by Jan Moran
"I can't believe you."
I jumped when CJ walked up behind me.
"What?" I straightened my dress.
"When did you meet him really?" He shook his head and refused to look at me.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
CJ leaned in close and sniffed. I pushed him away.
"Please tell me my sister doesn't fuck strangers in our winery," he whispered. "Please tell me you've met him before."
Oh, shit.
I swallowed and nodded. My head hurt and my heart beat out of my chest.
I looked over at Donovan, concern all over his face.
I grabbed my brother's arm and pulled him off to the side.
I bit my lip, stalling to come up with a plausible story. Something that didn't confirm what my brother was thinking. His sister had turned into a slut.
"Okay. Look." I looked up at him. "We've been dating for a while. I just didn't want to tell anyone because I didn't want you guys to make a big deal about it."
"You're dating him so he can buy the vineyard?" CJ asked and grimaced.
"No, it's not like that at all." My mind raced. "He found out about it a few weeks ago and surprised me at the conference. He had no idea the vineyard was in trouble. I didn't want him to think I was with him for his money."
"So he really wants to invest." CJ looked over at Donovan and my dad.
"Yeah, I think so." I smiled, and Donovan narrowed his eyes but smiled back.
"How serious are you and he?"
"I don't know. I mean, I like him." I was surprised to say it out loud, and I liked the way it sounded rolling off my tongue. "He's a good man." I meant that, too.
I glimpsed up at CJ. His face held a strange expression. The goal was to find an investor for the vineyard. Why did he look like he had been punched in the gut?
"Nothing's final. I told him he had no obligation, and he may change his mind."
"Yeah." CJ blinked. "No. It's good. I mean, I still want to sell, but it's up to Dad."
"Yeah, it's up to Dad."
CJ's jaw clenched, but he didn't say any more as he stared at the ground and walked away.
As we finished the tour of the orchard, we reconvened back in the main building.
"It was great meeting all of you. Thanks for the wine education," Donovan said.
"Of course, son. No problem at all. I hope we answered all your questions," Dad said to Calvin.
"Of course. I'll have our people look into some things and get back with you soon."
We all nodded and said our goodbyes.
I walked Donovan to his car. Calvin stood off to the side, talking on his phone.
"You heading back to San Francisco?" I asked.
He smiled down at me and pushed a piece of hair behind my ear. When he touched me, a chill shot through me.
"Unless I get a better offer," Donovan answered with a wink and a sexy grin.
"I could drive you back home later tonight." I looked off toward the vineyard. "Or, you know, tomorrow," I whispered. I knew how dumb and childish the coy smile on my face made me, but I couldn't help it. From the grin on his face, he liked it. That made me happy.
"Why don't we go grab a bite to eat?" Donovan asked as he pinched my chin.
"Okay." I took a few steps back. "Wait here. I'll go grab my stuff."
I walked through the back entrance to the office. I put my head down and grabbed my blazer and my bag. I avoided eye contact with CJ. Lori was on a call, and I heard her try to hang up. I didn't wait around for the interrogation; I had twelve hours to convince a certain football player not only to invest in my company but also to pretend to be my boyfriend at the same time.
It was only my family legacy at stake.
No pressure.
By the time I returned, Calvin had left. Donovan stood next to the fence near the main road.
He turned when he heard me walk up. He locked eyes with me, and I reminded myself to breathe. His gaze was powerful.
"What do you feel like eating?" I asked.
He grabbed my hand.
"Why don't we continue my wine education? Take me someplace that serves your wine."
He caressed my arm.
"Okay." I would agree to anything when he touched me.
We pulled into Matthew's Steak House a few minutes later. The restaurant had a tasting contest each year where any vineyard could submit their wine for consideration. If you won, they served your wine in the restaurant. He selected two to three labels per type of wine. Our riesling and cabernet were selected this year because of CJ. We updated our process, and the wine was better than ever.
"Welcome to Matthew's," Kim, the hostess greeted us. "Well, hello, Chai. I haven't seen you in here in a while. How are you, hun?" Kim gave me a hug and gave Donovan an approving nod.
"Hey Kim, this is Donovan." I pointed at him.
Donovan shook her hand, and she pulled him in for a hug. He went with it.
"It's a pleasure."
I grinned when he raised his eyebrows and looked at me.
"Here you go, hun." Kim showed us to a round booth near the back. If she recognized Donovan, she didn't let on. I wished I could say the same thing for the waitress, the busboys, and the other patrons.
Donovan was gracious to everyone. He shook hands and signed a couple of autographs.
"I'm sorry about that," he said.
"Not, it's fine." I sipped my water. "You handle it well."
"I'm used to it." He held up the menu. "What's good here?"
"Everything, but let's start off with the seafood to go with the riesling and steak goes great with the cab."
"Go for it. I trust you." Donovan winked.
My insides flipped like a propeller.
The waitress came back, and she beamed at Donovan until I spoke.
"Can we get the seafood sampler appetizer and we'll both have the eight-ounce filet?" I turned to Donovan. "Medium."
He nodded.
"Medium with mac and cheese and asparagus."
"And cheesy broccoli," Donovan added.
The waitress squealed.
I shook my head. She wasn't that excited when I ordered.
"And," I drew her attention away from Donovan, "Darielle Riesling to start and the Cabernet."
She nodded and headed off to place our order.
She brought the bottle of Riesling and a corkscrew and handed them both to me. She set two glasses on the table and bowed her head and scurried off.
"She doesn't open it for you?" Donovan asked.
"It's a weird tradition." I shook my head, embarrassed to explain these things, but it was part of what I loved about the winemaking community. "Back in the day, wine growers used to say that everything affects the taste of the wine, from the way the seeds are planted to the way the wine is opened and everything in between. So if a winemaker comes in and orders his own wine, he has to open it to get the best out of the wine."
"Is that true?" He grinned. "That everything affects the outcome."
"I guess to some it extent it does." I showed him the bottle. "But each effect isn't a negative or a positive. It just is."
He palmed it.
"What am I looking at?" Donovan asked as he read the label.
"The year and the type of wine for starters," I answered.
"As you can see"—I pointed at the bottle, and he gripped my hand and set it on his lap—"this shows where the wine was grown and when it was harvested. It's a special vintage we only sell locally."
"The stuff you ship out would be different."
I nodded, mesmerized by the curl of his lips as he continued to study the bottle.
"Okay, I'm always hearing about how you're supposed to let the wine breathe?" he asked and turned his face toward me. I licked my lips, and he did the same. The physical manifestation of our sexual chemistry hung thick in the area. The waitress interrupted and broke the spell.
"Can I get you anything else?" We both shook our heads.
&
nbsp; "Everything needs to breath to live," I said.
We both laughed. Donovan had a great laugh, it warmed my insides.
"Think of it like being cooped up for a long time. Once your free, you need a minute to acclimate yourself to the world." I bit my lip. "It's the same with wine."
I took the cork remover and guided it into the sides of the cork, made a half twist, and pulled it out with a pop.
"Nice," Donovan said and nodded.
"You have to learn this if you're going to be in the wine business." I raised my eyebrows. "Including how to properly uncork it."
"I just have the electronic one. Works perfect every time," Donovan said.
"What's wrong?" I leaned into him. "You afraid of a little effort?"
"I guess not when the payoff is worth it," Donovan answered and winked. "Damn, I feel like I'm in training camp my rookie year all over again."
I poured a tasting portion and handed it to Donovan.
"You're probably going to tell me I'm tasting it wrong, too." He picked up the glass.
"No, but your holding the glass wrong."
He looked at the glass and back at me.
I laughed.
"Just drink the wine, Donovan." I brought my glass to my lips and sipped the white wine. It hit my taste buds and it felt like home.
He sipped it. His eyes danced as he nodded.
"What else do I need to know?" He asked.
"I can't teach you everything in one night."
I wasn't until after dinner when we finished our second bottle that I worked up the nerve to ask him about his investment.
"So what do you think? You still want to be in the wine business. Am I talking too loud?" I asked.
He chuckled and shook his head.
"You're fine. I do. It's fun." He took another sip of the cabernet and held out his glass for more.
I shook my head.
"New bottle, new glass. It's a rule."
"How am I supposed to keep all these rules straight?" He shrugged but leaned in and kissed my cheek.
"I'll help you." I scooted close to him. "I can be your wine guru."
He scooted closer and pulled my thigh over his leg. His hand ran up and down the inside of my leg, and I forgot what I was about to say.
"What do you want in exchange for your ..." He licked his lips. He had beautiful lips. "Knowledge."
"I'll think of something," I whispered and captured his lips between mine. He cut the kiss short and looked around.
"You really don't like to get caught with your pants down." I laughed at my own joke, and he grinned at me.
"I don't want to ruin your reputation, Ms. Darielle." He sat back.
I pushed my hair off my shoulders, pulled my leg back, and sat back. Maybe the wine was getting to me, but I felt foolish. Why was I throwing myself at this man? It was for a good cause, but I didn't want to take advantage of him, either.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
I bit my lip and shook the thought out of my head.
"Hey," he said as he lifted my chin.
I opened my mouth but was interrupted when someone called my name.
"Chai, sweetie. Is that you?" Keri was my oldest friends from my school, but now my worst enemy since my brother dumped her three years ago.
She spoke to me but stared at Donovan.
"Hey, Keri." My eyes grew wide. "This is my boyfriend, Donovan. Shhh."
Why am I telling her to shh?
"Donovan Bryant," he said as he half stood and shook Keri's hand. She blushed from the contact. She flipped her blond hair to the side and slid into the booth. I scooted closer to Donovan, and he put his hand on my leg.
"Boyfriend." She scoffed. "I didn't know you were dating anyone. I didn't think you left the vineyard long enough to meet someone."
"It's new, but we are very much in love," Donovan said as he kissed my cheek. I blushed, and my cheek grew hot where his lips had landed.
"How are you?" I asked. "What have you been up to?"
"Oh, you know, same old thing. I'm doing events over at Bennington." Her eyes traveled over Donovan's chest.
"I know." I nodded and tried to concentrate as Donovan moved his hand farther up my thigh. Where was his concern for my reputation now?
"So I heard CJ found a buyer. That's so sad. Your family business sold off to the highest bidder." She threw me a fake pout, but I saw the pleasure in her eyes.
"Yeah, well. That was before." I patted Donovan's chest. "I’ve persuaded Donovan to invest in Darielle. He'd do anything for me."
Donovan stiffened, but the look on Keri's face was worth it. We hated each other. It was childish, but I loved to share news that made her jealous.
"Yeah, I guess it's nice to have a rich, famous boyfriend to bail you out, isn't it?" Her condescending tone caused the hair to stand up on the back of my neck.
"You wouldn't know, would you?" The grin on my face made my cheeks hurt.
"You did what you had to do." She winked and turned to Donovan. "It was nice meeting you. I guess we'll be seeing you in town more often."
She waved.
"Stupid bitch," I said under my breath.
Donovan winced and chewed on his lip as we watched her walk away.
Someone needed to tell me to shh.
***
My head pounded, and my tongue felt two sizes too big. I rolled over with a grunt. Last night was a blur. I was in a bed, a soft bed. I really hoped it was mine.
One eye opened and then the other.
I sighed in relief. I was in my own room, in my own bed.
But I was naked. I sat up fast and paid for it.
"Ohhhh." I grabbed my head. I scanned the room. My townhouse was part of a row of houses near Historical Plaza, within walking distance of Matthews. I didn't remember driving home.
I crawled out of bed and pulled on a t-shirt and sweatpants. I might have had them on and peeled them off sometime in the night.
I heard a humming noise downstairs. I inched down the steps. Halfway down, I found the source of the hum. Donovan was sprawled out on my couch facedown; a pillow cradled in his arms. I continued down the steps and into the kitchen. I needed water and drugs.
I grabbed a bottle from the refrigerator without making a sound. The cabinet where I kept the medicine was a different story. I pulled it open, but it slipped out of my hands and slammed back shut.
"Shit," I said.
Donovan gasped and sat up ready to fight.
"I'm sorry. It's okay," I said as he scratched his head and slumped back down. I grabbed another bottle for him and the Aleve and sat on the other end of the couch.
"Hey, how you feeling?" I asked and handed him the bottle of water.
"Not as bad as you look," he answered and declined the water. I giggled, but he didn't.
I pushed my hair down and shook my head.
"Thanks for taking care of me, I said.
"Now that you're good, I'm going to order a car to take me back." He stood up and pulled his shirt over his head. He had his jeans on but unbuttoned.
"I can take you back. It's no problem. Just let me jump in the shower."
"Nah, don't worry about it." He walked over to the kitchen and looked around like he’d lost something.
Why was he in such a hurry to get out of here?
"Donovan--"
"My phone." He snapped his fingers and grabbed it off the bookshelf. He unlocked his phone and tapped the screen. His shoulders were up by his ears, and he hadn't acknowledged me since I sat down.
"Donovan. What's wrong?" I asked as I scooted to the edge of the couch.
He turned to me, and I saw it in his eyes. My hangover didn't mask the effect his brilliant green eyes had on me. They were dark, and he blinked in rapid succession. He stalked toward me.
"You know, I've been fucked for my money before, and don't get me wrong—you are good—but even your ass ain't worth five hundred grand. So I'm going to just go back to San Francisco and chalk this up to another le
sson learned." He stared, but when I didn't respond, he headed for the door.
"Donovan, wait." I grabbed his arm, but he pulled it out of my grip. "Don't leave. Please. Why are you so pissed?"
"I don't know, Chai." He turned around, and I stopped in my tracks. "I don't know why I'm so pissed. I'm disappointed. I thought we had something." He shook his head. "I was wrong. Don't worry. If Calvin thinks it's a good investment, I'll give you the money, but we are done."
"Done." I crossed my arms over my chest. My neck tensed up. Last night became crystal clear, Keri, the bitch, and my sudden possessiveness. He played along, but maybe I took it too far. "I didn't fuck you for your money."
"No, then why did you?"
"I ..." I couldn't think of a reason.
"It's starting to add up. You told me last night how your reputation could use some bad press. You don't do this all the time, sleep around. You see me in a bar at an investment conference and figure I'd be an easy target. The only thing you had to decide was if you were desperate enough to go through with it." He glared at me, and I cowered. "I guess the answer was yes. How does that make you feel?"
When I didn't answer, he turned and continued toward the door. When it opened, I sprung into action. I snaked around him and closed the door with my back.
That wasn't it. This wasn't about my families business. I didn't care about my family’s business. I didn't want him to leave thinking I used him. I didn't want it to end like this. I didn't want it to end.
"You're right." I stared at the ground.
He stepped back.
"No, not about me sleeping with you for your money. I did not do that." I pointed at him. "I don't care about your money."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Well, personally, I don't care about your money. For the vineyard, I would love you to invest." I exhaled to stop my rambling. If you don't, that's fine, but I think I like you."
"You think you like me?"
"I slept with you that first night because it was so far out of my character. I just wanted to do something crazy for once. Do something to forget about my problems, my family, the vineyard." At least the scowl left his face. "I've been dealing with this for so long."
I blinked away tears.
"I asked you that night if you were tired of it. I'm tired too. I'm exhausted from my life. I didn’t want to think about it for one night. Is that wrong?" I asked.