by Sami Lee
He appeared so mortified that Sarah didn’t have it in her to be annoyed about her clothes. But she couldn’t resist teasing him. “Don’t you ever read the tags?”
“I think I’d better start doing that.”
“I think so.”
He smiled a smile both cheeky and simmering hot. “Promise I’ll make it up to you.”
At his insinuation Sarah blushed and had to quell the urge to toy with her hair like a teenager.
Pushing off the sink with her hip, Kerri shook her head. “I think that’s my cue to head out to the shop. Our first tour bus arrives in an hour, Dave.”
David muttered a sound of acknowledgement as Kerri took her leave, shaking her head all the way. David’s survey never moved from Sarah’s face until the other woman was gone. Then his eyes burned a path down Sarah’s body, taking in the length of her bare legs with blazing interest. “You look good in my jumper.”
“Oh no, that won’t do. This is a sweater.”
“You keep forgetting you’re in Australia. We say things differently Down Under.”
“I don’t care where I am. The word jumper to describe a sweater doesn’t make sense.”
“Things don’t always have to make sense. Sometimes they’re right anyway.”
The seriousness in his face told Sarah he wasn’t talking about clothing anymore. They didn’t make sense, the pull between them was some kind of anomaly that defied logic. Yet it was there and it was so strong it was all Sarah could do not to sprint across the kitchen and leap into his arms.
It was strong…but was it right? Kerri’s words jangled Sarah’s conscience. She had no wish to hurt David or to get hurt herself. Yet she wouldn’t go back on her word about staying the weekend, no matter how sneaky David had been about extracting it.
Yeah, that’s why you’re staying, Sarah, because you gave him your word.
Pushing her niggling doubts aside, Sarah asked, “What’s in the bag?”
David pulled a couple plates out of an overhead cupboard and put one roll on each plate. “I told you, cinnamon rolls.”
“Not that one, the other one. The one you hid before.”
“I didn’t hide it.” His coyness was rather intriguing.
“I got the impression you were trying to hide it from me.”
“Not from you, but I didn’t think Kerri needed to know what brand of condoms I prefer.”
“Oh.” Sarah’s cheeks were now burning so hot she had to put her cold hands against them. “That’ll teach me a lesson for being nosy.”
“There are plenty of lessons I’d like to teach you, Lady Sarah. Which is why I suffered through having the nineteen-year-old behind the counter at the chemist suggest I try the glow-in-the-dark, ribbed-for-her-pleasure variety before she rang up my sale.”
Sarah couldn’t suppress a snort of laughter. “Oh, poor David.”
He grinned sheepishly. “I think it will be worth it.”
“So last night, you didn’t have any…glow-in-the-dark anything? Was that why you didn’t stay with me?”
“That wasn’t the only reason and you know it. But having no way of protecting you, I figured I couldn’t be trusted to lie beside you all night.”
It was such an old-fashioned way to put it—protecting you—that Sarah melted a little more even though the sentiment was silly. He needed protection as much as she did. “You’re pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you? What if I refuse to accept we can have anything more than casual sex?”
He treated her to a slow smile as he leaned forward, crowding her against the breakfast bar. “I think you’re underestimating how much convincing I’m willing to do.”
Cupping her face, David brought her lips to his, slanting his mouth across hers in a thoroughly seductive kiss. Sarah was helpless to stifle the moan of delectation that escaped, helpless to stop her body from responding with embarrassing swiftness. The brush of his lips on hers reminded her of how those same lips had pleasured other parts of her body last night. She was living on a knife edge of unfulfilled longing, poised to teeter off at the slightest provocation.
When David provoked her further by slipping his hands beneath her sweater—jumper—to cup her breasts, Sarah wrenched her mouth away. Placing her hands on David’s chest, Sarah burst out, “David, I don’t think this is such a good idea.”
“What? Kissing while you still have morning breath?”
In annoyance, Sarah gave his chest a forceful poke that only made him laugh. “Be serious.”
“That’s your problem, Sarah, you’re too serious. It’s a beautiful day. Can you just enjoy it?”
Enjoy the day, enjoy him, don’t think about consequences. The possibility tantalized her, like the shimmering image of a lake appearing in the middle of the desert. Sarah longed to run and dive into that lake, even knowing it was unreal. She made one last attempt to state her case. “I don’t think I can give you what you want.” She thought of Kerri’s words. “I’m not the kind of woman you deserve.”
“Why don’t you let me decide what I deserve? And in the meantime we’ll have breakfast. Coffee?”
“Oh God, yes.”
Chuckling, David released her to move to a silver espresso machine in the corner.
Sarah nearly whimpered. “Real coffee?”
“Yep. It was the one thing I missed when I moved from the city. There’s one down in the shop too, for the customers who are only tagging along with the wine enthusiasts and don’t want to imbibe.”
“Kerri mentioned a tour bus. Do you have a busy day ahead?”
“Only a couple of busloads, outfits that specialize in boutique winery tours. Some overseas visitors and some from interstate. We’ll probably get a few from Melbourne too, couples taking a romantic drive around the area, although they tend to come in dribs and drabs on Sunday, rather than Saturday.” Handing her a steaming cup of espresso, David sent her an apologetic glance. “It shouldn’t be more than a few hours. You can hang out here and read or do whatever until I get back.”
“Why would I do that? Perhaps I can help.”
“I don’t expect you to work.”
“I’m used to working. I’d go crazy just sitting on my butt.”
David took a sip of his coffee then smiled at her. “If you’re sure you want to, I’d like having you around.”
Sarah’s pulse performed a little flutter at that smile and his words. He sure had a way of making a woman feel wanted. It was nice. He was nice.
And Sarah figured they were both in big trouble.
* * * * *
David’s plans to spend no more than a few hours manning the cellar door and then whisking Sarah off for some alone time went seriously awry. It was much busier than he’d expected, with each minibus filled to capacity with eager wine tasters. In addition, more of those couples from the city dropped in than usual for a Saturday. Ordinarily he’d be ecstatic at the increased business. Now, as nonsensical as it was, he wanted alone time with Sarah more than he wanted to see Windy Valley get firmly back into the black.
The woman was hell on his common sense. That move last night had come out of nowhere. Delaying sex to force a weekend commitment out of her—it wasn’t his style. Yet he’d done it, afraid that if he gave her what she so clearly wanted, she’d sneak out in the dead of night and he’d be left hanging, not knowing when, or if, he’d see her again. All he needed was time to prove to her the attraction between them went deeper than mere lust. Then maybe she’d agree to keep seeing him long-term. That way perhaps she’d never want to stop seeing him and then…
Way ahead of yourself, Genero. He knew it but he couldn’t prevent the hope from fizzing inside him like champagne. She fit right in at his winery. She could discuss the fermentation process as well as he could, she had a talent for upselling without ever being pushy and she had no qualms about doing menial tasks like washing wineglasses and serving trays of cheese. Her beauty and poise enchanted every single person she came in contact with—most especially him.
“Just you?” Kerri posed. “Or am I going to lose all my helpers?”
“Sarah’s been working all day and not getting paid a cent for it.”
Kerri scoffed. “Oh, I think she can afford to go without the pay.”
Something fierce gripped him at the sarcastic lilt threading Kerri’s words. “Don’t, Kez. She doesn’t deserve that.”
Blinking in surprise at the harshness of his rebuke, Kerri said, “Okay, you’re right. I didn’t mean to shoot my mouth off.”
Remorse set in immediately. “Geez, I’m sorry. I’m just a little cranky.”
“You’re being protective of Sarah.”
“Maybe.” He showed her a rueful smile. “Is it that noticeable?”
“That you’re falling like a ton of bricks for the woman? Oh yeah, it’s noticeable.”
Was it true? Hell, yes, David realized. He was falling for Sarah, big-time, and there didn’t appear to be anything he could do to talk sense into himself. Something which obviously bothered Kerri. “You don’t need to be protective of me, you know. I’m a big boy.”
“With a big heart. I don’t want to see you get hurt like before.”
“Sarah’s not Melissa.”
Kerri shrugged, obviously not as certain of that as David was. “Your call. Go on then, take a break. I’ll watch things here.”
“Thanks. You’re the best.”
“You may as well call it a day. I’ll ring Phil to come pick me up and he can stay here with me until five, on the off chance we have another influx. I don’t want to see you back in here.”
David arched a brow. “You do know I’m the boss of this place.”
“Yeah, but you never think to take time for yourself.” Kerri smiled. “Someone’s got to look out for you.”
David found Sarah behind the shop front, perusing the racks of produce with an expert eye. She must have heard him approach, because she said, “You won a bronze medal at the Melbourne Wine Show with this Merlot. That’s impressive.”
“That was the last one my uncle produced. I was sorry he wasn’t around to receive the accolades.”
“Don’t sell your contribution short. If it weren’t for you the wine might never have been entered in the competition. And if it weren’t for you this place might not be operating now.” She turned to study him. “I watched how you interacted with the customers today, how they responded to you. You do good work here.”
The praise and the implication made his blood start pumping faster. “You were watching me?”
Her smile held a touch of shyness that intrigued him. “Occasionally.”
She didn’t try to conceal the irony of the word, and David’s heartbeat accelerated further. “Those jeans you’re wearing have been driving me crazy all day.”
“They’re Kerri’s.”
“I’ve never noticed them looking so good on Kerri.”
The women must be of a similar build for the denim to even fit Sarah, but David would swear the jeans had never hugged Kerri’s butt so lovingly. And as none of Kerri’s shoes had fit, Sarah had donned the heels she’d arrived in. Tight jeans that were a little too short, exposing the bottom part of her calves, and high heels. Not even the unisex long-sleeved polo shirt with the winery’s emblem on the front pocket could dim the outrageous sexiness of the outfit.
“Let’s get out of here.” His voice sounded strangled. “Before I start making out with you behind the wine racks.”
In the state he was in, making out would lead to other things, things that—no matter what he’d said last night—he wasn’t sure he could deny himself much longer.
And he’d rather not be within Kerri’s earshot when he lost every last thread of restraint he possessed.
Chapter Eleven
Taking Sarah’s hand in his, David led her through the vineyards, talking about his experiences planting each row of vines and his hopes for each vintage he planned to produce. Sarah possessed enough knowledge about the process to suggest blends and barreling methods, which David couldn’t help but be enormously pleased by. It wasn’t merely her beauty that attracted him but her brains as well. Her business acumen was the icing on the cake, and the fact she was willing to put it to use thinking of ways for him to increase business.
“Promoting this place as a wedding venue is a great idea but it’ll take a fairly big financial investment,” David said at one point. “Not to mention the services of an event planner. It’s one of those things I’d like to do someday.”
“I’m pretty good at drafting business plans,” Sarah replied, “if you ever need help convincing your bank manager to give you the funds.”
David noticed she didn’t try to put herself forward as a potential benefactor and he couldn’t help but be relieved. Perhaps she was finally starting to believe he would never take money from her. Not only that, her offer assumed an association between them that stretched beyond the weekend.
Lifting their linked hands, David placed a kiss to her knuckles. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
They continued their stroll around the property, the slow pace not reflective of the sense of urgency gathering inside him. Sarah’s nearness, the touch of her hand, hell, even the feet she’d bared when she took off her shoes, fired his every sexual impulse.
“David?” Sarah’s prompt made David realize they’d both fallen into contemplative silence. The sun was beginning to sink toward the horizon, taking some of the day’s warmth away.
“Hmm?”
“Why are you alone here?” She scanned the rows and rows of vines. “Something Kerri said this morning indicated there’d been someone once.”
David grunted. “Kerri ought to keep her mouth shut.”
“She was only concerned for you.”
“Warning you off, then?” He took her shrug as confirmation. His exasperation with his supposed friend grew. “She had no right.”
“She didn’t upset me if that’s what you’re worried about.” Sarah’s blithe assurance reminded David she was used to the cutthroat world of business. Whatever sniping match she’d gotten into with Kerri probably didn’t compare. “But it’s clear she doesn’t like me.”
“She thinks you’re just like my ex-girlfriend. Melissa moved here with me when I first inherited this place. She quit the job she’d always hated anyway, swore she wanted the relief from the stress of the advertising game. I think she started to go crazy after three days.” David showed Sarah a rueful smile, recalling Melissa’s agitation at the quietness of the cottage, the lack of activities to hold her interest. “Not enough excitement around here compared to what she was used to. After a while she took another job in the city and commuted but the visits began to dwindle before too long. I think we both realized it was over months before she left for the last time.”
They walked together in silence for a while. Somehow it wasn’t the slightest bit odd sharing such intimate details of his life with Sarah, when usually he was a very private person. He wondered if Sarah felt that same easy sense of intimacy, hoped that she’d freely volunteer a little information about her own past.
But when she at last spoke, it was to ask another question about his. “Did she break your heart?” Her voice was little more than a whisper.
“To hear Kerri tell it, you’d certainly think so.”
Sarah stopped strolling, compelling David to halt his strides as well. She stared at him, her expression earnest, even worried. “How would you tell it?”
There was no doubting Melissa’s leaving had hurt. He’d been with her a total of three years and he’d always assumed their future was together. But by the same token, if he’d wanted that future as badly as he should have, wouldn’t he have asked Melissa to marry him at some point? He hadn’t even used a proposal as a last-ditch attempt to beg her to stay with him, perha
ps because having her stay wasn’t so vital that he was willing to commit the rest of his life to her to achieve the aim.
What did that say about him? Was he disinterested in marriage in general or had his apathy only pertained to his relationship with Melissa? As David gazed at Sarah’s arresting face, an image of her standing before him wearing white, shrouded in the pale netting of a bridal veil came to him unbidden. His heart rate spiked, rushing his blood in a way that made his veins feel both full and lighter than air at the same time.
The response had nothing to do with fear. So not against marriage in general then. Oh, Christ, you are in so much trouble, Genero.
“If you’re asking if I’m over her, the answer is yes.” David took a step forward, invading Sarah’s personal space. He cupped her cheek and ran his thumb along her lower lip. “All I’ve been able to think about since that night three weeks ago is you.”
Sarah’s eyes grew misty. “Oh, David…”
“Don’t say it.” He could tell by the expression on her face she wanted to reiterate her belief that there was no possibility of a future between them. And right now, David didn’t want to bloody hear it. “Don’t say a damn thing. Shut up and kiss me.”
Swiftly, he closed the distance between them. Her lips were pliant, already open by the time he crushed his to them. He delved into her mouth immediately, tasting her as he’d yearned to since this morning. Hours upon hours, almost a whole day and he hadn’t kissed her. It was too damn long.
Her arms twined around his neck, urging him closer. David ran his hands over her, his touch frenetic on her back, her waist, the undersides of her breasts. She sucked in a breath and drew back, allowing him to cup them. He molded and shaped, gently squeezed and pinched, until she wiggled with impatience, grinding against his erection.
Grasping her hips, David drew her forward, settling fully into the V of her thighs. “Christ, Sarah, you win. You don’t have to promise me anything and you can call it whatever you want. Just let me inside you again. I want you so bad I hurt.”
She responded by taking a slow step back and lowering to her knees on the grass. She held his gaze the entire time, fire and promises in the blue depths of her irises. When she reached for his waistband and unsnapped his jeans, David’s heart flat-out stopped. The lowering of his zipper sounded so loud in the afternoon quiet, but he was sure they’d walked far enough away to be concealed from the house and the retail section of the winery. A row of vines on either side of them offered further privacy. Nobody would find them unless they specifically came searching.