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“Wow, Nico wasn’t kidding when he said the business was doing well.”
No, he wasn’t. Wine vendors, restaurants, tourists—everyone was eager to stock Amatucci Red. “No surprise,” Nico had remarked, winking in her direction. “Once they have a taste, they want more.”
Louisa had poured herself a glass before bed last night, and it was as delicious as she remembered. When it had been a lingering flavor in Nico’s kiss, she recalled with a shiver. Between the wine and yesterday’s embrace, it was no wonder she’d dreamt of him all night.
Once they have a taste, they want more.
“At this rate he won’t have much stock left for the harvest festival,” Marianna said, dragging Louisa back to the conversation at hand. “Unless he bottles more.”
“I don’t think the next vintage is ready.” As Nico explained yesterday, the liquid needed to ferment at least five years before it was considered ready for bottling. “He said something about relabeling the remaining stock as Amatucci reserve.”
“Relabeling and jacking up the price to reflect the reduced supply,” Marianna mused aloud. “An old winemaker’s trick, although few pull it off as well as my brother does. There’s a reason he’s won the country’s Winemaker of the Year two years in a row.”
“He has?”
“You didn’t know?”
“No.” She’d had no idea. “I knew the winery was successful.” The sheer scope of his operations said as much. “But I didn’t know how much so.”
“Much as we tease him, my big brother has done very well with our family business. He’s considered one of Italy’s brightest wine stars.”
“Careful, Marianna. Keep saying things like that and I’ll believe you mean them.” The subject of their conversation strolled in wearing a cocky grin. As Louisa had come to expect over the past couple of days, he already bore the evidence of hard work in the sun. The sight of his glistening biceps made her stomach flutter.
He nodded in her direction. “Although I hope you’re suitably impressed.”
“I am,” she replied. “Very.” Smug as the man was, the only awards he’d ever mentioned were the medals various vintages had won over the years, and those he attributed to the grapes, not to himself.
Now that she thought about it though, he didn’t need to trumpet his accomplishments. His self-confidence said everything. “I was telling your sister that you planned to relabel the Amatucci Red,” she said.
“Nothing wine lovers love more than to think they are getting something unique. And in this case they are.”
He smiled again, straight at her this time, and Louisa found herself squeezing the arm of her chair. Who knew legs could give out while you were sitting? When he turned on the charm, it was all a person could do to keep her insides from turning to jelly. What her ex-husband could have done with magnetism like Nico’s... With a little charm, a man can sell anything, Steven used to say.
Only Nico didn’t just sell, he made wine. Good wine that he worked hard to produce. He came by his success honestly. That was what she found impressive.
Across the way, his baby sister offered a disdainful sniff. “Don’t compliment him too much, Louisa. His head is big enough as it is.”
“Not as big as your belly,” Nico replied. “Are you supposed to be out in that condition?”
“You’re as bad as my husband. I’m pregnant, not an invalid. I’m also bored stiff. Ryan is in Melbourne until tomorrow.”
“So you came here looking for entertainment.”
“Isn’t that what big brothers are for?” the brunette asked, winking in Louisa’s direction.
Louisa felt herself smile in return. Marianna’s openness had her flummoxed. She was so certain she would be furious at her for involving Nico in her scandals. Yet here she was, joking as if none of the stories had ever happened.
“If you’re going to stay, you’re going to have to work,” Nico told his sister.
“You want me to pick grapes?”
“No, we—” waving his arm, he indicated himself and Louisa “—can pick your brain. That is the reason I am here,” he said. “We need to decide what the winery is going to do for the festival.”
“You haven’t decided yet?” Eyes wide, Marianna pushed herself straight. “Little last-minute, don’t you think?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been busy. We still have time.” He sounded confident, but Marianna rolled her eyes nonetheless.
“What kind of contribution are you talking about?” Louisa asked. More important, what did Nico expect from her?
