Risking the Vine (Romancing the Vine Book 1) Read online

  “One of the emails I got this morning was from Bella Robins. She said I was lucky to have you on my team here this week. Told me you are one of the best problem solvers and creative thinkers she’s ever known. You know she doesn’t lavish praise without justification.”

  “No, she doesn’t.” She couldn’t believe Bella would have emailed Luke specifically to give her a character reference. Affection for her friend bubbled up within her chest. “I’m afraid I’ll be relying on those creative skills quite a bit in the next few weeks while I’m figuring out what to do with my life. Gramps’ farm is a leading contender right now.”

  “You said he grew spices, right?”

  “Yeah. Basil, rosemary, and thyme were his biggest crops. I could branch out into Brassica crops, like kale or Brussels sprouts. Stuff that’s high in antioxidants. That area is turning into a cash crop venture.” She glanced out the window at the rows of vines marching over the fields. “Or maybe I could open a vineyard. Wine is highly popular and if I grow red varietals, it’s considered antioxidants too. And the soil could be right at Gramps’ farm.”

  “Well, you’ll certainly learn a lot about growing grapes this week. You are going to stay, right? Finish the training course?” The expression on Luke’s face was hopeful.

  The intensity in his eyes warmed her. It was easy to imagine he truly wanted her to stay. “Absolutely. I think team building will be a great addition on my résumé. Unless Ted calls me back to the office, I’ll be here.”

  Across the room FIG brayed obnoxiously at something Belinda, the lawyer said, temporarily making conversation difficult. Juice sloshed around in Luke’s glass as he lifted it and toasted to her. “I’m glad. I’d much rather be partnered with you than with your flirty insurance agent.”

  Peering over her shoulder at the commotion across the room, Jac suppressed a shudder. Spittle flew from FIG’s lips, droplets landing on Sally, the other lady lawyer’s white shirt. Jac turned back to Luke, relief swimming in her gut that she’d dodged being paired with FIG or his compatriots. A broad grin lingered on Luke’s mouth. He was the perfect partner for this type of activity. And others, too, Jac was certain.

  Her physical response to Luke surprised her in its intensity. Every fiber in her being strained toward the man. He wasn’t just attractive on the outside. His entire demeanor proved his sincerity and warmth. He obviously had problems with his own job to worry about, but he focused on staying positive and helping to solve her issues. He was the sort of man Bella called a ‘keeper.’

  Jac dropped her gaze to her hands, clutched together in her lap. She battled the urge to reach out to run her fingers over his lips. Or press her mouth to his, then drag him up the stairs to her room and peel off his pale blue button-down shirt.

  With her teeth.

  Any response or action she might have made was cut off as Jules and Marcus entered the room. Conversation died around them as Jules made her way toward the front of the room.

  “Good morning. I hope you all got plenty of rest last night and are ready to go.”

  FIG pounded on the table. “I’m raring to go and show the other teams how to get things done. I’ll be taking charge and kicking ass today.”

  His friends groaned. Steve shot him a glare and whispered into DIG’s ear. Vehement head shaking ensued. Probably they were arguing about which one of them had to have FIG on their team.

  Jules held her palms out for silence. “We have two activities today. I think you’re going to love the first one, which is cork art. We’ll supply the corks and as teams, you’ll use them to create a work of art worthy of framing. We’ll stick to pictures because they’re easier than sculptures. If you’ve had a chance to visit our gift shop, you’ve probably seen some of our finer examples from past participants.”

  Belinda danced in her chair a little, her large breasts bouncing and straining the buttons on her hot pink shirt. “The one of wine splashing into a glass is gorgeous. Is it for sale?”

  Jules nodded and leaned against the table. “Yes, it is. As participants, you signed an agreement that anything you create here during your sessions is property of the vineyard with the option to be put up for sale in our gift shop or a local gallery. One hundred percent of the profits on anything sold we donate to the local boys and girls clubs in Santa Rosa. We’ve given the clubs a lot of money in the past two years thanks to our participants’ creativity.”

  Marcus paused in the act of pouring a cup of coffee. “Over fifty grand.”

  “What a great idea.” Jac leaned against her chair, marveling at the charitable tie-in. It wasn’t like anyone could take their oversized artwork home unless they drove. And, if working as a team, how did they decide who got to own it? It was a perfect solution for everyone.

  “Well, mark the picture on display to the right of the door as sold,” Belinda said. “I’m glad I brought my checkbook. That picture is going to look lovely hanging over my husband’s wine chiller.”

  Jules smiled graciously and nodded. “To continue, after lunch we have another painting project. Only this one is a little more physical. Since we are a working winery, there is always some kind of maintenance to be done. The cask room is in dire need of painting. You’ll be working as teams on a specific section of the room. The casks can’t be moved or dislodged in the process of painting behind them. You’ll have to work together to figure out the best way to accomplish the task while working in really tight spaces. This exercise will be useful when you are facing sticky situations back at the office. We’ll be focusing on creative problem solving.”

  FIG harrumphed loudly. “Sounds to me like you’re getting paid to use us as labor.”

  Jules’ eyes went flinty, but the rest of her expression remained pleasant. “Actually, I’m making double work for myself. Because once you’re done, I have trained painters ready to redo your handiwork. And because I know sometimes painting can get messy, I’m paying a cleaning crew to come in to sanitize the area, as specified by state health codes and industry standards for cleanliness.”

  Boom! Just like that Jules had put the man in his place, without even breaking a sweat. Jac grinned behind the rim of her coffee cup. Somehow, she’d never personally mastered the art of the velvet-gloved put-down. Well, not sober anyway. Maybe she could pay Jules to teach her the skill before she had to return to Medford to face Ted.

  Jules consulted her slender silver watch. “We’ll begin in twenty minutes in the big green barn at the bottom of the hill. There are golf carts parked in the lot for your transportation.” She accepted a to-go cup from Marcus and nodded toward the door. “See you down there.” She and Marcus strolled out of the dining room, their heads together, whispering.

  Jac addressed Luke. “I’m going to my room. You want to drive together?”

  “Sure. No checking email while you’re in the room. Don’t want to get embroiled in office stuff when there’s art to work on.” Luke stood by her chair and reached to help her up.

  Her skin tingled where Luke’s hand connected with hers as she rose. And that was just the back of her hand. Imagine what response his touch would elicit on other, more sensitive spots on her body. His nostrils flared and the intensity in his eyes increased, coloring the hazel irises a deep azure. A shiver of delight and anticipation coursed down her spine.

  Jac cleared the sudden frog developing in her throat as her thoughts had wandered into the erogenous zone. “I . . . uh, I’ll meet you in the lobby in a few minutes.”

  As she exited the room behind FIG and his buddies, she just knew Luke’s gaze was burning a path between where he remained rooted to the spot, and her backside. She fought hard to not add a little extra sway in her hips as she retreated.

  Although she couldn’t think why.

  Luke paced in the foyer as he waited for Jac to come downstairs. He distracted himself by rereading the email
the Director of Nursing had sent overnight. The union contract expired in two weeks’ time, and she’d tacked more conditions on the agreement they’d already settled. They wanted to change the language behind their accrued paid time off schedule and requested an additional four percent wage bump for nurses with over ten consecutive years of service.

  Neither request was unreasonable. But the medical center management and the union representative had agreed in principle on the contract. The Center’s financial analysts were already running the numbers.

  In all fairness Luke knew they couldn’t afford both changes. Unfortunately, he was absolutely certain the D.O.N. wouldn’t appreciate hearing her proposed changes would be treated as a ‘one or the other’ option. Her displeasure would make his life hell. His gut clenched and burned as he visualized a picket line of nurses marching on the circle drive at the front of the emergency room entrance.

  Last night, he’d told Jacqui of his dream of teaching. Funny, because he’d barely admitted it to himself and suddenly, he’d confided in Jac. There was something about her he found fascinating. Her sense of humor topped his list of things about her that caught his attention.

  And she was a stunner. Thick, cinnamon colored hair with golden highlights. Molten chocolate eyes. Those eyes were what attracted him first when they’d met at a bar in downtown Medford. Even across the dimly lit space, he saw happiness and intelligence dancing in them.

  It wasn’t just her appearance. She was warm and gracious. And the way she’d responded when he kissed her last night, curling into him like a soft, eager kitten. Everywhere she’d touched him last night still tingled with residual electricity.

  He powered down his phone, deciding memories of their moonlight kiss was a much better distraction than his email. Overhead, footsteps sounded as someone hurried down the hallway. Jac appeared at the top of the steps just as Luke shoved his phone into his pocket. In spite of the problems plaguing her this morning, joy lit her face as she bounced down the steps. She most definitely was a glass-half-full woman. It was just one of the more desirable attributes she possessed.

  He’d check at the hospital and with their medical billing company to see if there were any open positions she’d be qualified for. God, he hoped she’d stay in the area. He kind of already considered her a friend, something he hadn’t had much time for in the past six months.

  He returned her grin as she skidded to a stop in front of him. “Ready?”

  She saluted him. “Let’s go be a team.”

  Together, they walked out the front door. The sun had pleasantly warmed the cool morning air. “I never know what to expect from the fall weather.” He made conversation as they walked to the last golf cart remaining in the lot. “In Florida, September was always hot and humid. We didn’t get much of breeze from the Gulf.”

  “I do like this time of year in this region. It seems the days are brighter and sunnier. Although we still get plenty of rain.”

  Well, this was awkward. He’d brought up the weather like they were on a bad date and didn’t have anything better to talk about. He opted to change the subject. “Tell me more about what you do for MedServices. I might be able to help you with a job search. I’m a big dog in my company.”

  “Big dog, eh?” Jac shot him a mirth-filled glance as she climbed into the cart. She took a moment to get settled before answering. “I investigate billing and insurance filing errors. I have to know billing codes and be familiar with the biggest insurers’ policies on write-offs and payment procedures. It’s a lot to keep straight.”

  The cart beeped as he backed from its stone parking block. “You know, there is a growing need for patient insurance advocates. We have a small two-person department whose only job is to help patients decipher their bills. In many cases, they find errors in favor of the insured. I’m always happy to sign off refunds in those cases.”

  He wasn’t kidding. The satisfaction he received from settling claims where the patient had been overcharged was second to no other business pleasure. His head bobbed back as he pressed the accelerator. “We plan to expand the advocate staff quite a bit, as our patient base grows.”

  Jac raised her eyebrows. “That’s awesome. Usually a company resists providing refunds. Or at the very least, makes the patient jump tall buildings to prove they’re owed money. That’s why I’m thinking about getting out of the business altogether. It’s their money and MedServices tries too hard to keep it from them. The practice makes me uncomfortable.”

  “So, back to farming?” Luke questioned. He maneuvered around a corner on the cart path leading to the bottom of the hill. An oversized green pole building gleamed in the dappled morning sunlight filtering through the leaves of the oak trees next to it. With the vineyard rolling away behind the building, the scene itself was picture worthy.

  Next to him, Jac shrugged. “I really don’t know much about agriculture. I can’t go into a new venture without being informed. I’ll either stay put at my job while I take classes and learn everything I can, or . . .” She trailed off and shrugged again.

  When he leaned forward to look at her face, her eyes were shrouded in doubt.

  “Hey, things will work out. Between my connections and Bella’s we could find you a new job, once you decide that’s what you want.”

  “I haven’t even told Bella this latest news yet,” Jac admitted. “But she’s hooked up with a lot of other HR types and keeps mentioning positions to me. I know she’s always looking for me. For which I am very grateful. Just as I appreciate your willingness to help. It’s really nice of you.”

  Luke dropped his hand from the steering wheel onto her thigh and gave it a squeeze. His palm heated with the contact. He’d meant it to be reassuring and friendly, but the jolt of lust spearing straight to his groin proved otherwise. He quickly visualized the latest budget spreadsheet to fight back his rising erection. Jac’s lips parted and over the crunching of gravel under the tires, he swore he heard her quiet gasp.

  He pulled into the parking area next to the other carts, sad the interlude was over. Braking to a stop, he reached for the ignition switch. Pressed against the steering wheel, he grinned over his shoulder in time to catch her studying his ass. Color flared on her cheeks. She looked away, but not before she cast another quick glance at his crotch.

  His cock hardened against the zipper on his jeans. God, they were a team.

  “Ready to go make some art?” he asked.

  She nodded. “As we were driving down the hill, did you notice how pretty the scene was? I wonder if we could recreate the barn somehow.”

  “Damn! I was thinking the same thing. We were meant to be thrown together here.”

  “I don’t know that I believe in predestination, but it seems to be working in our favor this week.” Jac’s smoky laugh curled around his heart and tugged.

  Twisting on the bench seat toward her, Luke ran his left hand up her arm, over her shoulder and into her hair. Applying the slightest pressure, he pulled her forward to meet his lips.

  Pleasure burst through him when she opened her mouth. He stroked her tongue with his, tangling them together as he deepened the kiss. Her light touch on his chest inflamed him, making him want more. Even though his hands itched to test the weight and warmth of her breasts, he refrained from reaching for them. Instead, he settled for stroking his knuckles down her arms, allowing them to brush across the seductive slope. Her nipples hardened as he slipped his fingers over their crests.

  She moaned and pulled away from his marauding lips. “Luke, we really shouldn’t do this here. What if someone sees?”

  “I can’t seem to make myself stop.” He pressed his mouth to hers again.

  She eased back, but leaned her forehead to his, maintaining contact. Her dainty hands landed on his knees. “There will be other chances. We’ll be here all week.”

  He sq
ueezed his eyes shut. Would a week be long enough? “We do live in the same town, so we can keep seeing each other, right?”

  Leaning away, desire mixed with resoluteness when she gazed at him. Jac searched his face before replying. “With things so up in the air for me, I’m not sure what my status will be in the next few weeks. I don’t . . . I don’t think we should plan too far in the future at this point. Who knows where I’ll land, and you said yourself you have a heavy workload. But we should make the most of our time here.”

  Realization stung like a wasp, swift and sharp. She wasn’t looking forward the way he was. He should be happy to have a no-strings attached relationship. But, dammit! He was certain he wanted more. At least more than she seemed willing to give. “I understand. But what if I don’t want just a quick fling? What if I want more?” His tone came across flat. And maybe a little cold.

  Her head jerked up and her stare snagged him. “I don’t know, Luke. I can’t make any commitment at this point. I’d like to enjoy our time here, but if all you want is a teammate, I can make that work too.”

  Shit! A work-only relationship wasn’t what he wanted. He could negotiate union agreements and complex financial service contracts without anything more than a pad of paper and a pencil. Navigating this situation was proving impossible. “If that’s what you want. For the record, I don’t see us only being a team as far as business is concerned.”

  Conflict flared in her expression, her brows drawing together, creating a cute dimple between them. She pressed her lips together as she scooted away from him and off the seat. “We should go in.”

  She stalked toward the building. Is she mad? Damned if he could understand why. Or drag his eyes away from the sexy sway of her hips as she crossed to the open door.