Page 20 of Beautiful Things Obey
I feel his eyes on me then, and I want to punch him in each one of them for putting me in this situation. Did he do it on purpose just to show me how easy it is for him to slip into my life? Is he threatening me?
“But it’s got princesses.” Larissa pouts and her little chin quivers, and I decide it’s not too early in the morning for murder.
I look back at him to see him smirking, and I hate him.
“Just for an hour, you can meet the family. My niece doesn’t have many friends around her age, so I think she’ll love it,” he says with a smile so genuine I believe him. Except I don’t trust him.
“What part of ‘this is just business’ is confusing for you?” I ask him, gripping my coffee.
“You should accept my invite,” he pushes, and I stand, holding my hand out for Larissa to take.
I glare down at him, scathing. “I understand you have a large team.” I try my hardest to remain professional and discreet. “But I do not answer to you simply because you snap your fingers. You should accept people’s answers.”
“If I did that, I would not be where I am today,” he replies matter-of-factly. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“You said no guests,” I remind him.
“Of course, but you can bring your princess.”
“And my mom?” Larissa asks him.
He turns to her and nods his head.
“Yes, and your mother.”
“I am not going,” I inform him and turn to leave.
“I’ll see you at six. The address is on the invitation.”
His gaze drags over me before he says anything else, slow, unhurried, taking his time from top to bottom as if he’s not in a rush to hide it.
“Oh,” he adds, like it’s an afterthought. “It’s a princess party. Maybe wear something other than black.”
Something in my jaw tightens, but I don’t let it show on my face.
“You should stick to the business you know, Mr. Vescari,” I say, already turning away. I glance back just enough to land the point. “Not telling a woman what to wear.”
It goes without saying that it’s easier to wear black. The bloodstains won’t scare as many people.
And by the tilt of his lips, I’m certain he hears my thoughts and understands since he wears mostly black for the same reason.
On the way back, I pull into a drive-through to get Nessa a coffee since I left the diner without getting her one. When we pull up to the apartment, Larissa runs inside, and I hear her talking to her mother as I walk in with her coffee.
“We are going to a princess party,” she announces.
Oh shit.
Nessa looks at me, raising a brow as I hand her the coffee.
“We aren’t,” I inform her. Larissa looks back at me, and a look of sadness crosses her face. “A client who I told I do not mix business with pleasure invited me,” I tell her.
“Oh, yes. Sorry, baby, but Auntie Leo can’t go if she works with him.”
“But they were having a princess party,” Larissa says dejectedly.
“How about when I come over next, I bring a new princess dress and cake, and we can watch a princess movie together.” Nessa looks at me in surprise. “What? I like the villains in them,” I say with a casual shrug.
She looks me over once and says, “I can see it.”
