“Yeah. Right.”
“You know, I thought maybe you noticed something I didn’t.” His mouth took on an unpleasant twist. “Now I’m ninety-nine percent sure it was jack shit.”
“I saw a pathetic waste of space.” My throat burned as Michael gave me a searching look. “He’s a soldier at thirty-eight, which means he lacks ambition or he’s incompetent. He’s chasing a twenty-one-year-old who’s way out of his league.”
“I decide that. Not you.”
“Mike, you’re out of your mind. She won’t be happy with him.”
“I’m getting a distinct jealous vibe from you.”
I wasn’t jealous—I was fucking annoyed. “I’m amazed you’d hand over your sister to a guy who doesn’t make six figures.”
“If you think Liana cares about money, you don’t know her at all.”
“That’s not the point,” I shouted, fed up with this argument. “He’s a nobody. Unworthy.”
“And you are?”
Yes. “It’s not about me.”
“Good,” he boomed, his voice heavy with sarcasm. “I’m glad we agree on that.”
I could’ve hit the son of a bitch. “If you have such a hard-on for DiMaggio, why did you let me kick him out?”
“Like I said, I thought you saw something. I also wanted to see if he’d stand up to you, but he didn’t, so…” Michael clicked his tongue, shrugging. “No matter. I’ll find someone else.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nico’s hounding me about this deal. I can’t stall any longer. I shouldn’t go behind Nico’s back, but I won’t give my sister to those animals. So I’m bringing her to the gala at the Institute of Contemporary Art. She’ll pick from the pool of guys there.”
Irritation burned a hole in my chest. “What a desperate, stupid idea.”
“You have a better suggestion, smartass?”
“Give her to me.”
The command ripped from my mouth before I could bury it under a layer of denial. Michael jerked back, knocking over a glass of water, but he paid it no mind.
“I’m acting-boss. I’ll tell Nico we’re dating, and that’ll be that. No need to marry her off.”
“Except you’re not dating her.”
“Who the fuck cares? It’s what he believes that matters.”
Michael’s tone cooled. “I appreciate it, but no.”
He was unbelievable.
“You’d rather force a stranger on Liana than let her fake-date me?”
“I’m not an idiot. I know where this is going, and the answer is hell no.” He pulled an ankle over his knee, his voice rising. “You’ve shown no interest in Liana. But now that she might be off the market, you’re breaking my balls.”
He was right, and I hated it.
I also didn’t need his permission.
“There’s something else I could use your help with.” Michael’s gaze flicked at me, his eyes burning. “Liana keeps ditching her bodyguards to go out alone.”
A thrill of heat seared my spine.
“She’s pulling an Anthony.” Michael rubbed his forehead. “This girl. I swear to God. I hope my daughter’s not this much trouble when she gets older.”
“What do you want from me?”
“Talk to her. Make her see sense.”
All I wanted was an excuse to be near her again.
Michael clawed the arm of his chair. He looked on the verge of giving me a warning. He hated asking me for help.
I smiled. “Leave it to me.”
“Cool,” he said, suddenly stony. “And Vinn?”
“Yeah?”
“Hands off my goddamned sister.”
I wiped the smile off my face.
Too late, buddy.
Five
Liana
It was a trick of the light.
Vinn couldn’t be standing in the middle of a rowdy college bar. He hated crowds. And people. He was allergic to fun, too. Pink and blue lights flashed across a wide jaw and full mouth that pulled into a kingly frown. Vinn scanned the crowd with a laser-like focus until his gaze stopped on me.
Gotcha.
I glared at him, convinced the Vinn-lookalike would vanish into smoke. He didn’t hang out in places other than Italian cafés and the bars and restaurants he owned. Of course, he’d also never dragged me into dark rooms, bared my ass, and spanked me.
The whole incident made me burn with an unwelcome blush. Was he trying to punish me? Did he want me turned on and flustered? What was his angle?
Vinn’s over-the-top behavior had to be a fluke. He’d been angry. The power had gone to his head. He got carried away. We both did.
It meant nothing.
I pushed it from my mind, but that was hard, considering I woke to bruises on my ass. In the days that followed, they burned with the acute sensation of Vinn’s handprint.
I’d ignored Michael’s probing texts. As much as I’d have loved to see Vinn get his due justice, Michael would go overboard and kill him. I hated Vinn, but I didn’t want him dead.
Vinn’s blank stare hardened as it fell on the man beside me. His menace seemed to pour into James, a boat-shoe-wearing moron who’d gained admission into Bourton with a resumé of bullshit jobs like Wellness Advocate.
“What’s with that dude?” James grumbled, sipping his beer. “He’s, like, staring at me.”
“Who knows what’s wrong with him.”
“Come at me, you little bitch,” James muttered at Vinn, who made his way toward us. “You want some?”
“I’d love to watch you fight him.”
James grinned, not catching on.
Watching James and Vinn club each other to death would be nice, but I knew better. The former Marine wouldn’t break a sweat subduing James. The fight would end swiftly, or Vinn would drag it out to be cruel. Vinn’s merciless expression suggested he was down for torture.
I needed to head this off.
“Holy shit. Is that—is that your Vinny?” Queenie’s face broke into an ecstatic grin as he stomped in our direction. “You weren’t kidding. He’s a freaking babe.”
“Keep that to yourself,” I whispered. “His head’s so swollen it might explode.”
“Which one?” she slurred. ”He has a big dick, right? I’m right. I can’t even see you through his blinding Big Dick Energy.”
That reminded me of the thigh I’d grabbed, which actually was his long, impossibly thick cock. I’d traced the mushroom shape before making the connection.
My toes curled. I said nothing, but Queenie seemed to guess the truth from my flushed cheeks.
She knocked her glass against mine. “Awesome.” Then she slugged my arm. “I’m so mad at you. You’re seeing him, and you didn’t tell me? Bitch.”
“We’re not dating.”
“Bullshit! He’s here for you.” Queenie launched from the couch and headed off Vinn before I caught her. “Hi, Vincent!”
“Vinn,” he barked. “Never Vincent.”