by Jan Moran
“Have more orders come in?” Since they’d returned, the gala and the press coverage of the event had spurred interest. Both of them had been inundated by calls from collectors, hotels, and wine shops.
Henri laughed. “I’ve taken so many orders I might have to put the girls to work. You’ve been spectacular at generating interest in Chateau Laurent wines.”
“Your wine speaks for itself. I just gave it a nudge in the right direction.”
“That was some kind of nudge.” Frowning, Henri said, “Don’t discount what you’ve done.”
Juliana laughed. “I’m not discounting my work. You haven’t received my bill yet.” She loved teasing him.
“Uh-oh, how about a special discount?”
“Are you kidding? After what you put me through, I should charge you double.”
“Me? What about you?” Henri’s eyes were sparkling.
They both started laughing, and Henri picked her up and swung her around. Juliana threw her head back, drinking in the pure joy of the moment. One day at a time, that’s how she had decided to live for now. Considering the heartbreak she’d been through with Alfonso and the tragedies Henri had survived, she’d learned to never take anything for granted.
Henri set her on her feet and she touched her lips to his. “I’m glad you’re so relaxed today, Henri.” His hypervigilance had eased and he’d told her he’d been sleeping better. They had even talked about sending Anne and Beatrice to school, much to the girls’ delight.
“That’s because you have a funny effect on me, Miss Cardona. And someday, I’m going to wear down your defenses.”
“I wasn’t aware I had any defenses left.”
“Oh, but you do,” he said, his voice deep with lust. Henri twirled her around as he had when they’d danced the night of the gala. Dipping her low to the ground, he held her gaze. “But you’re worth waiting for, my love. Someday soon, I plan to carry you over our threshold.”
Her heart in her throat, she asked, “Is that a proposal?”
“As a matter of fact, it is. He swung her up to face him, and then knelt before her. “I would be honored to be your husband.”
Juliana pursed her lips. “You’re too late. Anne and Beatrice already proposed on your behalf in the letter they sent.”
He blinked with surprise. “I swear I didn’t put them up to it.”
“It was our secret.” Extending her hands, Juliana reached out to him and brought him to his feet. “I accept, Henri. I promise to love you forever.”
The End
About the Author
Join Jan’s VIP Reading Club and get a FREE novel now: www.JanMoran.com
Continue reading about this beloved cast of characters from author Jan Moran in The Winemakers: A Novel of Wine and Secrets, now available from St. Martin’s Press. The Winemakers is a full-length family saga.
“Caterina is a dream of a protagonist, and her mother, for all her flaws, is relatable as a parent so desperate to see her child happy and prosperous that she will do whatever it takes. Readers will devour this page-turner as the mystery and passions spin out. VERDICT: A solid pick for fans of historical romances combined with a heartbreaking mystery.” - Library Journal
“Jan Moran is the new queen of the epic romance.” USA Today Bestselling Author Rebecca Forster
About The Winemakers
A young woman.
A family secret.
A devastating truth that could destroy the man she loves.
Many years ago, the Rosetta family’s hard-won dreams of staking their claim in the vineyards of California came to fruition. Now high-spirited, passionate Caterina Rosetta, who has inherited both her mother’s talent for crafting the finest wines and also her indomitable will, wants nothing more than to win her mother’s approval and work at her side.
But that can never happen, because Caterina is keeping a secret that could ruin her: a daughter of her own, fathered by the love of her life, who left her without explanation. Just as she feels she has nowhere to turn, Caterina discovers that she has inherited a vineyard in the Tuscan countryside in Italy, from a grandmother she’s never heard of, so she seizes the chance to start a new life for herself and her child.
But the past is not so easily outrun. In the country of her ancestors, Caterina meets the family of the father she never knew, and discovers that her mother is also hiding her own secret―a secret so devastating it threatens the future of everything her family has worked for.
As an old murder comes to light and Caterina uncovers a tragedy that may destroy the man she loves, she realizes her happiness will depend on revealing the truth of her mother’s buried past―if she has the strength to face it.
From author Jan Moran comes The Winemakers, a sweeping, romantic novel that will hold you in its grasp until the last delicious sip.
Join Jan’s VIP Reading Club and get a FREE novel now: www.JanMoran.com
Corked and Screwed
A Rough and Tumble Novella
Crystal Green
Copyright © 2016 by:
Chris Marie Green
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
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160805.212356
Colin “Buzz” Burton has lived on the outskirts of Vegas for his entire cowboy life, yet in spite of the naughty shenanigans he’s taken part in, he’s never gotten this down and dirty! When Leticia Bravo, a wine consultant who’s ready to shed her cosmopolitan skin for the night, mistakes him for a gigolo, the rancher goes from beer fan to wine lover with a whole lotta sinning in between…
Chapter 1
The Ruby Room sure as hell wasn’t anything like the Rough & Tumble Saloon.
The minute Colin Burton strolled into the restaurant and lounge, he felt as if his faded blue jeans, long-sleeved chambray shirt, boots, and straw cowboy hat marked him as a backwoods hick. What else could he think when he was surrounded by such vintage Vegas glamour?
One of his two brothers, Tucker, seemed to be just as out of sorts in his leather jacket that covered up all his webbed tattoos. “Damn, Buzz. Liz wasn’t kidding when she said she was going for fancy with her new place.”
“When she invited us to check this out, she didn’t say to leave the denim at home.” Colin shrugged, putting on the same good ol’ boy smile that made everyone around him believe he couldn’t give two shits and a pot roast about anything. “But she did mention that the booze was on the house tonight.”
“Did she have any idea that you’re capable of drinking her out of business?” Tucker asked. “Wait—check that. Everyone knows.”
Colin ribbed his brother, even if the comment nicked him a little. But he wasn’t in the habit of letting anyone see that he cared. He was “Buzz” Burton, good-time guy, keeper of his brothers, runner of the Bar DB Ranch, a lighthearted cowboy forever.
He had no business in a spot like the Ruby Room, even if he’d been invited.
As he and Tucker lingered in the doorway, Colin waited for his younger brother to be the first to take a step into the swanky establishment that’d been the dream project of one of their friends from the Rough &Tumble. Liz Hughes had always wanted to open up a nice chop house that had a Rat Pack feel to it—one with leopard-print upholstery on the lounging couches, starlet art on the red walls, ferns planted about, and the best steaks and wine in town. But Colin was a beer man and always would be. He only hoped they had some of that on tap.
Tucker had his hands shoved under his arms as he warily scanned the crystal-and-ruby chandelier that dominated the lounge. Liz had told everyone that it was the centerpiece of the Ruby Room—a hint of elegance in a city that seemed to have forgotten what the word even meant. Hell, Colin had never been sure of the definition himself, seeing as he preferred the gas lanterns outside the R&T Saloon to…this.
“Well,” Tucker said.
<
br /> “Well what?” Colin just about dared his brother to move on.
Then someone from behind him nudged him forward.
Colin turned around, ready to pop whoever it was in the jaw, but it was only Jonsey, their youngest brother.
He’d tipped back his own cowboy hat, exposing a hank of the blond hair that was the complete opposite shade of Colin’s and Tucker’s. But he had the same blue eyes they did.
“I’ve never seen two yellower chickens,” Jon said. “It’s as if you’re in grade school at your first dance and you don’t have the guts to cross the room to where the action is.”
He didn’t dwell on the chandelier or the oil paintings or the polished wood floor that Colin was afraid his boots might scuff up. Nope, Jon only sent a devilish grin toward a raised seating area near the bar where a bunch of women were lounging. They sure caught the eye, being so different from the other patrons who were standing near the entrance to the dining room—business contacts who’d been invited here by Liz to what she called a “soft opening” tonight.
Colin smiled at the women, tipping his hat, recognizing Liz with her bobbed red hair. She was surrounded by familiar friends who also frequented the Rough & Tumble—ex Vegas showgirls just like Liz herself. But there was one woman Colin didn’t find familiar…
He took in her straight mink-brown hair that fluttered to her shoulders in soft layers, her long and dark lashes that he could see even from over here, her high cheekbones that emphasized delicate features…
The muscles in Colin’s gut flexed, sending a pump of blood to his groin. A lady, he thought. She was nothing like the Rough & Tumble women who usually crossed his path, so to speak.
Liz waved at his brothers and him with the same great enthusiasm as always, and when the mystery brunette glanced over, too, Colin could see that she was drinking dark pink wine; she was handling the glass loosely, as relaxed as he always felt after several rounds of brew, as if she might’ve already consumed her fill.
And, what do you know—there was also a small birthday cake in front of her, its candles flickering.
Someone was sure celebrating, and Colin wouldn’t mind finding out how old she was and how festive she might want to get within the next several hours. But this wasn’t the R&T Saloon. This wasn’t the kind of place where a beer guy ended up with a wine woman.
“Come on, Buzz,” Jon said, pulling at Colin’s sleeve. “That table ain’t gonna come to us.”
As the women laughed amongst themselves, the brunette turned away to join them. Then, after closing her eyes, she blew out the candles. They all applauded, and it was as if they had never acknowledged the rough guys by the door in the first place.
Colin hitched his thumbs into his belt loops. “That zone is too high maintenance. I say we avail ourselves of what the bar has to offer then scoot back to our own stomping grounds after wishing Liz good luck with this place.”
Tucker seemed to agree, because he was already facing in the direction of the low-lit bar, where the shelves had a suggestive glow to them, coloring the bottles like gems. “Buzz is right. We’ll say hey to Liz afterward.”
Jon muttered, “Says the lovelorn road warrior who doesn’t want anything to do with a table of women tonight, anyway.”
But when Tucker and Colin headed over to the bar, Jonsey indeed came with them.
Colin subtly held his youngest brother by the scruff of the neck so he wouldn’t say anything else to remind Tucker of his so-called love life. Tuck didn’t talk much about women, but whenever he hit the highway on his bike, they knew there was something eating at him—and that something was usually a female. A girl could keep Tucker away from home for months at a time, and he’d only recently reappeared, rebounding from another crash-and-burn relationship, seemingly healed.
But Jonsey was just rascally enough to get Tucker riled up again with a well placed smart-ass comment. Unfortunately, Colin considered himself Jon’s keeper—as in keep-him-out-of-jail. Besides having a rebellious streak, the young shit also had a misguided gallant side when it came to defending women in the R&T, and he often found himself in the company of the law or sporting a black eye because of it.
Gradually, he’d become the bane of Colin’s big-brother existence.
As they walked across the floor, the jazzy Dean Martin music barely covered the thud of their boots. Tucker ordered a shot of tequila. Jon and Colin went with beer, although the Ruby Room evidently didn’t stock the simple kind. It was all craft-made, but when Colin tossed some of the brew back, it was enough to guarantee satisfaction. Besides, they served the beer in old-school mugs, allowing Colin to grip the handle of his drink as he snuck another look at the brunette up at Liz’s table.
When he found her checking him out in turn, his cock gave a carnal jerk, and suddenly his zipper got real tight.
Was she being kind of shy as she glanced away?
Next to her, one of the ex showgirls who now worked at the Ruby Room poked at the brunette. Colin crossed his arms over his chest.
Anita. He’d never met anyone who loved to stir the shit more than she did, although he had to admit that her meddling sometimes worked. She’d been Liz’s confidant while Liz and Ben Hughes had been doing the dance of will-they-or-won’t-they, and it looked as if Anita was back to her old habits now, whispering to the brunette as if Anita were piquing her interest about something.
The next thing Colin knew, the brunette was inching her way out of the booth, standing up. She wobbled slightly on her red-and-white polka dot pumps, which tied in a cute little bow at the back. They were sexy as hell, matching a red belt that wrapped around the waist of a clingy yet sophisticated slim white dress that rode high enough to show off how smooth her thighs were. And those legs…
Boy. She was gorgeously tall and slender, but with some athletic muscle to her, a sleek filly.
As she took her time coming down the stairs, trailing one hand along the brass railing for balance, Anita shot Colin a glance that he supposed had a message to it. What it was, he couldn’t say, because he was busy minding the brunette as she headed for him.
Tucker and Jonsey were gone before Colin could tell them to scat, and he grinned at the beautiful woman. The closer she got, the better he could see those heavily lashed eyes and the color of them—a deep brown like a dark ale.
She got close enough for him to smell something delicious on her skin—fruity, citrusy, berry…maybe one or all of those qualities. All he knew was that, if he kissed her, he could probably get drunk off her.
She came to lean against the railing, offering him a smile. Then she hid it by lifting her glass of wine to take a delicate sip.
Had she come over to talk to him? Strange, because he would’ve thought a girl who looked like she did might be less shy about it.
“Happy birthday,” he said, lifting his beer to her. “Couldn’t help but notice your cake up at your table.”
She’d tucked a hand under one arm, propping it up, keeping her glass raised. The blush of the wine matched faint pink patches on her cheeks. In fact, the color brought out a glow on her tanned skin. “Thanks,” she said. “I didn’t want the girls to be so obvious about celebrating because there were too many candles for my comfort.”
She had the happy slur of someone who had definitely been celebrating.
He shrugged. “There weren’t so many candles.”
“Enough to burn this building down.”
“I think that, instead of trying to convince you that you’re wrong, it’d just be safer to ask what you’ve got in that glass.”
Her gaze lit up, as if she enjoyed talking about her beverages. “It’s a rosé—one of many on the wine list, since Liz wants rosés to be the signature of the Ruby Room. Actually, what I have here is an Italian Aglianico—a rosato. It has notes of orange zest and cherry and…” She laughed. “Oh, wow. It’s not as if you asked me to give you a lecture about wine.” She drank more, as if to stop herself from talking overly much.
To eas
e her, Colin held up his beer, showing her what his preference was. “I usually get my drinks at a saloon near my place in Rough and Tumble. Wine isn’t really my thing.”
“Rough and Tumble,” she said, her gaze lighting up again. “Liz said she was going to take me to a bar there. A little hole in the wall with good music on the weekends. But she said we have to leave the saloon before dark.”
“Yeah, after the sun goes down, the bad come out to play.” Bikers, rough men, tough men… They all congregated at the R&T after the tourists went home for the day in the former silver mining boomtown that was now nothing more than a stretch of cracked road amongst a few houses, tumbleweeds, and a pioneer cemetery. He gestured toward her wine. “You might want to lower your standards if you’ll be visiting.”
“I like to try new things.” She straightened away from the railing, as if she had some kind of sudden purpose. “You know, whatever they have to offer is fine by me. I didn’t become a wine consultant by being close minded.”
“A wine consultant?” Well, la-de-dah. But her enthusiasm amused him. It wasn’t often that a woman like her—a Ruby Room kind of girl—was earthy enough to mingle with the likes of him. “That must be some kind of job.”
“Oh, it is.” She paused as if turning something over in her mind.
Colin had the odd feeling that this particular something was about to twist around and become extra interesting.
When she took an unsteady step away from the railing and lowered her voice, he knew he was right.
“I heard that you have some kind of job, as well,” she whispered above the music.
He cocked an eyebrow, having no worldly idea what she was talking about. Being a rancher wasn’t all that noteworthy or exotic.
Before he could tell her that he only ran a cutting horse operation near Rough & Tumble, she bit her lip, then laughed a little nervously before girding herself and coming out with it.