Romancing the Wine: A Boxed Set of 9 Newest Novellas from Award-Winning Authors

by Jan Moran

  San Francisco

  Alessia was on her way to gorgeous Majorca.

  So why wasn’t she more excited? She tried to psych herself up for the trip as she waited to check in at the airline counter. It wasn’t the first international wine conference she’d been to, but it was certainly set in the most exotic locale. She’d packed her favorite swimsuit, along with several new wines they’d been developing to present at the conference.

  It was too bad she looked a complete mess.

  Between keeping up a sunny face for her father and everyone at the vineyard and shedding tears over Bruno’s letter every time she read it, the past few weeks had caught up with her. She hadn’t known Bruno very well, but she knew enough about him to know that his words came from the heart, that he’d only ever wanted the best for Luca, despite what his son might think of him.

  It pained her heart that the two men would never be able to meet to reconcile their differences. But that, she supposed, was none of her affair. What was her affair was getting ahold of herself so she could do her job and do the winery proud on this trip. She’d do a bit of shopping and socializing, lie on the beach, and most of all, try to clear her mind of the man who plagued it.

  She’d never been the type of woman to have flings, but maybe she needed one. It might help her think straighter. It seemed that ever since Luca left, she saw him everywhere. Sometimes, she even heard his voice in her sleep.

  “Alessia!”

  But she wasn’t sleeping now.

  Closing her eyes, Alessia took a deep breath. She really needed to take this trip and use it as an opportunity to regain her focus. If she was hearing Luca’s voice in the middle of the day now, she had it even worse than she’d thought.

  “Alessia!”

  The second time her name was called, several people turned to glance behind her, and Alessia knew she wasn’t the only one who’d heard Luca’s low, growling baritone. Her heart in her throat, she turned to see the man who haunted her dreams striding towards her in the flesh, her own father just steps behind him.

  Alessia’s breath caught as she took in Luca’s lean body wrapped in a black suit that accentuated the sharp lines of his glorious body. She had to be dreaming. Luca was in New York somewhere, three thousand miles away.

  How on earth could he be here?

  “Alessia.” He came to a halt not three feet from her.

  She had to resist the urge to pinch herself.

  He was here.

  Why? She had no idea, but he’d come back.

  “Alessia, don’t go.” Luca’s eyes locked with hers for a moment before he reached out to take her hand in his.

  The warmth jolted her, as it always had, and she had to fight the urge to simply melt into his arms.

  “Luca…” She had to force the words from her throat. “What are you doing here? I have a work trip…my plane leaves soon.”

  “Then I’ll come with you.”

  Alessia’s eyes widened. What on earth was he talking about? Her eyes rose to meet her father’s, where the older man stood a few feet behind Luca, but Antonio Costa only smiled.

  “Alessia.” Her attention jerked back to Luca as he began to speak in a tone so earnest that her heart twisted in response to his entreaty. “I came looking for you at the vineyard, but your father told me you’d already left for the airport, and I had to catch you. I want you to know that I made a mistake.” Before she could even inquire as to the exact nature of that mistake, Luca barreled on. “My shares. I want them back.”

  He had to be joking. After all they’d been through!

  “Not to sell them, Alessia. Because I want to be a part of what’s here. Costa and Ferrari. My father was right—this place is love. But not because of the staff or some mystical aura that people encounter. It’s because you’re here.”

  He sank down on one knee before her, and Alessia felt her heart stop. “It’s because I love you, Alessia. And if this ring isn’t enough to make you mine, I’ll fight you for those damn shares just to have you in my life.”

  A beautifully cut, square diamond on a platinum band gleamed up at her from the black velvet box he held, and Alessia’s breath caught.

  This had to be a dream.

  It had to be.

  It was insane. They’d only known one another a month, and yet she knew she’d rather die than let Luca leave her again. Every morning when she woke up, she’d felt his absence so acutely, it had been an almost physical pain.

  “Will you marry me, Alessia Costa?”

  Alessia had done enough thinking in the past few weeks to last her a lifetime. When she answered, it was with pure gut instinct. “Yes.” The word left her in barely a whisper. “Yes, I will.”

  The crowd gathered around them broke into applause as Luca rose to his feet to pull her into his arms.

  His scent and strength enveloped her, and Alessia knew she’d found the one thing that meant more to her than the winery ever could. And he just happened to want to share it with her, which was more than she could ever have hoped for.

  Chapter 22

  It had all worked out in the end.

  With a smile, Antonio clutched Bruno’s letter in his fist, chuckling softly as he watched his future son-in-law kiss his bride-to-be.

  He wished he could thank his old friend Bruno for his posthumous wiles. They were more alike than Antonio would ever have thought, even when one of them had passed on.

  In the end, all either of them had wanted was their children’s happiness.

  How convenient that they had found it in each other’s arms.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Deborah Brown is an Amazon bestselling author of the Paradise series. She lives in South Florida, with her ungrateful animals, where Mother Nature takes out her bad attitude in the form of hurricanes.

  Sign up for my newsletter on my website and get the latest on new books releases. Contest and special promotion information. And special offers that are only available to subscribers.

  Visit her website at www.deborahbrownbooks.com/

  You can contact her at Wildcurls@hotmail.com

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  The Perfect Pairing

  Susan Ann Wall

  Copyright © 2016 by:

  Susan Ann Wall

  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.

  This book was built at IndieWrites.com. Visit us on Facebook.

  160805.212411

  Excerpt

  She thought she landed the perfect job,

  but what her sexy new boss offers is the perfect pairing.

  Courtney Daniels thought she landed the perfect job, but instead of being the marketing specialist at a local winery, she’s hired by the cocky and cute owner as the front desk receptionist. Courtney’s determined to make an impression on Aiden Black and slide into the marketing role, but her attraction to her new boss sends her down a slippery slope. When Aiden kisses her, and kisses her again, and insists he take Courtney on a date, she breaks all the rules she’s lived by since her teenage years, knowing it is going to burn her in the end. With Aiden’s promise that he won’t fire her when their relationship goes south, Courtney’s attraction grows into something she isn’t ready for but can’t live without, just like the foster dog who keeps humping Aiden’s leg.

  After his father’s death, Aiden returns home to rescue his family’s winery from financial disaster. He needs to run things his way, and on his own to prove to his mother he is capable of keeping the winery afloat. His attraction to Courtney complicates matters, especially when her ideas and marketing savvy set the winery on a path to
success. Aiden finds putting his ego aside to do what’s best for his business, and his heart, is a bigger challenge than getting the winery in the black, but he’ll do anything to prove to Courtney they are the perfect pairing.

  Chapter 1

  Courtney Daniels jumped out of the way as a ragged old truck in worse condition than her Beetle tore across the gravel parking lot. Stumbling onto the hood of her car, she hollered a few colorful expletives that would have made her father proud.

  “Dammit,” she muttered after the dust settled. She’d spent way too much money on this dress and shoes, but both boasted successful business woman and right now, that’s what she needed.

  Too bad she was now covered in parking lot dust.

  The fake fingernail she’d repaired on the way dangled, mocking her attempt to look professional. She flung the finger out toward the truck that had nearly run her over. “Thanks a lot, jack-ass!”

  Reeling the finger in, she reminded herself there were worse things than breaking a nail. The man interviewing her probably didn’t care how much she spent on this stupid manicure. He was interested in her skills, not her looks. Marketing specialists didn’t need perfect nails and neither did Courtney.

  She checked her watch, grateful she’d arrived early enough to freshen up before meeting with her new boss — potential new boss, anyway. She needed this job more than she needed her next breath.

  Clutching her tablet in one hand, she stepped off only to fall flat on her face, another string of expletives launching into the warm, late summer breeze. Courtney peered over her should to find one of the heels dangling off the bottom of the shoe. “Please don’t let this be a bad omen.”

  She could list at least six reasons why she didn’t wear high heels. Walking barefoot on burning coals would be easier than tromping around in these three-inch heels. Now, with one of them broken, she’d be walking with a very distinct limp. Maybe her potential new boss liked women with a limp and a potty mouth. She’d be a shoe-in if he also liked dust covered power dresses and scraped knees.

  She kicked out of the other heel and reach into the back seat of the convertible to grab the nail repair kit she’d bought not thirty minutes ago. The glue in the kit might just be what she needed to hold her shoe together. Courtney also grabbed the roll of black duct tape, just in case. If it could keep her 1972 Beetle from falling apart, maybe it’d keep the shoe together for this interview.

  “I better get this job,” she prayed while every shard of gravel cut into her foot like broken glass. The Black Vines Winery perched atop a hill, the gravel parking lot giving way to wide granite steps that elevated the building like a palace. “Guess I’ll be getting my steps in today.” Painful as that might be.

  Growing up practically a hobbit, Courtney neither wanted nor needed shoes, but because being a grown-up bit in so many ways, her feet had gotten used to being covered. “I do not miss my combat boots,” she muttered. “I do not.”

  After what felt like a ten-mile ruck march, she reached the flat stone walkway. The cool slate soothed her tortured feet. She stopped at the bottom of the granite steps to take in the beauty. Courtney had done her research, knew these steps had been procured from the old wooden schoolhouse when it was torn down twelve years ago. They rose like the steps of Olympus, creating a path to glory and the achievement of dreams.

  Her feet enjoyed the cold granite even more than the slate as she made the climb. Between the trek across the parking lot and the climb up the steps, she should be able to lose ten pounds in no time working here. So long as the jack ass in the black truck didn’t kill her.

  Of course, she needed to get hired first. “Don’t get cocky,” she preached. Her resume didn’t suck, but it wasn’t all that impressive either. Courtney clung to a desperate hope that her time in the air force mattered and that maybe the hours volunteering at the animal rescue and the time she’d put in working the social media aspect of her brother’s business were enough to impress Mr. Black. The fact she was twelve credits from a bachelor’s degree in marketing couldn’t hurt either.

  And hey, this was her second interview at the winery, so obviously she’d made an impression the first time around.

  The air conditioning was a slap in the face when Courtney pulled the door open. She hoped to make it to the bathroom without anyone noticing her bare feet. She scanned the large reception area, but not a soul appeared to be around. Odd, this was an upscale winery which served lunch Thursday to Sunday. Since it was approaching eleven in the morning, the place should be buzzing.

  The restrooms were beyond the reception desk. As Courtney padded across the black granite floor, the phone behind the desk started ringing. Not a body stirred. No one came out of the bathroom, nor did anyone rush out of the restaurant. She should ignore it, keep walking straight to the bathroom and get herself cleaned up for the interview, but a ringing phone was like fingernails on a chalkboard. Courtney couldn’t tolerate it, not for one more ring. She did an abrupt right face and marched around the desk, answering the phone like she already worked there.

  “Good Morning, Black Vines Winery, how may I help you today?”

  “Where’s Aiden?” the woman demanded.

  Courtney’s interview was with one Aiden Black, who just a few months ago had inherited the winery, according to the research she’d done.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Black isn’t available at the moment. Would you like to leave a message?”

  “Ugh,” the woman groaned. “Just tell him I got a contract and it’s big money. If he wants my help, he should answer his phone. I can tell when he ignores my calls.”

  Courtney was about to ask exactly who was calling when silence greeted her. She made note of the message on a yellow sticky note.

  “What the hell are you doing back there?” a deep voice echoed in the empty foyer. Courtney looked up to find a man with broad shoulders and an angry scowl looming over the reception desk, his dark eyes burning right through her soul.

  What was she doing there? Courtney tried to remember, but the way he looked at her, angry yes, but something else too, it made her all fluttery.

  “I asked what you’re doing behind the desk,” he said again, his voice even more demanding.

  “I, you, I’m…” She paused and sucked in a deep breath, focusing on his neck instead of those penetrating eyes. Then he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing beneath the line where his beard ended and Courtney lost the train of thought she hadn’t quite grasped again.

  Shaking it off, she focused on his forehead, a technique she learned in a public speaking class. Instead of reaching across the reception desk and smoothing the crease, she licked her lips and focused on answering the question. “The phone, it kept ringing, and, well, no one was here to answer it, so I—” she extended her hand, the yellow sticky note gripped between her fingers. “This message is for you, I think, if you’re Mr. Black, that is. If not, I guess you know who Mr. Black is.” Shut up, Courtney. “She didn’t leave a name.”

  The man dropped his chin, relenting just enough for Courtney to take a breath. She’d always thought her brother had the most intimidating scowl on the planet, but this man, wow, he made Brent look like a bear cub.

  As the man read the note, Courtney eased out from behind the desk, hoping to hit the bathroom to clean up and wrestle with her bearings before she met Mr. Black. First impressions were so important and she prayed this man was just an employee and not the owner.

  “Hold it,” he commanded with more authority than any of the commanding officers she’d served under during four years in the air force. “What are you doing here? We’re closed.”

  Courtney stood at attention as if commanded, her shoulders back and her chin up, doing an about face and breathing through her nose so she could speak like a professional instead of the idiot who’d stammered her way through the previous response. “I’m here for a job interview. I’m Courtney Daniels.”

  “Job interview? With who?” he asked.

  “With
Mr. Black, sir, at eleven.”

  He shook his head. “With me?”

  Great. Way to make a first impression, Court. Kiss this job good-bye.

  His brow creased even further. “Son of a bitch. Who called you?”

  “Amber,” Courtney said, mentally checking her posture and forcing herself to breathe. “She interviewed me a couple weeks ago. She called Monday and said you requested a second interview.”

  “I’m gonna kill her,” he muttered.

  Courtney remained at attention, her bare feet rooted to the granite floor. The cold had started to seep into her body, sending a chill across her skin and up her spine.

  Or, maybe that was the man. He was fierce, but she still fought the urge to touch him, to soothe the tension and…

  No, no awry thoughts about the man who could be her boss. That kind of thinking led to bad decisions that would ultimately get her into trouble.

  “Looks like you’ve been rolling in the dirt,” he said, his gaze going down and back up, raising every hair on Courtney’s body. “Is that how you always dress for an interview?”

  “No, sir,” she responded, her temper flaring as she remembered the incident in the parking lot. “I was almost rundown in the parking lot by some jack-ass in an old Ford. I got the license plate if you want to speak with whatever employee was driving like a maniac.”

  The bark of laughter echoed but Courtney didn’t see the humor. Maybe she shouldn’t have said jack ass, but sometimes her tongue had a mind of its own. It had gotten her into trouble more than once and not just while in the air force. The back of her father’s hand liked to smack the smart ass right out of her when he’d had too much to drink, which was always.

  “I was just on my way to the restroom to clean up before the interview.”