Control Me(20)

“Shut up, you dickhead.” Max looked as if he wanted to murder him.

Rosa glared at Max and told him off for swearing and at Marco for being so rude, and she demanded he apologise to me.

Marco held his hands up in defence and said, “I’m just stating the obvious question here, bro, seeing as everyone else is thinking it but afraid to ask it.” He looked at me directly in the eyes, and with sincerity he apologised for his remark. “I’m sorry if I offended you, Jada; I really am.”

“It’s okay, Marco, really. I mean, it’s expected, I suppose, but I can’t…get preg…I mean…” Oh, hell, now I was stumbling again.

“What she means, asshole, is that you need to get your mind out of the gutter. Jada and I are in love. It’s destiny,” Max finished silkily.

“Now, have you both decided on a wedding date at all?” Rosa interrupted, trying to diffuse the situation between the two brothers.

My father sent Max’s mother a dazzling smile. “Rosa, I say we try and organise a wedding pretty soon. No time like the present, right, Max?”

I looked at my mother for support, but she was just as bad as my father. Mia saw I was a bit flustered and stepped in with, “Well, why don’t we throw Jada and Max an engagement party first.” Her eyes sought mine as if to say she was trying.

“Oh, what a wonderful idea,” my mother added. “We can throw the biggest and most extravagant party this town has ever seen. Milan, you and Mia can help me organise it all. I’m assuming both these girls are in the wedding, right, Jada?”

“What? Mother, no. I mean, yes, they are, but…No, I don’t want an extravagant engagement party; the wedding will be enough,” I pleaded.

“Don’t be ridiculous, sweetheart,” my mother assured me. “My famous daughter is marrying the man of her dreams. I think it would be a wonderful idea to let everyone in the nearby towns see that my daughter has finally tamed Max Brunetti.”

Max took that opportunity to laugh. “Well, Janet, I’m not so sure Jada can tame me just yet, but I’ll definitely have a lot of fun letting her try.”

Letting me try?

Oh, for fuck’s sake. What on Earth is he on about now?

“Now, between all of us ladies,” my mother continued with her plan, “we will have this engagement party organised in no time. That way, all the two of you need to do is show up at the party looking as glamorous as always.”

“Oh, yes, Janet, how wonderful,” Rosa agreed. “I insist we have the celebration right here on the Brunetti Estate.”

I could hear Max sneer next to me. I knew he wasn’t keen on an engagement party; he wanted to get married as soon as possible so he could have the winery in his hot, greedy hands. So I played on it, just to annoy the hell out of him. Served him right, the bastard!

“Oh, that is so generous of you both. Max and I are thrilled that you want to throw us a party, aren’t we, honey?” I asked, batting my eyelashes at Max. I patted my mother’s hand, making sure everyone got a good look at my sparkling diamond ring.

“Absolutely, Princess,” he cooed back.

Mia, Milan and Rosa all flocked to inspect my ring.

I noticed that the men had dispersed around the room as coffee and dessert were being served. My father and Marco were having an after-dinner port at the bar, and Max had left my side and was now deep in conversation with his father. He noticed my gaze on him and walked up to me, kissed me on the lips and whispered, “I’ll be back in a bit. My father needs to see me in his office to discuss some business, and then we are out of here, babe.”

I stared after him, watching how his jeans hugged his tight butt as he walked off. Yeah, I had it bad, very bad.





CHAPTER ELEVEN


MAX

I walked into my father’s office only to find him pacing around the room with his hands clenched by his sides. He looked angry.

“Max, what are you doing? Have you gone completely insane, son? I know you want the winery but Dio, you don’t have to marry the poor girl!”

“Dad, I know what I’m doing, okay? I’ve got her just where I want her. I’m not going to hurt her.” Christ, my father was obviously not fooled by our little performance earlier.

“You hurt that girl, Max, and you will be answering to me. I do not like this; not one little bit. The Sinclair family are like my own family; you know this, Maximo. Don’t you dare put a foot wrong where Jada is concerned. She is like another daughter to me and I love her very much.”

Yeah, the old man was pissed. He only ever called me by my full name when he was totally annoyed, and man was he fuming. So what, big deal. He knew I wanted the winery, and his stubborn ass of a friend Michael Fucking Sinclair had stuffed it all to Hell. Well, I had no time to wait, and this was the only chance I had to take over that winery. Once our engagement was made public and I sat down with Sinclair and nutted a few issues out, then Jada’s shares would be safe. And they would be mine.