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To say it’s been a rough transition for all of us would be an understatement. Morgan and I have tried to continue with business as usual, hoping that keeping things as normal as possible would make it a little easier for Enzo, but things haven’t gone to plan. Ever since school let out for the summer, he’s become withdrawn. On most days, he seems as if nothing is wrong, like he’s the same carefree and easygoing boy he’s always been, but that can change at a drop of the hat. I’ve tried my best to be there for him whenever he needs, but now that I’m running this place by myself, my workload has gotten larger, leaving me very little time for anything besides sleep.
“Enzo needs some stability and structure in his life, Giulio. You can’t give him either of that working day and night on the vineyard.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, knowing Morgan is right but refusing to tell her. After inheriting the property from our grandparents a few years ago, I packed my bags and came back to the small town near Venice where we spent the first three years of our lives before moving to New York with our parents. Ever since then, I’ve spent every day trying to rebuild the Fiorentino Vineyard to its former glory before my grandparents got sick. This vineyard has been in our family for centuries, and I wasn’t about to let it fall on my watch.
Although my grandparents left the vineyard to both of us, Matteo was a little skeptical, and rightfully so. Enzo was in school, and Matteo and Sofie both had thriving careers. I understood my brother’s hesitance to just up and move his entire family to the other side of the world, but this was something our grandparents wanted us to do together. But then the pandemic happened, practically shutting down the entire country and sending all our lives into a tailspin. It gave them the push to make such a drastic change. It seems the pandemic was good for something after all.
“Un giorno mi ringrazierai per questo.”Morgan groans into the phone, causing me to chuckle.You’re going to thank me for this someday.
“I seriously doubt that,” I respond, my thick New York accent bleeding through.
Most people don’t know what to make of me with my thick New York accent I can’t seem to get rid of and my prefect Italian. Knowing how to speak both Italian and English fluently was a must in our house. Our parents refused to let us forget our heritage, but they also wanted us to fit in with our peers at school.
“But I don’t appreciate being set up.” I pace back and forth behind my desk. “You could’ve given me more than twenty-four hours to prepare for her arrival.”
That’s right. Morgan set me up. She knew I was dragging my feet about hiring someone to help with Enzo, wanting to give him as much freedom to grieve as he needed, but now that school is out, he needs some stability. And If I’m being honest with myself, I’d love to have the peace and quiet to focus on the vineyard and not be pulled away by whatever trouble my nephew managed to get himself into.
“We just want to see both of you happy. You’re not a young guy anymore. Maybe it’s time you think about settling down and finding yourself a nice girl. “
And there it is. The inevitable hook to trying and convince me I need a steady woman in my life. It’s not like I haven’t thought about what it would be like to have someone to come home to, to talk about my day at work, but that hasn’t been in the cards for me. A girlfriend wants attention, to be wined and dined regularly, and has no desire to be stood up on a date because the latest batch of wine is taking longer to process than expected.
After a few failed attempts, I decided that long-term female companionship was out of the question for me. Even before I came back to Italy, I was never lacking for company. I always had someone to call when I wanted a warm body or a companion to spend the night with, and not much has changed since. There are plenty of women wanting to spend time with a successful vineyard owner, each one of them knowing up front what they’re getting into. We spend some time together, a night or two, and then we part ways with no hard feelings.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want more out of life, especially after seeing how happy Mateo and Sofie were together, but right now, that isn’t feasible. I need to focus on the vineyard and making sure my nephew makes it through this rough time in his life. That’s all that matters. Maybe when he’s a little older, I can think about settling down and finding someone I want to spend time with for longer than a night. But right now, that isn’t an option for me.
“Enzo and the vineyard are the only things I need in my life.”
“You keep telling yourself that.” Morgan laughs loudly as Enzo comes flying into the room.
“Uncle G! Uncle G!” Enzo comes skidding across the floor before bouncing off the bookshelf near the door.
“Whatever, just send me the information.” I shake my head at Enzo, rounding my desk to help him up off the floor.
“Already done. She arrives tomorrow afternoon at two o’clock. I arranged for a car to pick her up at the airport.”
I quickly end the call and shove my cell phone back into my pocket before pulling Enzo to his feet. “Where are you in such a hurry to get to?”
“Thank you…” his voice trails off as his eyes widen. “There’s a pretty lady out front who says she’s my new au pair.”
“She said that?” I question, sticking my head out the door.
Every muscle in my body constricts and my breath hitches in my chest as my eyes lock on the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever seen. Her chestnut brown hair is pulled into a high ponytail, the ends dangling out of sight. Her head turns back and forth, more than likely searching for Enzo, before she steps a little farther into the house. My eyes roam down her body, which is covered by a floral, knee-length dress that hugs all her curves.
My mouth waters as my mind conjures up images of her voluptuous body laid out before me, begging for me to claim her as my own. A raging need fills my veins as I contemplate ways to make her mine, some of them very much illegal. What the hell is wrong with me? I usually have better control over myself, choosing to remain focused on expanding our vineyard and not getting my dick wet, but there is something about this woman that calls to me.
“Hello,” she calls into the empty entryway, her melodic voice echoing around the room. I immediately pull my head back into the room.
Unable to control myself, I squeeze my cock through my pants, hoping to gain some relief, but no such luck. I should be fucking ashamed of myself for having such a visceral reaction to her, but I can’t bring myself to give a shit. Nannies aren’t supposed to look like that, are they? When Morgan told me she had gotten an au pair from a reputable agency, I was expecting someone old enough to be my grandmother, not my personal brand of torture.
“She’s pretty, isn’t she?” Enzo’s voice brings me back to the present as he waggles his eyebrows at me.
I grip the back of my neck, willing my hard-on to subside, as I try to focus on anything besides the beauty downstairs. “She said she was your au pair?”
Enzo is nine. I can guarantee that he knows exactly why I reacted the way I did to the beauty downstairs, but that’s a problem for another day. The last thing I want to do is remain holed up in the office while I try to figure out if my brother explained the birds and the bees to him.
He nods before leaning out the door to take another peek, before pulling his head back in quickly. “She saw me.”
“Fuck,” I curse under my breath before pushing Enzo out the door in front of me.
