She sucked in a breath. She hadn’t realized it was his car. She hated red sports cars, and Lamborghinis in particular. It was a red Lamborghini that had crashed into her taxi and ended her career.
So what? This isn’t the same car. It happened in Paris. Do you really want to go back to Salazar and ask him for a key to one of his cars because you can’t deal with Dane’s over something that happened seven years ago?
He climbed behind the steering wheel without waiting for her. Her mind made up, she got inside quickly before he could say no. She wasn’t letting the accident hold her back. It was a long time ago. I have to think about now.
“Misunderstandings aren’t limited to cars,” he said as he pulled away from the Pryce family mansion.
“There’s more?”
“Your dog. I saw him in the kitchen this morning.”
She blinked. That was the last thing she’d expected him to bring up. “What about Roco?”
“My father has never allowed any of us to have a pet, especially a dog. My grandmother bought one for us, but she had to take it back because he wouldn’t bend the rule. It upset her, since he used to like dogs, but what could she do? His house, his rules.”
“I didn’t know. I guess he let Roco stay since sending him away wasn’t an option for me.” She would’ve risked sleeping on the streets than give up Roco.
“Right.”
She gritted her teeth. She was beginning to hate that word, especially when spoken with such cynicism. “He’s just being nice.”
Dane snorted. “One thing you have to understand about my father is that he’s never ‘just’ nice. I told you that already. I meant it.”
“So what do you suggest I do? Be suspicious of everyone around me? Doesn’t that get tiring?”
“At least you won’t get fucked over.”
I give up, Sophia thought. It was impossible to talk to a man who was determined to see the worst in everyone. What had made him so harsh? She’d meant what she’d said about the privilege he must’ve taken for granted.
On the other hand, he might also have experienced some emotional hardships she knew nothing about. Salazar had been kind to her, but he might’ve been a difficult to please father, harsh with his children.
She stared at the traffic. It looked like a parking lot rather than a highway. She counted the number of blue cars…then the hybrids. It wasn’t a bad game to distract herself.
“You can relax,” Dane said suddenly. “I’m not going to fuck you over.”
She turned to him. “Am I supposed to take that at face value?”
He chuckled. The sound was genuine, void of malice or derision. “Not bad.”
“Why did you get a Lamborghini if you drive like an old woman?” she asked.
“Says who?”
“Salazar. Actually, he said a dead woman. And you didn’t disagree.”
Dane paused, his knuckles whitening briefly. “I bought a red Lamborghini because my father didn’t like it.”
“Really?”
“The Lamborghini part was fine, but according to him it should have been anything other than red.”
She shook her head. “Was he worried about getting tickets?”
His mouth curled into a smile. “We don’t worry about things like that.”
“You don’t?”
“It’s just money. No, the problem was the color itself. Heresy to drive a red Lamborghini. He can be a bit of a stickler for things like that, mostly because he has no imagination or taste when it comes to colors. Or art for that matter.”
“You don’t like your father, do you?”
“No.” A beat of pause. “He’s an asshole.”
She frowned. She felt disloyal for even listening to Dane talk about Salazar like this.
Dane’s gaze darted toward her before it focused back on the road. “Where did you think I got my sparkling personality from?”
Not touching that one. “Are you going to give me more busy work, like helping people who obviously don’t need my help?”
“She’s a bride-to-be. People like her always need help.”
“And I’m the queen of France.”
“You’re my assistant. It’s your job to do what I tell you.”
“There are limits.”
“Yes, to my forbearance with recalcitrant employees.” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “But I’ll make you a deal. A bet.”
“A bet?”
“If I win, you move out of the family house. Actually you leave the city entirely. Maybe even the state.”
Her chest felt like someone had driven a spear into it, but she didn’t know why what he was proposing hurt. He’d never implied that he saw her as anything other than an intruder. “What do I get if I win?”