Page 7 of Heaven Help Me

She folds her arms across her chest again. I do the same. We glare at each other. Damn, this could go on all day. I sigh and drop my arms, moving toward the stairs.

“I don’t have time for this, so let’s go downstairs and get our backstory figured out.”

She follows me, not saying a word until we’ve reached the kitchen and I’ve pulled down a crystal glass from the cabinet. She goes to fill it from the sink and I stop her with a single hand up in the air.

“There’s a pitcher of filtered water in the refrigerator.”

She smirks. “So bougie.”

I roll my eyes and run my hands down my suit. “I care about my temple.”

She gives me a slow once-over I feel from my leather wingtips to the top of my perfectly coiffed hair. Women always like what they see when I’m standing in front of them. I’ve even scored a few modeling gigs for the various online suit retailers. I know what I got. I’m basically all the good qualities from both of my parents and none of the bad.

Valentina, on the other hand, makes a loud retching noise and turns to grab the water out of the refrigerator. My chest deflates.

Goddammit, she’s annoying.

I brush past her and have a seat in a wingback chair that’s more style than comfort in the formal sitting room at the front of the house. Valentina sits on the love seat, sipping her water.

“Look, neither one of us wants this to be happening, but we have to face it head-on.”

“Agreed. I’ll act the Southern belle for a few days and wait out Bettina. I intend to move into my own place once she’s back in New York and busy.”

I’m already shaking my head. “Absolutely not. You’re staying here.”

Valentina sets her glass on the side table with a sharp click. “You don’t get to tell me what to do. I’m leaving in a couple days.”

I lean forward, elbows on my knees. “I repeat: absolutely not. What would Bettina say if you defy her orders?”

“Who cares? She’s busy in New York. She’ll never know.”

I sit back and give her a lazy smile. “The minute you leave, I’ll have her on the phone.”

Valentina gasps. “You wouldn’t!”

My chuckle is soft. “Oh, wouldn’t I?”

Valentina looks so annoyed I can’t help but mentally pat myself on the back. God, it feels good to piss her off. Might even be my new favorite thing.

“I hope next time you buy bread it’s all just end pieces.”

I roll my eyes and ignore the harmless barb.

“So, let’s get this backstory going. You’re an old family friend and we’ve been in contact recently. You flew out here to stay with me because you just can’t stay away from all this.”

There’s that retching noise again.

“I need time to see if we’re compatible. We’re dating, but not super serious.” I carry on despite her rather physical display of disgust. “Be together enough to sell the idea, but not so much they’re all shocked when we break up.”

An idea hits me like a knife to the ribs. “And lawdamercy, no kissing!”

Valentina’s entire face spasms into a grimace. Mine does too at the thought of dating this woman in any real way.

“Definitely no kissing,” she practically growls.

I frown, asking what I’ve been wondering since she stepped out of that hotel bedroom and cursed at the sight of me. “What happened to your voice?”

Her gaze snaps up to mine from where she’d been eyeing my family portraits on the opposite wall. “What happened to your face?”