Wild Cat Read Free

already. She had no idea why she did that, but it was instinctive. She knew her grandfather and Paolo would both be upset if they knew she heard their strange conversation. The knowledge came from the tone of their voices in their whispered exchange—almost as if they were involved in a conspiracy.
    â€œSiena.” Paolo’s voice came up the stairs. “I’d like a word with you before you go. Your grandfather wants you to get moving. He says he doesn’t want you to miss Elijah.”
    She winced at that hard authority in his voice. He was becoming more and more bossy with her. When she’d been a teenager, he’d been less so. Now, he watched her all the time. She wasn’t certain why. She looked young, so he might think she was still a teenager. She’d just turned twenty-four while she was away at school, and no one, not even her grandfather, had remembered her birthday, so how could she expect Paolo to know? Still, she had studied oenology and viticulture for years and had so many degrees you would think Paolo would consider her intelligent, but he always spoke as if she were a child. Of course no one had come to her graduations—not any of them—so maybe he didn’t know that either. Maybe they all still thought she was in boarding school.
    â€œComing, Paolo,” she called, as she once more gripped her gym bag and began her descent. “Did Nonno have someone put the wine in my car?”
    She hurried down the stairs again and immediately felt the impact of his gaze like a hard punch. He reached out and caught her arm, jerking her close to him, his fingers a vise.
    The instant he touched her, the wild unfurled in the pit of her stomach. Something dangerous and scary. She heard her heart thundering in her ears. She felt the need to rake and claw at him. She stayed very still, breathing hard.
    â€œYou changed?” He growled it. “To see Lospostos, you changed your clothes?”
    â€œI could hardly wear my workout clothes on an important call for my grandfather, Paolo,” she pointed out, keeping her voice even and calm when she uncharacteristically wanted to rake her fingernails down his face. “You’re hurting me. Let. Go.” She stared straight into his eyes. His eyes were weird. Scary. He looked as if he might kill her any moment.
    â€œNot until you listen to the rules of this visit.” He pulled her from the staircase, away from the sitting room where her grandfather watched television and into the foyer.
    â€œPaolo.” His bruising grip really hurt and she was fairly certain he knew it. She decided on another tactic. “Why do you dislike me so much? I thought we were friends. What did I do to make you so angry with me all the time?” She forced herself to ask the questions, mainly because she knew he would relax his hold on her, but partly because she really wanted to know.
    It was the right way to approach him. Instantly his grip loosened and his face changed. Grew softer. “I don’t dislike you, Siena. Don’t be silly. You’re grown up now, and you know your grandfather has all but promised you to me. I don’t like you running around looking like you do where other men might take advantage of you.”
    Siena wasn’t certain how to respond. She knew her grandfather was always matchmaking, and she couldn’t deny he always said when he was gone, Paolo would look after her. He sometimes went so far as to tell her he would plan the wedding of the century for them.
    â€œPaolo.” She took a deep breath and let it out. “Nonno is always pairing me with someone. Just a few minutes ago he told me it was time for Elijah Lospostos to settle down.” Something dangerous moved in his eyes and she was suddenly afraid. “I’m not old enough to settle down. I still have to learn the business end of the winery right here at home. I’m not looking at anyone right now. Yes, I go to clubs