“There better be lots of hiking opportunities, because I’ll need lots of it after this.” She held up a cookie before biting off half, and moaned with ecstasy. I laughed because it was our inside joke. Sylvie could eat like a horse and wouldn’t gain a pound.
“So, did he take you to the same place?” Sylvie asked. The cold undertone in her voice surprised me and I remembered what she said about him moving in a different society.
“Well, sort of. We stayed on the other side of the lake.”
“But it’s still the same place, isn’t it?” she insisted.
Where the hell was she going with it? I scanned her face for any clues. Her expression was impassive, all except for the strange glint in her eyes. I swallowed the half-chewed cookie inside my mouth, suddenly oblivious to the buttery taste of the dough dipped in the creamiest chocolate twenty dollars could buy. She took my lack of response as an affirmative.
“Yes,” I said. As though I was confirming her suspicions, she nodded. “Why are you asking?”
“That’s quite the coincidence.”
“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”
She brushed her long hair back and moistened her lips as her blue gaze bore into me. “I know you’re still under the influence of his big dick and the dreamy stuff it did to you, but you need to switch on your brain. And pronto.” She raised her hand to stop the angry protest on my lips. “I’m not suggesting anything. But you’ve got to admit it’s a big world and he took you to the one place you’d inherit. Do you really think that’s a coincidence?”
A cold shudder ran down my spine. She didn’t even know half of it. How could I possibly tell her the rest and not feel completely stupid? “Actually, it’s the same estate he’s been trying to buy.” And the same estate I, as the heir, probably would have given to him, just to see him happy—had he just asked. But he didn’t. Which led me to my next concern. Did he use me? Was I naïve to believe what we had was real?
We stared at each other for a few moments. The magnitude of our words hung heavy in the air.
“Maybe it’s a coincidence,” Sylvie said, breaking the silence. “Maybe he didn’t even know there were relatives.”
According to Jett’s file, the company had watched Alessandro Lucazzone for ten years. Was it really possible the private detective never found out about a possible heir? Possible. And then he hired me? Unlikely. Coincidence?
“I don’t know. This is fucked up.”
“When was the will signed?” Sylvie asked.
I grabbed the copy of the will Jake left me and scanned it once more until I found the date.
Shit.
“About six weeks ago.” Jett and I hadn’t met yet. The way I saw it, it must have taken Jake at least four weeks to prepare the necessary paperwork, double check my identity and heritage, and then contact me. Only I wasn’t around to receive the news because Jett had whisked me off to Italy. But why hire me to acquire the estate in the knowledge I was the heir? Unless he wanted me to fall for him in the hope I’d do anything to please him.
“I think he tried to set me up,” I said slowly as the realization dawned on me. A pang of pain shot through my chest, threatening to kill me. I snorted and shook my head. Coincidence, my butt. You’re not usually hired on the spot without even applying for the job, get jetted off to a luxurious mansion, enter a relationship with the hot boss, and inherit an estate worth millions, which happens to be the one estate your boss can’t seem able to buy.
“He tried to set me up,” I repeated. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.”
“Why would you say that?” There was no surprise on Sylvie’s face, no sign of disagreement, just caginess, as though she knew it was the truth but needed me to acknowledge it first so I wouldn’t blame her.
Don’t shoot the messenger.
I smiled bitterly. How very true. “Jett gets whatever he wants. He simply makes it happen. His tactic is to sweet-talk the owners with expensive trips and meals, and then get them to sign.” I wondered if he slept with all his female targets, or just me.
“Maybe it wasn’t his intention. It could still be coincidence.”
“Don’t bullshit me, Sylvie.” My voice raised a notch. “He made me believe he cared for me, and I fell for it. I fell for his whole love, attraction, sex stuff.”
“Are you going to let him explain?” Sylvie asked.
I shook my head, wiping away the tears gathering in the corner of my eyes. What would be the point? Now that I had the entire picture, I knew I was nothing but a pawn in his game, and I had stupidly fallen for it. The guy was like poison. Getting near him was the last thing I wanted. I had fallen for the wrong person, even opened my heart to him. The realization of my stupidity hurt me more than anything.