She opened the door and glared at him. ‘I said not now.’
‘I’m not drunk.’
‘Oh, please.’ She looked at the way he was breathing, at the flush in his cheeks. ‘Did you run here?’
He shrugged.
‘You shouldn’t run in those shoes. It’ll be bad for your feet.’
‘Says the woman wearing stupidly high heels.’
She whirled away and walked down the hall. ‘What is it you want, Lorenzo?’
She heard him close the door and walk after her. ‘I just wanted you to know it’s not you. It’s me.’
She stopped and turned back to stare at him. ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ She laughed. ‘That’s the line you’re giving me?’
‘I was jealous as hell watching you dance with him. Even though I knew there was nothing in it, I was wild. I can’t even blame the booze. I’m sorry.’
‘You could have danced with me.’
He shook his head. ‘You’re too good for me.’
‘Oh.’ She clasped her hand to her chest. ‘Another great line. Whatever will be next? Let me guess, “I just don’t do relationships, darling,”‘ she said, dropping her voice a ridiculous octave. ‘“I was born to be alone.” Am I on the right path?’
He’d gone pale. Stopped halfway down the hall. ‘Why did you want me to meet your family?’
‘I didn’t. It wasn’t like I was going to introduce you to them as my boyfriend or anything, Lorenzo. Heaven forbid.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘I just wanted you to be there. I wanted your support.’
‘No.’ Lorenzo took a deep breath in and reminded himself that he was not going to lose it. Not again. Now was the time for some honesty. He owed her that, at least. ‘I’ve met your father before.’
‘You have?’
‘He was the presiding judge when I was up in court.’
‘What?’
‘Youth court. I was thirteen.’
‘What had you done?’
He shrugged. ‘Graffiti, theft, destruction of property. It wasn’t the first time.’
‘What did he do?’
‘Ordered some community service. Made the order to send me to that school.’
‘Dad did that?’
‘Yes. I had “potential.” They thought it might bring it out.’ And it had—to a degree.
She lifted her brows. ‘And you think what? That your past would put him off you now?’
Of course it would.
‘Doesn’t all you’ve done in the last eighteen years count for anything? Or are you stuck in some kind of time warp? You don’t think what you’ve done with your life since matters?’
He shook his head. She just didn’t get it.
‘So tell me the truth, then.’ She squared up to him. ‘The wine label—it’s a front for money laundering, isn’t it?’
‘What? No.’
‘Is it drugs, then? You’re secretly growing pot in the vineyards?’
‘Of course not.’
‘Oh.’ She sounded disappointed. ‘No illegal activities. You’re not much of a crim then are you?’
‘Sophy.’ He so didn’t need the sarcasm right now.
She didn’t stop. ‘Have you ever been back in court?’
He shook his head.
‘So what’s the problem?’ She folded her arms and eyeballed him. ‘My father believes in justice, Lorenzo. You had a problem. Did some things you shouldn’t have. You did your hours of community service or whatever. Put the wrong right. And he got you into a place that would actually help you. It’s finished. Behind you.’
‘He wouldn’t see it like that.’
‘How do you know?’
‘I just do, all right?’ She was so naïve. ‘Do you really think he’d be okay with what I’m doing with you?’
‘Well—’ her colour deepened ‘—I don’t think he’d want to know any intimate kind of details about anyone I’m with but—’
‘No father wants a man like me to be with his daughter. No father.’
She lifted her head. ‘Someone’s said that before?’
‘More than once,’ he exaggerated. ‘Not good enough.’
‘You need to lose the chip, Lorenzo,’ she said coolly. ‘Anyway—’ she lifted her head proudly ‘—I don’t live with them. I’m grown up. I make my own choices. I can see whoever I want.’
‘You say that but we both know that what your family thinks means everything to you. You’ve been tied up in knots for weeks over what they’d think of your work. What they think of your lover would be even worse.’ He watched her swallow. Knew he’d scored a hit.