“A little,” I say quietly.
“Jarred,” he looks to the door, “start the fire in the library. We can have drinks there after dinner and see if Miss Sorvino and I can start this kidnapping over. With a little more grace,” he looks at me pointedly.
It’s working. He’s warming up to me. I’m a little suspicious that it was so quick, but I do think he has old feelings for me. They are clearly fueling his rage, and now he thinks there’s a chance to explore those feelings with me.
I feel sick for emotionally manipulating him like this, but I know what my priorities are.
We finish eating in silence, and when our plates are cleared, I go to stand, but Miguel holds up a hand. “You’ve never stayed long enough at dinner to realize there’s dessert before drinks.”
I try to give him a warm smile as a big slice of cheesecake dripping in strawberry sauce is placed in front of me with a fork.
Chapter 20 - Miguel
She honestly thinks I’m a complete idiot. I try not to smirk as we tuck into dessert. She comes down and suddenly starts being nice to me, trying to reconcile, and what? Flirt? Does she really think I’m dumb enough to be manipulated like that again? And by her? Fool me once, shame on me, but there isn’t going to be a second time, you whore.
We eat our dessert in silence, but I keep an eye on her, trying not to smile or give myself away. She glances up periodically, and the third or fourth time she catches me looking at her, she clears her throat. “This cheesecake is delicious.”
I sit back and give her a sly smile. “It’s your favorite, I remembered.”
“From that place in the city center?” her eyes widen, and she smiles. “You got me one every weekend to share while we watched movies.”
I nod. “That’s right, and you’d always eat more than me when it was a sappy chick flick.”
She grins and nods, taking another bite. She’s about halfway through the cheesecake. She’s not lying about enjoying it. I know that, but she is straining to try to talk to me. It seems hard for her to be nice to me, her captor, but she should know how to do it by now.
I finish my cheesecake and push the plate away and wait for her.
“So, what did you do today?” she asks as she starts on the last part of her cheesecake.
I shake my head. “I don’t discuss business at the dining room table.”
“Sorry, my family is like that too. Did you do anything that wasn’t business today?” she asks, pushing her plate away.
I stand. “I only deal with business on a day-to-day basis.”
She nods and stands, gathering her dress around her like a princess. “Well, thank you for a wonderful dinner.”
“Drinks, remember?” I ask. “We’ll have them in the library by the fire.”
She awkwardly smiles widely and nods. “Okay, yes. That would be lovely.”
I hold my hand out to her, and she takes it. I escort her to the library, and a sofa in front of the roaring fire Jarred has lit. Jarred stands at the door, and I wave him off. “Wait outside. We want some privacy.”
She looks slightly panicked under her smile, and I try not to laugh. I wonder how she would feel if she was used and tossed away. I go to the bar and pour two glasses of whiskey, handing one to her and sitting beside her. I put one arm around the back of the sofa behind her.
She smiles at me, and I take in the dress. It looks better on her than I imagined. Strapless, corset sewn to a long wispy skirt made of layers of chiffon with an underskirt as the bottom-most layer. I look down into her eyes, remaining quiet.
“So,” she says, sipping her whiskey, “you haven’t gotten married or had children?”
I despise small talk, she should remember that, but clearly, she doesn’t care. I shake my head. “No, never found the right person. I don’t really want children. You?”
She falters, and I raise an eyebrow, but she shakes her head. “No, me neither.”
I get an unsettling feeling in my chest, but I brush it off. Once upon a time, I imagined her to wed me and be the mother of my children.
That will never happen now.
She swirls her drink in the glass, staring down into it.