Page 42 of King of Greed

Never. Even when we were married, I had to force him to stay in Brazil for longer than a few days between Christmas and New Year’s.

It suddenly struck me how massive a deal his appearance was. This wasn’t a night off or a rescheduled meeting; he’d left the office, flown to another continent, and, judging by how comfortable he was making himself at Villa Luz, he intended to stay awhile.

My stomach twisted into knots.Don’t let him fool you.Dominic would do anything to win, but the prize only mattered before he obtained it.

“Come on,” I said, sidestepping Marcelo’s question. “The food is going to be ready soon, and I need to take a shower.”

“You showered an hour ago.”

“I need to shower again,” I lied. “The humidity’s a killer.”

Marcelo slid a knowing glance at me but didn’t argue. While he checked on the feijoada, I halfheartedly rinsed off, letting the hot water wash away my lingering sympathy for Dominic.

By the time I toweled off and entered the dining room, Marcelo was already setting the table.

“Here. I’ll help.” I grabbed the plates from him. “Why are you looking at me like that? I didn’t takethatlong this time.”

He always teased me about my long showers, but I’d been in there for thirty minutes, tops.

“I know.” He scratched the back of his neck, his expression equal parts scared and apprehensive. “So, uh, here’s the thing. While you were— ”

Someone came up behind him and interrupted him. “Where did you put your cocktail glasses? I don’t see— ” Dominic stopped abruptly when he noticed me. He’d changed into a linen shirt and pants, and he held a bottle of cachaça in one hand and his phone in the other.

Heat suffused my skin, erasing the shower’s aftereffects. There was only one reason why he would be in our house, holding that bottle, and looking forourcocktail glasses.

Marcelo had invited him over for dinner.

Forget sibling vacations. Tomorrow, I’d be an only child because I was going tomurdermy brother.

My soon-to-be-dead brother cleared his throat. “Dominic came over and asked if he could borrow some sugar. Turns outLuz didn’t stock the house with condiments and the store in town is closed, so I asked if he’d like to join us instead. I made too much food anyway.”

“If you’re uncomfortable, I can leave,” Dominic said when I remained silent. “I’m not that hungry anyway. I had a sandwich.”

“It’s fine.” I forced a smile. I refused to let him see how he affected me.

Another awkward beat passed before Marcelo cleared his throat again. “The glasses are in the lower cabinet, second from the left. Easy to miss if you’re not looking for it.”

Dominic nodded and disappeared into the kitchen again. The instant he was out of eyeshot, I glared at Marcelo, who backed away with his hands in the air.

“What were you thinking?” I whisper-shouted. “Borrowing sugar? Seriously? You fell for that?”

“I panicked, okay?” he hissed back. “What was I supposed to do? Turn the poor guy away?”

“Yes.”I flapped a hand in the general direction of the kitchen. “You invited my ex-husband to dinner! We divorced two months ago, and hefollowed me to Brazil!”

“You know I don’t deal well with interpersonal pressure! He smelled the feijoada and…fuck, he’s coming.”

We clammed up again when Dominic returned with the cocktail glasses. He raised an eyebrow when I grabbed one and made myself another, hasty caipirinha before we sat down, but he wisely refrained from saying anything.

Dinner was, as expected, quiet and stilted. Marcelo carried the conversation while Dominic and I ate in silence. I felt like I was living out an absurdist film about marriage and divorce. Everything, from the location to Dominic’s presence to the music Marcelo put on for “atmosphere enhancement,” seemed surreal.

This couldn’t be my life right now.

“How’s your shop going?” Marcelo asked after he finished rambling about Brazil’s latest soccer game, or football as it was called everywhere except the U.S. “Everything on track for the grand opening in the new year?”

“Yes.” I rapped my knuckles against the oak table so I didn’t jinx it. “I haven’t received any emergency texts from Isabella, so I assume the store hasn’t burned down.”

“You once said you’d never open a physical store.” Dominic’s quiet observation had my shoulders tensing. “You said it’d be too stressful.”

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