Love in the Vineyard (The Tavonesi Series Book 7)

by Pamela Aares

  “I have always believed that wealth doesn’t truly belong to any single person. Those who have resources have a responsibility. And though my viewpoint is often unpopular in many circles, I believe—no, I know—that wealth is a contract with society, with the world. And when I came here I saw that I could finally make good on that contract. Give back where it counted and share what was bestowed on me in ways that could be meaningful, that improved lives and built strengths. But in my drive to fight back my shadows and feel worthy of such unearned blessings, I let my guilt blind me, make me desperate. And then you came along and cracked open my carefully crafted, carefully guarded world. I wanted to be worthy of you. I acted rashly. Thoughtlessly.”

  She opened her mouth to protest, to say that she had played a role in the tragedy he was spinning, but he held up his hand.

  “Please, I’m trying to stay on track with my apology. I was very wrong for not respecting your boundaries. For making a choice for you rather than consulting you.” He took her hand and ran his thumb over the back of it and then squeezed it in his fingers. Her pulse skittered in her chest as a smile curved into his lips. “But I was right about your capabilities and about your potential. I have such faith in you, Natasha. I can only see the sky as… the sky as a limit for you. Is that the phrase?”

  Her pulse pounded as she watched him struggle for words.

  “The sky’s the limit,” she said softly, offering him the words and blushing at his meaning.

  “Yes, I see you in a vast sky.” He took her other hand in his and faced her with a solemn look, as if he were fighting back forces she couldn’t see. “I want you to be part of my life, of my horizon and beyond. Oh, my damned English! I want… To hell with it. I love you, Natasha. And I want to do this.”

  Hunger flared as his lips crushed hers. No one but Adrian would ever sate the passion he’d awakened.

  “Your English is devastating,” she said with a nervous laugh as he broke off the kiss.

  “I had to do something to get your attention.”

  He had. He’d told her he loved her. She didn’t imagine that he’d do that for every employee.

  “You had me with the kiss.”

  Their next kiss devastated her defenses.

  “I want to do so much more than kiss you,” he said as he bent down and lifted her into his arms.

  His heart beat against her cheek, keeping pace with her galloping thoughts. He wanted her to be part of his horizon, he’d said. Maybe she could live with having just a part of him. The way she craved him, maybe she didn’t have much choice.

  Adrian carried her into the apartment. His swift kick at the door she’d left open closed it behind them. He glanced around her living space. No couch.

  “Bedroom,” she said, already undoing the buttons on his shirt. “To the right.”

  In the bedroom, he set her on her feet.

  “I want you in my life, Natasha. You and Tyler. I want a future with you as well as a now.”

  She backed away from him and put her palms to her face.

  “I—” He what? He cursed his timing. What else could he say? Nothing was happening as he’d imagined. As he’d hoped. Sure, they were in her bedroom, but he didn’t only want to be in her bedroom, he wanted to be in her soul.

  When she lowered her hands, he saw tears in her eyes. His heart sank when he saw the anguish there. He was too late.

  “Adrian…”

  “No, Natasha, you don’t have to say it. I have eyes. I can see.”

  He wasn’t going to force her to tell him what he could already see in her face.

  She narrowed her eyes. “Oh no, not again. This time I will say what I need to say. And you will listen.”

  “I’m listening.” He dreaded her words.

  “I once told you that all my life I’ve been afraid of my past,” she said, surprising him.

  She walked to the window and then spun on her heel to face him.

  “But now I know that I had to face my fears so I could put them behind me. Let myself feel the terror and then move on. I don’t believe the past determines the future anymore. I agree with you; now I believe our dreams determine the future far more than the past could ever do.”

  He resisted the urge to take her in his arms, to stop the flow of words with a kiss that didn’t want to wait.

  “You showed me that I wasn’t broken, Adrian. You helped me not to despise my faults.” She crossed her arms and held her elbows. “You helped me to find the strength to do that. Everything you did bolstered me so I could take steps I never could before. You helped—”

  “You did that, not me. You showed that to yourself.”

  “Do Italians always interrupt like this?”

  “Okay.” He crossed his arms, mirroring her stance. “I’m listening, Tasha.”

  “Can’t you for once accept thanks without sloughing it off? What is it about you that runs and deflects when people try to thank you?”

  “I…” He searched for the words. His father had said he ran from happiness. Well, he wasn’t going to run now. “It’s just that I—”

  “No, that answer can wait. I want to hear it, but not right now. If I don’t say what I have to say, I never will.”

  She let out a long breath. He waited in the silence.

  Whatever else haunted her, he was powerless in the face of it. He wasn’t accustomed to losing, especially not when it counted. But he’d sworn that this time she was the one making the calls.

  She crossed to him and touched her hand to his face, surprising him. “I love you, Adrian. More than I thought I could love.”

  His heart did a triple beat. He closed his fingers around hers and drew her hand to his lips. “That’s great news. The best news.”

  “No, please, listen to me. I have to say this. I have to get it out in the open. My brain says I can live with being some part of your life, but I’m afraid. Afraid that my heart will break if I can’t have all of you. If I have to watch other women come into your life.”

  “Other women? Do you understand that I love you, Natasha? I love you.”

  “I do, but—”

  He pulled her to him, and she let him hold her close. “There can’t be any buts. And if I have my way, that won’t be the only ‘I do’ being said between us. Marry me, Natasha. Please.”

  He felt her stiffen in his arms.

  He tipped her face up and saw tears.

  Her eyes clouded. “You’re serious.”

  “Completely serious.” What the hell else could he say to convince her? He felt as if his future hung in the balance of the right words. But in the face of the stormy look dawning in her eyes, no right words came.

  She pushed out of his arms and stomped away from him. His stomach clenched. He’d waited too long. Done too many stupid things. He’d lost her.

  “I didn’t expect you to say that,” she said.

  He reached into his pocket and handed her his handkerchief.

  “That I’m serious?”

  “That you want to marry me.”

  “I’ve wanted to marry you since the first moment I saw you.”

  She smiled, and life returned to his veins. “You warned me that Italians like to do things slowly,” she said. “But maybe you should consider clueing a woman in on such important issues in the future.”

  “Marry me, Natasha.”

  If she said no, the rest of their conversation didn’t matter. He couldn’t be her friend. Hell, he wasn’t even sure he could continue working with her; it’d be torture. Maybe he’d go back to Rome, start over.

  “Nothing in my life will matter if I can’t live it with you,” he added. It was his deepest truth. He only hoped he wasn’t telling it too late.

  She put her hands to her hips. His handkerchief rested like a white flag not yet put to use.

  “If I marry you, I want to run the native-plant business. On my own. I mean I’ll take advice from you, but I want it to be my business.”

  He wasn’t sure he’
d heard her right. “What’s business got to do with it?”

  “I have to meet you on equal ground. Have an endeavor of my own. I have to prove myself.”

  “Okay.” He reached for her, but she stepped back. “But you don’t have to prove yourself. The evidence is already in.”

  “No, I mean it. I can’t just melt into your world and take it on like a cloak. I have to prove myself to myself. To do that, I need a project of my own.”

  He smiled as he began to understand. “Now who’s focused on projects?” he said, hoping that humor might dissolve some of the tension arcing between them.

  She didn’t crack a smile, just crossed her arms, waiting for his answer.

  “Okay, the native-plant business is all yours. Would’ve been anyway. What else?”

  God, all he wanted to do was kiss her and tumble her across the bed behind her and make love to her until they couldn’t breathe. But he got it. This was important to her. She didn’t want to be beholden to anyone. Especially not him. He of all people understood that drive, the drive to stand on one’s own merits, one’s own accomplishments. But something else lurked under the surface of her words, something that scared her.

  She pulled the handkerchief through her fingers and then shook it out and began to fold it. She was stalling.

  “For God’s sake, Natasha, what else? You’re killing me here.”

  She handed him the handkerchief and held his gaze. “Eddie will be in our lives. I don’t know how much or on what basis—I mean as Tyler’s father, nothing more. They both deserve that.”

  “I considered that. I agree.”

  “You do?”

  “I do.” He tipped her face to his. “Will you marry me?”

  “Maybe we should have a trial run?”

  “A trial what?” His English, along with his dissolving restraint, was failing him.

  She motioned to her bed. It was all the invitation he needed.

  Clothes flew in their hurry to join their bodies. But when she stood before him, naked, beautiful, his, he slowed the pace and showed her love that he’d waited all his life to share.

  As their breath returned, she lifted away from him and sat at the side of the bed. The light danced across her skin, and Adrian was sure he was the luckiest man in the world. But as she pressed her lips together and turned to him, he wondered what issue they hadn’t yet resolved.

  “There’s something else you should know before you decide you want to marry me.”

  “I’ve already decided.”

  “I need for you to know this, then you can decide.”

  “Nothing you could say will change my mind.”

  “I have family. Quirky family.”

  “Come again?”

  She told him about the surprise visit from her grandmother. “But before you think the worst of me, I found out only yesterday.”

  “I don’t care if Saint Nicholas turns up and claims family ties, Natasha. I love you. These are details. And no one has a quirkier family than mine.” He stroked his hand along the curve of her waist. “I need you. You make my life worth living. And I love Tyler.” He stopped, his words crashing hard against the truths behind them. “How will Tyler take all this?”

  “He’ll be thrilled. If you haven’t noticed, he’s been trying to push us together from the start. I think it’s your baseball connections,” she said with a giggle.

  He hadn’t heard her giggle for ages. Its gentle sound told him the future he’d hoped for was becoming a reality.

  “Tease,” he said as he took her wrists in his hands and pressed her back across the bed. “You haven’t answered me. Marry me?”

  Her lips curved into an irresistible smile. “I thought we just answered that question.”

  “I’m not letting you go until you say you do want to marry me. I’m quite literal when it comes to agreements.”

  “I do.”

  He bent down and kissed the tender skin of her neck, breathed in the scent of her.

  She tried to wiggle away, but he held her pinned in place as he tracked kisses along the curve of her shoulder.

  “We have work, Adrian. It’s Wednesday.”

  First one and then the other, he released her hands and then kissed the smile still curved into her lips.

  “Tavonesi national holidays, Wednesdays,” he said between kisses. “Ask any of my siblings or cousins. But ask them later. Right now we have some celebrating to do.”

  <<<<>>>>

  Want more of the Tavonesis and their intriguing friends? Sign up for Pamela’s New Release Newsletter by going to http://www.pamelaaares.com/newsletter-signup/ and be the first to know when the next book comes out!

  Thank you!

  Thanks for reading Love in the Vineyard. I hope you enjoyed it!

  · Would you like to know when my next books are available? You can sign up for my new release newsletter at http://www.pamelaaares.com/newsletter-signup/.

  · You’ve just read the seventh book in the Tavonesi Series. The other books in the series are:

  Love Bats Last (Book #1, Alex and Jackie)

  Thrown By Love (Book #2, Chloe and Scotty)

  Fielder's Choice (Book #3, Alana and Matt)

  Love on the Line (Book #4, Cara and Ryan)

  Aim For Love (Book #5, Sabrina and Kaz)

  The Heart of the Game (Book #6, Cody and Zoe)

  Love in the Vineyard (Book #7, Adrian and Natasha)

  A Very Daring Christmas (#8, Cameron and Jake)

  · You, the reader, have the power to make or break a book’s reputation. Reviews help other readers find books they love. I appreciate reviews from all perspectives and would love to hear your opinion. If you have the time, please leave a review and let me know what you think about Love in the Vineyard.

  I write so that readers may enjoy the experience of reading my books. I hope you enjoy every one!

  Thank you so much for reading and for spending time with me.

  In gratitude,

  Pamela Aares

  And don’t miss…

  Other Books by Pamela

  The Tavonesi Series:

  Love Bats Last (Book #1, Alex and Jackie)

  Thrown By Love (Book #2, Chloe and Scotty)

  Fielder's Choice (Book #3, Alana and Matt)

  Love on the Line (Book #4, Cara and Ryan)

  Aim For Love (Book #5, Sabrina and Kaz)

  The Heart of the Game (Book #6, Cody and Zoe)

  Love in the Vineyard (Book #7, Adrian and Natasha)

  A Very Daring Christmas (#8, Cameron and Jake)

  also available:

  Jane Austen and the Archangel (A Regency Love Story)

  Book One in The Tavonesi Series

  A stormy night changes their lives forever...

  The baseball diamond isn’t the only field for all-star player Alex Tavonesi; he also runs his family’s prestigious vineyard. What he can’t seem to run is his love life. He’s closing in on the perfect vintage and the perfect game, but so far the perfect woman has eluded him.

  Veterinarian Jackie Brandon is eluding her aristocratic past and memories of a soccer star who jilted her just before their wedding. She devotes herself to a marine mammal rescue center on the northern California coast, where hundreds of seals and sea lions are washing up dead.

  A chance meeting in a midnight storm brings Alex and Jackie together to rescue a stranded whale. Watching her work, he realizes she’s the passionate, courageous woman he thought he’d never find--he just has to overcome her deep distrust of jocks. Jackie’s passion and courage lead her to discover what’s killing the sea mammals. The culprits want to silence her, and Alex is the only one standing in their way. What will he sacrifice to save the woman he loves?

  Love Bats Last is available now at all online bookstores or can also be ordered from your favorite local bookstore.

  Click here to buy Love Bats Last

  Book Two in The Tavonesi Series

  A kiss in a dark alcove triggers the greatest
challenge of their lives...

  Ace pitcher Scotty Donovan has been traded from his longtime team—and hates it. But to his surprise, he now finds himself in the sweetest game of his life: winning the heart of smart, sexy physics professor Chloe McNalley.

  Chloe loves teaching, but she’s never fit into academia. When she falls for Scotty, she discovers his arms and heart are where she belongs. They share a passion for the game, a fascination for the mysteries of the universe and an increasing love for one another.

  Then Chloe inherits Scotty’s new team. As player and team owner, they shouldn’t be dating. They try to hide their passion, until a blackmailer threatens them personally and professionally. Exposure could be the end of everything--Scotty’s career, Chloe’s team ownership, and their new love—unless they find a way to transcend the taboo standing between them.

  Thrown By Love is available now at all online bookstores or can also be ordered from your favorite local bookstore.

  Click here to buy Thrown By Love

  Book Three in The Tavonesi Series

  When love’s the game, you can’t play it safe…

  All-Star shortstop Matt Darrington has more than a problem. His wife died, and now he’s juggling a too-smart-for-her-britches six-year-old and the grueling pace of professional baseball. Worse, his daughter is mom shopping. When they explore a local ranch, she decides the beautiful, free-spirited tour guide is premium mom material. Matt thinks the sexy guide looks like Grade-A trouble.

  Alana Tavonesi loves her cosmopolitan life in Paris. But when she inherits the renowned Tavonesi Olive Ranch, she has to return to California and face obligations she never wanted. Selling the place is her first instinct, but life at the ranch begins to crack her open, exposing the dreams hidden inside her heart.