“Because it’s our special place, of course.”
Gianna frowns at Liliana, and then watches me warily. I set my fork down, lean on my elbows, and watch Liliana over the rim of my wine glass.
“What’s your game, Lil?”
“Game?” Her eyes go wide, innocently, and four years ago, I would have bought it hook, line and sinker. “There’s no game. That place is special to me. I would hate for someone to buy it and turn it into something horrible.”
“Gianna,” I begin and stand, gesturing for Liliana to take my hand, which she does without hesitation. “I’m going to take Liliana outside to talk privately.”
“Of course,” Gianna replies, and begins clearing the table. I try to pull my hand from Liliana’s, but she holds firm, smiling flirtatiously up at me, the way she used to do when she couldn’t wait to get me home and rock my world, as I lead her outside and around the side of the house on the wrap-around covered porch.
“Thank goodness we’re alone at last,” she purrs and glides her hands up my chest, leaning into me, tipping her head back in invitation. “I’m so happy that you’re home, mi amore.”
I back away from her touch and cross my hands over my chest. “I’m not your love, Liliana. I’m not anything to you.”
“That’s not true.”
I tilt my head to the side, watching her closely. “You fucked my cousin. The night before we were to get married.”
Her lip quivers and tears spring to her eyes, but I don’t for one minute believe they’re genuine.
Liliana is a master manipulator.
“It was only cold feet.”
“Or a cold heart,” I reply calmly.
“I wish you would just forgive me, Dominic. It was a moment of weakness. It meant nothing at all.”
I nod, considering her words. “Yes, Marco told me that you’d been fucking him for about three months. So, was that just a three month long moment of weakness then?”
Her eyes narrow and lips firm. “Did you come here to reconcile or not?”
“Not.” I drag my finger over my lips, considering her. “I came here because my cousin needed me.”
“Then why did you invite me to dinner?” She props her hands on her slender hips and glares at me.
“For a few reasons.” I rest my hip on the banister casually. “One, I’d like to know how much money you’ve talked Marco into giving you over the past six months.”
She starts to speak, but I hold a hand up, stopping her.
“I also wanted you to finally admit that you’d been fucking him since before I proposed to you. And I wanted to simply ask you why.”
“Why what? Why does Marco give me money? Why was I fucking him?”
“All of it.”
She tosses her head back and laughs. Not the sexy, lovely laugh I once knew her to have, but a vindictive, malicious laugh that only makes her look more ugly.
“Oh, come on, Dominic. You’re an adult. We had a good time together. The sex was spectacular, we made each other laugh.”
“The sex was mediocre,” I correct her and smirk. Sex with Alecia was spectacular.
“It was never about you,” she spits out. “As soon as I set foot on this vineyard when I came out here to take care of your mama, God rest her soul, I knew that I wanted it.”
“You wanted the vineyard?” I ask incredulously. “For what? You’re a nurse.”
I rack my brain, thinking back to those months when Liliana came here to care for my mama when she was dying, how compassionate she was.
She’d been my rock during that time, and it was why I’d fallen in love with her.
“I’m a damn good nurse, but do you honestly think that’s what I want to do forever? Watch people die?”
“What do you want?”
“I want money!” She shakes her head at me like I’m stupid. “You always talked of moving to America, starting over, and that wasn’t what I wanted. I love it here. Right here. And I knew Marco would never leave.”
“So, you seduced him.”
“And I still do,” she replies with a smug smile. “And he does pretty much whatever I tell him to.”
“Including steal money from his sister,” I growl.
“Hey, I’ve been asking Gianna to talk you into moving back home for a long time, Dominic. You were the one I wanted, but I wanted you here. And I wanted a claim on this vineyard.”
“Have you forgotten that you’d signed a pre-nup, Lil?” I smirk, when her face pales and she glares at me. “And aside from that, Marco and I are not controlling owners in this vineyard. He and I only each own twenty-five percent. Gianna owns fifty percent. This is her vineyard.”
“Well, then it’s a good thing I’ve kept the mindless twit as a friend all these years, isn’t it?”
“You’re no friend of mine.”
We both turn, shocked to find Gianna standing at the end of the porch, a bottle of wine in her hands, quivering with rage.
“Gianna, bella, you misunderstood me.”
“No, I didn’t.” Gianna shakes her head and sets the wine on the railing. “All this time, I thought you were in love with Dominic.” She turns her sweet eyes to Liliana and sighs. “I felt sorry for you.”
“Well, that’s something we have in common,” Liliana replies coldly.
“You’re going to need to get the fuck off my property now,” Gianna says, surprising us all with her language. Liliana turns to me in a huff.