AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We stood awkwardly, neither of us knowing what to say next. I didn’t want to continue the debate over the property. And, I was fairly sure, despite her fiery nature, she was probably at her wits’ end about it right now too.
She looked at the house, then back at me. “I guess this concludes our time together. I’ll just . . .” She kicked at the dirt. “See ya around.”
“See ya around? Come on, Siena. We’re not breaking up.”
The corners of her mouth twisted into a hint of a smile.
“We haven’t even had our first date yet,” I teased.
“God, you are so ridiculous.” Her eyes sparkled with amusement.
“All right then.”
“Don’t you mean ‘all righty’?” she joked, air-quoting the words.
I winked and leaned in close, looking her square in the eyes. “All righty then,” I corrected, wiggling my eyebrows.
She laughed, shoving me playfully. “What is it with you and that phrase?”
I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her toward me. She didn’t push me away. She looked up at me, blinking.
“Damn, I love your eyes,” I said without thinking.
She groaned, burying her head against my chest. I felt her breath and her breasts, hot against me.
I couldn’t help it. Her body against mine was getting to me. I lifted her face so I could look her in the eyes. Fuck, I wanted to kiss her so badly in that moment. But I didn’t know what she would do. Kiss me back? Or kick me in the nuts? I decided not to risk it . . . this time.
What we did from here was yet to be determined. Meeting her was serendipity. It had to be. And, of course, my impromptu plan of chasing her down this morning didn’t hurt. I couldn’t stop thinking about the lack of a panty line I’d spied on our run. And her mouth—her beautiful, pouty, full mouth—I wanted to sample.Focus, pal.
“I gotta get back.” She pulled away. “Breakfast. Chores. Work.”
“I will bid youaddiountil next time.” I pulled her hand to my lips and kissed it.
“’Kay,” she said softly, smiling at my use of the Italian word for goodbye.
“Siena?”
“Yeah?” The word was barely a whisper.
“See ya around.”
I didn’t wait for her to respond, grinning as I jogged off.
Siena
The weekends were our busiestdays at the winery. We were only open Thursday through Sunday, but we got plenty of business—first-timers and our regulars who were like family. While our winery was family-owned and operated, and while it was on the small side compared to chain operations around the country, we produced a variety of wines that appealed to almost every wine enthusiast.
A little after two o’clock, I offered to go with Pops while he led a tour. He could’ve taken them on his own, and vice versa, but I knew he enjoyed working as a team. Jenny and Grams could hold down the fort back in the tasting room while we were gone.
This afternoon, our group consisted of four couples who were taking a weekend getaway in San Diego to celebrate their friend’s birthday. Vickie, the birthday girl, her husband, her three best girlfriends, Joanna, Clara, and Georgie, and their husbands formed a semi-circle around me. We were gathered on the patio of the tasting room while I explained the history of our winery.
“Moretti Vineyards began with my great-great-grandfather, Salvatore Moretti, who immigrated to America in the early 1900s. He came from a small village outside of Florence in the Tuscany region of Italy. Not one for books, Grandpa Sal spent most of his youth working in the vineyards near his home. Over the years, he saved every lira he could, keeping his savings stored in a small box his father had made.”
A movement out of my peripheral caught my attention.
Everyone followed my gaze.
All eyes watched as Michael made his way over. He was wearing a T-shirt and jeans. And that same damned baseball cap I had met him in. He looked so damn cute in it, and I couldn’t resist his sexy boyish appeal. He could probably wear anything and look delicious. In a baseball cap, though, I wondered if he didn’t have some kind of hidden agenda like I thought he had that day in the tasting room. When he tricked me.
