Risking the Vine (Romancing the Vine Book 1) (4 page)

He’d believe in her innocence if he didn’t glimpse the merriment twinkling in her eyes. “I don’t think those guys even knew you slammed them as loudmouths. You buried the slur pretty deep in the happy drunk charade. How’d you learn to do that?”

Pursing her lips, she regarded him as if considering whether to tell the truth or not. “Some guys don’t really listen to your words. You can say almost anything you want and if you do it with a cute pout or a little giggle, they’ll never know you just called them a bad name.”

He laughed. “They were jerks. I wanted to deck FIG.”

“Aw, he’s just a sheep in wolf’s clothing.”

“You did it again.” He wove their fingers together. “Ready to head back to the house?”

Jac swept a wistful glance at the vineyard stretching out before them. “I suppose.”

“We’ll be here all week. We can come back tomorrow, if you like,” he offered.

“Yeah, I’d like.”

When she pressed her lips to his cheek they reminded him of smooth satin. A slight sigh escaped her lips as she started up the path. She pulled gently on his hand until he fell in beside her.

The walk back to the main house passed in silence. Night blooming jasmine scented the air with a sweet, tangy aroma. Luke found perfection in the moment, and the company. The spring on the screen twanged as he pulled it open to usher Jac inside. A pang of nostalgia, along with a strong peaceful sensation, wafted along his senses.

Without the distractions of the office, the nurses’ unions, the budgeting nightmares, and unruly interns, Luke felt . . . happy. For the first time since he’d moved to Oregon.

Jules, seated at her desk as they passed by the office door, lifted a hand and called out goodnight. Jac preceded him up the stairs, her really fine ass showcased in brown straight-leg jeans. Luke caught himself licking his lips.

Down, boy
! For Christ’s sake, he was as bad as FIG. It wouldn’t do to get his hopes up. After all, he and Jac barely knew each other. And they’d be in close proximity for the rest of the week. Not to mention, she lived in the same town as he did. There’d be time to let the attraction he felt for her grow.

Following her down the hallway was an exercise in restraint. He shoved his fist into his pocket as Jac slowed to a stop in front of her door. Standing by silently, he waited until she unlocked the door. She pushed the wooden panel inward.

Turned to face him.

A smile teased her lips. “I’d say this has felt a bit like a date. Except we already shared a goodnight kiss.”

“Are you sure? I kind of thought the peck under the tree was just a warm-up.”

“If that was just practice, I’d say you were ready for the big leagues.” Her eyes lit up. She dipped her gaze to his lips while her tongue trailed over hers.

No further encouragement needed, Luke leaned down and captured her mouth, slanting a tender kiss there. He traced the outline of her lips with his tongue, restraining himself from going any further.

Jac broke the seal between their lips and smiled into his eyes as she cupped his cheek. “Goodnight, Luke.”

“Goodnight, Jac. I’ll see you tomorrow for breakfast.”

She slipped through her open door. Holding his gaze with hers, she slid the door shut with a tilt to her lips and a quiet snick of the lock.

A beautiful smile he wouldn’t soon forget.

Chapter 4

The repeated chirp of an alert on her phone woke Jac. Sunlight filtered through a gap in the curtains. Her head ached a little, nothing serious, just enough for her to know she’d had one glass of wine too many last night. The throbbing in her temples matched the persistent throb between her legs. Another reminder of last night.

Groaning, she reached for the harbinger of bad news still chirping on the bedside table. Who in the office would be calling her at this hour? Oh hell, she’d overslept. She sat up sharply, clutching a hand to her head as it spun in protest. The display revealed her the name of a woman in her department.

She cleared her throat before answering. “Hey, Valerie. Good morning.” Thank heavens she didn’t sound like she’d woken from a drunken stupor.

“Have you heard?” the woman demanded without even a hello. A constant source of office gossip, Valerie sat in the cube next to Jac’s.

Whatever it was, it sounded like a job for ‘SuperJac.’ She relaxed against the headboard preparing to right what injustice had been done. “Have I heard what?”

“They’re promoting Deidre.” Disgust flattened Valerie’s tone.

Jac’s world reeled Tilt-A-Whirl-style.
Shit!
That wasn’t what she’d expected. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Ted is giving the job,
your
job, to the most incompetent woman working here.”

“But . . . I don’t understand. How can he do this? Didn’t I just save the biggest client yesterday after she messed up the account? Hang on.” Jac pulled the phone from her ear to consult the display. She swiped her way into her office email account. Pressure built in her chest, rolling to a slow boil.

She jabbed the button to put Valerie on speaker. “I mean, good grief! There are six emails from Deidre already this morning begging for help.”

“I know. She was in a tizzy yesterday because you were out of the office and couldn’t cover for her.”

“You’ve got to be wrong, Valerie. Ted wouldn’t do this to me.” He couldn’t. Not after he’d promised her.

“‘Fraid so. I got in early and went to the break room to start a pot of coffee. Ted was already there with Tammy from HR discussing the big announcement. They’re calling a staff meeting at two this afternoon to share the good news, as Ted put it.”

Jac visualized Valerie sketching air quotes around the words
good news
. “What the fu—” She cut off the profanity before she could utter it. Swearing wasn’t going to help. “This is all kinds of messed up.”

“Tell me about it. I’m going to have to find a new job. I can’t work for her.” Valerie snorted. “Deidre is stunningly clueless about how things work here. Can you imagine her trying to lead a team?”

Jac couldn’t. That’s why she was away from the office at a team-building seminar. To learn how to be a good manager.
I guess if I’d come from the same genetic line as Ted Fleury, I’d have had a shot at the promotion
. But she wasn’t family. And she wasn’t ever going to be promoted to the position she’d worked so damned hard for. A yawning pit of anger and sadness claimed her gut, the resulting nausea definitely not a side effect of the lovely cabernet she’d consumed last night.

Drawing her knees to her chest, she rested her cheek atop them, phone clutched in her hand. Her mind raced as fast as her heart, trying to figure out what to do about the turn of events. She could find another job easily, but . . .

“You still there?” Valerie asked.

Shoving away anxiety over the idea of searching for a new job, Jac released a resigned breath. “Yeah. Just trying to sort it all out.”

Valerie murmured soothing sounds in Jac’s ear. “Ted’s making a huge mistake. The job should be yours. No one is going to be happy about it.”

“It’s his company. He should be able to promote whomever he wants.”

“I wish, for once, you wouldn’t defend him. He’s screwing you royally on this. Bad decisions impact the bottom line. This one is going to bite him in the ass. I don’t know how you can stay so calm.”

“Years of practice.” Jac straightened her spine. It wouldn’t do her any good to stress about it. She couldn’t change anything. “Listen, just do your work today. And don’t do anything rash. Remember the best time to find a new job is while you still have the old one. Don’t worry about me. I’m sure Ted has something good in mind for me.”

It would be great if Jac felt as confident as she sounded. As she disconnected from the call with Valerie, the phone chirped again.

Ted
. No way in hell was she going to take this call. The sting was too fresh.

She stared at the display until it faded, waiting for the icon signaling she had voicemail. Clenching her teeth, she tossed the phone to the bed as if it burned like acid. This wasn’t going to get her down. She wouldn’t let it.

Glancing around the dim room, her gaze lighted on her suitcase. She should pack and head home to start her own job search. Being here only prolonged the inevitable. Ted had screwed her over, just like last time.

But if she weren’t here, she would have missed the opportunity to get to know Luke better. So far, he was the one bright spot in her week. He was captivating, handsome, and nicer than Bella’s stories had led her to believe. And he kissed like a dream. She ran a fingertip over her mouth, recalling the taste and texture of him.

Straightening, she came to a decision. She’d stay with the team building class. Ted had already paid for her trip here. And Luke made it attractive to remain. Plus, completing the course would be a great addition to the résumé she was already writing in her mind. Because, even though she’d decided to stay here at the vineyard and learn everything she could, Ted didn’t deserve to benefit from the knowledge she gained. And she wouldn’t stay at MedServices. She couldn’t. Not now.

She shoved the covers aside and swung her feet to the floor. The hardwood chilled her toes as she marched to the bathroom. A fast shower would ease the last of the ache in her head and, hopefully, wash away any remaining doubts about her future.

Twenty minutes later, she walked into the dining room. BIG and FIG waved to her from the end of the table, where they sat with the lady lawyers. Luke was on the opposite end, facing the door. His head was down as he read something on his phone. He glanced up as she crossed the space between them. A broad smile lit his face as she approached. He stood when she stopped next to him.

Jac laid her hand on the back of a chair. “May I join you?”

“You don’t need to ask.” His fingers brushed hers as he pulled the chair out.

“I’ll grab a plate and be right back.”

His gaze seared into her like a brand as she moved away to the sideboard. Not that she minded. It was nice to have his attention. As she filled her plate with eggs and bacon, her stomach rebelled a little.
Stupid nerves
. She should focus on Luke’s continued scrutiny and not the looming uncertainty of her professional future.

She added a cup of coffee to her load, balancing everything as she made the return trip to Luke’s side. Concentrating on setting down her food, she avoided his eyes as she took her seat.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “You look like you got some bad news.”

She glanced up sharply.
Damn!
So much for thinking she’d hidden the emotions boiling under the surface. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing, Jac. I can see you are upset about something.” He covered her hand where it rested on the table.

The warmth from his palm helped ease the seething mass of emotions fighting for her attention. She blinked against the sting his gesture had freed, sucking in a deep breath. “I just found out I didn’t get the promotion I thought I was getting.” She didn’t feel any better uttering the words aloud.

His hand tightened on her fingers as he dipped his head toward her. “I’m sorry.”

Jac shrugged.

“What are you going to do now?” Luke’s solid, comforting voice teased away a bit of her tension.

She jerked a shoulder. “Don’t know. Maybe I’ll find some land, go into debt, and start raising free-range chickens.”

Luke threw his head back and laughed. “That a girl. When one dream cracks, make scrambled eggs.”

A smirk formed on her lips. She shook her head, prodding her eggs with a fork. “There’s a novel take on lemons and lemonade.”

“This is team building. We’re supposed to look at things differently. I’m just getting in the spirit.” Luke rolled up his shirtsleeves, exposing the smattering of dark hair on his forearms. The casual look, paired with jeans that hugged his thighs, was drop dead sexy.

Jac’s breath caught in her lungs. She needed to stop mentally undressing him and thinking about the body under his clothes. Giving herself an inner scolding, she focused on making acceptable conversation. “How’s this for different . . . I’m making a fur coat out of a hair shirt.” Oh Lord, talk about a way to make a guy uncomfortable. Even the mere mention of a hair shirt was bound to turn him off. What was she thinking? Or, rather, why was she letting her ovaries do the thinking?

He winced, shifting his shoulders. “Good one. How about adding ham and cheese on ‘sour’ dough bread.”

“Now we’re stretching it a bit.” Jac felt lighter at the moment than she had since the phone jolted her awake this morning. “Seriously, though, I can’t keep working for MedServices. This is the second time my boss has promoted a less qualified family member over me. I know they’ll expect me to train this woman, just like last time. I’m already rewriting my résumé in my mind.” It was a crying shame her heart wasn’t in it. She enjoyed her job and most of her co-workers.

“That’s the problem with working for a family owned business. They’ll take you for granted every time. It isn’t any better in the corporate world, Jac. Most businesses are designed to promote mediocrity.” Luke reached for his juice glass. His knuckles turned white as he grasped it. A shadow passed over his face.

“It appears I’m not the only one experiencing the blue Mondays on a Tuesday.”

Luke glanced at his phone and grimaced. “Nope. Another problem came up yesterday between the nurses and doctors. HR is handling the situation, but they keep emailing. And the nurses’ union is exercising their early-up option on contract negotiations. But this isn’t about me. It’s about what you’re going to do now. And what I can do to help.”

“Why would you go out on a limb for me? You hardly know me. You wouldn’t have a clue about what kind of work ethic I have.”

“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.