Seductive One

9

Invite Nic? Brenna blinked several times. Invite Nic? Sure. Of course. She didn’t have a date and he was available. It was the perfect solution.

Not.

Take Nic? A Giovanni? Great-grandson of the hated Salvatore Giovanni? She stared at him, unable to think of a single thing to say. He couldn’t be serious. He had to know that it was impossible. He had to remember-

She sucked in a breath. Of course he remembered and maybe that was the point. All those years ago she had been so worried about what her family would think if they knew she was involved with Nic. He’d wanted her to tell them, to declare her feelings for him. She’d wanted that, too-sort of. But she’d been afraid of what they would say. Of what would happen. The reality had terrified her.

It might have been ten years, but she could still feel that cold fear swirling in her stomach.

The humor faded from Nic’s face. “Don’t sweat it. I was kidding.”

Was he? She still didn’t know what to say. “It’s not going to be a really big party,” she blurted out. “Just family and friends.”

Oh, right. That had certainly made things all better. What? If there were going to be a lot of strangers there, she would be more comfortable inviting him?

She reached out to touch his arm. “Nic, I’m-”

“I know. Whatever.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m late for a meeting.” He jerked his head toward the grapes. “Congratulations. You picked a winner.”

He walked to his motorcycle and pulled on his helmet. Before she could think of a single rational, intelligent explanation for how she was acting, he was gone.

“That went well,” she muttered and kicked at the dirt.

What was going on here? Was Nic actually serious about going to the party with her? They weren’t seeing each other-not in the dating sense. She wasn’t sure she would even categorize their relationship as “friendship.” They had business dealings and more sexual chemistry than should be legal, but little else. She sighed. Okay, they had a past that would make a soap-opera writer jealous, but no one was talking about that.

She turned toward the road and stared at the bend where Nic had disappeared. Telling herself to forget the whole thing wasn’t going to work, mostly because she found herself wanting to take him to the party.

How strange was that? Did she think that one family social event would make up for all she’d done-or not done-in the past?

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” she said firmly.

She crossed to her car and pulled open the door. If she didn’t know better she would have sworn he’d been playing with her when he’d first mentioned going to the party, but something had changed. It was almost as if her inability to say yes had hurt him.

No way. Nic hurt by her? Now? Right.

Except he’d almost looked…wounded.

She slid into her car and pulled the door shut. What was going on? Were they both experiencing flashbacks? Were the blasts from the past confusing an already complicated situation?

Until she and Nic had met up again, she had believed with every fiber of her being that she was long over him. That what they’d once had didn’t matter. After close contact of the Nic kind, she knew better. There were some things that simply didn’t go away, regardless of the passage of time. Those life-altering moments lingered, and Lord knew that every second with Nic had changed her life.

Talk about a complication. If only she could forget the past, things would be a lot easier between them. Forgetting Nic would be-

Impossible, she thought. Even if it was smart, she didn’t want to. She liked that they’d been young and in love. She liked that he had been her first time. She liked remembering how his hands had trembled when he’d undressed her and how his dark eyes had promised to make everything perfect between them.

And he had. He’d been tender and caring. She could still see the expression on his face as he’d entered her. He’d been much more experienced, but he’d lost it in about thirty seconds after declaring it had never been like that for him before.

She remembered the first time he’d told her he loved her. They’d been sitting out in the vineyards on a warm summer night. The stars had bathed them with a soft, sparkly light as they’d made love on an old blanket. Afterward, Nic had pulled her to her feet. They’d both still been naked and she’d shivered a little. He’d touched her face, her shoulders, her breasts, and had kissed each of her palms. Then he’d placed her hand on his chest, right over his heart.

“I love you, Brenna,” he said, his expression intense, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time, but I wanted to wait until the perfect moment. I’ll love you forever. With my heart, my mind, and my body.”

She’d started to cry and he’d held her. Finally she’d managed to whisper that she loved him, too. For always. At seventeen, eternity had seemed possible.

Brenna turned off the coastal road and headed back for the hacienda. She had to blink against the burning in her eyes as she recalled Nic leaving to go back to college. She’d done her best to be brave. He’d been so sensible, promising that he would love her but saying he wasn’t going to tie her down. He wanted her to enjoy her senior year of high school.

She’d known what he’d meant. She’d been free to date other guys, none of whom had interested her. How could they? She was in love with Nic.

The year had crawled by. They’d managed to steal a few hours together over Christmas, but nothing after that. He’d been working and unable to get away more. Brenna had been so afraid he wouldn’t still love her come the summer. They’d met out in the vineyards, at a prearranged time. She’d practiced acting casual in case he told her he didn’t love her anymore.

They’d taken one look at each other and they’d known. It was as if the time apart had been seconds instead of months. Looking at Nic was like falling into the sun. Their reunion had been one of her life’s perfect moments.

There had been so many. Nights and mornings. Conversations, quiet times, laughter, and even tears. There had never been anyone like him for her. Jeff had never come close.

Brenna pulled under the arch at the entrance to the Marcelli lands. Her grip tightened on the steering wheel. She could still see the diamond ring he’d slid onto her finger.

Marriage and children. She could have had that with Nic. She could have had it all. Brenna thought about Kelly, Francesca’s soon-to-be stepdaughter. If she’d accepted Nic’s proposal, she would have children of her own now. They would be a family. Instead she’d married Jeff.

She parked her car and slowly climbed out. Her body ached, as if she’d just fallen down a mountain. It was always that way when she allowed herself to revisit the past for too long. Regrets, what-if s, could-have-been s. They flung sharp weapons that cut her heart and burned her soul.

Ten years ago she’d made the safe and easy choice, and she’d been paying for it ever since. She’d walked away from her heart’s desire because she’d been afraid of what it would cost. Never again. That was why she’d wanted to start the winery-to prove to herself that she’d learned her lesson. Nothing was ever going to stand in the way of her dreams again.

A nice sentiment, but it had little to do with the problem at hand. Had Nic been serious about accompanying her to the party? And if so, was she going to invite him?

Maggie tore off the crust from the sandwich she hadn’t finished and tossed it to Max. The puppy caught it in midair and swallowed without chewing.

“You’re going to make him fat,” Nic warned.

“I know, but I can’t resist his big brown eyes. He’s so sweet.”

“He needs to learn table manners.”

Maggie wrinkled her nose at him. “You’re too strict. You need to lighten up.”

“What happens when Max is ninety pounds of begging dog?”

She laughed. “I guess we eat indoors and keep him out.”

Nic sipped his iced tea. “I can see I don’t want you around when he starts his obedience classes. You would never insist he behave.”

“You’re right. I wouldn’t. I guess it’s something of a surprise that my daughter is somewhat civilized, huh?”

“I think we have your husband to thank for that.”

She picked up another bread crust, but this one she tossed at Nic. “You’re insulting me.”

“Only a little.”

Maggie sighed, then picked up her pen. “Okay. Back to business. We’ve been over the expansion, the new equipment on order, and the Far East deal. Oh, Jeremy wanted to talk about the bottling equipment. I told him to make an appointment with you.”

“Not a problem.”

While Maggie made more notes, Nic let his attention wander to the vineyards in the distance and the clusters of grapes ripening in the bright sun.

Today was a good day. Rather than have their meeting inside, Maggie had suggested lunch on the lawn. A table had been set up in the shade, and the lunch-room catering staff had provided the food.

The sun was warm, the sky clear. It was the kind of afternoon that made him want to take off on one of his bikes. Except he’d done that yesterday and he’d ended up somewhere he never should have been.

At the time driving by Brenna’s newly acquired acres had seemed like a good idea, but later…he’d regretted the impulse.

Or maybe he just regretted mentioning the party.

He’d offered to be her date as a joke. At least, that’s how it had started. But as soon as he spoke the words, something had shifted inside of him. He could rationalize the slight tightening in his chest and stiffness in his legs by saying he remembered being that twenty-year-old kid who’d been desperately in love with a girl whose family hated him. But he had a feeling his reaction was about more than that.

“Earth to Nic,” Maggie said, waving a hand in front of his face. “Where did you go?”

“Back about ten years.”

She studied him. “About the time your grandfather sent you away?”

He nodded.

“I always felt bad about that.”

He chuckled. “You weren’t here when it happened and you didn’t have anything to do with it. How could you feel bad?”

“I just did. When you came back from France, I could tell you’d been hurt even though you never talked about what had happened between you two.” She sighed. “You were family. Emilio had no right to send you away.”

“According to him he had every right.”

“He was wrong.”

“Maybe.”

His grandfather had asked him to choose and Nic had. Unfortunately he’d chosen Brenna instead of Wild Sea, and the old man had never forgiven him for that. Nic had been equally furious about being kicked off the property. The fact that his grandfather had come back eighteen months later, begging him to return hadn’t been enough.

He thought about that difficult first year when he’d finally come home. Maggie had been there for him. “You got me through some tough times. You were good to me.”

She shrugged. “I wasn’t doing anything I didn’t want to do.”

“Was I good for you?”

Her smile turned tender. “More than you’ll ever know. You made me feel special. For the first time in my life I wasn’t a tall, gawky carrot-top with freckles. You thought I was beautiful and I could almost see myself that way. You gave me confidence.”

“To go out and marry someone else.”

She laughed. “Come on, Nic, you weren’t really hurt when I broke up with you. Admit it.”

He shrugged, not willing to concede the point, even if she was right. “If I was so great, why did you end things?”

She hesitated, as if not willing to tell him the truth.

He leaned toward her. “I’d like to know.”

“It’s embarrassing.” She smiled wryly. “But if you insist. The reason I ended things was I knew you’d never fall in love with me, and I didn’t want to fall in love with you. I’d already had enough heartache in my life. So I broke it off while I still could.”

Love? Nic had never known, never guessed things were that serious for her. He studied her green eyes and wondered if he’d inadvertently hurt her all those years ago.

“So I got you all primed, and then your husband came along and plucked you like a ripe peach.”

“Absolutely.” She grinned and whatever shadows had drifted into her eyes faded away. “Besides, I wanted to get married and you weren’t interested in anything permanent. You still aren’t.” She pointed a finger at him. “At some point you have to be willing to give your heart and take a chance. Do you really want to die old and alone?”

“Are those my only options? I took your advice and got a dog. That should count for something.”

“Not enough. What about letting people in your life?”

Nic understood the theory, but didn’t get the point. Everyone he’d ever cared about had walked away from him. As far as he could tell, the love thing wasn’t working in his world.

“I have people in my life,” he told her.

“You have friends, but no romantic interest. When was the last time you were serious about someone? And before you ask, no, a three-week sexual relationship doesn’t count.”

“What about a four-week one?”

She glared at him. “You know what I mean.”

He did, and he wasn’t answering the question. What was the point? He avoided serious relationships. The last one he’d had had been with Maggie. Before that, Brenna. While he hadn’t minded when Maggie ended things, Brenna’s betrayal had destroyed him.

“Stick to your numbers,” he said, tapping the papers on the table. “They’re what you know best.”

“You’re dismissing my concerns.”

“I know.”

“Fine. Be lonely. I don’t care.”

They both knew that she was lying. While Nic would never admit it, he liked that Maggie cared. She was a good friend.

“I appreciate the advice,” he told her. “But I’m okay.”

“Maybe.” She eyed him. “Speaking of women…”

“Were we?”

“I was. I met Brenna Marcelli the other day.”

“So I heard. What was that about?”

“I told you I wanted to check her out and see if I had to feel guilty.” Her gaze narrowed. “She’s very nice and she’s working hard to make her winery a success. I can’t believe you’re going to take advantage of her.”

Nic had lots of plans to take advantage of Brenna, but not in the way Maggie meant. “She’ll be fine.”

“Will she? Are you really going to give her the time she needs to get her business up and running?”

“I don’t know.”

“Dammit, Nic, why not? Why did you offer her the loan if you’re just going to screw her over?”

He didn’t like the question. “I told you. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do.”

“Is all this because she’s Lorenzo Marcelli’s granddaughter, or is there something else I don’t know about?”

“My life is an open book.”

“Right. One that’s written in invisible ink.” She collected her papers. “Until recently I’ve always admired how you did business. You’ve always been completely straightforward. Because of that, you’ve always been able to look yourself in the mirror. I would hate to see that change.”

She stood and walked away. Nic watched her go. He told himself that Maggie didn’t understand what he was trying to do. She saw things as black and white, but life was more complicated than that. Sometimes winning was expensive, but he’d always been willing to pay the price.

Besides, he’d yet to find a deal he couldn’t afford. There was no reason to think this one was different.

Francesca stepped into the basted gown and pulled it up over her hips. Brenna waited until the bodice was in place, then carefully pinned the back closed.

“How does it feel?” she asked her twin. Grammy M had just finished the initial assembly of a thin cotton dress they would use as a pattern for the actual wedding gown. Once it was fitted, the garment would be taken apart. When there was eighty-dollar-a-yard silk involved, it was best to experiment on cheap fabric first.

“Good. It’s a little loose in the waist. I wish I could know how big I’m going to get between now and the wedding. Should we let it out more?”

Brenna fingered the cotton and found she could pinch about two inches of fabric. “I’ll ask one of the Grands. They have more experience with that sort of thing.” She bent down to see where the hem should be. “Are these the shoes you’re wearing?”

“Uh-huh.”

She slipped several pins into the fabric, then straightened. “So the party is this Saturday. You must be excited.”

“I think it will be fun.”

Not exactly the word Brenna would have used. She cleared her throat. “So here’s the thing. I was thinking of maybe, you know, bringing someone.”

Francesca spun around to face her. “You’re kidding. Like a guy?”

“Yes, a guy.”

“But I didn’t think you were seeing anyone.”

“I’m not.” She and Nic weren’t “seeing” each other. They were…She sighed. She had no idea what they were doing. “The problem is I don’t want to make trouble. It’s your party, it’s your special day.”

“What trouble? The Grands will be thrilled that you’re dating. They want you to get married again.”

“Not to Nic Giovanni.”

Francesca’s perfect mouth dropped open. “Nic? You want to bring Nic?”

Brenna nodded. She’d been mulling over the concept for three days, and she’d come to the conclusion that, kidding or not, Nic’s feelings had been hurt when she hadn’t instantly agreed to take him. While that wasn’t exactly her responsibility, she still felt bad. Maybe it had something to do with the chemistry bubbling between them or maybe she was still feeling guilty about the past or maybe she’d slipped into madness. Whatever the reason, she wanted to ask him. But only if her sister agreed.

“We were talking the other day and I mentioned the engagement party and he said he would like to go and I thought maybe I’d bring him.” She looked at Francesca. “But I know it will be really uncomfortable, so I didn’t want to do that and ruin the party.”

Her sister grinned. “I think it’s a terrific idea.”

“Oh, please. Talk about the fur flying.”

“But that’s perfect. We haven’t actually booked any entertainment.”

“Very funny. It could get ugly.”

“No way.” Francesca returned her attention to the mirror. “Grandpa Lorenzo will grumble, but I don’t think anyone else will care. You should bring him. A nice, romantic night under the stars. Anything could happen.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Brenna mumbled. She sighed. “I talked to Katie and she pretty much said the same thing.”

Francesca met her gaze in the mirror. “So you’re going to do it?”

“I’ll call him and see if he wants to come with me.”

Francesca’s gaze narrowed. “Are you sure there isn’t anything between the two of you?”

“There’s nothing,” Brenna said. But when she turned away to busy herself with the box of pins, she crossed her fingers. There was something; she just couldn’t figure out what it was.

“You’re offering a lot of cash,” Bill Freeman said. “Are you sure about that?”

“Lorenzo Marcelli is an old-fashioned businessman.” Nic glanced down at the final draft of the offer. “Cash will appeal to him. I want to keep things clean.”

Bill grinned. “Any cleaner than this and I’d sell to you.”

“You don’t own Marcelli Wines.”

“You make me wish I did.”

Roger White flipped to the second page. “You’re promising to keep all the employees for at least two years. I heard that he’s got his granddaughter running things these days. Will that apply to her as well?”

Nic understood Roger’s concern. An angry family member who had just lost an inheritance could be a liability. “The clause stands.” He held up his hand before Roger could interrupt. “Brenna Marcelli will quit the second she finds out I’m the actual buyer.”

“You’re sure?”

Nic thought about Brenna’s temper and how she was going to feel about the deal. They’d even discussed him buying Marcelli, however briefly, before she’d dismissed the idea. As much as she would hate him buying out her inheritance, she was going to be even more furious at being played for a fool.

“I’m positive,” he said.

She would want to skin him alive. Not that he would blame her. If someone was doing to him what he planned to do to her, he would be out for blood. Brenna’s need for revenge would be hampered by the million-dollar callable note he held. No matter what, he was going to win.

They discussed a few more points, then adjourned the meeting.

“You’re a hell of an opponent,” Roger said, shaking hands with Nic. “Remind me not to piss you off.”

Nic grinned. “You want that in an e-mail?”

“Sure.”

He opened the conference room door for the men. Bill paused. “You’re going to make a lot of enemies with this one, Nic.”

“I can live with that.”

The older man studied him for a second, then shrugged. “If you’re sure.”

“I am. I’ve wanted Marcelli for a long time.”

“You’re about to get them.”

Nic watched them leave, then returned to the table to pick up his copy of the offer. One more pass and it would be ready. Bill and Roger would present it, and then the real game began.

Lorenzo Marcelli would be a fool to dismiss the deal, but Nic knew his acquisition wasn’t a sure thing. Marcelli Wines was a family business. There was more than just money at stake. But he was confident.

He crossed to the window and stared out at the winery. To the left was the building where Brenna’s wines were fermenting. She showed up every night and worked until dawn. Despite her years away from the business, she still had the magic touch. He didn’t doubt that every one of her wines was going to be a medal winner and sell out in days.

If he gave her the time she needed.

He felt a twinge right between his shoulder blades. Guilt? Not possible. He hadn’t done anything wrong. This was business.

The phone on the conference table buzzed. He walked over and hit the speaker button.

“Yes?”

“Nic, you have a call on line seven. A Brenna Marcelli.”

“Thanks.” He hesitated before pushing the flashing button. Why would she be calling him?

“Let me guess,” he said by way of greeting. “You sold your four acres of Pinot to a theme-park developer for a cool five million.”

She laughed. “Not even on a bet. Your assistant said you were just getting out of a meeting. Are you planning to produce wine coolers?”

“Yeah, we’re going to blend them with tropical fruits.”

She made a gagging sound. “That’s disgusting. Not even you would do that.”

“I would if the profit margin was right.”

“Oh, please. What about family pride? Anyway, I didn’t call to lecture you about your shady business practices.”

Ouch. “Good to know. Why did you call?”

“Well, that’s an interesting question.” She cleared her throat. “I, ah, I told you before about the engagement party. For my sisters. Anyway, if you’re not busy Saturday, I thought maybe you’d like to go with me. Not as a date or anything. Just as, well, I guess I don’t know. Friends. Or something.”

He sat and stared at the phone. Brenna inviting him to the family homestead? For a party? Unbelievable. He would never have guessed she would change her mind.

“Nic?”

“I’m here. I’m surprised.”

“I know. It’s just…” She sighed. “I can’t explain it. Just tell me if you want to go.”

“Sure.” Why not? This was a chance to see operations up close. Brenna would be happy to give him a tour. They would spend the evening together, which wasn’t much of a hardship. “I’d like to go with you.”

“Great.”

He couldn’t tell if she sounded relieved or horrified.

“What time?” he asked.

“Say six-thirty. But I’ll pick you up. It might be dangerous for you to drive onto Marcelli property by yourself.”

He chuckled. “Will I be shot on sight?”

“Instant death would be the least of your problems. So I’ll see you Saturday.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Funny. When he hung up the phone, he found he really was.