“Son of a bitch,” I growl, pressing the attendant light.
“Whoops.” Then he chuckles ever so lightly, and I lose it.
“Sir, please don’t take pictures of me,” I shout, sitting up and waving my arms. “He’s taking pictures of me,” I explain to the shocked passengers all around us. “Right there, through the crack.” I turn to the woman across the aisle. “I bet he’s going to sell them. What a perv. We ladies have to stand up for ourselves, am I right?”
“Sorry, my sister has had too much to drink,” he explains to the group of people staring at us twenty feet away as he stands. He turns his icy blue eyes to me across the back of his seat. Damn, he’s tall. And I’m a tall girl, nearly five-foot-ten. He has me beat by at least six inches. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I don’t know. What’s wrong with you? From the first second of this flight, you’ve been nothing but a prick. Did Idosomething to offend you?”
His nostrils are flared, and he releases me a tiny bit—enough that I’m able to break free.
“You can’t say shit like that in this day and age,” he adds, his voice stern and fierce.
“Good riddance,” I fume, crossing my arms.
“I have a work meeting and it’s important.Reallyimportant. I’ll be damned if you ruin it by getting me arrested because you’re being a little—”
I open my mouth in shock. “A littlewhat?”
“Mr. Møllen,” Nico says, walking over to us. “Is everything okay? I was told you requested to be moved away from Ms. Rossi again?”
Malfoy’s head pivots to me, his face a dangerous force. He tilts his head slightly, pinning me with the most threatening stare I’ve ever experienced.
“Rossi? Please, for the love of God, tell me you’re not related to Luca.”
I squint. “I—what?” I look between him and Nico. “How the hell do you know my brother?”
His face falls, and he blinks rapidly as he leans back a bit. “Fuck.”
And then realization dawns on me. “Oh my god. You’re Anderson. His business partner.”
Anderson nods, shaking his head slowly. “I didn’t realize freelance assistants came on business trips.”
“Excuse me, would you mind catching up in your seats with your seatbelt fastened? Thank you,” Nico interrupts, gesturing for us to sit.
I am trembling with fury and surprise as I sit.Thatis Anderson?Thatis the man my brother decided to partner with? I’m about to ask for more water when Anderson pops his head over the back of his seat again, looking down at me.
“Why the hell did he send you on this trip?” he asks, his voice equally annoyed.
I shrug. “He wanted me there to showcase our global reach. I am trying to promote the upcoming restaurant with regards to the local island cuisine.”
His eyes hold mine for a second too long. “We’ll see about that.”
And then he turns around, leaving me stunned, angry, and defensive. This time, I choose to ignore his taunts, and instead, curl up with my Kindle, attempting to read one of the many romances I’ve downloaded for this trip. Instead, I take a whiskey nap for the remainder of the flight.
5
Anderson
I sulkin my seat as I flick through the generic, in-flight magazine.
Natalia Rossi—Luca’ssister.
He’d mentioned in passing that he’d hired a freelance marketing assistant, but I hadn’t realized that person was Natalia. I sure as hell wasn’t aware my business partner invited her along on such an important business trip, but I digress. He might’ve told me earlier during our phone call and I was too distracted with everything.
The more I think about it the situation, the angrier I get. I take three deep breaths, centering myself in the moment and trying to visualize a peaceful business trip—and multiple successful dinners with potential financiers, partners, and investors.This is the fun part. This is what I’m good at.
I don’t normally harbor so much loathing toward a stranger. Except, she isn’t exactly a stranger. She’s Luca’s sister. And Luca’s not only my business partner, but my best friend. He’s been so supportive, especially after everything happened with Kirsten.Everything that happened exactly one year ago today.I owe him a lot.
