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Emerging twenty minutes later, the stains replaced with a sheer gloss instead, I make my way to the huge, opulent dining room and slide in beside him at the table amid the arrival of some of the others. He’s using his phone and completely ignores me. I bristle, knowing this isn’t a normal Jake move but I’m not going to let it get to me, I’m going to act like I don’t care at all and just sit down. I stop myself from looking at him, even though it’s almost impulsive to eye up how gorgeous he always looks.

As soon as everyone is seated, he puts his phone away, leans back on his chair and places an arm across the back of mine while throwing me a triumphant look. I note that his father watches us from a distance at the head of the huge dark wood table and physically still. I have managed to avoid him until now, but dinner will be interesting. I get the distinct impression Giovanni is not all that enamored with his son hooking up with an employee