She doesn’t say anything right away.
“If you’d rather not talk about him, I’m okay with that. I didn’t mean to pry.”
She shakes her head. “No. I just don’t have much contact with him or his family. When my parents divorced, he stayed in Savannah. He has a new wife and family.”
“Your siblings?”
“A sister and brother. I’ve never met them.”
I digest that as I park between a couple of minivans. Her smile has disappeared, and I now regret asking her anything about her family.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to pry.”
She shakes her head again, but this time, a ghost of a smile curves her lips. “No worries, Harry. I thought Allison would have said something to you. Or your mother.”
“My mother?”
She nods. “I’ve talked to her about my family.”
I file that information away for later and offer her a smile. “Let’s forget all about that and go taste some wine.”
“Let me slip on my tennis shoes and we can get going.”
She opens her door and turns so she can slip off her sandals. After placing them on the car floor, she pulls a pair of canvas tennis shoes and some socks out of her bag. I watch her, or rather her back. The dress dips a bit in the back revealing unblemished skin. I want to reach out and slide my finger down her spine, but I don’t. Not the right moment, and I know if I touch her like that, I won’t be able to stop.
To avoid temptation, I slip out of the car and stretch my back. It gets stiff from time to time thanks to an injury on my next to last deployment. It isn’t that bad but a drive in the car tends to make it act up. I raise my hands up and stretch, then turn and find EJ watching me. I can’t tell what she’s thinking because she still has her big sunglasses on. She just smiles and shuts her door. I do the same, locking it, then joining her on the other side of the car. I hold out my hand. For a long moment she stares at it—so long that I think she might be about to reject me—but she draws in a big breath and takes it. The moment she does, everything in my world seems too shiver with happiness. How is it that this one little act has me so damned happy? Just getting her to hold my hand makes me think I’ve won some kind of prize.
“So, are you looking for someone to talk to specifically?”
She nods. “Bree Russo. She handles a lot of the tours and tastings. She’s been my point of contact.”
“I like their wine, but this looks bigger than I expected it to be.”
“They are the biggest winery in Texas, but that has a lot to do with the family. They’re originally from California.”
“Ah, okay. They’re an extension then?”
“I guess in way. I know their father runs the one out in California now. It’s called Three Brother’s Cellars.”
“Does that mean if it says Russo, it’s from Texas?”
She nods. As we make our way through the crowd milling around, I realize there’s a wedding taking place at an outside pavilion. The main building looks to be an original piece of the land from the 1800s. The architecture fits, although it might be just made that way. A large wraparound porch has lots of rockers and little tables. It looks like it extends all the way down on both sides of the building. The other pavilions have lots of little tables with umbrellas. All of them seemed to be filled with people.
“Busy,” I murmur.
She nods. “They always are. A lot of it has to do with the wine, but a big part of it has to do with Bree. She’s a whiz with setting up some great events.”
We step up on the porch and I let go of her hand to pull open the door. It’s large and heavy…definitely historical. Even with the low hum of conversation, I can hear the creaks and groans of the wood beneath my feet. EJ hurries over to the check-in desk and tells the woman standing there that she has an appointment with Bree. As she deals with that, I take a look around. There’s a small area with all kinds of retail items from wine glasses to t-shirts.
“Harry?”
I turn at the sound of her voice, trying to ignore the way my heart speeds up just a little bit. I join her and we go to an area behind the long tasting bar. It’s long and crowded. As we walk back, EJ turns heads. I’m sure she knows it, and I’ve been with other women who’ve created this kind of stir. There’s something now that makes me want to growl at every man who dares look at her. Stupid reaction because she’s not a possession, but there is a part of me that wants to proclaim that right now. As we make our way down the short hallway, we encounter a sheriff who smiles at us as he walks past.
“EJ,” a woman says, a smile in her voice. As I step in behind EJ, she’s pulled into a hug from whom I assume is Bree. EJ has about four inches on the other woman, but they are both curvy, and I can see a generous spirit in her gaze. In fact, it’s something I see in EJ from time to time. Bree’s light brown skin is flawless, her black hair is in kinky curls in the front and pulled up in a twist behind her head. The dress she is wearing is so much like an EJ dress that I almost blink. As they talk excitedly, I realize that Bree is a kindred spirit to EJ.
Bree’s hazel gaze settles on me. EJ turns, then motions with her head for me to step forward. “This is Harry, Allison’s brother.”
“Oh, one of the cupcake guys. I love that place.”
“Thank you.”
“You weren’t having a problem, were you?” EJ asks.
Bree blinks. “Why?”
“That sheriff we passed on our way in.”
“Oh, no. That’s Josh. We went to school together. Or rather, he graduated about four years before me, with my oldest sister Monica.”
“Ah, great. I guess we should get to it.”
She shakes her head. “Please. No Russo has a meeting without some wine. Belinda will be back here with some of our new Cab. I know that’s your favorite.”
As if on cue, Belinda shows up with a bottle and three glasses. She takes a little time getting the servings sorted as she tosses smiles my way. I ignore her because, well, when you have a woman you want, no one else will do. Also, she makes me feel old. She can only be about twenty-one.
When she finally leaves us alone, Bree smiles and picks up her glass. After swirling it, she sniffs at it.
“Tessa really outdid herself on this one,” she says as she tips the glass. We follow suit and I have to agree with whoever Tessa is.
“So, you want to work out a deal to get some of our glorious wine really cheap?”
EJ chuckles. “Not cheap, but a little discount. I would love to work with you to have a tasting menu that goes along with whatever we’re serving.”
Bree’s eyes brighten. “Oh, that sounds good.” She looks at me. “What’s the menu?”
“Uh…”
“He’s not the baker,” EJ says. I want to argue with her because when we first started out, Fritz and I had to help. We didn’t have the capital to hire more people, so Ed taught us what to do. But this is her show and I let her have the lead.
“Do you two ladies mind if I step out and go take a look around?”
Bree’s smile widens. “No problem.”
EJ nods.
“I can take this?” I hold up the glass of wine.
Bree nods. “Of course. And if you want a glass of something else, just use the code Russo Rules, and you’ll get it for free.”
I stand and lean down to brush my mouth over EJ’s cheek. The simple touch has my blood revving up and my dick begging for attention. From a kiss on her cheek. Jesus, I need help. Mostly from her and her sweet pussy. Since we’re in public, I figure I better give her space.
I leave the ladies alone, hoping I can walk off some of my frustration.
Chapter Eight
Silence fills the office after Harry leaves. I try to get my body back under control, but it’s difficult. That look he gave me left me all tingly. I can still smell the unique masculine scent of him, and I know without a doubt, my panties are wet. This is starting to get embarrassing, but I’m thankful that Harry probabl
y doesn’t know. If he does, he hides it well.
“Wow,” Bree says as she fans herself.
I blink, my thoughts moving away from Harry. I try my best to focus on Bree. “What?”
She gives me a knowing smile. “That is some piece of man meat there.”
I chuckle because she’s right. Harry might not have been my idea of a great boyfriend. He’s going to demand too much of me, I just know it. But he’s sexy. Especially when he’s been flirting with me and acting like I’m the only woman in the world. And big…all over. I have an idea from the other night when he kissed me. There was no hiding that massive cock of his. He has no idea how close I was to throwing caution to the wind and jumping on him for a ride.
“You have no idea.”
“What’s going on there?” she asks.
I shrug. “Not sure. We’re feeling each other out.”
Bree snorts and my face flushes. Me. EJ, the woman who introduces all of her friends to sex positive products and insists that being open and honest about sex is the best way to be. Baby Jesus, help me. I can’t get through a few minutes without making a comment that makes me think of Harry naked. And me. I would so like to be naked with him.
I clear my throat. “Now, on to the ideas I have.”
“Oh, we can figure out a percentage that can work for both of us. I’ll have Monica do the calculations. I’ll need the menus first.”
“No problem. These will be private events my customers have to sign up for, so I will be able to have specific numbers. I want at least one Wine Wednesday a month for my VIP list. Now for compensation, I have a few ideas. I mean, I plan on paying you.”
“I get you.”
“What I was thinking of was coupons that they can use up here for wine, like maybe a discount on a tasting flight? I’d love to have someone on site to sell, but I’ll have to look into the laws in King William District.”
“Oh, yeah, they are a wonky little area. You have a lot of your own rules and regs.”
“Maybe there might be a rule where you can ship to them. Like have someone take orders. If we could work out some kind of discount using a code they get from the tasting, then that will encourage them to order from Russo.”
Her eyes sparked with excitement. “That’s an excellent idea.”
“I plan on having my first party about six weeks from now on November first. It won’t be a wine night per se, but since it will be the kickoff, I want some wine there. It’s that time of the year that can go off the rails for a bookstore. It can really hurt when people are watching their money for Christmas presents. So, I’m planning a Day of the Dead celebration, featuring Mexican writers and stories. Ed will have some great recipes that will work with the holiday.”
“Oh, fun. Okay, let me get those recipes and I can come up with a drinking menu. As for the discount, I was going to say twenty percent, but I think I’ll bump it up to twenty-five.”
“Uh, that’s not a good way to bargain.”
She waves that away as she sits back in her chair. “I can get Mon on board.”
I assume she means her sister Monica, who has recently taken over at this branch of Russo Wineries.
“Thank you.”
“Hey, we’re a woman-run business now. Dad’s out in California, and the three of us are in charge here. Mon has said she wants to work with other female-run businesses. She’s all about lifting each other up.”
“That’s… well, that’s great. It’s something I try to do all the time.”
“She’s out of town right now, but I’ll talk to her next week and let you know what she agrees to. Get that first menu worked up, and I’ll start working on the drinking suggestions.”
“Thanks so much.”
“Now, I think you need to go find Harry.”
“He’s a big boy.”
I sip my wine and shiver at the sheer beauty of the complex taste. God, I love a good Cab, and Russo is the best producer in Texas.
“Yeah, and there are at least two bachelorette parties here. You better make sure you stake your claim.”
I roll my eyes. “Really?”
“Honey, if you don’t want him, there will be a line of women waiting to take your place. At least, I have a feeling it’s your call from the way he acted.”
I nod. “I guess I’ll go find him.”
“We could have done this over the phone.”
“Yeah, but then I didn’t get to see you, and this place is gorgeous. And, wine.”
She chuckles. “There is always a good reason to have wine, according to my sister Monica. First date, first fight, wedding, divorce…the fact that it’s a Tuesday and your father is driving you crazy.”
That pulls a laugh from me. “That last reason is oddly specific.”
“I like hiding here at the winery with people who like to drink wine. Tessa handles the fields. Monica takes care of the business side of things. Her job is demanding, and I would wilt under the pressure.”
“I have a feeling that’s not true, but I won’t argue because I have a man to go hunt up.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
It’s even more crowded than earlier—if that’s possible. We work our way through the meandering customers and Bree tells me about the winery and working with her two sisters. As an only child, I really have no idea what that would be like. To have two people who have your back. They seem extremely close and it makes me think of Savannah and Allison. They may not be my sisters by blood, they are definitely sisters of my heart. If anything happened, anything at all, they would drop whatever they were doing and come. I would do the same for them.
“It seems that the wedding is doing well over there,” I say, pointing to the pavilion.
She nods with a smile. “Yeah. I hate that it is almost impossible to do during the summer. Well, unless you do the morning. We’ve done a few night ones, though you really have to wait until the sun is setting because of the heat.”
“But I bet they were beautiful.”
She sighs, the sound filled with happiness and maybe a little longing. “Yeah, they were. We’ve strung lights up above, the Edison ones and the twinkling ones.”
I can imagine just how gorgeous that was. The twinkling lights, the sultry summer night…the man you love standing beside you.
“I have to start a club member’s tour in a few minutes. Do you need anything else?”
I look out over the area thinking of this day, of the man who is filling most of my waking thoughts, as I sip at my wine. He’s a complicated man, one who would be demanding of my time and of me. As if conjured up by my thoughts, Harry comes into view. I saw him walk along a path, looking out over the landscape, taking in the beautiful views of the Texas Hill country, he draws the eye of more than one woman…and a few men. It’s understandable. He’s tall, and big. So big. It’s the way he walks though. Confidence permeates his entire demeanor, and well…Harry’s gorgeous. All that dark brown hair, the beard, the explosion of colors down his arms in the tattoos. He turns at that moment and zeroes in on me. Like he knew I was watching him the whole time.
“I’ll let you go,” Bree says when I don’t answer her at first. I didn’t realize she was still there until she spoke, but that’s what Harry does to me. He demands my attention, not verbally, but in some weird emotional pull we have.
“Thanks for everything.”
She chuckles again.
“What?” I ask, but I keep my gaze on Harry.
“Nothing. Talk to you later, EJ,” she says and leaves me to Harry.
Harry doesn’t break eye contact as he makes his way through the tables. The heat that flared in my belly is now a freaking inferno, licking its way through my blood. My entire body vibrates louder the closer he gets to me. I’ve never been ashamed of my sexuality, but that was before Harry. It’s not that I’m embarrassed. It’s that I’ve never felt a need so deep. It’s like it crawled within my soul and has taken over any rational thought.
My heart hammers in m
y throat and my pussy is pulsing in time with it. I want him, that was never in doubt. On the other hand, this is something other than being attracted to him. This craving is beyond my control. It’s like my body has been taken over by an alien entity. A slutty entity with no willpower. That’s not the EJ I know, so definitely some kind of body snatcher situation. They left me in my body just to drive me insane with this need. It simmers under the surface, making me do stupid things. Like…I want to jump Harry right here, especially with that stupid looking Ariana Grande wannabe eyeing him. Little girl, you could never handle a man like Harry.
He stops within just a few inches of me.
“All done?” His voice vibrates through his chest, deeper than usual. Immediately, my nipples go from kind of hard to being able to cut glass. I have to fight the shiver that threatens me and try to gain some control. It isn’t that easy because I can only think about touching him. With my mouth. A lot. If I leaned forward, I could plant a kiss on his very sexy mouth.
“Yeah,” I say, my voice dripping with arousal and I see the flare in his eyes that tells me he heard it too.
I take a sip of wine trying to clear it out, but it doesn’t help.
“How about we walk around a little bit?” he asks.
“Why?” I ask this because right now I want to get into his car and find the closest isolated farm road and do amazing things to his body.
He takes my hand. “I want to spend time with you here. I like it and I like you. So…let’s go look around.”
I cock my head to the side. “What are you after, Harry?”
His mouth twitches. “Just to spend time with you. It’s a beautiful day, you’re a beautiful woman. It’s like a twofer.”
I can’t fight the bubble of laughter. “That sounds like something your sister would say.”
He doesn’t respond but his eyes dance. “Come on. Let’s go enjoy the day. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a day like today with no worries of budgets and accounts, and whatever insanity my partners are going to throw at me. And I know you work hard, so let’s relax.”
I let his reasoning sink in and realize he’s right. I want this, to relax with a sexy man and walk through the beautiful grounds of Russo Winery. It was so simple. So easy, something I would never associate with Harry.
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