper looked like he'd swallowed a lemon. I shifted in my seat, fighting to keep my expression neutral as Tessa's green eyes locked onto mine. A hint of surprise flashed across her face, quickly followed by her trademark sneer.
"This is your client?" she said. "You can't be serious."
Natalie, ever the professional, didn't miss a beat. "I am, in fact, serious. Have a seat, and we can get things moving."
Tessa slid gracefully into the chair directly across from me, crossing her long, lean legs. Her full lips curved into a condescending smile, and an angry flush boiled up my neck.
It was Jasper who finally voiced what we were all thinking. "Nat, what the hell?"
Natalie held up both hands in a placating gesture. "Look, I know this is not what any of you were expecting. But , honestly, this is just too good of an opportunity to pass up. Tessa is looking to branch out, Ever Eden needs an investor for its new cidery. It's kind of perfect."
This has to be some kind of joke. Or a trick.
The muscles in my jaw spasmed painfully, and I realized I was grinding my teeth. Tessa Belmonte, here, talking about investing in our cidery? It was too surreal. There was no way this would end well.
My fingers tightened on the armrests of my chair as the scent of her rose-petal perfume wafted across the table. She smelled sweet, an ironic contrast to her bitter fucking personality.
"This is insane," I muttered, shaking my head. "There's no way in hell we're getting into bed with a Belmonte."
Tessa's eyes narrowed. "Afraid you can't keep up?"
Her words hit their mark, and a hot rush of anger coursed through my veins. I leaned forward, my voice low and dangerous. "I've been keeping up just fine for years, sweetheart. It's your family that's been playing catch-up."
Dad cleared his throat and shot me a warning glance. "How 'bout we hear Ms. Belmonte out before we make any rash decisions?"
Rash decisions? Like letting the fox into the henhouse?
I lapsed into sullen silence, and Natalie's steady, professional voice took control of the room. "Tessa has a significant amount of capital she's looking to invest. She's interested in diversifying her portfolio beyond wine, and our cidery project caught her attention."
"And I'm sure it has nothing to do with trying to sabotage our business from the inside," I scoffed.
Tessa yawned ostentatiously and inspected her nails. "Paranoid much, Elliot? Believe it or not, not everything revolves around your precious little orchard."
Her snarky fucking attitude had me imagining what it would be like to bend her tight little body over my knee and paint her ass red with the palm of my hand. My dick twitched in my pants.
"Enough, you two," Dad rumbled. His tone brooked no argument and brought an end to my impromptu vacation to disturbing fantasy land. He gave me thebuck your ideas up, misterlook he usually reserved for Chase then turned back to Natalie. "Please, continue."
As Natalie delved into the financial projections, my gaze drifted back to Tessa. She was leaning back in her chair, one perfectly manicured finger tracing the rim of her water glass. A beam of late afternoon sun streamed through the window, catching in her hair and turning it to spun gold.
Focus, dammit. She's the enemy, remember?
But as I watched her, I noticed the slight furrow in her brow as she listened intently to Natalie's presentation. There was a hunger in her eyes, a determination I recognized all too well. It was the same look I saw in the mirror every morning.
"These projections are impressive," she said, leaning forward. "But what about distribution? How do you plan to compete with established brands?"
