Jules stepped to the side of the vat and laid her hands on the edge. “It’s done. Thank you,” she murmured.
Alex bent and palmed her shoulders, holding her in place. As he lowered his mouth to hers he said, “I guess I’ll lose the challenge, but I think I just won the war.”
Gasps and surprised laughter rose around them as Alex claimed her mouth. It didn’t even bother Jules that sloppy grapes dropped onto her shoulders as he deepened the stirring kiss.
Chapter 10
Jules sat at her desk, preparing the upcoming session for Team Vino. Blissful peace had reigned for the past week. A week free of program participants, juggling exercises, and wrangling assignments.
The last session had been an adventure. Rawlings had accused Jules and Alex of being in cahoots to keep information from him. Well, he’d been right, but it didn’t matter. Gitta’s secret had remained safe. And even though Jules had been outted as Julia Grimes, it also didn’t matter. The paparazzi didn’t show their annoying, privacy-denying heads at her front door. She was old news, not worthy of further investigation.
Of course, having a squeaky-clean teen star embroiled in a sexual scandal with a studio executive old enough to be her grandfather helped divert media attention.
Marcus returned to the vineyard the day after he delivered Gitta to Alex’s home. He didn’t bother to hide what a torturous trip it had been. The man was near tears when he described how Peyton had tried to invite herself into his shower. All that had saved him was Gitta yelling for Peyton to get her more coffee. Marcus shuddered as he recounted the story.
Alex stayed through the weekend, opting to not immediately return to his home in the Hollywood Hills, reluctant to intrude on Gitta’s recovery. Marcus scoffed, accusing him of being afraid to be alone with man-eater Peyton. Alex simply smiled and held his tongue.
It had been three days of bliss. But it came to an end on Sunday morning when Alex headed back to reality. Jules had missed him from the second he drove his rental car away. She missed having him in her bed, and kitchen, and strolling through the vines as the sun set.
Her heart thumped with joy when he called two days later.
“I just filed my last story with Entertainment Access,” he said.
“What?” Jules squawked. “What happened? Did Todd do something to get you in trouble?”
“No. Actually, by the time the whole story came out yesterday, he’d already been fired. Seems that Gemini sent a strongly worded email to Mike Simon, detailing Toad’s ridiculous, entitled, excessively pompous behavior.”
“That doesn’t sound like something Gemini would do. He struck me as pretty mild mannered.”
“Did you know he and Andromeda had been a thing until Rawlings schmoozed his way between them? I might have coached Gemini about the best way to seek his revenge.” Alex’s laughter wrapped around her heart.
“Did they fire you, too?”
“Nah, I submitted my resignation. There are better things out there for me. Would you like to know what my last report was about?”
Jules was almost afraid to ask. “Do I really want to know?”
“I think so. I managed an exclusive interview with Gitta Grimes. She wanted to share the details of her new endorsement deal with Beauty By Nature.”
He paused to draw a breath. “Seems they’re coming out with a skin-care line for aging skin. Gitta’s a perfect fit for it and she will be the sole spokesperson and ambassador for the products. It’s a seven-figure deal for her and making big waves in the financial world.”
“Really? You got that story from Gitta?”
Alex laughed. “I think it was payback for helping her, and for giving her a place to hide out. Or maybe it was for leaving such a mess for me to clean up after them. Sorry, Jules, I know she’s your mom, but she’s a pig.”
They’d hung up, avoiding any discussion of the future. Of their future.
Less than a day later, Jules shoved aside the file she’d been using to make notes for the next session. With a sigh, she reached for the spacebar on her keyboard. Then paused, her thumb hovering over it.
A car had pulled into the parking lot. The glare of the sun on the windshield made it impossible to see the driver. The door opened and a man eased one foot to the pavement.
Flip-flops and blue jeans, one of Jules’ favorite looks. The rest of his body emerged from behind the wheel.
Alex.
Jules’ heart thudded against her ribs.
Stretching, his long arms reaching toward the sky, Alex twisted at the waist as though fighting kinks that came from a long drive. Each rotation of his shoulders raised the hem of his shirt, revealing a dark blond treasure trail. Her fingers itched as she recalled tracing them, and her tongue, down the thin line of hair descending below his waistband.
Alex straightened and pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head. He turned toward the office where Jules sat, a smile playing across his lips. Striding around the car, a small musical chirp floated on the summer breeze blowing through her open window as he unlocked the trunk and reached in. When he pulled back, each hand grasped a suitcase.
As he started up the path toward the house, Jules left her office, heading to the front door. She waited on the porch for him.
“Hi.” The grin on Alex’s face shot desire straight through her belly, landing in a pool of sweet, melting heat between her legs. He put the bags down, then ambled up the steps toward her. “I was wondering if I might rent a room from you for a few weeks. Seems I’m between jobs right now, and have a little free time. I hear you might need some help with a canopy. And I’m talking about the one on the gift shop, not covering the vines. I’m kind of useful with my hands.”
He held his arms up, palms out, and wiggled his fingers. Her breath stuttered in her throat. Yes, he was very good with his hands.
“I think we can figure out something. Except, your room is being redecorated. You’ll have to share. With me.”
“It’s a real hardship, but if your room is all that’s available, I believe I can live with the arrangement.”
The sexy grin lit his eyes, stealing Jules’ breath. She stepped into his arms, laid her lips on his, stretching along the hard length of his body. Had anything ever felt so wonderful? So right?
The breeze stirred the leaves in the vineyard as they kissed, the soft rustle like music to her ears, the heady, intoxicating scent of flowers filling the miniscule space between them with fragrance, a hint of spice, and romance. They’d proven they could work together when they’d needed to.
Jules knew right then, she’d be happy to play on Alex’s team for the rest of her life.
Also from Gemma Brocato and Soul Mate Publishing:
RISKING THE VINE
Jacqui Bishop’s dating life is dead in the water, but her professional prospects look outstanding. Promised a management position, she embarks on a team-building course at a northern California winery. Shocked when her boss promotes a less qualified rival, Jac opts to chuck her job and revive the family farm.
Luscious Luke Rossi has been banished to Team Vino to learn how to be the team player his boss wants. Once there, he finds he’d rather play on Jac Bishop’s team. But a labor dispute and a boss who only wants a yes-man forces him to leave Jac’s side.
As the daytime exercises give way to nighttime passions, Jac learns there’s more to life than a nine-to-five existence. But resigning her job and moving to a farm hundreds of miles from Luke could spell doom for the couple. Their affair will require teamwork of a different kind. For Jac, the looming question is whether her budding relationship with Luke will thrive or die on the vine.
Available on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/khmg4q6
Hidden in the Vines (Romancing the Vine) Page 10