Hot Alphas Page 28

  “I’m sorry.” He frowned and stepped closer. “You okay? Marc Reed just left. He was here all day so we could go over plans with the vineyard. He’s planning to come next week when you bottle.”

  “Yeah. He texted me earlier, asked if I wanted to go to lunch with you two.” She paused at the front steps. “Look, Nate. I’m in a hurry. I’m going into town to see Dad, and if I want to take him to dinner, I have to get there soon. They start serving around five and I’m afraid he’ll forget I called and told him I was coming.”

  He backed off. “Okay. That’s fine. Guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” He turned abruptly and walked away, back toward the barn. Cassie walked up the stairs, went inside, put her mail and backpack down. She got as far as the bedroom before she burst into tears.

  * * *

  Obviously last night hadn’t had the same impact on Cassie as it had had on him. Nate walked back to the barn with his head spinning. He wasn’t angry with her, or even hurt. Mostly confused. As in, how to fix this and make it better. Last night probably shouldn’t have happened, but he couldn’t regret what had arguably been the best sex in his life. He really liked Cassie. She was smart and funny and drop-dead gorgeous, but she also had a hell of a lot on her plate right now.

  Her world was in turmoil, and having him move in and slide right into her bed couldn’t have looked good in the cold light of day. Somehow, he had to let her know how much it had meant to him while at the same time making sure she didn’t feel as if she owed him anything or had to act differently around him.

  Okay. That was about as sensitive as he could manage. What he really wanted was to go back to her little cottage and screw the night away, but this job was too important to take a chance like that. Especially after what Marc Reed had said just before he left, a warning that made Nate wonder if the guy had been able to tell what he and Cass had been up to last night.

  “Cassie Phillips is the heart and soul of this winery. She’s smart, she’s beautiful, and she’s got skills I can’t even imagine. I like you, Nate, and I think you’ll be a great asset to this company, but if there’s a problem between you and Cass, she stays.” Then he’d smiled at Nate like it was no big deal when he added, “I know it’s not fair and probably not what any man wants to hear, but I can’t afford to lose her, so what I’m saying is, don’t fuck with the winemaker.”

  Well, nothing like putting it all out there, though Nate actually had to admire the man’s attitude. Cassie had proven herself—no doubt about that. He’d researched the Tangled Vines history and they consistently scored well in all the big competitions. Expenses were historically low, profits high—until her father had made some bad business decisions.

  Despite those, Cassie had her record to stand on. Nate had zip. And beyond that, he really liked her. He hated that Cass might feel uncomfortable around him because of last night.

  He went upstairs and looked at the pile of bags and boxes that he hadn’t had time to put away. Marc Reed had shown up at seven this morning, driving in from San Francisco a lot earlier than Nate had expected. He’d barely gotten out of the shower in time to meet his boss downstairs. They’d had a full day—a good day—and Nate had been impressed with both the man and the vineyards.

  They’d gotten a good look at the piece of property on the other side of West Dry Creek Road, the sloping hillsides covered with some really old vines and an absolutely magnificent wine cave. He didn’t think Cassie even noticed he and Marc had been there—she’d been on the phone with a local mobile bottling company that would come in and do the bottling next week. She’d been talking inert gas and filtration, capsules, and corks—a totally different language than his part of the process.

  He’d wanted to stay and listen longer, just to watch her in action. She’d been magnificent in bed last night—she was every bit as sexy in work clothes with a phone stuck to her ear.

  He’d been positive she was wearing another pair of those sexy little thong underwear.

  And she’d essentially just told him to get lost.

  * * *

  Cassie glanced at the upper story of the barn and saw movement behind one of the windows. She wondered if Nate saw her leave, wondered if he even cared. How the hell had this happened? A one nightstand. That’s all it was, all it could be. She was supposed to work with him, not sleep with him. But last night … last night had been amazing. She’d tried not thinking about him during the day. There was so much she had to get done before next week, but she’d found herself drifting off, wishing they’d had more time to explore all the things he’d teased her about wanting to do.

  Places he wanted to taste, to bite. To lick. Her insides clenched and her nipples poked against her bra. “Aaaarrrrrrgggghhhhhh!” She pounded her fist on the steering wheel and shoved Nathan Dunagan out of her mind. She was going to see her dad. Take him out to dinner, have a nice, quiet evening with him. Then she was going home and going to bed at a decent hour. Alone. She could do this.

  She hoped.

  Cassie parked next to the main dining room. She’d tried calling her father again to remind him, but he hadn’t answered. It was early enough; she hoped to catch him before he ordered his dinner here. Or she could join him in the dining room.

  “Hey, Cassie. What are you doing here this late in the day?” Annie, the assistant manager, greeted her from the entrance.

  “Thought I’d come by and see if Dad wanted to go out to dinner. Have you seen him?” She glanced toward the dining room where residents were already filing in and finding tables.

  Annie shook her head. “Didn’t he tell you? Colonel Mac went out to dinner with his friend Benny White and Benny’s son Jayson. I’m not sure which restaurant, though they were planning to stay in town to eat. I could call Benny and see where they are.”

  Cassie shook her head. “That’s not necessary.” Her dad must be having a good day if he was up to dinner out with his friend. Benny was sharp as a tack and really good about keeping an eye on her father. “Just tell him I’m sorry I missed him, that I’ll come by tomorrow. It’s so busy right now that I didn’t get by yesterday.”

  “I’m sure he understands. I talked to him this afternoon and he sounded really good. Your father’s got a terrific sense of humor.”

  “He does. Thanks, Annie. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  She got back in her truck and sat there a moment. “Now, what?” Her stomach rumbled, and she thought of Nate. He was probably still at the ranch, trying to figure out what to eat. She’d bought a few things for his refrigerator, but not much.

  She still felt really bad about how rude she’d been this afternoon.

  It wouldn’t take long to stop at the market on the corner. They had a terrific deli.

  * * *

  Nate heard a car in the drive and glanced out the window in time to see Cassie’s truck returning. She hadn’t been gone long. And she was pulling in to the parking area in front of the barn. Curious, Nate shoved the last of his socks into the dresser drawer and headed down the stairs.

  Cassie was just raising her hand to knock when he opened the door. She had a large tote bag full of something that smelled really good.

  “I’ve come with a peace offering.”

  “I didn’t know we were at war.” He smiled at her and stepped back, holding the door.

  She set everything on a trestle table that took up a large part of the tasting room. “We’re not, but I owe you an apology. I’m sorry I was so rude today. You didn’t deserve that, especially after leaving me fresh coffee.” She glanced at him and then began unloading the bags.

  “And flowers.” He pulled a couple of containers out and set them, still closed, on the table beside the ones Cassie had unloaded.

  “Well, you get half a point for the flowers. They did come out of my garden.”

  “Okay, but I should get three points for the coffee. I had to grind it. Don’t you know about instant?”

  “The devil’s brew.” She flashed him a quick grin. “Only fresh groun
d. No substitutes accepted.”

  “I’ll make note of that.”

  “Silverware’s in the drawer by the sink. Paper plates in the cupboard.”

  He grabbed a couple of knives and forks, found the plates and paper towels to use for napkins, and brought them back to the table. Cassie had laid out everything from green salad to pasta, fresh grilled salmon and what looked like enchiladas and Chinese fried rice.

  “We’re eating a multinational feast?”

  She laughed and took a seat across from him. “I know better than to go into that place when I’m hungry. It may not go together, but I can guarantee that it’s all good.”

  “Did you want wine?” He started to rise.

  Shaking her head, she said, “You’re kidding, right? Wine got me into too much trouble last night. I think I’ll stick to water, thank you. Sit. I’ll get it.”

  She filled a couple of wineglasses with water and brought them to the table. Nate held his up in a toast and she clicked the rim of her glass to his. She might be laughing, but he sensed the underlying tension. She really was upset about last night. Damn. Best night of his life and he had a feeling Cassie wasn’t interested in a repeat. “I’m sorry you feel that way. I shouldn’t have pressured you.”

  “You didn’t. I wanted you. If things were different, I’d be doing a lot more than going home to sleep alone after we’re finished with dinner.” She reached across the table and wrapped her fingers around his wrist. “Last night was really wonderful.”

  He liked the fact her hands were callused, her nails short and square. He turned his wrist and grabbed her hand. “But?” He tilted his head and stared into those beautiful blue eyes.

  “But this isn’t the right time, Nate. I’ve got to concentrate on my job, on making this last bottling of Tangled Vines absolutely perfect. In a way, it’s my dad’s legacy. He built this winery. Did you know this was a dairy barn at one time? Years ago there were cows out here, not grapes. He left a couple of acres of the old vines the family had planted for their own use, but everything else, he planted. He loved the place, but it’s going to have a new name and, at some point, a new winemaker. I want everything to be perfect for this last wine that’s all his.”

  “Will he know?” Nate squeezed her hand, ran his thumb over the backs of her fingers.

  She sat there for a long moment, staring beyond Nate, lost in whatever memories his question had pulled free. Finally, she shook her head and sniffed.

  “For a while, probably. I’ll take him a case. I haven’t brought him out here and he doesn’t want to come. The fact I’m not in the main house, that I’m living in the cottage…” She shrugged. “That would hurt him too much. Even seeing you living here, running the vineyard instead of Lupe. I think it would be too confusing. And it would be so damned hard, to see him hurting. No matter how confused he’s gotten at times, he still has such horrible guilt over losing this place. There’s nothing I can do to fix that.”

  They finished eating, and Cassie stood and started gathering the leftovers. Nate grabbed the dirty silverware and glasses, and they had it all cleaned up within a couple of minutes. Cassie packed everything up in the tote and handed it to Nate. “Stick this in your refrigerator upstairs. I didn’t leave much food here for you, and I know you haven’t had time to get to town.”

  “Thank you.” He took the bag and set it on the table. Took a risk and asked her, “Will you let me kiss you good night? Friends?”

  She tilted her head and stared at him in that unnerving way she had. “This is probably a huge mistake.” But she stepped into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist.

  She fit absolutely perfectly. He cupped the back of her head in his palm, wrapped his free arm around her, and pulled her close with firm pressure against her back.

  And he kissed her.

  She sighed and kissed him back. And then, as much as he wanted to take this so much further, he ended the kiss and stepped back.

  She stared at him a moment, blinking owlishly, and then she smiled. “G’night, Nate. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “If you’ve got some time tomorrow, I’d like to walk the vineyard with you, find out the history of the various sections, what you’ve got planted where.”

  “Give me a call. Once I get going, I’ll have a better idea of my schedule. Good night.”

  “Thanks for dinner, Cassie.”

  She turned and waved as she headed out the door. “And the kiss,” he added, but he didn’t think she heard.

  * * *

  Benny and his kid walked Mac back to his room. They’d had an excellent dinner in town, lots of good conversation. The best part was, Benny’s kid picked up the tab. Mac waved them off and thanked both men for an enjoyable evening, and then he went into his room.

  That was the most fun he’d had in a long time. Benny had worked for a Washington security firm back in the seventies, and his stories from inside the beltway were every bit as good as Mac’s. In fact, their work had overlapped at times, though they’d never met before both of them had settled here in Healdsburg.

  Mac had talked tonight about things he’d not spoken of for over forty years, and he had to admit, it felt good to get some of that off his chest. He had to be careful, though. Some of those bastards he’d collected information on were still in politics, and they’d continued to move up the ladder, taking all those steps on the backs of innocent people.

  One in particular, and because of him, Mac’s career had gone down in flames. It still made him angry, but what was a man to do? All that information, years of intelligence gathering, and he’d been forbidden to use it. Early retirement hadn’t been bad, though. He’d met Melinda, they’d had Cassie, built Tangled Vines.

  The hell of it was, though, he’d lost the vineyard. The winery. His daughter’s house.

  But he still had the briefcase.

  He crawled into bed, thinking about the secrets he’d held on to. Cassette tapes and photos, hard evidence that could end careers, and he’d saved all of it. So many years, so much left in the dark corners of his mind.

  A mind growing darker by the day.

  * * *

  Cassie parked in front of the cottage and carried her purse and keys inside. It was still warm out, the evening was calm and it wasn’t completely dark. She wasn’t ready to go to bed, didn’t want to work on anything that required using her brain, and she really didn’t want to think about Nate.

  Not easy, especially after that kiss. So sweet and totally nonthreatening. But she knew what he could do with those lips, that tongue. Those teeth.

  Her breasts actually felt heavy. All she’d done was think about him. “Girl, you are so screwed.” She put on a sweatshirt to keep the mosquitoes away, grabbed a flashlight, and went outside. At the back edge of the property that ran along the west side of Dry Creek was a favorite spot of her mother’s, a two-acre parcel of very old, gnarled and twisted vines. They’d been part of the original homestead and had withstood flood years and dry years, and her father’s original intention to pull them out and plant new stock.

  But her mom had stood firm. She’d said they were survivors, and so was she. She’d loved the vines. Loved their age and their shapes, the way the grapes hung in heavy, dark purple clumps, year after year. They didn’t produce much, but Mac had given in—as he always did with the wife he adored—and the vines stayed.

  Her mom hadn’t, but Cassie and her dad had agreed that Melinda Phillips’s spirit was still here, in this little bit of vineyard that she’d loved. So were her ashes. They’d scattered them, just she and her dad, after Mom died. Even if it was only in their imaginations, Cassie and her father had agreed that, ever since that solemn day, the grapes from this two-acre plot had given something to the wines he and Cassie made that no one else could match.

  Probably why Cassie always felt closest to her mom out here. The juice from these grapes had something special. Year after year, she’d blended them with the other lots of Zinfandel in measured quan
tities, and they’d always produced award-winning wines.

  It made her feel as if she had her mom’s blessing.

  “Cassie? Is that you?”

  At least he didn’t startle her this time. She’d thought that was him walking down the road. “Hi, Nate. What’re you doing out here?”

  He stood in front of her, forcing her to look up. “I saw someone hanging around the door to the cave a few minutes ago, so I walked over to check. Everything’s locked up tight. Couldn’t find anybody, but I know there was someone there.”

  “How could you see anyone?” She stood up and gazed through the darkness at the single light still visible over the heavy door to the cave. The cave and the few acres of old vine grapes were on the other side of the narrow road, across from the main vineyard and houses, and the door itself was hidden behind trees between here and the hillside.

  “From my bedroom window. I noticed the car, first. He’d parked it on the road and must have hopped the fence. I used my binoculars. Average-size guy, dark hair, but too far away to make out features. He tried the lock on the door, looked around, and then walked back to the car. A minute later, I saw lights on the road. Had to be him driving away. I went over to check, and everything is okay.”

  She frowned. “Thank you. I appreciate your checking, but what could he have wanted? I mean, we have our wine archived—bottles of our wines from over the years are stored in the cave. And the barrels of wine, of course, but nothing worth stealing.”

  “I don’t know. That’s a good lock on the door, and the electronic keypad is top quality, so it should be secure. It just seemed odd that someone was trying to get in.” He glanced at the old vines and nonchalantly said, “These really need to come out. Marc and I were talking about trying some Chardonnay down here by the creek. It’s cooler and…”

  “You pull these vines out, I can guarantee my wines won’t win another award.”

  He laughed and walked over to one gnarled old vine that looked more dead than alive. “I find that hard to believe. How old are these?”