less of a person, or any less in control of her own life. She was tired of being treated like she didn’t have any say.
He shrugged. “So what if you are? Everybody is at one point or another. Even me.”
His blasé attitude was infuriating. She forced a note of challenge in her tone, but it wavered. “Well, what if I leave? You can’t stop me.”
“No, I can’t,” Dante agreed calmly. “But I really hope you will stay and let me help. Either way, I won’t try to force you. But I know you should stay.”
Shayna sighed. He was the bossiest, most autocratic man she’d ever met. Still, Dante was right in that she didn’t have anywhere else to go and could barely walk.
“Fine, I’ll stay for now. And I do appreciate your help.” She managed a smile and changed the subject. “You said I could use your computer, didn’t you? Can I see if my divorce has gone through?”
“Of course.”
When he grinned, she rolled her eyes. Of course he would smile and be gracious. He’d won.
Chapter Five
Dante helped Shayna log on to his computer but stuck around to peek at her email. He knew it was rude, but his curiosity was impossible to resist.
“Do you have to hover over my shoulder like that?”
She turned away from the computer screen to give him an exasperated look, but Dante ignored her and read her jackass husband’s reply:
If this is some kind of pity game, I’m not playing. I’m taking the house and everything else I paid for. Keep your little bank account. I filed the papers already and attached the divorce decree, so you can’t change your mind. I’ll send you the finalized papers when they come.
P.S. I would appreciate it if you did not keep my last name.
“What an asshole.” Dante was surprised at his fury. He wanted to fly up to Portland and kick the shit out of the sanctimonious son of a bitch. “Am I reading this right, Shayna? Did you really sign everything over to him?”
“I sure did,” she said, lifting her chin in what she probably hoped was a formidable manner. Really, it was just cute. Especially since he’d given her polka-dotted Band-Aids.
Shayna continued. “As he said, he paid for everything and I want nothing to do with it. Besides, my bank account isn’t so little, and if he’d been paying any attention to me instead of sleeping around he’d know it. As soon as you take me to the bank, I can pay you back for all you’ve done.”
Dante closed his eyes and struggled to gather his patience. God, this woman needed a keeper. First she turned down the chance at alimony, and now she was trying to throw away part of her nest egg on him?
“Shayna, I won’t let you pay me back,” he said in the most level voice possible.
Her eyes narrowed. “But I want to do things for myself for once.”
“If you continue to argue with me, I’ll buy you a sapphire necklace to go with your new dress.”
Her horrified look made him chuckle. In his world of greedy, entitled celebrities, she was a true novelty. No, more than a novelty. She was a miracle.
Shayna gave him a mutinous glare. “You are really weird, you know that?” she said. Then she turned and replied to her ex-husband.
Thank you for taking care of the final paperwork. I hope you and your beverage vendor find more happiness than we had, she typed eloquently.
“You stupid jerk-off,” Dante added.
“I’m not going to say that!” But Shayna giggled, sending a tremor of warmth down his spine. “At least not out loud.”
Her smile enchanted him. It made her look ethereal and fey all at once. Once more, lust welled up within Dante.
He shook it off and looked at her long list of emails. It seemed housewives like her spent a lot of time online. No doubt she’d been lonely, and the next one she opened piqued his interest a little: Hi, Shayna, I know that you must still be grieving, but it’s been so long since I’ve heard from you. Are you okay? Best, Emma.
“Looks like this one was worried about you,” he
He shrugged. “So what if you are? Everybody is at one point or another. Even me.”
His blasé attitude was infuriating. She forced a note of challenge in her tone, but it wavered. “Well, what if I leave? You can’t stop me.”
“No, I can’t,” Dante agreed calmly. “But I really hope you will stay and let me help. Either way, I won’t try to force you. But I know you should stay.”
Shayna sighed. He was the bossiest, most autocratic man she’d ever met. Still, Dante was right in that she didn’t have anywhere else to go and could barely walk.
“Fine, I’ll stay for now. And I do appreciate your help.” She managed a smile and changed the subject. “You said I could use your computer, didn’t you? Can I see if my divorce has gone through?”
“Of course.”
When he grinned, she rolled her eyes. Of course he would smile and be gracious. He’d won.
Chapter Five
Dante helped Shayna log on to his computer but stuck around to peek at her email. He knew it was rude, but his curiosity was impossible to resist.
“Do you have to hover over my shoulder like that?”
She turned away from the computer screen to give him an exasperated look, but Dante ignored her and read her jackass husband’s reply:
If this is some kind of pity game, I’m not playing. I’m taking the house and everything else I paid for. Keep your little bank account. I filed the papers already and attached the divorce decree, so you can’t change your mind. I’ll send you the finalized papers when they come.
P.S. I would appreciate it if you did not keep my last name.
“What an asshole.” Dante was surprised at his fury. He wanted to fly up to Portland and kick the shit out of the sanctimonious son of a bitch. “Am I reading this right, Shayna? Did you really sign everything over to him?”
“I sure did,” she said, lifting her chin in what she probably hoped was a formidable manner. Really, it was just cute. Especially since he’d given her polka-dotted Band-Aids.
Shayna continued. “As he said, he paid for everything and I want nothing to do with it. Besides, my bank account isn’t so little, and if he’d been paying any attention to me instead of sleeping around he’d know it. As soon as you take me to the bank, I can pay you back for all you’ve done.”
Dante closed his eyes and struggled to gather his patience. God, this woman needed a keeper. First she turned down the chance at alimony, and now she was trying to throw away part of her nest egg on him?
“Shayna, I won’t let you pay me back,” he said in the most level voice possible.
Her eyes narrowed. “But I want to do things for myself for once.”
“If you continue to argue with me, I’ll buy you a sapphire necklace to go with your new dress.”
Her horrified look made him chuckle. In his world of greedy, entitled celebrities, she was a true novelty. No, more than a novelty. She was a miracle.
Shayna gave him a mutinous glare. “You are really weird, you know that?” she said. Then she turned and replied to her ex-husband.
Thank you for taking care of the final paperwork. I hope you and your beverage vendor find more happiness than we had, she typed eloquently.
“You stupid jerk-off,” Dante added.
“I’m not going to say that!” But Shayna giggled, sending a tremor of warmth down his spine. “At least not out loud.”
Her smile enchanted him. It made her look ethereal and fey all at once. Once more, lust welled up within Dante.
He shook it off and looked at her long list of emails. It seemed housewives like her spent a lot of time online. No doubt she’d been lonely, and the next one she opened piqued his interest a little: Hi, Shayna, I know that you must still be grieving, but it’s been so long since I’ve heard from you. Are you okay? Best, Emma.
“Looks like this one was worried about you,” he
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