Page 53 of Say You Hate Me
He smirks, one side of his mouth tilted up as he brushes the hair away from my neck briefly.
“Because you’re all flushed again.”
Again.
The word hangs in the air as we walk into the winery. It’s a gorgeous property filled with ancient oak trees. There are multiple pergolas and archways leading into the main building. Everything is overgrown and lush, and we walk across a bridge that overlooks a small stream before entering the fancy dining establishment. Luca sent over the prix fixe menu earlier—and dinnersstartat $500 a head. Of course, that includes a glass of their infamous sparkling wine, but still.
As we sit, Gena Addison walks up to the table, looking fabulous. I squeal as we hug each other. It’s been years since we were both assistants at Amour, and yet, nothing’s changed. She’s still as glamorous as she’s always been, with thick, curly hair and a dress that clings to her curves. We catch up while Luca and Anderson shift in their seats. Once dinner is ordered, Gena turns to me, elbows on the table.
“So, tell me about Gather.”
I look over at Luca, but he nods and gestures for me to continue. Anderson looks away and smiles, sipping his wine.
“Well, my brother started it from the ground up. I came on board a couple of weeks ago, after Dean let me go, and—”
She holds a hand out. “Hold up. For some reason, I thought you’d been at Gather for a while. You started a couple ofweeksago?” She smiles. “I’m impressed.”
I smile sheepishly. “Yeah, well, it’s my brother’s company, so I’ve heard a lot about it over the years.”
She nods, giving me a warm smile. “Well, I definitely think we have a good story for the Sunrise brand. Especially with the restaurant opening in Maui,” she adds, taking notes on her phone. “Do you mind if we record? I want to hear everything.” She sets her phone down and looks at each of us. “Let’s get started.”
As we eat, the conversation flows easily as Luca talks about starting up the business right after graduating high school. I ignore the searing pain in my chest when he mentions our parents’ accident, then I swell with pride when he talks about securing Whole Foods and Sprouts, as well as opening his Southern California juice bars, which have been a huge success. Anderson references the financial success, and Luca talks about his personal goals, and how he hopes to grow the brand however possible.
“Would you ever consider selling Gather?” Gena asks, her voice curious.
A look passes between Luca and Anderson, but they both recover quickly.
“It’s not something currently on the table,” Anderson answers. I breathe in a sigh of relief, but when I look at Anderson across the table, and he’s staring straight ahead with furrowed brows.
The waiter brings over our dessert, and I groan as I lean back in my chair. I manage to eat the entire cheesecake though, and by the time Luca pays the bill, I am absolutely stuffed. I say goodbye to Gena, who promises to email on Monday with more details about photographing our headquarters as well as the staff. When she leaves, Luca turns to me.
“Oh my god, I love her.”
I laugh. “She’s great. I’m glad I was able to get us some good publicity.”
“Sunrise is the crème de la crème of print marketing, Natalia. We need to get a move on with the restaurant, because people are going to want to eat there once the feature comes out.”
I smile. “Well, I guess I have my work cut out for me.”
Anderson shoots me a thankful smile, and we all walk out together. The air is warm for October, and the wind makes everything seem electric and wild. As we pile into the car, Anderson insists that Luca take the front, and I try not to get my hopes up. As I buckle myself in, though, a warm hand slides up the fabric of my pants.
28
Anderson
I’ve never hatedthe idea of pants more than I do right now. I want access to her. It’s easier to do now, in the dark. Earlier, I could tell she was disappointed that we didn’t fool around in the back seat, and she compensated by reading her smut. But it would’ve been too obvious in the daylight. I smile just thinking about the way her lips were parted, and how her hand slid around her neck as she read, gripping the soft flesh just like I’d done earlier. She wasn’t aware of what she was doing, but I knew.
We drive forward and I glance up at Luca, who I can tell is texting Nathan. He’s smiling as his thumbs fly over the screen. When I turn to Natalia, her honey-brown eyes are darker, hooded. She pushes my hand away, but because we can’t talk without Luca suspecting something, I can’t ask why.
Which means I also can’t fight it when she takes off her jacket, revealing a fitted T-shirt.
“Ugh, it’s so hot in here,” she says out loud, ever the actress. “Could you please turn the air up?” she asks the driver sweetly.
Once the air is going, she quickly lays her jacket over my lap, and I stiffen. There’s no fucking way she’s about to do what I think she’s going to do. But once again, Natalia Rossi surprises the hell out of me as she looks forward and unbuttons and unzips my pants, freeing my cock.
My mouth goes dry as she pumps me, and I resist the urge to moan when she licks her palm to give herself some lube.
Holy fucking shit.
