by Jan Moran
Finishing his latte, Luca stood, preparing himself for the long drive to the vineyard. He would be in California for one month, and he was sure it would be the longest he’d ever endured.
Chapter 3
Luca had to admit there was a definite charm to the California countryside. Wide, grassy fields, canyons, and neat little suburbs. He had lived in the city for so long that he’d forgotten what it was like to see greenery everywhere. As San Francisco gradually transformed into green, hilly wine country, he found himself smiling as he took in his surroundings.
The vineyard was easy enough to find. After driving down a major interstate for over an hour, he took an exit onto a smaller road that led him right to the winery’s main gate.
At first sight, the property seemed immense. He knew that it was over a thousand acres, in which a winery, hotel, production cellar, and vineyards were housed, but he hadn’t imagined it would look anything like this.
Hills dotted with grapevines shone beneath the sun’s warmth, seeming to spread out in all directions indefinitely from the extensive, charming, brick manor with lush gardens that rested in the center of the property. Behind it was a huge stone building that he presumed was where they fermented the grapes. There were other, smaller buildings dotting the estate, and more than a few people strolling freely through the vineyard at their leisure, while others appeared to be on guided tours.
Emblazoned on the front gates was the logo he’d come to know from his trips to liquor stores in the city. Costa and Ferrari had become a respected brand and while he didn’t know his father, he could certainly respect the hard work that had gone into that achievement.
Even if it had cost him his marriage.
Slowly, Luca drove onto the property, taking in the lemon trees and grape vines. Birds flitted through the foliage, and the beauty that was true California wine country struck him more powerfully than he’d ever imagined it could.
He pulled into the hotel’s small parking lot and gazed at the quaint building before him. The establishment wasn’t overly large: a hundred rooms, more or less, in an intimate setting. From where he sat behind the wheel, he could see a wrap-around veranda with comfortable seating and through the massive open front doors into an elegantly appointed foyer.
He was sorely tempted to go inside, though he’d promised himself that he only wanted a quick look. He wanted to have the upper hand when he and Antonio began to talk business, and taking a look at the winery was the first step. It was a property that easily impressed. He could only imagine what their grape yield must be to make them able to produce such popular wines upon demand.
After a moment’s hesitation, he slid from the car. What could it hurt to have a drink? He’d never met anyone in the Costa family, so no one would know him on sight. He could check out the quality of service in the hotel and further contemplate whether he was willing to fight for what his father had left him, or would leave his memory behind for good.
Chapter 4
The interior of the hotel was beautifully decorated, with high vaulted ceilings and charming stone and woodwork. A kindly woman at the front desk directed him to one of two restaurants in the building, where he took a seat at the expansive, polished bar and ordered a glass of the Chardonnay with an appetizer plate to accompany it.
While he waited, gazing around the large dining room, he struggled and failed to recapture the disdain he’d felt for the place before he arrived. At first glance, what was there to dislike? It seemed a veritable wine lover’s paradise. Hundreds of acres of growing grapes, a bottling plant, this charming boutique hotel with its polite and knowledgeable staff.
But this place had yet to answer any of his questions. Why had his father brought him here? And more importantly, why had he given into the temptation and satisfied the whim of a man he hardly knew?
When his wine came, he stared down into his glass for a moment, taking in the pale gold liquid within. The color was perfect, the brew aromatic, and still he hesitated. Tasting the wine his father had formulated would mean giving in to something he’d avoided his entire life. Once he had, there was no going back.
“The eight-year Chardonnay’s a great choice. Fruity notes, violet aroma, not too sweet. Definitely one of my favorites.”
He glanced toward the sweet female voice and froze at the sight that greeted him. He’d expected some mousy, spectacled wine aficionado. But what he saw was something else entirely. The woman who stood at his side was petite— no more than two or three inches over five feet—with skin tanned from the California sun and entrancing, cat-like aquamarine eyes. Gleaming dark brown hair woven with strands of copper that was pulled into a knot at the base of her neck and a body that was slender and feminine beneath a modest, sleeveless black-and-white sheath dress made his mouth dry.
For a moment, he had to struggle to get his mouth to reconnect with his brain. “I… I’ve always been partial to a good Chardonnay.” The line came out smoother than anticipated, and he was thankful for his quick recovery. The woman flashed him a smile that made his gut clench and his head swim.
“Well, you’ll certainly love Costa and Ferrari then. Have you just checked into the hotel, sir?”
“I’m really just here for a quick drink,” he replied with total honesty, any attempt at lying beyond him at that particular moment. It was taking him far longer to regain his concentration in this woman’s presence than he would have liked.
“Well, that’s certainly all right.” Her tone was soft and warm, not overly familiar, as he imagined some in this business might be. “I see you’ve ordered the appetizer plate as well. An excellent complement to the Chardonnay. I might suggest the prosciutto and camembert first.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I caught your name.” Even though he was certainly willing to. That and anything else she might see fit to toss in his direction.
Her lips curved into another smile that went directly to his repressed sexual desires. He could see now that it had been a mistake to neglect his carnal needs as he pushed his business towards success. Early mornings and late nights led to very little free time to seek out single, eligible women. There’d been one-night stands, especially as he’d started to make money, but Luca had always put his business before his personal life.
This woman knew nothing about him or his business. And she was a wine aficionado. This could definitely be interesting.
“Oh, forgive me. I didn’t mean to intrude.” She held out a slender hand with expertly manicured fingernails. “I’m Alessia, the winery manager.”
“Well, I must say, Alessia, it’s my pleasure.” His hand closed around hers and the effect was electric, sizzling down his spine to make his thighs tense as he imagined how she would look as he slowly peeled that severe dress from her lovely body. “Won’t you sit and have a glass with me?” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d shared anything with a woman. Then again, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so struck by the sheer warmth of a woman. “I’m Luca.”
“Well, I suppose it couldn’t hurt.” She slid into the chair beside him and gestured to the bartender to bring her another glass of the Chardonnay. “I suppose, since you’re inviting me, I have to treat.”
He protested, “No, I couldn’t possibly allow that. It’s already paid for.” It wasn’t, but he’d be damned if he let the most attractive woman he’d encountered in a long time treat him to anything. He might as well ease the awkwardness of this trip by enjoying himself at least a bit, and the company of a beauty like Alessia was a good place to start.
The bartender presented Alessia with her glass and a small wink that drew a blush from her. Luca found it somewhat endearing that he apparently had the bartender’s go-ahead.
Raising her glass in the air, the stormy-eyed woman gazed up at him. “What shall we drink to?”
“How about to chance meetings and intriguing company?”
At his words, Alessia’s gaze dropped from his, her cheeks flushing again; the color was
so becoming that it rivaled the setting sun beyond the immense windows lining the dining room. “All right then.”
Their glasses clinked together, and Luca swore that by the end of the evening, he would have Alessia interested in him. It would keep him from dwelling on his reason for coming here. He would enjoy his wine and her company and perhaps, just perhaps, gain some insight into the business his father had handed to him.
If not the actual man himself.
So intent was he on enjoying Alessia’s company that his concern that tasting his father’s wine would somehow make-up for the unanswered questions melted away. When the first sip passed his lips, he sighed in pleasure. It was dark, fruity and smooth, with just a hint of dryness at the end. Almost certainly, it rivaled some of the French Chardonnays he’d tasted in New York. “This is amazing.” His comment drew a soft laugh from the woman at his side as she sipped from her own glass.
“Naturally. We pride ourselves on our grapes and our techniques. Costa and Ferrari is the very best.”
His father and Antonio might have told her to parrot such lines to every customer she encountered, but Luca sensed that Alessia sincerely felt very strongly about the winery’s product. She didn’t appear to have any of the detachment he assumed would come naturally to one in her position. Quite the contrary, in fact. When she spoke of the winery’s products, her aquamarine eyes shone with enthusiasm.
“I assume, then, that you’re an avid believer in the brand.”
At his skeptical tone, Alessia raised an eyebrow. She reached over to steal a piece of camembert, spreading it on a cracker before popping it into her mouth. After taking a sip of wine and letting the flavors mingle for a moment, she fixed him with a very serious expression and answered, “It’s not just selling a brand. It’s perpetuating an idea. Costa and Ferrari is about more than just money. We strive to create an experience here that is second to none. It’s about good people, good food, and good wine.”
For a moment, the enthusiasm in her gaze held him captive. Even if his jacket had caught fire, he couldn’t have forced himself to look away at that moment.
She made the company sound like some model of service, striving simultaneously for perfection and relatability. It was not something Luca had ever contemplated, nor something he thought was likely to have been his father’s idea. Bruno Ferrari had been about profit and only profit. It was Luca’s understanding that when Bruno had gotten into the wine business, he’d known relatively little about it. Only that vineyards in California were cheap at the time and he stood to make money off the deal.
Somehow, Luca couldn’t see his father ever actually enjoying his own product. It would have been the mountains of cash the label brought him that excited Bruno.
But Alessia spoke of the company as if she had a personal stake in it, and far be it from him to insult her. That wasn’t how he’d pictured enjoying her company. Instead of spilling random complaints about his father, Luca chose instead to focus on Alessia.
“The business owners are lucky to have someone as devoted as you singing their praises.” The camembert was decadent, so sweet and creamy that he immediately reached for another piece as the flavor melded delicately with the Chardonnay on his tongue.
“A business is only ever as good as the people that comprise it.” She smiled as she swirled the contents of her glass around. “And you’ll find that I’m not the only one who supports our ideals. Everyone on the staff loves Costa and Ferrari as much as I do.”
“Well, I’m certain that the opportunity to see you every day doesn’t dampen their outlook.”
Alessia paused with a cracker halfway to her mouth, her gaze finding his as she set her wine glass down on the bar and took a deep breath. “I think you’ll find, sir, that I’m a horrible partner when it comes to flirting.”
He saw the tension in her hands and the stiffness of her spine; he’d made her nervous. Coupled with her hesitant expression and the way she tugged her lower lip unconsciously between her teeth, the realization was enough to make him groan inwardly.
“I don’t find time to practice much,” she said, almost apologetically.
He had to salvage this. The last thing he wanted was to drive her away. The prospect of being along with his thoughts was a bit much to handle at this juncture. Not only had he tasted his father’s wine, but he’d liked it. On the whole, he couldn’t find a single complaint about the entire establishment, something he found quite disturbing.
“My apologies, Alessia. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. It’s just that it’s been a while since I’ve met a woman I can discuss my interests with. And wine happens to interest me very much.” There. He’d said it aloud, and on the premises of his late father’s winery. And the sun hadn’t fallen from the heavens to incinerate him in a fiery ball of damnation.
At the softening of his tone, Alessia’s wary expression faded somewhat. She picked up her glass once more and took another sip before favoring him with a small, indulgent smile. “Well, that makes two of us.”
And with that, the playing field was evened, the last shreds of awkwardness banished. The two of them fell into conversation about wine and its history, and the services provided to the guests by the hotel. Luca, for his part, was transfixed in equal measure by Alessia’s enthusiasm for her work and her sweetness.
He found himself struggling to concentrate on her description of the various wines the vineyard produced, preoccupied by the heart shape of her mouth and the sparkle of her eyes. How on earth, he wondered, was she not wearing a ring on her slender finger? A woman this cultured, this quietly charming, was one any man would want.
He himself generally had little time for women, but here he was, enraptured by her very presence. It would almost be worth his investment in Costa and Ferrari merely to enjoy her company. While it would mean he’d have to deal with his father’s legacy, there would also be Alessia to take his mind off things, and the prospect intrigued him.
So much so that he was completely reconsidering his earlier idea of selling. Though he’d only been speaking to Alessia for an hour, the enthusiasm she felt for her job was almost infectious, as was the woman herself.
Luca could see himself taking frequent trips to the west coast if he could just find his way past her shy exterior. She seemed like a woman too nervous to invest easily in a man, sexually or otherwise. And while he certainly wasn’t looking for any kind of commitment, he would be more than happy to show her that the right man could change her perspective.
By the time they finished their bottle of Chardonnay, he decided that he might try to ease past her defenses once more. The wine had loosened both of them up, banishing the day’s tensions, and Luca’s concerns about his father seemed miles away. He had learned more than he thought he might about the vineyard’s operations, from the production rate of the processing plant to details of the fermentation time on certain labels.
Alessia was indeed as knowledgeable as she was stunning, and with his business questions answered, he now attempted to satisfy his more carnal hungers. “I can only imagine how much time you spend on the grounds, Alessia, to be as knowledgeable as you are.” He popped the last piece of camembert in his mouth, trying not to lose himself in her intense gaze.
“My life is here.” That slow grin was enough to drive a man wild, and if the jealous looks being shot his way in the dining room were any indication, it was doing its work all too well. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’d rather be here than anywhere else, which is why I never go out,” she added.
“Not even if I asked you to dinner? Just as friends.”
Alessia’s eyes widened in surprise as she stared up at him, her face flushed with color. Unlike earlier, she didn’t immediately break his gaze. Instead, the color seeped slowly into her features as her tongue darted out to nervously wet her lips. “I think that I have to respectfully decline. My work here keeps me busy, as I’m sure you can imagine.”
“Too busy for polite conversation? F
or a bit of evening indulgence?” At the sudden gleam in her eyes, he chuckled. “Surely you can’t want to work all the time?”
“Well…I…” Alessia seemed to be struggling for words. From the end of the bar, the elderly bartender who’d egged her on earlier was pretending not to listen intently as she fought her inner battle. Luca couldn’t help but be drawn to her; she had magnetism of a kind he thought he’d long forgotten. “I don’t know. I’m pretty busy this entire week.”
She was weakening for him. The businessman in him knew better than to press his advantage too harshly. He would be here for a month, and after he’d taken care of this business with the winery, he’d be delighted to spend his time seducing the tight-laced Alessia. He wondered what heights he could drive her to and what the lovely wine connoisseur would look like with her enchanting dark locks spread out over his pillow. “How about this? I'll give you my number and you can think on it for a while. Will you let me walk you to your car when we're finished here tonight?”
She contemplated him for a beat before glancing back at the bartender. He gave her a thumbs up that made the corner of Luca’ mouth quirk in amusement. When she looked back to him, her eyes gleamed with a confidence that had been absent all night, and he knew she was his. “All right.” The answer was exhaled on a low whisper that went directly to his groin. “There are a few things I have to get done in the office, but I’ll meet you here in half an hour or so.”
He nodded as a flood of emotion, equal parts elation and triumph, filled his chest.