Risking the Vine (Romancing the Vine Book 1)

by Gemma Brocato

  Replaying the conversation they’d shared as they drove to the work area, Luke couldn’t identify exactly where he’d taken a wrong turn. But he most surely had. His footsteps lagged as he followed Jac into the barn.

  Hopefully this morning’s exercise would work wonders in putting them back on the same team.

  Chapter 5

  What the hell was wrong with her? Jac had all but slapped the man away with her rising insecurities. Freaking Ted Fleury. Every time she allowed herself to anticipate any possible advancement, he jerked hard on the reins and slammed her back in her place. Knowing his pattern, the news shouldn’t have caught her so off guard today, but it had. Especially after coming through for the company and solving the problems created by the incompetent woman he’d just promoted. Anger churned in her gut.

  Luke had just followed through on what they’d started last night. God, when he kissed her, desire flared to life between her legs, making her wet. She’d nearly panted when the back of his hand drifted over her nipples. Imagine how she’d have embarrassed herself if he’d actually palmed her breasts.

  Casting a surreptitious glance at him, she found his face set in an attentive mask as he stood stiffly by her side, listening to Jules explain the project. She hoped he was really paying attention to the instructions, because she was still too distracted by the memory of the bulge in his jeans when they’d sat in the golf cart.

  She definitely wanted him. However, any thought beyond the end of the week scared the crap out of her. She hated uncertainty and yet here she was, sitting smack dab in the middle of it. The harsh noise of her grinding teeth jerked her back to the present. She mentally commanded herself to unclench her jaw, lower her shoulders, and release the tension pinching her like a too-tight shoe. Fat lot of good the stern order did. With a herculean effort, she forced her attention back to Jules’ calm voice.

  Luke bent to pick up the thin sheet of wood that was the base of their artwork, his jeans stretched tautly over his butt. Jac licked her lips. He placed the board on the table and turned in time to see her ogling him. Slow, sexy confidence spread over his face and she was lost. If there weren’t so many other people in the room, she might have tackled him and had her way with him right there. And the rat bastard knew it, judging by the way his eyes danced.

  “You have three hours to work on this. Do your best to finish on time,” Jules called out. “We’ll be serving a buffet lunch just outside in the picnic area, so if you don’t complete your project in the allotted time, you’ll still be able to use the lunch break to finish, if needed.”

  Luke leaned against the worktable and crossed his arms over his chest as he raked his gaze over her body. He asked, “So, are we going to try to recreate the scene outside?”

  “Stop looking at me that way!”

  False innocence moved over his face, brows lifting, eyes widening in question. The grin stayed put. “What way?”

  “Like you’ve just hit the bull’s eye with all three baseballs. Like I’m some kind of prize you’ve just won.” She pressed her lips together and wrapped her arms around her waist.

  “I don’t think that’s how I was looking at you.” He shoved away from the table and gestured to the buckets of wine corks under the counter. “So, what’s it going to be? A landscape or a portrait?”

  At least he’d wiped the victorious expression off his face. Jac sighed. “Landscape. I do think it would make a pretty picture.”

  “Are you any good at sketching? One of us should draw where we want to place the corks on the wood while the other sorts through the supplies. Using a divide and conquer strategy seems a good idea for a team.”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  Jac grabbed a pencil from a cup on the tabletop. Leaning her weight onto one hip, she studied the board, flipping the pencil through her fingers while she thought. After a quick glance through the window, she leaned over, braced one hand on the table, and began scratching out a rough layout for the project.

  Luke sorted through the corks, dividing them by the color tipping the ends. He worked swiftly and in silence. Around the room, the other teams worked on their projects without much conversation.

  While she penciled in the drawing, Jac considered where corks would have to be placed to create the image they’d agreed on. She drew small circles, designating placement of each cylinder.

  She nudged against Luke as she reached for the paints that had been provided to add any necessary color. He steadied himself with a hand on the floor. “Watch where you’re going, lady.” His bright eyes softened the reprimand in his words.

  She teased right back. “Sorry. It’s just that some people are always in the way.”

  “Did you stop to think maybe I’m in the way deliberately? Maybe I’m meant to be in your path.”

  Now the conversation was getting a little too heavy for her tastes. “Great teams always anticipate movement and positioning and get out of each other’s way.” She gripped a bottle of paint, squeezing the soft plastic while she waited for his response.

  After searching her face for a moment, Luke tipped his head to the side, as though not sure how to handle her forcing the topic back to business. “Better get to work.” He reached for a handful of corks and returned to sorting them.

  I’m an idiot.

  He wanted to flirt and she’d said exactly the right thing to force his banter to a screeching halt. Biting back an apology, she focused on pouring a small amount of brown paint on a paper plate that would serve as a palette. Once satisfied with the quantity, she added a generous amount of green to it. Finally, she sprinkled in a bit of water to make it more of a wash than paint.

  Choosing a sponge brush, she smeared the mixture on the board in wide arcs to mimic the hills she could see out the window. She dabbed a little more brown paint through the wash, and a few more drops of water, swirling them together. Satisfied with the final color, she swept the darker color onto the board above the lighter green.

  Luke stood and looked over the sketch she’d created on the board. “Wow, you’re good. It’s really pretty.”

  “Thanks.” She couldn’t lie to herself. His praise soothed part of the hurt left by what had happened at the office today. “It’s easy to draw it out and add color. Now we have to let the wash dry a bit. While we’re waiting, we could start cutting some of the corks. Using different sizes will add dimension to the work.”

  Luke reached for the small handsaw in their toolbox. “Good idea. I’ll cut while you finish sorting. Unless you want to use the saw.”

  “Nope, go ahead. I believe we should work according to our strengths. It’s how I’d delegate on a project at work. People should be encouraged to try new things, but if you have someone really good at something, it makes sense to let them take the lead.”

  Her thoughts wandered to the idea of Luke taking the lead in bed. Or would he let her? Dismissing the image, she grabbed the cord for the hot glue gun, intent on plugging it in. “That’s what teamwork is all about.”

  Brows drawn together, Luke nodded. He hefted a cutting board from its storage spot below the table. He positioned a cork, holding it in place with thumb and forefinger. Muscles rippled on his shoulder and back as he began to saw. When the plug spurted from his grasp and rolled off the table, he laughed. “Slippery little suckers.”

  Jac laughed with him. “Try this.” She flipped the board over, exposing the small, rounded divot she’d spied when Luke had lifted the board. “I think the cork should fit in the slot and be easier to cut. Like this . . .”

  Placing a cork, she maneuvered his hand to position the saw on top, holding the cork steady. A thrill of electricity sparked through her palm and zipped up her arm. His quick glance confirmed he’d felt it too. Reluctantly, she pulled her hand away, but held his gaze for a moment longer.

  Sudden gratitude that the
y did live in the same town flooded her. If he wanted to continue seeing her after this week, she’d enjoy the attention. He was an intriguing, beguiling man.

  The sexy grin she was beginning to adore spread over his mouth once more. “Ah, you’re right. This works much better. Thanks.” Without breaking eye contact, he began to saw on the cork. And narrowly missed his finger in the process.

  “Be careful there. You almost cut yourself,” Jac cautioned.

  Luke’s eyes widened at his near-accident. “I guess it doesn’t pay to be distracted by your teammate.”

  “Let’s save the distraction for later.” She couldn’t believe how bold she sounded. He brought out the vixen she didn’t realize she had in her.

  Wrapped in the haze of her attraction to the man, the rest of the teams had faded into the background. Now, lady lawyers Belinda and Sally, squabbling about who got to be in charge, pulled Jac away from the moment she and Luke shared.

  She gazed idly around the room at the other participants. The insurance guys were all seated on the floor, a pile of corks in the center of their circle. No teamwork there unless Stupid Joke Telling was one of the events for the week. While Jac watched, FIG tossed a handful of the small projectiles at Steve, who retaliated. Steve’s aim was better and the cork bounced off FIG’s forehead before dropping onto the shelf created by the guy’s protruding stomach.

  “Amateurs,” Jac mumbled as she tested the green wash. It was dry enough. “I’m going to start with the building in the corner and work out. Will you cut some lengthwise for me? I think ten will do.”

  Luke saluted her, the saw still in his hand. “Aye-aye, Captain.”

  “Oh, I get to be in charge?”

  “Well, every team has to have a leader. For this one, it’s you. I’ll do it for the next event.” Luke resumed cutting the corks.

  “I’m not sure why your company sent you here. You’re an awesome team leader. I’d work for you any day.”

  Before he could respond, Jules stepped up to their table. “You guys are way ahead of the other groups. I’ve watched you communicate and separate the tasks at hand. Exactly the way it should happen in the workplace.”

  Jac smeared the end of a cork with glue. Taking care, she pressed it to the line she’d drawn for the barn. “Thanks. I suppose it helps that we’re completely new to each other. No preset ranking of authority to hold us back.”

  Jules nodded. “Possibly. Unfortunately, it won’t be the situation you’ll find yourself in when you go back to the real world.”

  “Hey, this is real.” Luke stopped sawing long enough to toss the cut pieces to a growing pile next to the board. He grabbed another and began the process again.

  Crossing her arms over her chest, Jules watched the effort Luke put into project. “What I meant was, generally once you’re in the office you’ll still have to deal with the preconceived notions of your co-workers. For example, Jacqui wasn’t in a leadership role before. She was just a friend and office mate. Now, suddenly, she’s the head cheese. Some people can’t or won’t adapt easily to that change.”

  “I see what you’re saying,” Jac said. It was exactly the kind of situation she expected. Or thought she would have dealt with upon her return to Medford. Her shoulders tightened, tension snapped like a flag waving in the wind. “Lucky for me, I probably won’t face that situation.”

  Jules tipped her head curiously. “Care to elaborate?”

  Pressing a glued cork to the board, Jac pushed harder than she should. It skidded out of place, leaving a streak of glue. The hot blob burned her as she wiped the excess away. Shaking the offended digit, she briefed Jules quickly.

  The expression on Jules’ face hardened as Jac finished. “That explains the voicemail I got from Ted Fleury this morning. He instructed me to send you back to the office. And requested a full refund of his fees.”

  “What the hell?” Luke grunted through thinned lips. The saw clattered as he dropped it to the table. He propped his hands on his hips and looked expectantly at Jac.

  Anger seared through her the way the melted glue had burned her finger. Jac carefully set the glue gun aside. “I’m not surprised. He probably needs me there to help smooth the transition for Deidre. And start training her to be my supervisor.” She clenched her hands into helpless fists.

  “That’s complete bullshit.” Luke’s voice rose.

  The insurance guys stopped messing around and glanced their direction, as if sensing all wasn’t well. Even the lady lawyers shut up for a moment.

  “Back to work, everyone. You only have ninety minutes left.” Jules rested a hand on Luke’s arm. “It certainly is. I’m not planning on giving him his money back. Company policy. The contract reads no refunds once the course starts, which happened at last night’s dinner. Even if a participant has to leave early. As far as I’m concerned, Jacqui can stay and complete the course, unless Ted insists otherwise. I’ll try to convince him to let her stay.” She faced Jac, an expression in her eyes that looked suspiciously like sympathy. “Anything you learn here will still benefit your company because it seems you are the unofficial leader. They’ll need the skills you perfect as they make the transition. And I’ll be sure to tell Ted that when I call him back.”

  “Would you mind meeting with me sometime this week to talk about how to spin this course to my benefit in a job interview?” Jac hated to voice the question, but felt compelled to do so, nonetheless.

  Jules nodded. A broad, approving smile tugged the corners of her lips. “Absolutely. The skills you achieve here will be attractive to any employer lucky enough to hire you.”

  “I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet.” Jac told her. “I’m pretty sure I don’t want stay at MedServices. Even if Ted changes his mind and promotes me instead, he’s shown his true colors. I’m not family and there’s really nowhere to go with this organization.”

  Luke dropped his hands to his sides and rested his butt on the edge of the table. “Maybe you should ask Jules for an extra week here and learn everything you can about farming.”

  Jac shot him a reproving glare. “Luke.”

  Sharing a glance between them, Jules said, “I’m intrigued. You want to learn about running a farm?”

  “It’s just a pipe dream. My family owns land in central Oregon and no one is doing anything to make it pay. I teased Luke earlier about running away and raising chickens.”

  “Seriously?” Jules’ tone held incredulity.

  Laughing, Jac replied, “Well, maybe not chickens. My grandparents used to run a spice and herb farm. It’s lain dormant . . . no, fallow, for a few years but I think I could bring it back. It would certainly be a simpler lifestyle than my city life.”

  “Country girl, huh?” Jules toyed with the corks laid out, ready to be added to the art project.

  “Yep.” Jac remained outwardly positive, while inside she held a running debate. She knew nothing about farming, which didn’t lessen the appeal. “God, it feels like I’m going off the deep end. Just like the character from the show my grandpa used to watch. Green Acres.”

  Luke barked out a laugh. “At least you’ll be a little less clueless than Oliver and Lisa.”

  Jules dropped the cork she’d played with and dusted her hands together. “Tell you what . . . let’s talk tomorrow evening after our daily projects. I’ll have time to pull together some resource material for you. I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I never even talked to the gardeners on my mom’s property. I kind of went through the same thing when I bought the vineyard. I’m happy to share what I know.”

  The unease gurgling heavily in Jac’s stomach lightened. “Deal.”

  “Now, get back to work.” Jules leaned in confidingly and gestured to the board on the table. “I don’t want the other teams to beat you at this. Your picture is going to be great and make a lot of
money for our charity.”

  As she sauntered away toward the lawyers’ table, Jac stared after her. “I’d have never guessed she didn’t grow up on this property. She seems bred for it.”

  “Can’t judge a book—” Luke started.

  “I know, by its cover.” Wonderful, now they were completing each other’s sentences. “Come on, let’s finish our picture. Jules really put the pressure on. We don’t want to disappoint.”

  Luke gestured to the growing pile of cut pieces. “Hey, I’ve been working while you were gabbing.”

  “Well, leadership does have its privileges. Besides, I can glue faster than you can cut.”

  They worked side-by-side in silence to complete the project. Once Luke finished with the saw, he took the glue gun and started prepping the pieces for Jac. The picture took shape faster because they worked so well together. Luke even managed to find the right amount of red-tipped corks to allow Jac to create a flowerbed along the bottom of the picture.

  She poured a dab of purple paint on another paper plate and added a separate dollop of green. Quickly she demonstrated how to daub the color on the end of the corks representing the grape vines. Once she handed Luke the paintbrush, the extra little touch turned their project into a beautiful work of art.

  Jules walked to the front of the room, clapping her hands as she went. “Time’s up. We have a couple of teams who didn’t finish.” She eyed the insurance guys, her lips pressed into a firm line. “You have ninety minutes before the afternoon activity. Marcus set up the lunch buffet in the pavilion behind this building. If you want, you can use those ninety minutes to complete your project after you eat.”

  FIG jammed his hands on his hips. “What if we don’t want to finish?”

  “That’s up to you. You aren’t required to complete the project. What’s important is you found a way to work together as a team. Three hours should have been enough to hit the deadline, but sometimes, things interfere.” Jules folded her arms over her chest. “How you react to those disturbances is as much a part of the exercise as anything else. You’ll face situations in the office that can cock-up your projects. You need to learn how to delegate and re-prioritize as team leaders.”