He was so smug I wanted to punch him.
“Well, babe, I got news for you. It. Is. This. Weekend.” He punctuated every word just in case I didn’t understand. He can be such an asshole.
“Well, I’ve got news for you! I need to be in Sydney on Friday. I can’t believe this!”
“Jada,” he warned me. “This is a huge commitment, and I recall discussing it with you in depth the night I proposed. I don’t give a shit what work you have scheduled for the weekend; you need to cancel it because this comes first.”
Shit. He was right; I had to go with him. Everything was riding on us pretending to be the perfect, happy couple so he could win the bid. I could easily reschedule my shoot because my agent was an absolute angel. He really looked after me after the assault. He would understand; Max wouldn’t.
Milan spoke up, saying, “Jada, you do not have to give up work if you don’t want to go with Max. You do have a choice, you know?”
My parents were just staring at me, waiting for an answer, and Max, well, Max was sitting there ever so confidently, knowing full well I was not going to say no. I had to do this, but I didn’t want to portray the docile girlfriend. I had to be clever in the way I responded.
“Milan, it’s okay, honest,” I said, squeezing her hand across the table. “I really want to go with Max.” I made sure I emphasised the word want. “This is a big project that Max has been working on. He’s been constantly talking about building one of the Brunetti Hotel and Spa Resorts in Darwin for months now, and I am really excited about it. There is nowhere else I would rather be than with Max this weekend, watching him do what he does best.” I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Isn’t that right, baby?”
I felt Max shudder as I leaned in closer to him and I whispered, ‘Just you wait until we get home.’
“It’s no big deal; I can easily reschedule my Friday shoot.”
***
MAX
My little Princess was quite the actress. Geez, I loved it when she made those little threats. I couldn’t wait until we got home to see what she had in store for me. It seemed like ages since I’d fucked her. It was only that morning, and I had made her come twice in the matter of five minutes.
“Well, I better get back to the vineyard. Jada, Milan, are the both of you coming out to have a look at how it all works?” I asked.
“No, thanks; count me out,” Milan was quick to respond. “That would mean I have to spend time with two Brunetti’s out there, and I am not in the mood for your brother’s crap. I need to get back to Adelaide anyway; I’ve got a two-day course to do, so I’m hitching a ride with Mia.”
“Milan,” Michael Sinclair reprimanded. “That is no way to speak about Marco; he is working just as hard as Max to rebuild this winery, and I think you should be out there helping, too.”
“Sorry, Daddy; no can do. I am out of here. See you when I get back.” Milan kissed her parents, waved at me and Jada; and then fled the house, storming off in her car. Milan and Marco really did seem to rub each other the wrong way. It was actually quite entertaining to watch them whenever they were together, which was not very often. And here I was thinking the two of them were attracted to one another. I was wrong.
“I’ll be out there soon, Max. I just want to help Mum clean up before they go visit their friend Mrs. Clancy in hospital. Remember, she fell and broke her hip earlier this week?” Jada batted her eyelashes at me with a saccharine smile.
“Yeah, I remember, babe. It’s you who has the memory problem, not me.”
***
Anyone would think Jada had never set foot in a winery before. She was in absolute awe as I took her around the fields and introduced her to some of the harvesters and grape pickers.
“Come on. I want to introduce you to Blake Ross, my head winemaker, and see if he can give you a tour.”
“Great, I’ve been dying to have a look at it all. It’s been years since I was a part of harvest season. So, you have a head winemaker? Wow, and here I was thinking they still crush the grapes with their bare feet. They don’t do that still, do they?” she asked innocently.
I gave her a menacing look and just shook my head.
When we approached, Marco was standing with Blake in deep conversation. Marco excused himself to come and embrace Jada in a big bear hug.
“Hey, gorgeous girl, how you doing?” I felt a tight pain in my chest when he hugged her for too long. I knew Marco would never try to make a move on Jada, but I couldn’t help the way I was feeling; the bastard knew how to push my buttons. Jada looked sexy as hell in her white shorts and red polka-dot blouse. She had it half-buttoned and then tied in a knot under her breasts, exposing her smooth, flat stomach, and you could just barely catch a glimpse of her belly ring. Who the hell wears white shorts to a tour of a winery?