St. Helena Vineyard Series: Plumb Crazy About You Page 3

  Cassie moved on ahead, taking pictures, then reached out to open the door.

  She froze, her body rigid. Only her ponytail peeking out from behind her baseball cap moved in the breeze.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Rattlesnake. Don’t come any closer.”

  He stopped and firmed his grip on the handle of the shovel.

  “Where is it?”

  “Inside the door.”

  “Is it coiled or moving?”

  “Moving. Your direction.”

  He saw it now, sliding next to Cassie’s boot, heading for a good-sized boulder in front and to the right of him. If it hid under the edge, it would still be in striking distance, once Cassie moved.

  “You okay? I see you have a death grip on the door.”

  “Funny you mention death. I forgot to bring the first aid kit. It should be too late in the year for snakes.” She paused and took a few shallow breaths. Her back barely moved. “Where is it now?”

  “Behind you, heading toward me. I’m sending out snake pheromones, trying to entice it in my direction.”

  “Yeah, how are you doing that?”

  “Wiggling my body just enough to attract his attention.”

  “Don’t do anything foolish, Nick. He’ll probably crawl under a rock and take a nap.”

  “Come on baby, just a little further, come to daddy. That’s it. Ooh, want to play rough, do you.”

  “What’s it doing?” She sounded a bit panicky. “Curling up a bit. Oh, be like that. You don’t like me? Well guess what, I don’t like you either.”

  He raised the shovel and took aim at the head. With a sharp downward stroke he severed the neck.

  “Nick!”

  “It’s okay. You can turn around now.”

  Her eyes widened as she saw the dead snake.

  “How did you do that?”

  “Skill and science, my dear. Skill and science.” He pretended to smooth an imaginary handlebar mustache while he waggled his eyebrows.

  Cassie ran over and threw her arms around him and pressed herself to him. The little lady had curves under her flannel shirt. They pressed nicely against his chest.

  She let go and looked up into his eyes, a crimson flush on her cheeks. “Sorry, but thank you seemed totally inadequate for what you did. And you looked like you needed a hug.” She studied the dead snake. “That is the biggest rattler I’ve ever seen. Felled by a city boy. I’m impressed.”

  Nick’s heart rate was fast enough without Cassie pressed against his side. “Lucky shot.”

  `He tried to grin, but the adrenaline was wearing off and to his embarrassment his jeans were getting tight.

  She moved away. “I owe you a big steak at the Sweet and Savory Bistro and one of St. Helena’s best cabernets. Let’s call it a day unless you want to take a look at the well.” She shuddered. “I don’t want to take a chance on any of this guy’s relatives being in there.”

  “Good idea. We’ll mark the location and when we do the survey Monday we’ll bring our snake spray with us.”

  She ran her tongue over those sexy lips and cocked her head. “Snake spray?”

  “They have a spray for everything else. Must be one for snakes.”

  She started to laugh. Her entire face lit up and soon he was laughing with her. Yup, the adrenaline rush had finally worn off.

  Nick inclined his head toward the snake. “Should we bring him along? You might make boots out of him.”

  “Nope. We’ll leave him for the turkey vultures. I know they clean up road kill. They’ll love this guy.”

  They picked up their gear and walked side by side up the hill. A couple of times Cassie reached out and touched him, like she wanted to make sure he was still there.

  It was friendly, but it was also reassuring, like she was telling him she was not quite okay yet, but knew she would be as long as he was in reach. He’d never had anyone depend on him before. It was a feeling he might get used to.

  They stowed the equipment in the jeep and headed back to the office. A glorious sunset framed orange and gold vineyards in full senescence.

  God I love it here.

  He looked at the profile of the woman next to him.

  Maybe the town wasn’t the only thing that was good for him.

  Chapter Four

  Mac and Maddie lived east of town between the Napa River and the Silverado Trail, a picturesque part of the valley surrounded by vineyards and wineries. Their property gave them enough space for Maddie’s garden and Mac’s barn where he tinkered with old farm equipment. Once-rusted tractors, plows, and seeders—now brightly painted—lined the driveway leading to the front of the house. The back area had a chain link fence to keep Jax confined.

  Cassie had promised to buy Nick dinner last night as a thank you for keeping her from the mortuary. But he’d talked her into barbecuing steaks out at Mac’s, instead. She agreed because it meant she didn’t have to get dressed up and get ogled by town gossips. On Saturday nights at least a half dozen people she knew ate at the Bistro, the local hotspot where she’d planned to take Nick. She could already hear them whispering amongst themselves. Where did Cassie Larkin find a guy like that?

  She’d already encountered Nora Kincaid in Picker’s Produce Meats and More. When she asked for two thick rib eye steaks Nora peeked around the canned goods and peppered her with questions.

  No, she wasn’t going to eat them by herself. No, her parents weren’t in town. Yes, they were big…maybe equivalent to half a cow. Yes, she was kidding.

  Her purchase of a bottle of Red Steel Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine that won the Cork Crawl last year, ate up her entire food budget for the week, but it was the very best wine in the valley and she’d been dying to taste it. Fortunately, no one she knew was in Bottles and Bottles, the town’s pharmacy and wine store, at the time.

  Nick said he’d make a salad and slice and barbecue one of the super-sized zucchinis Maddie missed when she did her daily harvesting. Too much food for two, but she was not going to count calories tonight.

  She stepped out of Bomber and adjusted her jeans. Her sister had sent them for her last birthday along with a snarky note about needing to improve her wardrobe. She wasn’t used to designer labels, but tonight she’d wanted to make an effort to look good. Her soft alpaca sweater hugged her curves and tempered the coolness of the evening and the heeled sandals, unearthed from the back of her closet, added an inch to her height. She’d even put on a touch of makeup.

  If Victoria could see her she’d say wow, big sister cleans up nice. No, she’d actually say, “Get real. No matter what you do, you’re still Cassie with the chunky chassis.” Mom would let her because spoiled Victoria could do no wrong.

  She would not let thoughts of her family ruin her evening.

  Funny how a single terror-filled incident had changed her view of Nick the might-be-rival for buying Mac’s business. If she’d been bitten, he would have gotten her to the hospital in time.

  But she’d never had her own personal hero and it was kind of nice to think a man cared about her…especially a man who looked like he could pose for underwear ads.

  She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

  “Hey.” Nick took the meat package and wine from her hands and stood back for her to enter. She walked straight to the kitchen. Nick padded along behind her in jeans, Henley shirt and bare feet.

  “Something smells good in here. Like cherry pie.”

  “Something looks good in here, too.” He winked as he put the wine and meat on the counter and gave her one of those panty-wetting smiles that made all her sensitive parts melt into a gooey ball. “I like your hair loose. You should wear it down more often.”

  “Right. The gophers and field mice would do happy dances when I’m out doing a survey.” She made herself at home on a high stool on the other side of the counter. She watched as Nick unwrapped the meat, set it on a platter with waxed paper, and applied a rub with sure strokes. The zucchini was already slice
d with a little olive oil, ready for the grill.

  “You sure have trouble taking compliments, don’t you?”

  She shrugged. It was part of her inferiority complex, but she didn’t know how to overcome it. So she did what she usually did when someone got a little too close to subjects she didn’t want to talk about. She asked a question.

  “Can I help? I haven’t been out here in over a month but I know where the wine glasses are kept and I can set the table for you.”

  He grinned, looking right into her eyes, and her fingers clutched the edge of the counter. “All done. We’re eating outside.”

  He took the meat and vegetables out where a gas grill had already warmed. The meat went on with a sizzle and the lid came down. “I’ll put on the zucchini when I turn the meat.”

  The picnic table had a plastic red and white checked tablecloth, Maddie’s outdoor dishes, and cabernet glasses with a local wine logo. He opened the wine, poured a tiny bit in a glass and handed it to her. “Here, you do the honors.”

  She took it and smiled. Turning her attention to the wine, she swirled, watching the jewel-like colors lap the edge of her glass. Lifting it to her nose she inhaled, absorbing the spice and fruit-forward berry aroma of the wine, and when she let the liquid satin slip past her tongue into her throat she closed her eyes, threw back her head and moaned. It was liquid heaven, moving sinuously through her body like a lover’s caress. She lifted her chin, thrust out her chest and let the seductive sensations overwhelm her. “Oh God, oh God, yes, yes.”

  She didn’t realize she was panting until she opened her eyes and stared directly into Nick’s, not six inches from hers.

  His jaw was slack, his empty glass in one hand and the bottle in the other, and he looked at her like she’d just experienced some kind of spiritual awakening.

  He stepped closer, a sultry look in those gorgeous eyes.

  She whispered, “Do you want to try it?” He nodded, freed his hands, and took the glass from hers. He set it down, never breaking eye contact.

  He drew her into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers, increasing his hold when her mouth opened under his. She gasped for air, meeting his tongue. Sharp sensation shot through her. The kiss was dark, demanding and erotic. A sense of urgency welled up inside her as if she’d finally found something she’d been seeking.

  His mouth moved over hers. It wasn’t the most efficient way to taste the wine, but God she didn’t want him to stop. Her breasts tightened against his chest and she reached up to stroke the back of his neck as his hands cupped her backside and pulled her against his body. A hard ridge pressed against her belly. By the time he let her go, her heart was beating like a bass drum at a halftime show.

  He blinked. “You’re right. That wine has some unusual characteristics.” He stepped back, the intensity not leaving his eyes, his hands holding her head. He looked like he might kiss her again.

  Well that was unexpected.

  And this was even before the salad course.

  She moved away to get her breath. “There’s a better way to taste the wine.”

  “I doubt that.”

  His empty glass was on the table behind her. She filled it and refilled her own, trying not to spill. Her hands were shaking.

  They clinked glasses, their gazes holding like lovers in a Hallmark movie. She had to break the tension that seemed to keep them from moving past kissing distance.

  She glanced at the table, willing her heart to stop beating in her ears and other places.

  “Nice salad.”

  Was he going to move? He finally ambled over to the grill. “I confess it’s from a bag. But I added Maddie’s tomatoes.”

  “Then I guess you’re forgiven.” She turned around and smiled. “For everything.”

  “Good because…”

  “…because you have a girlfriend.”

  The smell of cooking beef sizzled behind her as he turned the steaks. “The answer is yes and no.” He sprinkled lemon pepper and seasoning salt over the top and closed the lid. “I have a girlfriend. When I get back home, I won’t.”

  Was he the dumper or the dumpee? Interesting, but it accounted for why he might have wanted to escape for a while. It also sent a loud and clear message she shouldn’t think much about that kiss.

  Lord have mercy, that man could kiss.

  What a shock to find herself an inch away from a lip lock after swallowing that first bit of nectar. She’d be reliving the moment for a long time.

  “So where exactly is home?” she said.

  He cut into one of the steaks to see if it was done. “Rare or Medium?”

  “Well done, please. I don’t like my cow to walk off my plate.”

  “You sure know how to ruin a good steak.” He lifted his off and set it on a part of the grill without flame underneath.

  She shuddered and hoped he didn’t like it bloody. She might gag or worse. This damn blood thing was a nuisance. She handled paper cuts and knee scrapes. Barely.

  It must have been all those surgeries she was forced to watch when she was a kid, all suited up in surgical gear including a mask. Her parents prepped her from an early age to follow in their footsteps, not realizing she closed her eyes through most of their training.

  “San Francisco now. Los Angeles when I was growing up.”

  “What?”

  He placed long strips of zucchini on the grill. “You asked where home was.”

  “Oh right. ”She sipped her wine and sat on the bench. “So tell me how this contract engineer stuff works. Is it like a nurse’s registry? Or substitute teacher list?”

  Was it her imagination or did he look uncomfortable. Maybe he was remembering the kiss and regretting it. Or maybe it was her inexperience because she really hadn’t been alone with a man in months, except for Mac.

  Relax and enjoy this. He’ll be gone in two weeks.

  “I have contacts. They call me when extra help is needed.”

  He plated the steaks and the vegetables and brought them over to the picnic table. “Are you hungry?”

  “Starving.” She watched him serve the salad and sip his wine.

  “This wine really is outstanding. It’s from here?”

  “It is. It’s a Cork Crawl competition winner.”

  He grinned. “I think it contains an aphrodisiac.”

  “No wonder it’s so expensive.”

  He laughed, but in the next second grimaced, set down his glass and sprinted toward the kitchen door. “Forgot to take the pie out of the oven. Watch the steaks.”

  Jax bounded out of the house, making a beeline for the table. A tiny bite of her steak would distract him. She carved off a small piece. “Over here boy.”

  Tongue hanging, his tail whapped the bench. “Sit. There you go.” She reached over and scratched behind his ears, leaning down to kiss the top of his head.

  Nick came back out, a bone in his hand. “That dog has a bottomless stomach. I’m going to entice him back into the house with this rawhide bone so we can enjoy our meal. Otherwise he’ll stand there and bark.”

  “Where’s he been?”

  “Sleeping.”

  When he returned they ate in companionable silence. “This is the best meal I’ve had in ages, Nick, and I’m glad I’m here to eat it. That rattler was the granddaddy of snakes. I probably would have survived a bite, but I would have been in the hospital a night or two.”

  “I’m glad you’re here, too.” He reached over and put his hand over hers. It was warm and slightly callused. “Mac says you survey alone with the robotic equipment. I don’t want you to go out by yourself anymore.” His deep blue eyes drew her. How could a man have such long lashes?

  She withdrew her hand and put it in her lap. A light-headed feeling took over her senses when he touched her. It must be the wine.

  “I can’t promise not to ever do it again. But I won’t go out alone as long as you’re here. Does that work for you?”

  A slow, sexy grin made her insides soften. “
Deal.”

  They carried the dishes into the house and scraped them into the trash. The least she could do was help him load the dishwasher. When the kitchen counters sparkled they strolled into the living room.

  “Want to watch a movie? I’ve got coffee and pie.”

  “Did you make it from scratch?” Her mouth watered. It was so unladylike.

  “Frozen crust. Canned cherries.” He cocked his head. “Oh, right. You only eat healthy stuff.”

  She put her hand on his chest. Bad move. Warmth traveled up her arm.

  “I can make an exception. After all, it’s a special occasion.”

  He picked up her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles. Thank God she’d done her nails this morning. “You’re cute you know that?”

  Cute? Nobody had called her cute since she posed with a basket of kittens for a promo poster for the clinic when she was six.

  He headed for the kitchen. Dishes and silverware rattled. She probably ought to get back home, but heck it was Saturday night and she sure didn’t have anyone waiting for her.

  He came back in with Maddie’s teak tray with two cups of coffee—one with creamer—and two small pieces of pie.

  “I probably should have put ice cream on top, but…” he shrugged.

  They sat side by side. When the plates held only crumbs they looked at each other and Nick reached out and swiped a corner of her mouth, sucking his finger.

  “What?”

  “You had a bit of cherry on the corner of your mouth. Didn’t want it to go to waste.”

  “Is there any at the other corner?” She was bold, but right now she wanted him to kiss her again.

  He didn’t disappoint.

  His hands played in her hair as he gently brought her face toward his. Her eyes drifted shut and she let herself give in to sensation. He had a warm, sleepy scent, like a man who’d just risen from his bed. Lips touched the corner of her mouth, then the other corner, then each eyelid. He was a connoisseur, selecting the spots to be honored with his lips. When his mouth covered hers a heaviness weighed in her chest and sent silent shudders through her body clear to her toes. She sighed and let strong emotion take over her senses.