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I’m dumbfounded by his question, anger filling me as I stare at him. “My body is just fine, thank you very much!”
Dante stops a couple of inches in front of me. I have to crane my neck back to see his eyes, but he isn’t looking at me. Or, rather, he isn’t looking at my face. His eyes trail a hot path down my body. It’s all I can do not to shiver, imagining his hands following his eyes.
“Yes, it is,” he agrees, his voice husky.
When his gaze meets mine again, I swallow thickly at the lust shining in his eyes.
“But that’s not the point,” he continues. “You really want to work that hard and just throw all that money away?”
“I’m not throwing anything away.” I bristle. “Stella is a good friend going through a difficult time.” Taking a deep breath, I turn and grab a coffee cup from the cupboard. The coffee is just about done and I’m glad to find a distraction, something to keep me from looking into those passion-filled eyes.
After pouring Dante a cup, I turn and hand it to him. Our hands brush slightly when he reaches for it, and I just know he did that on purpose.
“Listen. That’s my stipulation. Your client will send the money to Stella, anonymously as a donation, or there’s no deal.”
Dante takes a step back and raises his free hand away from his side as if surrendering. “Okay, have it your way. No skin off my back, but it’s your mistake.”
His words grate on my nerves. How dare he look down on me for being generous? I bet he doesn’t have a single friend he would help out like this, or one that would help him if he needed it. Dante, for as long as I can remember, has always held himself away from everyone else. I wonder if he has any true healthy relationships.
And that gives me the perfect idea.
“Good, then, it’s settled,” he says, drawing my attention back to the conversation. When he tries to continue talking, I cut him off.
“Not so fast, Dante.” He raises his eyebrows again, surprised I would interrupt him, I guess. “There’s more.”
Obviously, if the way he’s scowling at me is any indication, he’s not too happy that this isn’t such a done deal yet. And, as much as he’d like to act nonchalant, I can tell by the stiffness in his shoulders that this deal means more to him than he’s willing to admit.
“You need to stop bugging Knox—and the rest of us—about selling this house,” I say, throwing an arm to encompass the area. “And, you need to work on fixing your relationship with your brother and your dad.”
Had I thought he was scowling before? Wow, the way his eyebrows draw down and his eyes narrow into warning slits is almost scary.
“I’ll work with Knox,” he says through gritted teeth. “I’ll be on my best behavior with him when I can. But there is no way in hell you can push me into anything with my dad. Don’t even go there.”
He pauses to glare at me. “Take it or leave it.”
I nod, surprised I even got that much accomplished.
“Then it’s a deal,” he says almost formally. He stops long enough to take a sip of coffee, the first since I’d handed him the cup a little while ago.
“In order to stay ahead of deadlines, we’ll need to begin immediately,” he says, all businesslike again. “There’s not enough space to work here, in that garage. Plus, my client is very picky and I don’t trust the safety of the paintings if they’re shipped from New Orleans.”
“What are you trying to say, Dante?”
He sets the coffee cup down on the counter and pins me with his eyes. I see determination there, but also something else. Wariness? A little desperation?
“Simply that this project is very important. Also, if you’re working for me, I don’t want you having to worry about things. My client’s in New York City. You can stay there while painting, and it will give you a chance to check out the aesthetics and the lighting in person. I know that’s an important part of your work, and you can’t just do that in one day. I’m sure you will need multiple trips.”
“How do you know that?”
His expression doesn’t change, but he says quickly, “I paid attention to your doodling back in the day.”
Heat climbs from my throat to stain my cheeks. Although he said the compliment casually, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to know that he noticed me when we were younger, even in such a small way.
I find myself considering it. Maybe it’s because of that compliment. Maybe it’s because of the money. Or maybe it’s just because deep down I wouldn’t mind finding an excuse to be around Dante a little longer.
“Okay, but before I agree to that I need more information,” I reply, trying to show him that I’m not just going to do something because he asked for it.
His eyes bore into mine before a heavy breath escapes him. “Okay… what do you want to know?”
