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“I'm not sure what we're talking about."
Dom chuckled darkly. “You’ve never parented teens, and it shows. I know what my daughter looks like after she’s been kissed. I caught her sneaking in from a date more times than I care to admit. She had the same face leaving your trailer.”
Busted. By Dad-dar.
“Dom, I can explain.”
“No, I don’t want to know. That’s between you and her. Just be careful with her.”
Lorena approached the table, but she must have sensed the tension in the conversation because she did the ridiculous look-at-the-watch-and-walk-the-other-way maneuver.
“But there isn't anything between us.” Jake lowered his voice. The entire crew didn't need to hear that he'd been kissing Frankie.
“Why the hell not?” Dom blustered, clearly not caring who heard him.
“Wait, what? You just said—”
“I said I wouldn't have chosen you, not that she shouldn't have. Don't be an ass."
Jake covered his face with his hands. "I am so confused."
"Then take some time to figure out what you want, so you don't mess around with her feelings. Next?”
God, it was scary how much father and daughter were alike. “I can’t believe we are having this conversation. We work together.”
“I worked with her mother. You will both work harder to make the show a success.”
Jake’s mind was spinning. “Why did you say you wouldn’t have picked me?”
He was close enough to smell the freshly ground beans he insisted on. He desperately needed something to do with his hands, preferably that involved caffeine. Maybe that would help this all start to make sense, because he was at a loss. Jake had drifted toward the carafe when a meaty hand clapped down on his shoulder, and pulled him around the front of the building.
For all of his experience, he'd never actually met the father of a woman he was dating, let alone worked with him. This was all unchartered territory, and that made him nervous as hell. And Dom wasn't helping with that smirk and his random-ass conflicting statements.
“Not so fast. I want us clear on this. I wouldn't have picked you because you're ruthless."
Now there was no question. Offense won. “I resent that, Dom.”
“I’m not saying that's a bad thing. I’ve seen how invested you are in this show. You’ll use any advantage you’ve got to get what you want. Frankie is the same way. She's never heard a no she couldn't change. You two will drive each other nuts, each wanting your own way.”
“So then why are you encouraging me?”
“Because Frankie tends to get what she wants in the end, and apparently she wants you. You might as well get on board."
"I am only going to be here through the end of the vineyard show. Then I'll be back in LA working on other projects. My life is crazy when I'm home. It would never work.”
“Uh-huh. I'm hearing excuses. If Frankie has decided she wants you, you don’t stand a chance." Dom fairly cackled, as if he was going to extract the maximum pleasure possible out of watching his daughter bring Jake to his knees.
He'd be damned if that was going to happen. How had his plan for a few kisses, a simple fling, gotten so complicated? “Well, she’s not going to get me.”
“Son, she already has.”
Dom strolled off with his last words hanging heavily in the air between them, as if he hadn’t just swung a sledgehammer through Jake’s peace of mind.
Where the hell was the coffee?
Stalking back to the beverage cart, he filled his mug to the brim and burned his mouth on his first furious sip. Natalie was the poor unfortunate soul who happened to cross his path just then.
“Hey, Jake. Can I ask you—”
