the sink
and wished she could splash water on her face to cool her skin, but
that might ruin her makeup, so she didn’t try. Behind her, the
door opened, and Nicoletta strolled in. Jada stifled a grunt of
annoyance.
“ Oh, I didn’t know
you were in here.” The dramatic hand to the chest made Jada
roll her eyes.
“ Of course not, or you
wouldn’t have come in.”
Nicoletta seemed to force a
smile. “How are you enjoying the tasting?”
“ Fine.” Jada didn’t
want to encourage conversation. She nabbed a paper towel to dry her
hands, but Nicoletta blocked her way. “Did you want something?”
“ You know this is how it
always is with Renzo. Tastings, meetings, people around him all day,
every day. And he is away on business more often than he’s at
home. It never stops. He never slows down—for anyone.”
Jada shifted her weight onto one
leg and folded her arms under her breasts. “Is this some kind
of warning against getting involved with him, because I have to admit
you’re boring the hell out of me.”
Red tinged the woman’s
hairline, straight up from her neck. “I’m saying I’m
used to this kind of lifestyle, but maybe you aren’t.”
“ This is the way you’re trying to get rid of me?”
Nicoletta licked her lips. “I
heard you’re pregnant and Renzo thinks it’s his.”
“ Don’t even go
there.”
The bitch went on. “Do you
want your baby to love a man who will never be there for him? Who
will probably send him off to a private boarding school by the time
he turns ten? A school in Europe, mind you.”
Jada froze.
The triumph in Nicoletta’s
eyes said she knew she’d struck a nerve.
“ You know what? Don’t
worry about what’s between me and Renzo. You’re just mad
because he doesn’t want you. Nobody will decide what happens
with my baby, including Renzo. Now step aside before you get more
than your feelings hurt up in here.”
Disbelief colored Nicoletta’s
expression, but she dropped back a step so Jada could get past.
Fuming, Jada marched from the restroom in search of Renzo. To her
relief, the event seemed to be ending, and people drifted toward the
exit. Her lover stood in the midst of a small group of men, each
trying to talk over the other in their loud conversation. None
appeared to be angry, and she put it down to just the way they were.
Jada headed toward the exit. She
would catch up to Renzo later. Maybe someone outside could give her a
lift back to the house, because the grounds were extensive. She
stepped into the early evening air with the sunlight showing no signs
of relinquishing the day just yet. Ettore stood next to a BMW, and
she started toward him, but a beautiful Asian woman strolled over and
hooked her arm with his. A coy smile and a few whispered words in
Ettore’s ear, and the man was soon escorting the woman into his
car. They pulled off, and Jada sighed.
“ Ma’am, may I offer
you a ride?”
Jada turned around at the voice
behind her and smiled at the man who must be in his late twenties or
early thirties. He wore a suit, but it appeared lived-in a bit, yet
there was an appeal to him with his boyish good looks. “Sure.
Thanks.”
An imposing form blocked the sun
for both of them. “Ms. Thompson has a ride.
Jada peered up into the angry
eyes of one of the men handling security that Zita had pointed out.
Before she could tell him she didn’t need him, he wedged
himself between the rumpled friendly guy and her, somehow propelling
her toward a waiting vehicle without even touching her. Once Jada
settled in the back and he in the driver’s seat, she frowned at
him. “I was just fine getting a ride from that guy. He didn’t
look like the type to hurt anyone.”
The guard threw the car into gear
and started down the road. “No one at the tasting was that
type. We made sure of that.”
She sat back, folding her arms
over her chest. “Then what was the big deal?”
He gave a prompt answer. “Mr.
Mariani assigned me to look after
and wished she could splash water on her face to cool her skin, but
that might ruin her makeup, so she didn’t try. Behind her, the
door opened, and Nicoletta strolled in. Jada stifled a grunt of
annoyance.
“ Oh, I didn’t know
you were in here.” The dramatic hand to the chest made Jada
roll her eyes.
“ Of course not, or you
wouldn’t have come in.”
Nicoletta seemed to force a
smile. “How are you enjoying the tasting?”
“ Fine.” Jada didn’t
want to encourage conversation. She nabbed a paper towel to dry her
hands, but Nicoletta blocked her way. “Did you want something?”
“ You know this is how it
always is with Renzo. Tastings, meetings, people around him all day,
every day. And he is away on business more often than he’s at
home. It never stops. He never slows down—for anyone.”
Jada shifted her weight onto one
leg and folded her arms under her breasts. “Is this some kind
of warning against getting involved with him, because I have to admit
you’re boring the hell out of me.”
Red tinged the woman’s
hairline, straight up from her neck. “I’m saying I’m
used to this kind of lifestyle, but maybe you aren’t.”
“ This is the way you’re trying to get rid of me?”
Nicoletta licked her lips. “I
heard you’re pregnant and Renzo thinks it’s his.”
“ Don’t even go
there.”
The bitch went on. “Do you
want your baby to love a man who will never be there for him? Who
will probably send him off to a private boarding school by the time
he turns ten? A school in Europe, mind you.”
Jada froze.
The triumph in Nicoletta’s
eyes said she knew she’d struck a nerve.
“ You know what? Don’t
worry about what’s between me and Renzo. You’re just mad
because he doesn’t want you. Nobody will decide what happens
with my baby, including Renzo. Now step aside before you get more
than your feelings hurt up in here.”
Disbelief colored Nicoletta’s
expression, but she dropped back a step so Jada could get past.
Fuming, Jada marched from the restroom in search of Renzo. To her
relief, the event seemed to be ending, and people drifted toward the
exit. Her lover stood in the midst of a small group of men, each
trying to talk over the other in their loud conversation. None
appeared to be angry, and she put it down to just the way they were.
Jada headed toward the exit. She
would catch up to Renzo later. Maybe someone outside could give her a
lift back to the house, because the grounds were extensive. She
stepped into the early evening air with the sunlight showing no signs
of relinquishing the day just yet. Ettore stood next to a BMW, and
she started toward him, but a beautiful Asian woman strolled over and
hooked her arm with his. A coy smile and a few whispered words in
Ettore’s ear, and the man was soon escorting the woman into his
car. They pulled off, and Jada sighed.
“ Ma’am, may I offer
you a ride?”
Jada turned around at the voice
behind her and smiled at the man who must be in his late twenties or
early thirties. He wore a suit, but it appeared lived-in a bit, yet
there was an appeal to him with his boyish good looks. “Sure.
Thanks.”
An imposing form blocked the sun
for both of them. “Ms. Thompson has a ride.
Jada peered up into the angry
eyes of one of the men handling security that Zita had pointed out.
Before she could tell him she didn’t need him, he wedged
himself between the rumpled friendly guy and her, somehow propelling
her toward a waiting vehicle without even touching her. Once Jada
settled in the back and he in the driver’s seat, she frowned at
him. “I was just fine getting a ride from that guy. He didn’t
look like the type to hurt anyone.”
The guard threw the car into gear
and started down the road. “No one at the tasting was that
type. We made sure of that.”
She sat back, folding her arms
over her chest. “Then what was the big deal?”
He gave a prompt answer. “Mr.
Mariani assigned me to look after
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