“Jules, I’m on your side.” And apparently he was a mind reader as well. “You have my word. I won’t use your story, or your mother’s. You deserve your privacy and even though your mom chose a very public life, she deserves hers too.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. Propping his chin on his clasped hands, Alex focused his bright blue gaze on her face.
Could he be sincere? She took a step toward him then brought herself up short. “You won’t, but what about Rawlings? He won’t feel any kind of restriction at all.” Her voice sounded weak and skeptical even to her own ears. Not a great way to secure a better bargaining position.
“I can’t guarantee he won’t figure it out. But if you and I work together, and with a little cooperation from Gitta, we should be able to keep her presence here a secret. I’ll take care of my shitty co-worker if you keep Gitta indoors. And all team-building activities should be moved to the opposite side of the vineyard from the cottage if possible. Should be easy enough to keep her under wraps.”
“You don’t know Gitta. She has a mind of her own.”
She tensed when he stood. Went on alert and backed away as he advanced. Stopping directly in front of her, he propped his elbow on the doorframe behind her. His action crowded her. A thrill of desire eclipsed her anger. She kept her gaze on the column of his throat, rather than make eye contact.
“What I want to know is why you agreed to let reporters participate in this exercise,” Alex began.
His proximity was distracting. Jules licked her lips before she spoke. “I didn’t know you were reporters. Your reservations were made and paid for on the phone. Someone in the personnel department from AGI made the arrangements. I had no idea AGI was the parent company for Entertainment Access.”
“Everyone knows that.” He trailed his hand down her arm.
At the whisper-soft touch of his fingers, throbbing started in her body, matching the pulse in his throat. “I . . . I don’t watch television. I haven’t since—”
She broke off when he raised his eyebrows. Defensively she snapped, “Well, I don’t. It would have been okay, I suppose, if it was just my situation. I could have dealt with it. You’re right, it happened ten years ago and I’m not someone you’d easily recognize.”
“Disagree. You’re very memorable.” He brushed his lips against her cheek.
She needed to focus, but his mouth was so distracting. “And Gitta showed up unexpectedly. I thought . . .” Oh, God, she stopped thinking when he nibbled her earlobe. Jules drew a deep breath. “I thought she was going to stay home to recuperate, but once she gets an idea in her head, there’s no reasoning with her.”
“Gotta love a determined woman.” He lifted his hand to her chin and nudged until she looked at him.
She drowned in his eyes, in the caress of his breath against her skin. His mouth was a scant inch from hers. Kissing him would be so easy. “I’m not going to sleep with you to keep you from exposing my mom.”
The pupils of his eyes dilated as his brow shot up. “Jesus, I hope not. I don’t want to trade sex for keeping secrets. Not my style at all.” His lips curled in a sexy smile. “I want to sleep with you, the intriguing, sultry team builder. Not someone who owes me a favor.”
He couldn’t have said anything more likely to guarantee she’d end up in bed with him. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and raised a hand to his shoulder. Her response seemed to be encouragement enough for him.
Sweet sensation poured like rain when he captured her mouth. His tongue slid home as soon as she parted her lips. Shifting her arm around his neck, she strained closer to him. He pressed her back into the door, then grasped her thigh and pulled it up until it rested alongside his hip. Desire danced through her when he snugged his hips into the vee of her legs.
He pulled his mouth from hers and groaned a command. “Hold on to me.”
She threw both arms around his shoulders as he lifted her, reclaimed her lips, and strode across the room. Bracing one knee on the mattress, he lowered her and followed her down. Jules toed off her shoes.
Alex released her mouth. “Hey, I was hoping you’d keep those sexy shoes on.”
“Next time.”
“Works for me.” Alex rose on his knees and gazed at her.
After pulling his shirt over his head, he tossed it to the floor. Hers was next as he grasped the hem and tugged. Her stomach jumped at the feel of his fingers feathering over her skin.
More. She needed more. She joined the effort to ditch her clothing. Between them, they managed to remove her pale green T-shirt. Focused on unbuttoning Alex’s jeans, Jules barely noticed where her clothing ended up. Delight and hunger shot through her as her hands brushed against the hard ridge behind his zipper and made him gasp.
“Steady there, toots.”
Grabbing her hands, he dragged them over her head and pinned them to the mattress in one fist. He covered her breast with his free hand and squeezed as he claimed her lips in an exploring kiss.
His mouth moved over her chin, down her throat, nibbling, licking, heading south as he undid the front clasp of her bra. Baring her to his touch, he grazed his fingertips over her nipple, easing the fabric aside. Fire seared her as he closed his mouth on her and sucked the aching peak between his lips.
God in heaven, she shouldn’t be doing this. She didn’t know him, other than his profession. She had never been a one-night-stand kind of woman. And she wouldn’t kid herself this could be anything more. But the touch of his tongue to the hard bud of her nipple drove reason from her. She tightened her knees around his waist, tilting her hips to get closer to his cock, straining against the denim.
As she tangled her hands in his hair, the snap on her jeans popped loudly, followed by the metallic click of her zipper.
With a final, deep suckle, he released her nipple. Goosebumps raised over her skin as he blew gently on the wet peak. Jules quaked at the erotic sensation, but Alex didn’t give her long to relish the feeling. He rose from the bed. Hooking his fingers in her waistband, he swept the jeans and panties from her hips and down her legs.
A smolder seemed to light his eyes as he stared at her, lying naked and open for him. His breath shuddered out. “My gorgeous swan.” His reverent whisper had her licking her lips in anticipation.
Time slowed as Alex lowered the zipper on his jeans, then pushed them, along with his boxers, past his hips. Her breath jerked and her heart knocked against her ribs when his erection sprang free. Giving herself a shake, Jules reached into the bedside table and fumbled for a condom.
“Damn, I can’t . . .” She twisted around to her knees, vaguely aware of presenting her bare backside to the room as she peered into the drawer.
Alex groaned. “Oh, God. I love this view of you.”
Jules stilled, glancing over her shoulder. His heated gaze was fused to her butt, his cock bobbing against his lean, hard abdomen. Four distinct sets of muscles marched up his torso. Alex ran his palm over her exposed skin, curled his fingers over her hips, and yanked backward. The press of his groin against her, his hot shaft nestled against her opening, shot steamy desire gushing through her. Closing her eyes, she gasped at the erotic slide as he backed off, then pressed home again. His length rubbed her slit.
“I can’t wait, Jules. I need this now,” he rasped, his jaw tight.
Jules finally found the little foil packet she sought and handed it to him, then collapsed on the soft mattress, knees raised and ready. Propped up on her elbows, she sucked in her bottom lip as Alex rolled on the condom. Eyelids squeezed tightly together, a muscle popping in his jaw; hard, gorgeous body tensed . . . he was a thing of beauty.
Fully sheathed, he slipped his hand between her legs and plunged a finger deeply inside her. Ripples flowed through her, tingling, anticipating.
“So wet and hot.” He ad
ded a second finger, stretching her.
“Now,” Jules demanded. She took his weight as he removed his fingers and lowered his body, his cock nudging its way into her opening.
“You’re sure?”
The heated thrill of being stretched resonated through her. “Yes. Now. I need you now.”
Alex thrust into her willing body, filling her, stunning her with a barrage of sensation. She moaned as he began to move, his strokes pushing her higher. Each pant of his breath against her ear, the friction of his flesh rubbing hers, drove the colors behind her eyelids into a whirling mass. She matched him, raising her hips in time with his thrusts. Fireworks flared in her head as her inner muscles clenched around him, balanced on an exhilarating cliff.
Roaring like a caged lion, Alex pushed her over the edge of the precipice and joined her on the tumble.
Chapter 6
Jules finally kicked Alex out of her suite very early in the morning, despite him pleading to be allowed to sleep there.
His disappointment was palpable as she walked him to the door. “You’re really going to make me stay in that ultra-feminine room? It has yellow paper on the wall, for Christ’s sake. And if that isn’t bad enough, there are pink roses on the bedspread.” He shuddered. “I won’t be able to sleep.”
Bending forward, he tried to capture her lips, like that would make her change her mind.
She pushed lightly against his chest. “Who are you kidding? It’s not like you’ll sleep if you stay here, either.”
Alex smirked. “Come on. Show a little mercy.”
“I’m sorry, Alex. What if you were seen leaving my room? What would the other participants think?”
“Lucky dog?” He waggled his brow. “Come on, it’s flowers. Lots of flowers. Even with you naked in that bed, I’m not sure I could sleep in it. Well, if you were naked, sleep would be the farthest thing from my mind. Please?”
God, he could be charming and persuasive. He nearly wore her down. But she stuck to her resolve. Damn her single-minded focus on flying under the radar with this affair. “Maybe a little redecorating is in order, but the sheets are white. Just throw the comforter in the corner and close your eyes.”
He stroked his thumb across her cheek. “It will be fine. Everything will be fine.”
Somehow, she knew he wasn’t talking about his ability to fall asleep in the midst of a garden of girly décor. Jules searched his eyes, finding reassurance and confidence. After pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, she sent him on his way.
Three hours later, with the sun arcing toward midmorning, her guests were paired off in twos, ready to start the cork house construction activity. Satisfaction, as smooth as the cabernet she’d served with last night’s dinner, flowed within her. The atmosphere was congenial, for the most part. Rawlings had arrived only moments ago and greeted Alex with a scowl and a cold shoulder. Alex didn’t seem to notice or even care about his co-worker’s negative attitude.
The teams would work together to create a miniature building from a bottomless supply of corks. Building the structure required them to communicate and orchestrate efforts to build a recognizable façade. Hot glue guns, pins, and sheets of balsa wood littered the large tables in the airy pavilion.
While she’d explained the concept and rules, Rawlings had sidled away from Alex’s side and inserted himself between Gemini and Andromeda. Cupping her shoulder blade, he whispered in the woman’s ear.
What a doofus. Jules paused in her instructions. “Todd, if I could just have your attention. I’d hate to disqualify you for not following the rules of the task.”
“I was asking Andromeda if she’d be my partner.”
“You’re supposed to stay partners with people from your company. They’re who you need to build a team with.”
“I don’t mind,” Alex said. “What do you say, Gemini? Want to kick some ass with me? Let’s show Andromeda and Rawlings how a real team works together.”
Jules narrowed her eyes at him. If he didn’t partner with Todd, how would Alex keep tabs on him? The confident expression on his face and his quick wink suggested he had a plan. It should have stopped the tension creeping up her spine.
She put her hand to the spot where her neck and shoulder met and worked her fingers over the knot that had rapidly formed. “Gemini? Would you mind?”
The man scowled at Rawlings. “Not at all. Let’s do it.”
“It’s settled then.” Jules finished delivering the directions for the contest. “And for the winning pair, you will each receive a case of wine. If you don’t have any questions, you can begin. You have two hours to complete this assignment. Remember to talk to each other. Communicate.”
The teams moved to the tables set up in the grove of oak trees and got to work. All but one team jumped right into the task, studying the provided equipment, plugging the glue guns into extension cords running from the gift shop. Rawlings had grabbed a handful of corks from the barrel stationed next to his spot and tried to balance them on various parts of Andromeda’s body.
As Jules approached their table to herd them back to work, Rawlings took aim at his partner’s chest and chucked one at her. A direct hit on the girl’s nipple, the cork bounced off and rolled away. Andromeda giggled and slapped her hand over the target.
This moron made douchebags look like freaking saints. Jules bent and scooped up the little cylinder. After she dropped it back in the barrel, she warned, “Two hours really isn’t a lot of time to complete this task. You should get to work. Remember, it’s important to talk to each other.”
Rawlings wiggled his fingers and leered at Jules. “I speak Braille.”
“Todd, don’t make me put you in time out. Please.” Jules hoped her schoolteacher tone was enough to force the idiot to get to work.
“I’m not a six-year-old.” Rawlings’ petulant voice convinced her otherwise. He chucked the last of the cork missiles he held back into the barrel.
Andromeda stared at the ground, her blond hair swinging over her shoulder, and said nothing. At least one of them had some sense.
Jules didn’t want to give Todd a reason to be mad. That might lead him to look too closely at her. She drew on the store of her experience in dealing with Gitta. Her mother wasn’t six either . . . She simply acted it. “Of course you aren’t. I bet if you and Andromeda put your heads together, you could build an awesome house.”
“Better than anyone else here.” Rawlings shot a venomous sneer toward Alex.
Jules bent to plug in the glue gun. “Show me what you’ve got.”
Andromeda turned into a windstorm of activity. The table rattled as she ran into it. She scooped two handfuls of corks from the barrel and spilled them onto the surface. A fair number of them rolled off. Todd stooped to retrieve them, emitting an old man grunt as he did so.
Jules hid a smirk and turned away. Scanning the other builders, she was pleased to see they’d gotten straight to work. Brows were furrowed in concentration. Occasional laughter rang out as the participants talked to each other, strategizing, encouraging. There was good-natured ribbing as they checked out the other projects.
She moved from table to table, keeping one eye on the group she was talking to, and the other on Rawlings. She doubted he’d leave the pavilion; however, she wasn’t going to chance losing sight of him. And all the while, awareness of Alex, each of his movements, the timbre of his voice as he traded ideas with Gemini, sent spikes of lust through her. Jeez-oh-Pete, it’s hard to concentrate when all your girly parts are tingling.
Surprise and admiration rushed through her when she approached the table where that pair worked. They had far exceeded expectations of a simple house and were in the process of creating a stunning castle.
She settled her weight on one hip and let out a low whistle. “Wow! That’s impressive.”
Alex looked up at her and smiled. He gestured toward the structure they were assembling. “Gemini studied architecture in college. We figured we could make this work.”
Jules eyed the battlements and cathedral-style windows they’d already created. “A castle is a huge undertaking for a two-hour time frame.”
Gemini glanced up from placing a cork atop the battlement. The addition created crenellations. He snorted. “This is nothing. We considered adding a third floor but didn’t want to seem like overachievers.”
Killing time, Jules picked up a cork near Alex and turned it in her hands. He took it from her, his fingers brushing her palm as he did. Intoxicating warmth began its journey in her hand and spread quickly to her entire body. Alex’s eyes widened, his nostrils flared. He’d felt it too.
She suppressed a shiver of delight and moistened her too-dry lips. She looked at her watch. “You have forty-five minutes to finish. Keep up the good work.”
Alex gave her a sexy grin as he handed the cork to Gemini, who promptly smeared a dollop of glue on it before affixing it on the structure. As she left their area, she felt Alex’s gaze on her backside.
She jumped as the phone in her back pocket buzzed. Consulting the display, she found a text from Peyton. Gitta wants some fresh air and raspberries. She’d prefer both things immediately. The demand reminded Jules of a recent coffee date with a friend. The pleasant interlude ended abruptly because the woman’s three-year-old pitched a tantrum when Mommy didn’t pay attention to his needs fast enough.
For crying out loud! Grown up people behaving like toddlers shot to the top of her things-that-pissed-her-off list. Jules lifted her shoulders as she sucked in a deep breath, then pushed them down on the exhale, shoving away her agitation. Alex laughed at something Gemini said. His deep chuckle helped ease the tightness pinching around her eyes. She wasn’t alone in this. Alex had promised to help.
Hidden in the Vines (Romancing the Vine) Page 6