At First Blush

by Marianne Rice

  Maybe it was the quiet isolation of winter in mid-coast Maine that had him yearning for a petite, cute, tomboy. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about her using him to buy her another pair of Louboutin shoes. The fact that he even knew the name of the red soled shoes was beyond pathetic. A thousand bucks for a pair of spikes? Even as sexy as they looked, he didn’t understand the obsession.

  Ben’s closet donned top designer brands as well, but he didn’t care what he wore. Maybe he had a touch of materialism in him. He preferred to think of himself as a chameleon, changing his outerwear to match his surroundings.

  And he would sure as hell like Alexis Le Blanc to surround him. In every possible way.

  The man in the mirror resembled a grizzly. His face, in desperate need of a shave, and his hair, even more in need of a cut, was enough to scare the temper out of his Irish ancestors. He’d shave later if the Le Blancs could meet. In the meantime, he rather liked the roughing it look. He couldn’t pull it off in San Fran, and not with Felicia. Opting to shave later, he zipped up his travel bag.

  Not wanting to ruin his morning—or his evening—thinking about his ex-girlfriend, Ben mentally shook away all thoughts of his issues at home, and focused on his new adventure in Maine.

  Ben stepped in the shower and lathered up. He wasn’t expected at Coastal Vines for another two days, but he didn’t think leading Alexis on any longer was a smart move. His early arrival was so he could get a feel of the town, learn some of its history, its culture, and work it into the renovations and the marketing plan. After only being in the town for less than one day, he felt like he had a pretty good handle of its people.

  Between his surprise brunch with Alexis at the Sunrise Diner and their enchanting dinner at Willie’s, Ben had made some calls, stopped by some of the shops that were actually open, and made a few preliminary calls to contractors. January was a slow month for them, so he had no problem getting in touch with the locals.

  They weren’t the problem though. Shane had warned Ben of his stubborn daughter who would fight the expansion and renovation. He’d said she was a traditional girl and didn’t want change.

  It wasn’t the first time Ben had been hired to work with a client resistant to what others in the company had hoped to accomplish. Only this time it was more personal. He’d never tasted cherries and grapes off his client’s lips before. He’d never tossed and turned all night thinking about how soft his client’s skin must be under her clothes, or how hard and muscular her body felt under his hands. Nor had he ever wanted to.

  Ben turned off the shower and trained his mind to focus on the presentation he had to give to the Le Blanc family, instead of his growing desire. It wouldn’t go over so well if he showed up that excited to land the client. Even though he was working free of charge, having his clients appreciate his work was important to him.

  After he tugged on a sweatshirt and a pair of Levis, Ben picked up his cell and prayed the town had decent service. It did. He dialed Le Blanc’s number and tapped his foot nervously on the floor.

  “Mr. Le Blanc? It’s Benito Martelli.” He couldn’t help the Italian accent that slipped out when speaking his name or anything Italian.

  “Mr. Martelli, so nice to hear from you. When do you fly in?”

  “Actually, I was able to leave early and am already in Maine. I had planned on touring your town for a few days—”

  Shane laughed. “You won’t need a few days. Especially in winter. There’s Seaview Drive, and there’s us. If you want to sample the freshest seafood on the east coast, we’ve got a few places open. There’s Boon’s General Store, The Happy Clam if you’re looking for good food and spirits, and the Sea Salt Spa if you’d like your nails done. Other than that, the town’s closed up tighter ‘en a clamshell in winter.”

  “Yes, I see that. I’m in town, and can meet with you and your family now if you have time. Or I can play the role of tourist. I haven’t been to Camden yet.”

  “They have a few more places open than us, sure, but in Crystal Cove you get that small, small town atmosphere.”

  Ben laughed to himself. Camden and Rockland were small towns that packed a lot of character. He wanted to do the same to this town.

  “I don’t want to impose on you and your schedule.” Ben looked at his watch and hoped Shane could meet soon. Otherwise, he’d stay locked up in his room avoiding the chance run in with Alexis. Their kiss last night made him feel like an ass for keeping his identity from her.

  But then the kiss would never have happened.

  “Nonsense. I’ll let Claudia know you’re here. How about a lunch meeting? She has pulled pork in the slow cooker.”

  “That sounds delicious.”

  “Perfect. I’ll gather the troops. We’ll see you at noon.”

  Ben disconnected and glanced at the clock. He had three hours to entertain himself and avoid Alexis. Anything in town was off the list. He shoved his feet into his boots and laced them up before shrugging into his coat.

  Eating breakfast at the inn made the most sense, but Ben wanted to see what else was out there. Yesterday he’d passed a tiny market a few miles south that would have something he could eat and bring back to his room. Granted, everything in Maine was tiny.

  Sure enough, the lot was empty. The cold air followed him in, and the bell on the door clanged, announcing his arrival.

  “Mornin’,” an elderly man said behind the counter without glancing up.

  “Good morning.” Ben would have asked the man if he could point him in the direction of muffins or a yogurt, but figured he could find his way through the six short aisles.

  The ringing of the bell and gust of cold air on the top of his head alerted him of another customer. “Business is booming,” he muttered under his breath. He tore off a banana from a bunch and made his way toward the back cooler in hunt of a yogurt. Only big tubs. Good enough.

  “Is that a banana in your hand or are you happy to see me?” a familiar voice whispered behind him.

  “Shit.” Ben closed his eyes and hung his head in guilt, keeping his back to Alexis until he figured the best way to handle this chance encounter. If he continued where they left off she’d only think of him as a bigger ass when they would “meet” this afternoon than he already was. If he played it cool and kept her at an arm’s distance, she’d think he wasn’t interested.

  “Ah, morning after thoughts. Guess it’s a good thing you didn’t get me naked, huh?”

  Ben opened his eyes and turned, plastering on his best salesman smile. “Lovely to see you again, Alexis.”

  And it was. She wore a navy blue knit hat pulled low on her forehead, and was dwarfed underneath a puffy ski coat. Cheeks, red and rosy, either from the cold wind or from seeing him, stood out like a red rose in a bouquet of carnations against her pale skin.

  “Yeah, right. No harm no foul. Just stopping by for some milk. See you around.” She turned away and Ben reached out for her arm.

  Torn between hurting her feelings now or hurting them later, he opted with later. “Shit,” he swore again as he lowered his mouth to hers, sucking on her bottom lip until it was full and plump in his mouth. Making out in the back of a mom-and-pop grocery store was as out of character for him as drinking boxed wine.

  Controlling his sexual urges had never been a problem for him before. Why Alexis roused so much heat inside him he hadn’t a clue.

  “Ben.”

  “Mmm.” He drew her in and deepened the kiss until her body turned lax and soft in his arms. “You smell amazing.”

  Alexis stiffened in his arms before breaking contact. “You’re kidding, right?” Her big brown eyes locked onto his and he couldn’t tell if he’d said something wrong. Again. And then her ripe, red lips parted in a gorgeous smile. “I’ve been playing with grapes and dirt all morning and haven’t had time for a shower.”

  “Dirt and grapes smell good on you.” He kissed her again, this time softly, remembering they were in a store.

  “You didn’t
seem happy to see me, or rather, hear me a few minutes ago. Why the sudden change?”

  Ben rested his wrists on her shoulders and interlaced his fingers behind her neck, tilting her head up to him. He had a least a foot on her, and he liked how their bodies fit together clothed. Hopefully he’d get a chance to see how they fit together naked as well.

  If she didn’t end up hating him for lying to her.

  “You have that look.” Alexis eyed him skeptically.

  “What look?” Ben traced her neck with his fingers, wanting to replace them with his lips. Soon. But they were in a store. And he hadn’t been honest with her about his identity.

  “All glassy and sexy. I can’t tell if you’re thinking of a way to let me down easy, the kiss was a nice touch, by the way, or trying to be clever about how to get lucky.”

  Ben’s mouth opened in surprise. Damn, she was good. Honesty was always the best policy. It was what got him far in his career, and made his personal life relatively easy as well. He didn’t lie to women, and didn’t want to start with Alexis.

  “Honestly, I have an appointment soon, but I’d like to see you tonight. Dinner. Somewhere outside of town maybe.”

  Alexis sighed and rested her cheek on his hand. “I have a meeting I’m not looking forward to so dinner tonight sounds perfect.”

  “Promise?”

  “Sure.” She laughed. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  The guilt twisted in his gut. He’d taken things with Alexis too far, especially kissing her just now. He should have come clean last night. He thought about it many times.

  When he’d watched her contemplate getting out of her car at Willie’s. When she sipped her wine, smiling with a smugness he wanted to wipe off with his lips. When they argued about music and sports.

  And there was the niggling guilt about the issue back home. He had no right starting something with a woman until he and Felicia worked out the details of their complicated relationship. Not that whatever would—or possibly could—happen between him and Alexis would turn into a relationship. Not with three thousand miles separating their homes.

  But he enjoyed her company more than he’d expected.

  Usually dinner dates with women were polite, possibly sexual, always with an ulterior motive. Either the woman was lured by his family’s name, or she was after sex.

  The latter had been his preferred. It wasn’t like Ben was a pig. He didn’t seek women out just to sleep with them. Having a girlfriend, being in a committed relationship, wouldn’t have bothered him. Had he found the right woman.

  And had he been looking. He wasn’t. He isn’t.

  There were moments when Alexis was relaxed and open, and then her guard would go up. She had good senses. Her guard should be up around Ben. He was slime for not coming clean. It wasn’t intentional. It wasn’t because he wanted to lie to her.

  He just wanted to be with her. Not as an heir to a successful vineyard and a marketing strategist trying to convince the family of a small winery to expand, but as a guy who had an interest in a woman and wanted to see where things would lead.

  Simple as that. Now if only Alexis could separate between big bad business guy and the steamy kisses wine guy.

  “No matter how bad your meeting goes, you’ll still have dinner with me?”

  “Dinner with you will be the highlight of my day.”

  Ben leaned down and breathed in her sweet, innocent scent again, touching his lips against hers. “I’m going to remind you of those words later.”

  The smile, and the glow from Ben’s kisses, lasted until Alexis turned into the vacant dirt parking lot of the winery, and pulled into her regular spot in the back corner. She wished the afterglow would carry her through what promised to be a brutal family meeting.

  Never before had her parents called in outside help. They weren’t rolling in the dough, but their humble winery made enough to provide for Alexis and Grace when they were growing up, and to start a decent nest egg for her parents. They wouldn’t be able to travel the world, but had enough for a few well thought out and well planned trips here and there during their retirement years.

  She’d hoped.

  Alexis had planned on taking over the winery and hiring a couple college kids during the summer to help with the bottling and tasting room, and a few hands for the fall harvest. Between Shane, Claudia, and Alexis, they had a system down pat, but it made for long, hard days.

  The harder they worked meant more money coming in. Those days, however, were what put food on the table, so no one complained.

  Alexis braced herself for the wicked wind that blew and jogged to the backdoor. Any day now the weather would be cold enough to freeze her grapes and her first ice wine harvest would begin.

  This winter had a late start, December being unseasonably warm. In the meantime, they suffered from the icy winds coming up from the ocean, dropping the temperature just enough to be uncomfortable, but not cold enough to freeze her grapes properly.

  She stomped off the cold and rubbed her hands together as she made her way through the tasting room to the stairway that led to her apartment. Hemmy’s giant body and wagging tail greeted her at the top of the stairs.

  All too soon the memory of Ben’s musky scent washed away, replaced with the smell of sadness. Alexis dropped to the couch, resting her elbows on her knees, cradling her head in her hands as her faithful companion licked her face. She couldn’t imagine how some slick Italian corporate dude talked her parents into expanding.

  Hadn’t they remembered what happened to Pine Hill winery near Katahdin? They’d expanded their fields by forty percent five years ago, and introduced eight new wines in one season. The harsh winter killed twenty percent of their vines the following year, and the cool spring delayed the new planting. They were barely making ends meet when the Kullers had to make the difficult decision to close their winery last fall.

  Maine wasn’t cut out for big, elaborate, fancy wineries.

  Small, simple, traditional. That’s what Coastal Vines was, and if this Martelli guy had already conned her family out of a dime, he’d have hell to pay.

  Pissed off that the outsider could control her mood, she forced herself back to an hour ago when she was in Ben’s arms, making out like a dog in heat in the back corner of Boons General Store.

  The shift in his body and the curse under his breath had caused her heart to drop into her boots. Her first fleeting thought was that Ben had changed his mind about her. That he’d come to his senses during the night and questioned why a beautiful man like himself would be interested in a plain short girl.

  When he turned and those stunning blue eyes met hers, her heart did little flip flops in her boots and slowly climbed its way up her legs, tickling her much neglected core, before coming to its final resting place in her chest. It beat steadier and faster and then Ben trapped her lips between his, causing her heart to nearly pound its way up her throat and out her mouth, had it not been captured with his.

  All she had been looking for was a carton of milk and some cheese to make an omelet, and she left empty-handed and full hearted. Whatever that meant.

  Nothing. It meant nothing, and didn’t make any sense, which was exactly what this thing between her and Ben was.

  Nothing, and senseless, but oh, so right. They could have fun while he was in town, then they’d each go their merry ways. She didn’t have to worry about ruining an already established friendship, or bumping into him a few weeks from now when things went south. Ben was only here temporarily.

  The perfect man for her.

  Realizing she still didn’t have any groceries, Alexis got up from the couch, tripping over Hemmy’s now sleeping body, and checked out her cabinets again. One piece of whole grain bread, the heel of course, and a can of pineapple. At least she’d get a good lunch. Her mom’s pulled pork was to die for.

  She’d need to cool off after the Martelli meeting so she scrubbed the bathroom, vacuumed, made a grocery list, and planned a trip into Rockland
before meeting Ben for dinner.

  Alexis made herself a cup of green tea and poured it in her travel mug when she heard the scrape of barstools against the wood floor downstairs. She insisted on having this bogus meeting in the tasting room, and not at her family’s dining room table as planned. Martelli didn’t deserve a seat at their table.

  “When I give you the signal, attack. Send the shmuck out on his ass, got it, big guy?” Hemmy wagged his tail and barked in understanding. Alexis crouched and picked up his left paw. She could barely tell he’d cut himself on a thorn the other day, those big, calloused pads on his feet protecting him from anything major.

  Alexis grabbed her tea and screwed on the cap to her mug. She stomped down the stairs all too loudly, making her feelings about the meeting well known, not caring one bit how immature she sounded. Hemmy, her faithful pooch, followed closely at her heels.

  Her parents stood behind the counter, the slow cooker and an array of vegetables, rolls, and cookies neatly laid out like they were entertaining a cocktail party.

  “Really, Mom? Coffee would have been fine.”

  “Drop the attitude. Besides, this is what I had planned for lunch anyway. Your father said Mr. Martelli was in town early, so we invited him to lunch.”

  “We could have had lunch at The Happy Clam.” Hope Windward’s place was the nicest in town. A pub style bar that also offered the local wines, she had an extensive menu from burgers and fries to a twin lobster dinner. It was the date place. The anniversary dinner. The tourist must. Yet, to Mr. Martelli from fancy shmancy California, it would look like a hole-in-the-wall. Alexis snorted. Maybe they should have had lunch at Willie’s. That would’ve sent the Italian scurrying off in his fancy loafers.

  “The Martelli family opened their home to us in California; we’ll do the same for their son.”

  “Have you met him yet?”

  “Yes,” her father said, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. “We met all their children. It’s a family run vineyard that has been in their family for five generations.”