Wine, Tarts & Sex

by Susan Johnson

  It always amazed him that Liv worked the fields like her crews. He didn’t actually know any women who’d take on that degree of physical labor. Not that women chefs in his kitchens weren’t equal to men when it came to diligence and energy, but farm work seemed different somehow, requiring another kind of strength and stamina reminiscent of a simpler life he’d never experienced. All this fresh air and sunshine was far removed from the fevered pace and sweltering heat of the kitchens he called home.

  Maybe it was the strangeness of her world that appealed. He smiled. Yeah, right. She could live in an igloo or yurt, and she’d still make him salivate. His craving for her had nothing to do with her lifestyle or geographical location.

  It had to do with fucking his brains out.

  There it was, plain and simple.

  So, did he apologize for not calling her or pretend it didn’t matter that he hadn’t called? What level of nonchalance would be acceptable? Had she just been into the sexual fun and games like him? Did it matter to her who was participating in her orgasms? Had she even noticed that he was gone?

  He took a breath, exhaled, and began walking.

  Time to find out.

  It took him long enough to cross the yard and field that his arrival was no surprise. Everyone had plenty of time to school their expressions.

  As Jake walked up, Liv and her partner stopped working.

  “You’re back,” she said with a polite smile, brushing the hair out of her face with a gloved hand.

  That was easy, Jake thought. Not an iota of temper in her welcome. He smiled back. “I missed you.” Or, more accurately, sex with her.

  “How nice. I don’t think you’ve met my vintner, Chris Holloway. Chris, Jake Chambers.”

  As Jake shook Chris’s hand and said hello, he was taking issue with Liv’s ultracasual response. How nice? What the fuck did that mean? Did men make pilgrimages out here to see her with such regularity, he was just another guy lost in the crowd? Was she getting it on with this Chris guy, and his arrival got in the way? Did he care if he was in the way? Dumb question.

  “Could I talk to you for a minute?” he said, keeping his voice mild with effort. “There was a little dustup at your house a few minutes ago. Everything’s fine now, but Roman thought I should come out and tell you about it.”

  “Trouble with Leo?”

  “Right.”

  Liv turned to her companion. “If you’ll give me a minute, Chris.”

  “Do you need any help?”

  “No.” Jake’s tone wasn’t precisely unfriendly, but then again, no one would have mistaken it for cordial.

  “Thank you, Chris,” Liv interposed, her smile camera-ready. “I’ll deal with this.”

  “Why don’t I head back to the office and order those sprinkler heads we need? I’ll see you back there.”

  “Good idea. This shouldn’t take long.”

  Or maybe it will, Jake reflected, smiling like a politician just waiting for the crowd to disperse so he could quit smiling.

  As Chris walked away, Liv turned to Jake with a frown. “I don’t need you to answer for me. Understand?”

  “Sorry.”

  “No you’re not.”

  “I wish I was a better actor then.”

  “Just for the record, I don’t take instructions from anyone. ”

  His brows rose faintly. “I don’t know about that.”

  “I’m talking about the real world, okay? Sex is different. Are we clear on our relative positions?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “And don’t give me that cowboy shit,” she muttered. But he looked beaucoup sexy, smiling at her like that with his head dipped slightly so he was looking at her from under his dark lashes. “So, let’s cut to the chase.” Her voice was brisk with resolve. “I have a pretty good idea why you came back. But that aside, how about giving me the scoop on this so-called dustup.”

  He was on notice to get down to business, and not the sexual kind. So he explained the problem in a similarly clear, brisk tone. “I saw a car with New York plates at the end of your drive and found a situation unfolding at your house. One of Leo’s wiseguys was threatening Roman and Janie with a gun. Another guy was upstairs tearing your house apart, looking for the flash drive. I knocked out one dude with my tire iron; Roman decked the other one, and if a third goon hadn’t opportunely arrived, it would have been over. The new wiseguy mentioned watching Matt riding a horse. Janie panicked, gave up the flash drive, and they left-mission accomplished,” he finished, feeling as though his explanation was brief and succinct enough to pass muster with her.

  “I just knew there’d be trouble with Leo,” Liv said with a sigh of disgust. “I suppose it was just a matter of time. Was anyone hurt?”

  “Just Leo’s hired guns. Everyone else is fine.”

  “But Leo has what he wants now,” she said grimly.

  “Uh-uh.” Jake grinned. “Janie has two more copies.”

  “You’re kidding!”

  “Nope. She’s still in the game.”

  “Good for her! Now, that’s positive news!” Liv should have known Janie’s manipulative mind would have had a backup plan. Janie hadn’t clawed her way up from poverty by her looks alone. There were thousands of women as beautiful as she who were still waiting tables in L.A.

  “There is a slight problem however…”

  She grimaced. “Why am I not surprised?”

  “Probably because you know what Leo’s like. Once he discovers he’s been fucked over, there’s gonna be more badasses sent out here. So the consensus is that everyone should vacate the premises for a short while at least. I told Janie my place at Deer Lake is available.”

  “Oh, jeez,” Liv grumbled. “It’s prime growing season for me. It’s the worst possible time for me to walk away from my vineyard.”

  “I understand. I’d even suggest hiring security, but these wiseguys Leo employs might be out of the locals’ league.”

  “This is a real pain,” Liv said, sourly. “Everyone can’t just leave the vineyard. It’s impossible.”

  “Maybe Janie could contact Leo before his hired guns get back to New York and let him know the flash drive he’s getting is useless. They could hash out a settlement with their lawyers, and this might all blow over in a few days.”

  “If you believe that, let me tell you about some land I have for sale in Florida. If you recall, Leo contested his last wife’s settlement for over two years.”

  “This time he’s facing major jail time, though, if that flash drive gets out. He’s going to want to settle.”

  “Okay, okay, I get the message.” She scowled at Jake. “I don’t actually have a choice, do I?”

  “Not really,” he gently replied.

  “Can I blame you?” she sullenly inquired.

  “If it helps, sure.” He smiled. “But Janie’s your friend, too. I don’t know if I want to take the entire blame for her poor marriage decisions.”

  “Don’t be reasonable right now,” Liv muttered. “I’m not in the mood.”

  “I understand.”

  “And don’t sound so damned calm, either. The grapes this season are going to be our best ever. And now I have to just walk away and let everything go to hell?”

  Her voice had risen markedly; he knew better than to reply.

  Only the breeze rustling the grape leaves breached the silence.

  Christ, she looks good, he thought. Her cheeks were faintly flushed with anger, her pale hair a tangle of curls, her bare arms and legs tanned and toned, her lush bottom lip pouty. And sexy. “Look, is there a back way into your land?” he inquired. “If there is, maybe we could check on things from time to time. Or if you want, we could call the sheriff and have him patrol your land.”

  “If only. We have six deputies in the entire county.”

  “Look,” he said, quietly, clearly willing to be accommodating. “Tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it.”

  At a loss, she shook her head. “I don�
��t know what to do. Leo’s a prick, though; that I do know. And I suppose if Janie and Matt are at risk, I have to help in any way I can.”

  “That’s my call, too.”

  Lips pursed, she met his gaze. “This isn’t exactly good timing for you, either, is it? You’re trying to work on your restaurant.”

  “What can I say? Shit happens.”

  Her smile this time was warmer than it had been. “You’re too damned reasonable.”

  “Sorry.”

  Her brows lifted faintly, and she studied him for a lengthy moment. “I didn’t think you were coming back.”

  He hesitated briefly before saying, “Neither did I.”

  A grin lit up her face. “So you really did miss me.”

  “More than you know,” he murmured with an answering grin.

  “I probably shouldn’t say it, but same here. I haven’t been sleeping too well.”

  “I probably shouldn’t say it, but I’ve hardly slept at all.”

  “So you’ve been thinking about me,” she purred.

  “More or less constantly. And for your information, it’s annoyed the hell out of me.”

  “So I maybe should compensate you in some way-you know-for your annoyance.”

  His smile was wicked. “We could talk about it.”

  “Talk?”

  “Whatever. You decide.”

  “I already have,” she murmured. “Come.” She put out her hand. “We’ll go fill Chris in on all the sordid details, and then we’ll deal with our mutual annoyances and/or desires. ”

  His hand closed over hers as she moved away. “Deal-making. Sounds good.” He grinned. “FYI, I’m gonna be a pushover on these negotiations.”

  “For some reason I thought you might be.”

  “Does my impatience show?”

  She laughed. “Like flashing neon. Which reminds me- on other more practical matters-we’d better get Janie’s splashy Hockney painting out of the barn. She doesn’t think Leo will notice it’s gone, but I’m not so sure.” She turned to him. “Do you have room at Deer Lake for a bigger than life-sized painting?”

  “It’s an old place. The ceilings are pretty high. We’ll figure out something.”

  “If it’s old, does it have those nice porches?”

  “Wraparound screened porches, babe. Does that make you happy?”

  “Yeah. And you coming back makes me happier.”

  “I’m glad.”

  She shot him a look. “Is this a karmic moment of complete harmony?”

  “It sure feels like it.”

  “Yeah it does,” she murmured, swinging his hand, deciding this wasn’t the time to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Most definitely.”

  Thirty

  Jake’s aunt’s place on Deer Lake was what would have been called a cottage at the turn of the century. The large, two-story Victorian house was poised on the heights overlooking the lake, the grass newly mowed, the flower gardens immaculate, the siding freshly painted in a typical turn-of-the-century color: pale blue with white trim.

  “Someone’s definitely paying to keep this place maintained, ” Liv murmured as she stepped out of Jake’s car. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Thanks. It looks the same as ever,” he said with a noticeable satisfaction. “I spent some happy summers here as a kid. Come on in, we’ll give Aiko a call and tell her how good everything’s looking.” He nodded at Matt, who was running toward the lake, Janie and Roman in hot pursuit. “I know someone who’s gonna like it here.”

  “You think?” Janie had complained they’d had to literally drag Matt out of the water whenever they wanted to come back from the beach.

  “I’m not a betting man, but I’d bet on that one. Let’s get the place open before Chris and Amy get here. We’ll find a place for that painting.” Chris and Amy were bringing the Hockney painting and Janie’s considerable luggage in the back of their pickup truck.

  After unearthing the key from under some gingerbread trim on the back porch, Jake opened the door and walked in. The kitchen was huge, and with the exception of new appliances, it appeared largely untouched since the house had been built. A large wooden table, used as a work surface from the evidence of hard wear apparent on its maple top, held center stage. Surrounded by chairs, it must have served for informal dining as well.

  “I love old houses,” Liv murmured, thinking of all the people who must have gathered around that table over the years. “I bought my farm largely because of the house. Think of the memories.”

  “Including mine,” Jake agreeably said. “I like that nothing ’s changed. I like that it’s been in the same family all these years. My uncle’s grandfather built it in 1904. The date’s penciled on a closet wall upstairs.” He held out his hand. “Come. I’ll give you the grand tour.”

  “A workman left his signature on a timber in my barn, too,” Liv said, following Jake into the dining room. “Every time I see it I feel connected to the history of my place. Wow-is that a real Remington sculpture?”

  “I don’t know-maybe-actually, I think it is.”

  Apparently the original owner had a couple of nickels to rub together, Liv decided. Not that a lake cottage of this size didn’t give one a clue.

  They moved through a dining room with a built-in buffet and sideboard that were fashionable at the turn of the century and entered an enormous bow-shaped room that conformed to the curvature of the lakeshore. A wall of windows offered glorious, panoramic views of the lake.

  “How lovely,” Liv said, with a modicum of awe. The cabin she’d spent summers in as a child would have fit in this room. Not to mention the furniture looked like something out of an old Country Life magazine: soft sofas and easy chairs covered in subtlely faded chintz that probably was made to look that way from the beginning; fringed footstools; embroidered dog pillows here and there. In other words, posh.

  “The upstairs isn’t so decorated,” Jake said, recognizing the note of wonder in her voice. “It’s more summer camp stuff.”

  He took her upstairs to see the bedrooms on the second floor.

  “Summer camp it might be,” Liv noted, as they returned to the ground floor. “But it’s definitely not Girl Scout camp on Fenske Lake.” The decor reminded her more of a Martha Stewart summer camp: the kind with painted metal beds, white wainscoting, linen curtains, homespun bedspreads, woven rugs, and wicker furniture, all color-coordinated with the paint on the walls. “Everything’s so perfect. It looks as though it’s hardly been used.”

  “Actually, it has been. But my aunt had all the bed linens and curtains redone ten years ago or so, and lately, there haven’t been many guests.”

  “If I have to be away from my vines,” Liv said with an approving survey of her surroundings, “I certainly can’t complain about the accommodations.”

  “Hopefully, this won’t be a lengthy stay. Leo should be calling soon.” Jake shrugged. “He can decide to settle or not, and I’m guessing he’ll settle.”

  “I don’t know if I’m that optimistic. Still, Roman knows the man better than we, and he seems to think Leo will panic.”

  “Fucking a. Wouldn’t you?”

  “I guess. So what-two, three days?”

  “Sounds about right. Which doesn’t give us much time for a vacation,” he said with a grin.

  “I hope your idea of a vacation and mine are the same,” she murmured, smiling back.

  “I guarantee they are.”

  “Such assurance.” But her voice was sportive rather than displeased.

  “Let’s just say, I’ve gotten to know you. And since I braved armed desperadoes to be with you,” he said, grinning, “I’m figuring we might as well have a good time. Sit down, relax; I’ll go get us some food. Then no one has to go anywhere for however long.”

  “So we could, like, stay in bed and we wouldn’t starve.”

  “You read my mind, babe. Let me call my aunt, and then I’ll hit the road.”

  “I’ll come with you. There’s no way I
can relax anyway-what with wiseguys on the prowl and the enticing prospect of lurid sex with you revving up my psyche.”

  Jake looked up from dialing the phone, one dark brow cocked. “Lurid?”

  She grinned. “I meant it in the very nicest way.”

  Jake gave her one of those amused, whatever-you-say-babe looks, then said, “Hey, Aiko, guess where I am?”

  After Jake’s aunt in Seattle was thanked for her hospitality, Jake made a quick call to Eduardo. He didn’t explain why he needed him to come to Minneapolis; he only said, “Something’s come up. I need help. Bring out the usual crew tomorrow.” And he hung up.

  Apparently the two men weren’t the chatty type, or maybe the usual crew was always held in readiness for such eventualities, Liv decided. But any further speculation had to wait, for the moment Jake put down the phone, he said briskly, “Let’s go tell everyone we’re going for supplies.”

  The rest of the party had settled in down by the lake. They were given a heads-up on the run to the grocery store and offered their pick of bedrooms, save for the one at the head of the stairs that had been Jake’s as a child. “It shouldn’t take us long at the store,” he finished.

  “Tet me tandy,” Matt shouted from where he was digging a hole in the sand. “An ice ceam!”

  “Just a little,” Janie noted. “Any kind. He doesn’t care. And maybe a bottle of champagne. You know”-Janie smiled-“to celebrate Leo’s denouement.”

  By the time Janie was finished adding to her list of necessities, Jake was nodding his head and thinking, If I can remember it all. But he only smiled and said, “We’ll be back soon,” waved, and he and Liv walked away.

  “I really like that bedroom of yours-the porch, all those windows, the view.” Liv was lying back in the car seat, her bare feet up on the dash, the breeze from the open window ruffling her hair, bliss inundating her senses.

  “That was my room as a kid. What can I say-it brings back fond memories.”

  How darling. How sweet. How perfectly adorable, she thought, thoroughly awash in Pollyanna feelings when she should be uptight about wiseguys and her languishing vineyards. Instead of succumbing completely to Jake’s intrinsic darlingness, she should be worried about losing her grape crop-not drifting in some I’m-in-heaven parallel universe. “I’ll bet you slept on that bedroom porch when it was hot,” she murmured, imagining the darling boy-or maybe the even more darling teenage heartthrob-sleeping there on a hot summer night.