Chapter 27

"Do as she says so we can get this over with," I ground out. The sooner I put more distance between us, the better.

"You grow more charming every day." Vivian's voice was so sweet I could've drizzled it over pancakes. "Europe truly did wonders for your personality."

"Closer," Winona encouraged. If she picked up on our hostility, she didn't acknowledge it. "One more step…"

Vivian's breasts grazed my chest when she closed the remaining gap between us.

My muscles went rigid.

"Dante, put your arms around Vivian."

For fuck's sake.

Since I just wanted to get the torture over with, I set my jaw and placed my hands on Vivian's hips. Heat seared through the silk of her dress, and her damned apple scent crawled into my lungs again.

Neither of us moved, afraid the slightest shift would inadvertently bring us even closer.

"I received an interesting call from my accountant when I was in Paris," I said in an effort to distract myself from our disturbing proximity. "One hundred thousand dollars charged to my Amex in one day, including ten grand on flowers. Care to explain?"

"You gave me a black Amex, I used it," Vivian said with an elegant shrug. "What can I say? I like flowers. And shoes."

Translation: You were an asshole before you left, and I took it out on your bank account.

A subtle but petty act of revenge. Good for her.

There was no one more irritating than someone who didn't stand up for herself.

"Clearly," I said, trying not to breathe too deep so her scent didn't envelop me completely. "And the towels?"

"They were a gift from my mother."

Of course they were.

"Let me know in advance the next time you leave for a month," she said. "I want time to plan a party, redecorate the living room, maybe come up with a robust shopping list. It's amazing how much you can do with no spending limit."

I narrowed my eyes.

I didn't care about the credit card usage. Luca once spent a million dollars on a ridiculous twenty-four-karat solid gold bathtub for a pajama party. A hundred grand was nothing.

What pissed me off was the way Vivian rearranged everything while I was gone. The towels and flowers were just the tip of the iceberg. There was new art on the walls, aromatherapy piping through hidden diffusers, and a massage room where the gift-wrapping room used to be.

I left for a month and came back to find my home transformed into a fucking Club Med.

"You had a good time while I was gone, did you?" A dangerous current twined around my words.

"I had awonderfultime." Vivian threaded her fingers through my hair and tugged hard enough to hurt. She smiled. "The house has been so pleasant without all the scowls and grunts."

"Here I thought you'd miss me." I tsked. "I'm hurt."

"I would apologize, but catering to your feelings isn't part of our arrangement. It'sjusta business deal. Remember?"

A reluctant smile touched my mouth.

Touché.

"Look at you two. So sweet." Winona sighed. "Dante, why don't you give her a kiss on the lips? It'll be the perfect photo to wrap up the shoot."

My smile disappeared.